I begin this little commentary with a disclaimer: I have not decided who I would prefer to see elected President of the United States in 2008. I have some vague, biased ideas about who I would NOT like to see as POTUS but, from both Democratic and Republican parties, I have not - nor do I expect to any time soon - made a pick. End of Disclaimer.

I have read and re-read Senator Obama's speech from the 40th anniversary of the "Selma Voting Rights March Commemoration" as delivered March 4, 2007. As in most political speeches - particularly early on - there is not much beef in the speech. But, I do have some observations.

Observation 1: Senator Obama clearly sees his "roots" (pun intended with a nod to Alex Haley) in the black community as an area that needs to be addressed and fortified. His "Don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama." allegory is testament to that campaign concern. I think we will hear more of that in future addresses.

Observation 2: The Biblical references of the speech (the "Moses generation" now giving way to the "Joshua generation") was, I thought, well played without overplaying. Senator Obama has apparently been advised that a candidate (black or white; see Bill Clinton) must sound, when apropos, as though you have some "reverend" in your words. The civil rights movement was initiated by ministers and, to establish deep, genuine and lasting black support (especially in the Deep South), you must be able to call upon the sound of the pulpit and the "call to arms" righteousness of the 1960s. He did that well.

Observation 3: He can indulge the civil rights leadership (despite their increasing irrelevance, still a powerful voting block) with the best of them. Perhaps, even as well as Bill Clinton. He mentioned (with appropriate contempt) what he called the "empathy gap" (Katrina versus 9/11) and the "hope gap" (more education spending, raising the minimum wage - presumably yet again), etc. In order to give hommage to civil rights, one must point to what are perceived as continuing injustices.

Observation 4: He can also pander a bit (it's early yet) to the blacks (and whites) who believe that the youth are losing site of the sacrifices they have been the beneficiaries of. In a nod to the Bill Cosby's "Spelmen Speech," Senator Obama said:

"I have to also say that , if parents don't turn off the television set when the child comes home from school and make sure they sit down and do their homework and go talk to the teachers and find out how they're doing, and if we don't start instilling a sense in our young children that there is nothing to be ashamed about in educational achievement, I don't know who taught them that reading and writing and conjugating your verbs was something white."

And, then this almost blasphemous (from a Democratic candidate) declaration:

"Sometimes it's easy to just point at somebody else and say it's their fault, but oppression has a way of creeping into it. Reverend, it has a way of stunting yourself. You start telling yourself, Bishop, I can't do something. I can't read. I can't go to college. I can't start a business. I can't run for Congress. I can't run for the presidency. People start telling you-- you can't do something, after a while, you start believing it and part of what the civil rights movement was about was recognizing that we have to transform ourselves in order to transform the world. Mahatma Gandhi, great hero of Dr. King and the person who helped create the nonviolent movement around the world; he once said that you can't change the world if you haven't changed."

Overall, I grade the speech an "B+". It's early in the race but I have to admit I am encouraged.