It seems to me that Obama’s Zanesville and Colorado Springs speeches of the past two days have to be read together as constituting the core of his campaign’s general election appeal. It’s the Kennedy Inaugural message updated for a more faith-based, less government-centric age.
Yesterday: “The fact is, the challenges we face today – from saving our planet to ending poverty – are simply too big for government to solve alone. We need all hands on deck…I’ll establish a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The new name will reflect a new commitment. This Council will not just be another name on the White House organization chart – it will be a critical part of my administration.”
Today: “As President, I will launch a new Social Investment Fund Network. It’s time to get the grass roots, the foundations, the faith-based organizations, the private sector and the government at the table so that we can learn from our own success stories….This will not be a call issued in one speech or one program – this will be a central cause of my presidency. We will ask Americans to serve. We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing national challenges.”
Now let’s see if they salute.