Obama at His Best

I have found myself most impressed with Obama in the speeches you likely didn’t hear on TV. Those where he wasn’t speaking to the American people, but to an opposition group, or on a very touchy subject. After eight years of a president who responded to criticism either by hiding or lashing out,  it is doubly impressive to watch a man who realizes that compromise lies not at the midpoint between opposites, but by extending the hand to invite  all parties to the table with the impression that their views will be understood and respected; that they will be included in the final decision, and that all will likely have to make sacrifices in order to come to agreement. It will be that feeling that if they don’t take the proffered hand, that they will be left behind that will fuel the peace process. I’ve heard it said of the stock market that it isn’t fear of failure or the hope of profit that drives men to buy and sell when they do, but the prospect of watching others profit without them because they didn’t act when they had the chance.

Here are a few of the better Obama Moments thus far:

On religion: This is the first of a series, the rest should be linked at the end.

On Race:

On the middle east: