"he did not speak like a politician, but like an ordinary human grappling with the complexities of historical racism in America and what it has done to the American psyche."

That's exactly the impression I got too. That's what's so striking about Obama...he talks like a real human being, not like a politician. He talks like he is actually thinking seriously about the matter at hand rather than just trying to sink the next strategic shot (at someone else) and jack up his PR ratings.

This is so rare in the political scene that to see it happening is kind of breathtaking as far as I'm concerned.