He quoted freakin' Thomas Merton.

[MH1]

I'm watching the re-air of the forum at this moment (not for long unfortunately, got stuff to do) and this part on why we aren't winning on climate change, where he says Dems tend to "connect the dots and draw a line straight to hell" and the audience doesn't seem to get it, then he quotes Thomas Merton “Any appeal that begins from a standpoint of despair is doomed to fail.” ... I found this part of his appearance incredibly powerful but wonder if others react similarly?

But gawd, this guy quotes Thomas Merton. I like it.

[leftofcool]

1. It was powerful

Anyone who has ever read Thomas Merton would know why.

[SharonAnn]

2. He was very impressive. I really enjoyed listening to hime, his analyses,etc. And Thomas Merton?

And a Thomas Merton quote was just icing on the cake.

[ohheckyeah]

3. I'm embarrassed to say

I don't know Thomas Merton, but it was still powerful.

[TexasProgresive]

5. Merton was a Trappist Monk and author

"Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions." Pope Francis in his address to the U.S. Congress

http://www.merton.org/

[Koinos]

4. That is a great quote.

Even to the non-religious, Thomas Merton has a lot to offer. His later works linked to Asian thought are amazing.

“Any appeal that begins from a standpoint of despair is doomed to fail.” O'Malley always appeals to the more optimistic tendencies of human nature. He has the belief that human beings can be better, do better. Even in the face of corporate tyranny and climate upheaval, he believes that we can do something so long as we are willing to work together, respect one another as persons, and strive for the common good. When it has become all too prevalent to emphasize the "private good," it is refreshing to hear O'Malley keep stressing the "common good."