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Kennedy delivered an unusually somber Democrat Day speech

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* Chris Kennedy caught a little flack for quoting Walt Whitman at the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association brunch this week. It was most certainly a different sort of speech than the loud and raw red meat served up by most of the other gubernatorial hopefuls that day. But I thought you might want to watch it yourself…

I’m not sure he successfully closed the circle, but not a bad speech.

The transcript is here in case you can’t watch videos at work.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:00 pm

Comments

Feels like he was trying to bind national wounds as some sort of politi-healer. Valiant attempt. Noble pursuit. But he got lost in his own head on that one. Didn’t pack nearly the punch that it could have if it were delivered well.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:06 pm
I think it was good, very somber in tone very thoughtful. Maybe it will make people think and examine their own conscience. Perhaps we have had enough red meat

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:07 pm
Kennedy should bring a keyboard & pianist to all his speeches. The accompaniment rocked!

Comment by Fax Machine Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:09 pm
Yep, a totally different approach.

Hint: Maybe this is an example of why he’s ahead in all polls?

Comment by Deft Wing Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:10 pm
Will the IL Dems come up with a fiscal conservative but social liberal? That’s what Illinois needs.

Comment by Ron Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:11 pm
Something different. We’ve got over a year to give red meat speeches against Wreck-it Rauner. This was needed in a somber moment for our country.

Comment by BeatRauner Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:25 pm
Very good speech. I disagree with his narrative on Charlottesville but the peaceful tone set by Kennedy is the right one. JB reminds me of a leftist Trump. He comes across as annoying even when I agree with him.

Comment by CrazyHorse Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:39 pm
Why cant we have somber moments? Maybe all the red meat is not so good for us? I mean where has red meat gotten us.

Comment by Austinman Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:42 pm
==Will the IL Dems come up with a fiscal conservative but social liberal?==

Seeing as how our current governor has ran up $10 billion in debt over three short years (while not delivering on any of his campaign promises to institute reforms), all of the Dems are fiscal conservatives by comparison.

Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:46 pm
Solid performance by Kennedy.
It’s refreshing to hear a speech of substance in a time when buzzwords and folksy affectations dominate the pol discourse.

Comment by Red fish blue fish Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:51 pm
I think this is the first time in the campaign, or ever, when we’ve seen a hint of his gene pool come through in his oratory.

More like this, maybe with rehearsals.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:53 pm
==It’s refreshing to hear a speech of substance in a time when buzzwords and folksy affectations dominate the pol discourse.==

Perfectly stated.

Comment by CrazyHorse Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:55 pm
This speech was very, very good. Chris seems to be a deep guy. A person who has experienced violence. A person who wants to change the tone. Kennedy has made several speeches that are deeply thought out. The delivery here was just fine. He’s not his uncles, he’s more like his father who was less shouty. But he is like all of them in reaching for something higher. This is why people like him. I’m more and more surprised by him. Never heard him in person until a couple of months ago. Very different tone and appreciated, especially this week of sadness and leadership madness.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:04 pm
I liked the speech. Different, thoughtful, meaningful.

Comment by Mr B. Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:05 pm
I don’t know how effective it will be in enlisting support, but I liked it a lot. Everyone on the Democratic side of the spectrum and certainly all the other gubernatorial candidates, talks about how divisive Trump and Rauner are, and then proceeds to double down on being even more divisive. Kennedy seems to me to be saying that if you really don’t like the divisiveness, I can bring people together.

Comment by Harry Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:06 pm
Solid speech by Kennedy. Much better than a Chicago alderman trying to assign blame to Trump for the vandalism of a Lincoln monument in Chicago. Why didn’t the alderman fault the public schools for failing to teach students who Abraham Lincoln was? Lincoln is on the penny, the five dollar bill and every automobile license plate in use in Illinois “The Land of Lincoln”???

The vandals in Chicago had to be dumber than a box of rocks.

Comment by Sigh Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:13 pm
The tone was good and much better than the opportunistic bashing from Pritzker. Kennedy has gravitas.

Comment by Ward Heeler Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:14 pm
I was not at the Brunch this year, but have talked to many that went. I know what they are normally like and what to expect.

Everyone I spoke with remarked about this speech, even though they may have been leaning to supporting another candidate. This was not the normal tone or temperament that is normally expected.

Maybe it shows something of the character of the candidate and was an appropriate reflection of the real reason some people enter public service.

Comment by illini Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:14 pm
Money can’t buy the sentiment and vision expressed in this speech…well done…we need more of this in Illinois.

Comment by GetOverIt Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 5:00 pm
If only we could combine Pritzkers money, Kennedys gravitas, and Pawars progressiveness into one ideal candidate.

Comment by Lamont Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 5:03 pm
Memorable.

Comment by West Wing Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 5:50 pm