Clinton & McCain in Memphis on MLK's 40th Anniversary

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Commemorating this anniversary, Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton appeared in Fort Wayne, IN and Memphis, TN respectively to pay tribute to Dr. King’s life and the fight for equality that he died trying to achieve.

Earlier in the day, there were a number of different speeches were delivered. First, Senator Obama discussed Dr. King’s dream for equality in all spheres of life. King Jr’s dream to bridge the racial gap was also a dream to bridge the economic gap, as Obama pointed out. He continued, noting that Martin Luther King was in Memphis on the day of his assassination in order to fight for sanitation workers’ rights in the city. Obama, drew parallels to the economic divide that our nation witnesses today and how it is important continue the fight to bridge the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’

John McCain did not stand in a cozy gymnasium hundreds of miles away, he stood, under storm clouds and rain, in the very location where Dr. King’s assassination took place. Right off the bat, McCain talked about how he initially voted against having Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday as a national holiday years ago. He said he “made a mistake,” by initially voting this way and was sorry he did. Boo’s reigned down on McCain from the crowd as he struggled to maintain his political smile and composure. He repeated near three times that he “made a mistake,” as voices from the crowd gathered began to die down. One voice was heard through the podium microphone saying, “It’s okay, we all make mistakes.”

I am not a McCain supporter, but it was inspiring to see McCain go to the very place where King Jr was murdered and ask for forgiveness from the masses in attendance today. As the crowd’s booing died down, allowing McCain to finish his speech (miraculously without one of his bad jokes), I can't help but think that he won a few votes with his public apology and decent speech delivered today in Memphis.

At first, I was surprised not to hear from Hillary Clinton this morning. In fact, I was angered that she was not going to show up and speech about the life of Dr. King, especially since she appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno the night before. My anger subsided when she MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News all announced that she would be speaking in Memphis within the hour…

A question then entered my mind: Why is Barack Obama in Fort Wayne, Indiana? His two main competitors, Clinton and McCain, traveled to Memphis to pay homage to Dr. King’s life and sacrifice on a disgusting Memphis day, while he stood in a temperate, dry Fort Wayne gymnasium dozens of miles away. This is, in the least, a questionable decision by the Obama campaign and, in my opinion, could cost him in upcoming polls (not so important) and subsequent primaries (very important).

Again, I can’t say for certain that this will hurt him in the upcoming primaries, but Hillary Clinton, his competition, was on the West Coast less than 24 hours ago. If she can catch a flight across the country to be in Memphis on this important day, the least Obama could’ve done is the same…

Chants of "U-S-A" Capture Spirit of Obama Campaign

Tonight during its coverage of Super Tuesday’s almost-national primaries, CNN provided a brilliant metaphorical statement to its viewers. During Arizona Senator John McCain’s address to his supporters from Arizona, Illinois Senator Barack Obama began to approach the stage of his campaign headquarters where he would address his own supporters. CNN found itself in a pickle. Should it stick with the Republican powerhouse that has been John McCain, or would they preempt the boasting senator in favor of Obama?

The tension was building as CNN provided an essential split screen. On the right (ironically—except not at all) McCain rambled on about how his mother’s birthday was in two days, how she was traveling on the campaign trail with him, and how, though he liked being the underdog, winning all the time wasn’t bad either. Though all his comments were undoubtedly pressing, CNN cut McCain short, and at the crescendo of his speech to boot, in favor of what would be another stirring speech by Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s speeches, at this point, are a selling point of primaries, debates, and public appearances. CNN proved that tonight when they axed John McCain’s own speech in favor of that of Obama. Tonight, in my opinion, Obama did not disappoint. However, there was a different message sent by Obama tonight. In fact, Senator Obama issued a plea to voters not completely sold on his position for change.

This tangent was necessary, as Obama no longer talked about his positions against those of Hillary Clinton, but rather the Democratic candidate against the Republican candidate. He asked the crowd of supporters if they wanted to hear a Presidential debate over who had more experience in Washington, or over who is most likely to change Washington? He continued that they all had a choice between a Democrat whose campaign has received more lobbyist donations than any Republican’s has, and a choice for a Democrat who has accepted no lobbyist donations. Considering the War in Iraq, Obama assured that Republicans do not have a foot to stand on when debating against him.

Most importantly, Barack Obama lumped Hilary Clinton in with all the Republican candidates as being “linked to the past.” Rather than “look to the past,” Obama propositioned his supporters, “allow me to be a President that looks to the future.”

Despite not winning a majority of the state in tonight’s nation-wide primary, Obama’s call to the indifferent was a moving one. So moving in fact, that the chants of “O-bam-a, O-bam-a,” sounding throughout the beginning of his speech were replaced with chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A!”

Is Barack Obama the real candidate for change? Well, like all things, that is still up for debate. However, the emotion and inspiration that emulates from each of his speeches and appearances are something that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike respect and are drawn to. I feel I can say, without a doubt, that a speech given by Hillary Clinton (even on her best day) could never achieve that result.