Sen. Barack Obama's speech, responding to criticism of his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, touched on controversial issues regarding race, religion, and politics that had not been at the forefront of his campaign. The speech urged Americans to deal with the issue of race in this country and received praise from local experts according to an article in the Whittier Daily News. Rosemary Carbine, visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Whittier College says, "He described how the U.S. as a nation is more than the sum of its parts, and when he talked about Wright he noted the pastor is more than the sum of his sermons. He wants to find common ground with Wright, even as he rejects certain aspects of his worldview."
