Huckabee Defends Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Via Ben Smith:

An assist from an unexpected quarter:

"[Y]ou can't hold the candidate responsible for everything that people around him may say or do," Huckabee says. "It's interesting to me that there are some people on the left who are having to be very uncomfortable with what ... Wright said, when they all were all over a Jerry Falwell, or anyone on the right who said things that they found very awkward and uncomfortable, years ago. Many times those were statements lifted out of the context of a larger sermon. Sermons, after all, are rarely written word for word by pastors like Rev. Wright, who are delivering them extemporaneously, and caught up in the emotion of the moment. There are things that sometimes get said, that if you put them on paper and looked at them in print, you'd say 'Well, I didn't mean to say it quite like that.'"

Later, he defended Wright's anger, too:

"As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say 'That's a terrible statement!' ... I grew up in a very segregated South. And I think that you have to cut some slack -- and I'm gonna be probably the only conservative in America who's gonna say something like this, but I'm just tellin' you -- we've gotta cut some slack to people who grew up being called names..."

Watch the video:

Comments

[MissingAmerica]

I have so much more respect for Huckabee than I do for McCain. I like to see him stand up for the decent thing and the decent guy.

[moda31]

the problem with this whole wright controversy is that context doesn't fit in 30 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ&feature=related

[chi]

Let me get this right,it is a "sin"to lose faith and hope in America?which bible are you reading?

[amandajb]

I supported Huckabee during the Primary Race. I'm so glad some people are finally seeing what I've seen all along. He is a great man of character. He does care about the people, and this is another example to prove it. He is not "defending" what Jeremiah Wright said, but he understands what motivates Jeremiah to say the things he said. That's true compassion. These GOP pundits, media and conservative talk show hosts are fakes. They are not conservative in my book. They put down Huckabee for everything because they know he is good. They know he could of won the primary. That's why they destroyed his chances by brainwashing the people. They know he is a man of moral character unlike them. My eyes have been opened. True colors have come out of this race. Huckabee has risen above most of them.

[klmebane]

huckabee is a man of good character, fine. but i don't want someone as president who would meld church and state. we've had enough of that. i'm not even going to get into his views on treating the lgbt community as less than human, tax paying citizens. he's against segregation and discrimination against black people, but all for it if its a gay black person... does that make sense to you?

[Seattlelite]

Your not alone, I'm a Obama supporter who always though Huckabee was a stand up guy. so much so I worried he was the only republican candidate who could actually beat a democrat. If he just wasn't on board with this war and against a women's right to chose he might have been an attractive alternative if Hillary wins the nomination. But regardless I have much respect for Mr. Huckabee especially now.

[NHGranite]

The two top candidates who are furthest from the Washington loop are Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee. Of the 2, Huckabee is the most genuine, and while he is too conservative and religious for me, I like him. I could see him being a part of Obama's administration, because Obama isn't afraid of a differing opinion. I base this on one of the books he says he'd take to the White House with him: Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on Lincoln, "A Team of Rivals". It is very telling about his character. I hope he could find a place for Huckabee.

[HopeObama08]

Come one let's open our eyes and be honest.

Many of us heard about the Natalie Holloway story, right?
Yet how many heard about what happened to Megan Williams in Oct 2007 in WV???

[carmen63]

Gov.Huckab­ee, you are a great man!! Thanks for your wise comments! Those who do not want to understand, will never do but your integrity and humanity are above hate and partisanship!

[shamanbart]

Huckabee shows some excellent insight and great compassion with his statements. The people buying into the Willie Hortonesque anti-Obama tactics should learn something from him.

[boldboulderite]

Yes, what a relief to hear someone I am in complete opposition with on policies, come out with such comments that are unpopular (in his world at least). Maybe Obama can choose him as his running mate and REALLY unite the country.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Gov. Huckbee,

At least you are consitent about the postion you take about pastors and churches.

Thanks a lot for standing up for a fellow preacher and a candidate in the competing party on such a hot button issue.

At least you said something unlike the Clintons who are supposed to be more familar

[JenineSky]

I always knew he was a good guy with heart. Although I don't agree with some of his stances, I figured him to be an honorable man and I'm not surprised in the least on his comments. Before watching Barack Obama speak during the debate with HClinton, I was very much taken by the sincerity and unassuming humility of Mike Huckabee. I wholeheartedly support Obama and I'm happy to know that another person I respect has searched for an understanding of all this. Something everyone should do before attacking. Perhaps, along with history classes in schools there should be a race relations class or unity class for all schools across America. I'm sure if Barack becomes President these types of ideas won't seem foreign to urban or suburban schools. I am really waiting for that day. But if there is one thing that Barack has shown me is that each person really is powerful. All they need is a belief in themselves and their ideas become fruitful and realized.

[sociocanuck]

Huckabee confuses the heck out of me. One moment/day/week he's playing nice with the conservatives and fundamentalists, but not too long after he's supporting potentially the most liberal candidate left in the race (not 'most liberal' this is saying anything much at all). Does this mean he's actually the kind of guy Obama would most easily reach in his quest to find common ground between all parties, i.e. the kind of guy who can see both sides of the coin and evaluate them for what they're really worth, or is he just a political opportunist? ...

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that it's the former. Huckabee may be misguided in many ways (this is my opinion - disagreement is welcome), but he doesn't seem like such a bad guy on a personal level, nor irrational by any means. If it's earnest supportiveness being offered, I think Obama would do well to acknowledge his support; though he'll have to pick the right forum in which to do so, in order to minimize the inevitable flow of knee-jerk detractors because he'd be responding to a **Republican**. Terrible thing to do, wouldn't it be?

