竹板凳的漁瘟

Someone said in elections, there are words spoken by politicians just for elections, and these words don't matter.  I was thinking about this and remembered that Barack Obama has already addressed this in one of his most moving speeches back in February of 2008.

The speech was made during the primaries when Hilary criticized Obama for pedaling false hope.  But I feel it can also be used to reflect on John McCain 2000 and John McCain 2008's inconsistencies when it comes to policies and issues.  If words don't matter to a politician in a free society, I think that is call for concern. 

Now I'd understand if in a less free nation, when there's danger for telling the truth in public, that sometimes politicians have to say one thing and do another to accomplish their goals.  But America is free country, and the only thing in danger for John McCain is the support of the extreme conservatives.

The fact that John McCain of all republicans would give up what he stood for and believed in just to win the election, as though the presidential election is nothing more than a competition, disappointed me, and those who thought these two candidates could set a new standard for future presidential campaigns.

There were attacks on this speech being similar to other speeches.  The sentences that kickoff this speech are barrowed from another African American Politician, Deval Patrick, who is also a member of the Democratic Party and currently governor of Massachusetts.  Patrick endorses Obama's presidential campaign as early as October 2007.  As Deval Patrick made his speech late 2006, Obama was on the stage with him. 

To show how much words matter, below is Obama's 2004 DNC speech, and those who followed the debates and speeches this year would know Barack's view has been consistent for the past 4 years.

Of course… if you are one of those people who can't be bothered to get serious, fret not, this one is for you…