Obama Discusses Speech: "I Have No Idea How This Plays Out Politically"

Following his big speech on race Tuesday in Philadelphia, Obama sat down with ABC's "Nightline" and reflected on its potential impact:

Obama believes giving a speech on race was necessary but concedes that it is a politically risky move. By embracing race and bringing it out in the open, he admits that he could be perceived as "the race candidate."

"Absolutely," he said. "And so, hopefully this is something that we have talked about, we've lifted up, it will spur discussion, like Robert Kennedy's wonderful metaphor, "ripples of hope." You know, you throw a rock into a pond and those ripples will go out. We don't know where those ripples will go. I have no idea how this plays out politically. But I think it was important to do."

Read more from the interview here

Watch the speech here

Read reactions to the speech here