Jacques Leslie's Blog

• Obama's acceptance speech

  November 5, 2008

  • What struck me was his composure, his utter lack of gloat or exultation. In his refusal to revel in his victory, he seemed to ask us, “Why did you ever doubt that I would win?” His solemnity suggested what for politicians seems unimaginable: a lack of ego. It was as if he’d absorbed his victory and was already focused on shaping his agenda. No time to waste, even in celebration. And of ...
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• On Election Night, I Will Cry

  October 25, 2008

  • If Obama wins, I will cry. His candidacy has been an astonishment, as the possibility that a black man could win the presidency has grown to odds-on likelihood. While his victory would not mark the end of racism, it would at least confirm in the most dramatic of ways that bigotry can be overcome. Obama’s emergence is all the more stunning for occurring when so much else— the global ...
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• Acceleration

  September 29, 2008

  •      A few months ago the Presidential election seemed a self-contained narrative, an uncomplicated drama starring Barack and Hillary, and then Barack and John. Democrats feared that if their candidate threatened to win, the Republicans would pull an “October surprise,” and speculation centered on the bombing of Iran. But since then, time has accelerated, and the Presidential campaign no ...
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