There was, to say the least, a major event on the campaign trail yesterday.
Followed, naturally, by fuckloads of analysis.
I saw Chris Matthews call it the most important speech on race in the history of the nation.
Probably hyperbole.
On Countdown they had a more sober look at what everyone who was asked referred to as a masterpiece, but not of the immortal level that Mathews was proclaiming it to be. They analyzed the potential political impact with no sure conclusion other than that time would tell, and that he certainly didn't hurt himself.
Dan Abrams, on the premier of his new show, "Verdict," and Tucker Carlson, fresh from his own show's cancellation, split the speech up into soundbytes so that they could neatly decontextualize each clip. Two panelists showing complete support for Obama utterly failed to point out the absurdly slanted way the issue was being framed. Not disowning the man becomes not saying that he's wrong. Saying that there's a context for racial tensions becomes excusing ignorant and hateful remarks. What do you know? A show called "Verdict" assumes that there's never a case where a politician shouldn't be demerited. Abrams is so attatched to his reputation for talking tough and giving no one a break that he's positively desperate to throw the muck on someone.
As for Carlson, all I'm going to say is that it's impossible to predict when he's going to be a relentless, intelligent commentator and when he's just going to be a flaming cock.
In any case, of all the punditry thus far, it was put best by a comedian.
Jon Stewart: Today, at (sic) 11am, a major political figure spoke about race to the American people like they were adults.
I don't think there's much more to say. Here it is.
