Los Estados Latinos

Washington, DC., _ If by some chance you missed Caroline Kennedy, Ted Kennedy or Ethel Kennedy making comparisons between JFK and Senator Obama then Ted Sorensen may be the one for you. In an interview on Bloomberg Television, JFK’s former aide and speech writer said, “Obama is more like John F. Kennedy than any candidate for president since then, except Bobby Kennedy, because Obama, like Kennedy, who had to overcome the Catholic opposition, has his own demographic obstacles, the color of his skin… When people say ‘Obama is way to young’ they forget that at 46 he’s an old geezer compared to Kennedy.” The now 80 year old Sorensen who penned many a famous phrase including, “ask not what your country can do for you,” has campaigned for Obama in several states and has called Obama “JFK’s inspirational heir” which is as high a tribute as can be offered in the American political experience and coming from the Dean or Bishop of American speech writing it is the stuff of high compliment. When Obama takes the oath of office next January as the first African American president he and his speech writers will be standing on JFK’s shoulders and using the ideas and words passed down by this “poet of Camelot” who for so many years has lived in a league of his own. Sorensen, not one to hold back his knowledge has more than his ideas in this race. His greatest contribution to Obama 08 was recommending his 26 year old collaborator on his memoir Counselor: A life at the Edge of History, Adam Frankel (Princeton writer who spent six years learning and working with Sorenson) who is performing wonders as Obama’s deputy chief speechwriter. Sorenson compares the successful underdog grassroots strategies employed by Obama and Kennedy, their use of words to mobilize, inspire and move people, especially young adults to vote their way. Finally, he pretty much dismissed the notion that Hillary Clinton should be Obama’s running mate. Thank you for your many valued contributions Ted Sorensen!

Categories: 2008 US Elections, Barack Obama
Tags: Features