Wednesday 25 May 2011

Obama's Historic Speech At Westminster

President Obama opened his speech to the British Parliament at Westminster Hall tonight with this:



"I have known few greater honours than the opportunity to address the mother of parliaments at Westminster Hall. I am told that the last three speakers here have been the Pope, Her Majesty The Queen, and Nelson Mandela - which is either a very high bar or the beginning of a very funny joke."



It broke the ice nicely and for the next half an hour, he expounded on the nature of the British-American relationship, its history, its present and its role in the future.

I fell for his charisma, his wit and was struck by the symmetry of the speech and the way it moved seamlessly back and forth from history and general principles to the specific of pressing current issues.

A grand speech on a grand occasion in a grand venue.  Another example of sheer pleasure just watching this man talk the talk.


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