I thought Obama gave a pretty good speech, but then again, that's what he does best. In fact, he actually said things in this speech, which is actually a marked difference from previous speeches I have heard. Did he make people feel good about him again? No doubt, some people are going to be convinced. Did he save his campaign from the stain of Reverend Wright's hateful comments? I don't think so, but it remains to be seen. The numerous American flags were a nice touch, though.

As this argument has progressed, it has occured to me that this just isn't about race, although that is a major factor. It is also about the offensiveness of the remarks in a religious context. The profanity uttered from the pulpit makes this an issue not just of race, but also religion, and the appropriateness of certain language in a public forum. Also, the attacking of the United States in his speeches, although seeming to be derived from a racial context, is unforgivable to many people. Some people, me included, are just plain offended by the Reverend's speech, not just in a racial context but in a very general sense.

The statement that caught my attention is the flip flop on whether he actually heard the statements in church. He previously stated:

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation."

But yet, in his speech he stated:

"Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes."

How important is this? He does not say he was in church when the exact comments being played on the news were uttered, so in particularly lawyerly fashion, he has some wiggle room. But there is no way to excercise that wiggle room without sounding like a typical politician, which is the antithesis of the type of campaign he is running. At this time, the flip-flop may not be captialized upon, but once the general election begins, and if he is the candidate for the Democratic Party, you can be sure this will be revisited.