Barack Obama at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta *

It's worth watching this video whole, and listening. Barack Obama crystallized his message so powerfully yesterday, it's difficult not to be even slightly moved by a political rhetoric of true reconciliation, the type I don't believe we have seen in generations. Nevermind that this is a presidential campaign, with all the backward thinking, dubious ambitions, and grossly despotic politicking that come with it. Listen here, particularly this passage, remarkable for being directed to an African American religious audience, and remarkable for coming from a senator who voted for "the wall" and who last year had felt okay sharing a stage with Donnie McClurkin:

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

Is Obama actually ready? Is the country ready, capable, even willing? There's more to come, to be sure. Stay tuned. * Updated post.