I agree with heric's most recent post and I do believe that Obama did address the class situation of others in this country in his speech. Whether that part of his speech will resonate with those people is still a question but it's not because their concerns (well, some of them) were not addressed.

I do find the critique from the left puzzling. One wonders what Obama is really expected to say that would address their concerns and reach a broader public?

Obama went well beyond what a conventional politician would have done:

Ignore issue with the hope that it would go away (didn't work so well for Kerry)

Reject Rev. Wright's inflammatory statements and toss him to the dogs

And there is a sprinkling of stories in our newspapers from more conservative non-black voters that indicate that his message did resonate.

Everything is still very much in play. Without such a good speech that might not be true today, or tomorrow.

There is an effort in the mass media to demonize Rev. Wright, and by extension his entire congregation. That is regrettable and short-sighted. One doesn't have to be a "believer" to come to my conclusion.

Obama's decision to join such an activist church was certainly a conscious one, but not necessarily a purely political one. But I'm hardly an expert on Chicago politics, or what Obama was thinking 20 years ago. Gigi is probably better qualified to read such tea-leaves.

Charley Noble