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Obama Invokes Kennedy Family Service Call In Speech To Wesleyan Students

Posted by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief in Politics.
May 25th, 2008 | Comments

Democratic Senator Barack Obama filled in for ailing Senator Ted Kennedy at Kennedy’s request to give the commencement address to Wesleyan University students — and it sounds as if he filled in for a Kennedy in more ways than one:

Barack Obama, standing in for Senator Edward M. Kennedy as commencement speaker at Wesleyan University, invoked the Kennedy family’s legacy of public service and challenged students to look beyond material gains and work for our “collective salvation.”

“No one is forcing you to care,” Obama said. “You can take your diploma, walk off this stage and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy. But I hope you don’t.”

With a commanding lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama said that if he is elected he will call upon the students and the nation to “be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency.”

Analysts are writing about a demographic split in the Democratic party but it’s now clear there seems to be yet another split. This speech more than ever signals Obama picking up the Kennedy family torch.

There’s now a dividing line between the Kennedy family branch and the Clinton family branch. (See our earlier post HERE.)

  • vwcat
    Ted's son, patrick was at the address and broke down and sobbed during it. Mrs. Kennedy was there as well and also was emotional.
    But, this was not in a bad way.
    They were pleased by Obama's tribute and saw it as a good thing but, it just moved them very much.
    I hope Sen. Kennedy saw the speech and was pleased as well.
  • superdestroyer
    To compete in the modern world, the U.S. needs something other than more do-gooders trying to get from the government or handing out government money. Do you think that in the colleges in China, students are told to not think about competing in the modern world? What about in Japan or Singapore?

    Of course, since none of the children of the elite become entrepreneurs, it makes sense that they would get excited about demand for others to get involved with the government.

    Ask yourself thing, what would have been better for southside Chicago, an Ivy league educated do-gooders who took up a career of getting money from the government or an ivy legue educated entreprenuer who would have started something that would have created 1000's of private sector jobs?
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