Kenyon speech video up

[fedupinBushcountry]

http://streaming.kenyon.edu/commencement/2006/kerryBB.html

[whometense]

1. Thanks!! n/t

[fedupinBushcountry]

2. Kicking

for those who have not seen the speech yet.

:kick:

[Island Blue]

3. I can't play it.

It keeps automatically closing my window. Bummer. I'll keep trying. Something DD posted a few days ago did the same thing but I was eventually able to play it.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. Try this link

it tells you what you need to play it. http://streaming.kenyon.edu/#test

Hope it works for you, it is a must see.

[Island Blue]

5. Cool that helped.

Watching it now!

[beachmom]

6. Thank you for the link, Fedup.

I just watched it. That was a great speech for its humbleness and its simple call for service. The speech, in many ways, didn't have to be given by John Kerry -- it was a gift to the students there for their heroism on Nov. 2, 2004, and I hope Kenyon preserves that day as well as this speech in their own history. The speech was about JK leaving his ego at the door, an exercise all politicians should practice from time to time.

On character alone, this speech leaves McCain in the dust, who couldn't use the word "I" enough in his commencement speech -- yes, one speech for three different colleges, not changing much at all. At my sister's graduation, Sen. Dodd came to speak -- can't remember a word of it, but I think there was a little too much ego in it. People need to realize that a commencement speech is for . . . the students, not the speaker. Kerry understands this, and it just make me love him more to be able to witness this display of humbleness.

[karynnj]

7. I love your comments

Like you I thought it was a great speech and it was absolutely for the students, their family and friends and the facalty at Kenyon. The affection he had for the students was so obvious. This exposes as 180 degrees off the lie that he can't connect or that's he's an elitist snob. That speech couldn't have been warmer or more friendly. (In a very different way the Emerson one was too - and it's possible that their speech fit them better. It might even be because for many of the MA graduates, he's been their Senator since they were born.)

I can't picture Kerry even trying to finagle a commencement speech at a very conservative school and lecturing them on tolerance. I really don't think he would intentionally create the type of conflict McCain did.

[TayTay]

8. I agree with that assessment Karyn.

The Faneuil Hall speech was given with an eye to a national audience, but I also felt it was 'for me.' (He mentioned 'this hall,' and 'this Commonwealth' being in the forefront of so many battles to advance the notions of equality in this country. Ahm, awww, flattery will get you everywhere Senator.) I feel as though that speech was that notice for Massachusetts that he is in this fight for good and is representing the values of the folks who sent him to the Senate. (And that crowd was raucous. The Senator could barely get two sentences out without being interrupted by loud applause. I am sated for a while on speeches. That was really, really nice.)

I really think Kerry was impressed with the Kenyon College stories he heard. They were exceptional in that Election Day voting. I think they may have touched his heart and he wanted to be really good to them in return. That was a very nice speech and very well researched. I liked it a lot. (The Emerson speech to me is the bookend for the Faneuil Hall speech. Massachusetts is dead serious about so many things. But we are also funny and sardonic and love someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. These two speeches are really companions to each other. They really are.)