Watching it, all I could think at parts was how very much it was the essence of who he is. I remember long ago, someone here - maybe Tay Tay - remarking that after years in politics, Vietnam etc, Kerry is at heart an idealist. That shines through here. The solutions he sees as possible stem from a real belief in people. Nowhere was that clearer than when he identified "cynicism" as his most disliked of the three forces against change. ( Yeah - I doubt certain posters in DU would see themselves there - even though their constant but implicit claim is that those of us willing to believe in anything are just not as clear eyed or smart as they are. )
I have watched the many speeches that he has given at commencements, all with the same playful banter and jokes -- but all with a serious message. Many speeches were tailored to where he was speaking. In some ways, this is the one that seems the most personal of those I have heard. Maybe because it is Yale or maybe because having spent the last year working to make the world better, he is to some degree explaining why he fights on -- even on things that seem hopeless. Not accepting cynicism, hopelessness and indifference are all what makes Kerry different than most other political leaders of our time -- as the student introducing him said.
One last observation. Kerry's description of felt needs as the basis for people pushing for change and leaders then making it happen is something that would be good for many people unhappy with where the country is on several things. However, a large contingent seem to prefer to whine and to see people saying things could be different as lying when seen through their own cynicism. (Some might listen - as long as the comments were attributed to Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders - who likely would agree, however, there now seem to be so many on DU who really belong on libertarianundergound. For them, the idea that any good could come via government is impossible.) PS - as you can see from this, I should banish myself from the main forum today or at least any Kerry or Obama thread.
= new reply since forum marked as read