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by Michiko Kakutani

Not since Lincoln has there been a president who has so powerfully used his eloquence as a writer—to inspire, to persuade, to articulate a vision—as Barack Obama. His most memorable speeches use the prism of history to amplify and crystallize the meaning of an occasion, reminding us of the ideals of liberty, justice, and equality that America was founded upon and the continuing, nearly two-and-a-half-century-long journey to make the promises of the Declaration of Independence real for everyone. Like Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., Obama has a long view of history; he sees the country as “a constant work in progress,” a country scarred by the original sin of slavery but capable of overcoming the past through persistent work and dedication. And in his speeches, he reminds us how far America has come since the days of slavery and segregation, and how far we still have to go to create a more perfect union. In his speech commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march, President Obama argued that Selma is “not a museum or a static monument to behold from a distance”; rather, it’s “one leg in our long journey toward freedom,” an expression of “the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals.” It’s an optimistic vision rooted in Scripture and i...