memeorandum: Michian re-do on the ropes (Ben Smith/Ben Smith's Blogs)

2:30 PM ET, March 18, 2008

Top Items:

OBAMA SPEECH IN FULL: A MORE PERFECT UNION — “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.” — Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.

Discussion: Clive Crook, The New Republic, PressThink, Power Line, Little Green Footballs, TalkLeft, TownHall Blog, The Corner, Rocky Mountain News, Crooks and Liars, JustOneMinute, Blog P.I., The Huffington Post, Althouse, Hot Air, Redstate, Washington Monthly, protein wisdom, A Blog For All, Brave New Films blog, NYCweboy, Polimom Says, Firedoglake, Donklephant, FP Passport, Taylor Marsh, Macsmind, PoliBlog (TM), The Carpetbagger Report, Joe. My. God., FREEDOM EDEN, Ross Douthat, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Caucus, Confederate Yankee, Daimnation!, Comments from Left Field, Associated Press, The Sundries Shack, Sweetness & Light, Pam's House Blend, The Strata-Sphere, Ankle Biting Pundits, Classical Values, Atlas Shrugs, Suburban Guerrilla, The Campaign Spot, Balloon Juice, Steve Sailer's iSteve Blog, Stop The ACLU, GINA COBB, Press Association, Attytood, PrestoPundit, Swords Crossed, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, small dead animals, American Thinker, PunditGuy and The Page

Shelby Steele / Wall Street Journal:

The Obama Bargain — Geraldine Ferraro may have had sinister motives when she said that Barack Obama would not be “in his position” as a frontrunner but for his race. Possibly she was acting as Hillary Clinton's surrogate. Or maybe she was simply befuddled by this new reality …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, JustOneMinute, American Thinker, Debbie Schlussel, Dr. Sanity, Too Sense and Betsy's Page

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: OBAMA'S BIG SPEECH — From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray — *** Obama's big speech: The last time a top presidential candidate gave an important speech on a sensitive topic was last December, when Mitt Romney talked about American faith. His speech drew favorable reviews …

Discussion: Trailhead and MyDD

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Full Text Of Obama's Big Race Speech: A Big Break With Political Precedent — We have a full transcript of Obama's big race speech for you after the jump. He's set to deliver it in Philadelphia within moments. — Reading it, you can't escape the fact that in various ways it represents …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, American Street, Open Left, Democratic Strategist and MSNBC

Ben Smith / The Politico:

The speech — He hasn't started speaking yet here in Philly, but Drudge just busted the embargo, so I've posted the text after the jump. — It's quite a speech: autobiographical, embracing complexity, and answering questions about Wright — whose most offensive words, he says …

Discussion: Shakesville, Reason Magazine and The Confluence

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Speech — Alas, I cannot give a more considered response right now as I have to get on the road. But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Ben Smith's Blogs, Marc Ambinder, Hot Air and MSNBC

Pete Abel / The Moderate Voice:

‘Not This Time’ — I watched most of Obama's speech live on CNN.com. Of all the words he spoke, those three — “not this time” — seemed the defining words of the moment; not just of the speech, but of his entire campaign. — Better than most, those words capture, I think …

CNN:

Obama: We can move beyond some of our racial wounds — PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday he chose to run for president because he believes “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” — Speaking to supporters …

Discussion: Fox News, The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Wake up America, TPM Election Central and Donklephant

The New Republic:
John McWhorter Reviews Obama's Speech

Discussion: Too Sense

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Testing Of Obama

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The New Republic, protein wisdom, The Root, The Corner, Outside The Beltway, The Garlic and Jules Crittenden

Charlotte Hays / The Corner:
The Politics of Grievance — Obama is no longer a post-racial candidate.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Mark Hemingway / The Corner:
About Obama's Speech

Discussion: American Spectator

ABCNEWS:
The Note: Black & White Stall

Discussion: Blog P.I., MyDD, The Swamp and Washington Wire

Ross Douthat:
Obama's Speech — Barack Obama's long association …

Discussion: Eunomia

Jill Miller Zimon / The Moderate Voice: Text of Barack Obama speech on race, 3/18/08

Washington Post:

A McCain Gaffe in Jordan — AMMAN, Jordan — Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran. — He said several times that Iran …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Think Progress, Marc Ambinder, Washington Monthly, The New Republic, The Impolitic, Newsweek, Cliff Schecter, Townhall.com, Matthew Yglesias, Middle Earth Journal and The Page

Matthew Yglesias:
Doesn't Understand Economics, Either

Discussion: Eschaton and The Newshoggers

WWJ:

Democratic Re-do Likely Won't Happen — Lansing (WWJ) — It's appearing more and more likely there will not be a re-do of the Democratic presidential primary election. WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports state Senate Democrats came out of a closed door meeting Tuesday morning …

Discussion: TalkLeft

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Michian re-do on the ropes

Discussion: MyDD and TPM Election Central

Marc Ambinder:
More On Imminent Death Of Michigan Primary....

Discussion: Daily Kos

Charles Murray / The Corner:

Have I missed the competition? — I read the various posts here on “The Corner,” mostly pretty ho-hum or critical about Obama's speech. Then I figured I'd better read the text (I tried to find a video of it, but couldn't). I've just finished. Has any other major American politician ever …

Frank Newport / Gallup:

McCain's 67% Favorable Rating His Highest in Eight Years — Obama has a 62% favorable rating, while Clinton's is 53% — PRINCETON, NJ — John McCain's 67% favorable rating is the highest of any of the three major candidates running for president, and ties for his highest in Gallup polling history.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Weekly Standard Blog, Wonkette, Wake up America, Hot Air, Outside The Beltway and Hotline On Call

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Clinton widens leads over Obama in Pa., poll finds — Sen. Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over Sen. Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary battle, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. — Sen. Clinton now leads Sen. Obama …

Discussion: Associated Press and PoliGazette