My analysis on the speech is up. The basic point: Obama’s empathy is probably what America needs on race. But that same trait is likely to worry some pro-Israel activists when it comes to foreign policy.
Here are some other reactions…
Andrew Silow-Carroll of the New Jersey Jewish News looks at Jeremiah Wright and sees … Avi Weiss.
Mike Huckabee says cut Obama and his pastor some slack.
As far as I can tell, the only one over at the National Review Online with a kind word to say about the speech was “Bell Curve” co-author Charles Murray.
The ZOA still wants Obama to quit his church.
Shmuel Rosner of Ha’aretz says Obama was at his oratorical best, but the saga is still not over.
Rabbi Marc Schneier rejects that there is any major discord within the African American-Jewish relationship.
Edwin Black says that while most in America are worried about playing a race card, Obama has shown he is still carrying around a full deck.
Calev Ben-David thinks Obama needs to make a trip to Israel.
Lanny Davis still has two questions for Obama.
Jim Besser tackles the Hagee-Wright comparison.
A writer explains how a veteran of the Forward lined him up to write a positive piece about the speech for the New York Post.
A daughter of the south and the Gentile mother of a son whose father is Jewish says she feels Obama’s dichotomies.
One rabbis says that Obama is a great neighbor but says his pastor is not so friendly.
A radio show host rips the speech and says Jews must say no to Obama.
The pro-Hillary past president of Meretz USA loved the speech:
Friends,
I was sent a link to Barack Obama’s extraordinary speech. I had not heard it in its entirety. And, as I’ve made clear, I support Hillary Clinton.
However, I took the time to listen, and I urge you to make the time, for it is inspirational and substantive, and worthy of today NYTimes editorial caption, it is “Mr. Obama’s Profile in Courage.”
Whatever happens in the next few months as Hillary and Obama make their way through the rest of the states, at the end, we will all have to come together, we will have to choose, we will all have to understand each other’s point of view, and Obama’s speech goes a long way to making this possible. …
Lilly Rivlin
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