Obama has made a first step with his eloquent speech, now he must go much farther with discrete and distinct ACTION. That is, if he wishes us to really regard him as a "uniter" and not a supporter of overt or covert black racism.

How can he do this? How can he show this? By removing himself from Wright's church (and it matters not that Wright has removed himself from the church as pastor). This is the only way that Obie can show he really means what he says, and that he understands that ACTION must underscore words.

I caught Wright's screeds on Sat. night and was sickened by the inherent black racism which reminded me of many of the rants of Malcolm X in the 60s. That Obama could even be a member of a church in which such hateful, divisive sentiments were being expressed astonished me.

It is now time to put up or shut up.

All I can say is, this is the speech I was waiting for Obama to make. Outstanding in every respect, in my humble opinion.

I look forward to hearing more from Obama - I just hope he isn't casting pearls before swine, such as the authors of some of the negative responses posted here.

I guess that is the danger of living in a society that seems to think rational, intelligent thought is 'elitist'.

Sonofloud, I don't know if you are illiterate or just stubborn, but your ship has sailed, your train has left the station, your perspective is mired in ignorance and you have missed the boat, and the entire point of Obama's speech.

Over the fence and way, way out of the park!

Would someone please Photoshop the Great Seal of the President of the United States onto the podium Obama used. We deserve a sneak preview!

Great speech, but has strong nuances of:

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for Barack Obama the Presidential Candidate."

Sadly enough, many voters will buy this line.

He is truly a master politician.

I intend to vote for the best and the brightest because I think that is what America needs in the worst way.

I'd vote republican if that candidate were the best and brightest but unfortunately the makeup of the Republican party makes it impossible for them to put forward such a candidate.

That has to be one of the best speeches by an American politician in 20 years. The more I learn about Obama the more I think he is best equipped to reunite America and lead us out of the disaster of the Bush years.

I'd rank this one with Call to Renewal and the 2004 convention.

While reading this, I couldn't help but picturing Hillary thinking that as she either listened to it or read the transcript herself, perhaps even a bit begrudgingly but with a little smile of admiration:

He is good, I'll give him that.

stalwart allies like Israel

Translation: Expect more blowback and more war. Israel (with US permission to use Iraqi air space of course) or the US will probably be throwing DU at Iran before the election anyway. But why would anyone expect Obama to discuss real issues like Empire when it so much easier to just go along with disinformation and bullshit?

Yes, we must all come together...

instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.

Unless you are a scary brown person who disagrees with the policies of poor defenseless US subsidized armed to the teeth nuclear Israel. What has our BFF Israel ever done to offend anyone in the region? Suicide terrorism has nothing to do with foreign occupiers of a different religion and everything to do with the NH Primary and Nair....

Only one sentence devoted to the big lie, but there it is. Real change is dehumanizing the scary people that you don't understand or even care to understand. Obama sounds like a Neoconservative when he speaks of Israel, just like everyone else who is deemed worthy to wear the Imperial Crown.

We are climbing Jacob's Ladder, we are climbing Jacob's Ladder, brothers, sisters, all.

Every attack is an opportunity to elevate the discusssion, to educate. Continue on and go higher Barack, go higher.

No wonder Hillary keeps trying to get us to picture Obama as her VP running mate! ha ha!!

I'm a Obama supporter, and like some others, I tried to read this from the perspective of a non-supporter. But how can anyone read those words and not be moved? They aren't just words. They are a call to action. An appeal to reason. They acknowledge our difficult and diverse past and inspire us to reach for a more peaceful future. If we can't get past the race issue in our own country, how can we get past it in our dealings with the rest of the world?

sonofloud, please get real. Obama has not attacked Hillary. He has defended himself against her attacks. She is the one playing dirty. She is the one playing fast and loose with the facts. She has distorted her record to inflate herself. And she is the one who is losing - in delegates, in popular vote and in states won.

The man can certainly write/deliver a speech like few others. I look forward to watching it on TV. From reading the text, it seems worthy of a Lincoln or Kennedy. But here's my problem: come November what will the lunch pail dem or suburban moderate remember? The speech or Rev. Wright and Obama's twenty year affiliation with him? If Swiftboat sank Kerry, which to me was one of the most egregious/lowest attacks ever in a national election (yes, even worse than Willie Horton), what will the Rev. Wright issue do to Obama? Call me cynical but I can imagine the Republican machine releasing Rev. Wright attack ads in Oct, and if the election is close, it's bye-bye election.

And PLEASE, Obama supporters, let's not use this moment for another diatribe against Hillary. You do your candidate as much disservice as Rev. Wright did. Unless Hillary can somehow win the popular vote (which looks like fat chance), you've all but won the nomination. The time is not to be divisive. You may need every last one of Clinton supporters come fall. Which leads me to the only criticism of the speech, albeit minor: that is, bringing up Ferraro near the end. Comparing her words to Rev. Wright's, or for that matter her ties to Clinton to Wright's to the Obamas, just doesn't wash.

Anyway, just some thoughts from a former Biden supporter, who still wishes Joe was in the race.