[joiedavivre1969]

Don't be confused, Huckabee is a sincere guy. As an Arkansan and a democrat, I voted him, twice.

[sociocanuck]

I did quite get that impression. I think his response speaks clearly of being a moral decision, and not a political one (not merely just given the political game of the Right is to divide divide divide), which is certainly the kind of rationality needed in the moments when the wrong issues get warped out of context. If I were a cynic I'd suggest he's just looking after his own (if people question the antics of a black preacher how long is it before they start digging into the past statements of huckabee for some dirt to misconstrue?) - but I don't see the MSM bothering with that, given that he's no longer a presidential candidate, so I doubt that's his motivation at all.

[boldboulderite]

Would you vote for Obama if Huckabee was his running mate?

[hoodrat]

I thought so too. Classy, thoughtful, just goes to show all, Class doesn't always grow from wealth, or Urban location. I'm in no way country - but you have to admire that "eye to eye" say what you mean - mean what you say ethos that always elicits respect from me.

[jowilli]

After 30 years I stopped being a Democrat and became an Indepedant after Kerry's run for the presidency because of the spinelessness, backbiting and infighting in the party. LOOK WHAT IT GOT US!!!

I have seen this game played out before. It's called "Stop That Candidate They're Too Popular".

Tthe attacks Barack Obama by Democrats are being led by those Democrats that have always been there looking for a safe, benign way to derail any candidate they don't want, in this case, Barak Obama. They have found one through the loud and irrelevant Rev. Wright and his fiery brand of preaching, a very scary man.

It has always been evident that the Democratic Party has it's own special brand of racism, benevolent and represented with a smile, but there just the same. At least the Republican are open about their bigotry.

As usual you, like your Repub counterparts, require more of Obama than you do of Hillary. What about her religious right-wing ties, her lack of transparancy, her lobbyist money and where are those tax statement? What about McCain's butt-kissing of Rev. Hagee? What about the duplicity of both her and McCain? Where's the Huffington Post on this (Arianna!)?

You people have way too much to work with besides ranting on a civil rights era preacher's 6 year old sermon.

What is wrong with you people?

Hypocrites!

[DoninJoisey]

I agree with you. I was an independent longer - I voted for Perot twice, because from the first time I heard Clinton, I thought "carnival huckster", and still feel that way.

I'm a 60-year-old white male, and racism isn't dead in America. I wish it were, but it isn't.

I don't condone, but I understand the anger Wright expressed. Any black his age has to have been treated poorly by this country. It doesn't bother me. I am more bothered by the venom and un-Christ-like prejudice spewed by the Falwells and Robertsons.

[swanky]

The issue really is how can he be trusted if he never questions his advisers, counselors, or mentors? Jesus questioned his own faith until his death. A good leader is always questioning. The fact that he listened to this claptrap for 20 years is proof enough to me that Obama is a follower and not a leader. It is proof that he cannot critically think about an issue, and that he is single-minded. We've had the single-minded white house already. It doesn't work. I think it's time for someone who will put their own people on the defensive, and make their own people uncomfortable. Obama has shown a willingness to condone, and not question, those people who are closest to him.

Pastor Wright isn't concerned about preaching love and reconciliation, unlike the white pastors and priests of the congregations in churches I've attended have. Pastor Wright is interested in "hoodwinking" and "bamboozling" his parishioners into emptying their wallets. He's no better than Falwell or Robertson. If Hillary were attending a Falwell or Robertson church she'd be forced to withdraw from the contest, and everybody knows it. MSM is falling over itself and not be critical of Obama. That has to end. MSM has rolled over too many times in the past decade and taken everything they're told at face value for fear of being called editorialist. It's pathetic. So are Wright and Obama.

[klmebane]

where do you draw the conclusion that obama doesn't question people who are close to him?? because he didn't boot him out on his preaching ass?? is that the only way someone can be questioned? obama has stated repeatedly that he has never been present when this preacher made controversial statements, and unless you were in the church for 20 years you can't make an assumption based on one single excerpt what the rest of his sermons were about. obama can think critically, he's proven that time and again. as soon as he found out about the statements the preacher made he told him that he did not feel they were good statements and that he did not agree. what more do you people want?? but you've probably already made up your mind... so go vote for hillary... and see what that gets you. i can guarantee it won't be someone who puts their people on the defensive and makes them uncomfortable. it will be someone who values loyalty over all else, even if that loyalty is misguided.

wright is no comparison to falwell. and white pastors do their fair share of hate speech, so i don't know what the hell you are talking about. a man who has experienced hate and racism directed towards him for a large portion of his life is going to be angry. but he's taped all or most of his sermons. so why don't you watch a few instead of the 15 second snippet of one and then decide what you think he's talking about.

[IndependentTogether]

As Hillary Clinton and her supporters have yet to fully comprehend, attacking Obama in this way is a no-win situation. He only gets stronger. Huckabee gets it. What's amazing to me is that GOP operatives and Republican strategists do not.


Virtually every Republican talking head is still towing the already old broken line, "Obama still needs to explain how this anti-American Black racist could be his spiritual adviser of 20 years". They vilify Wright, a man who has very real and "human" reasons for his invective, yet they ignore the irrational bile spewed from the mouths of Hagee, Parsley, and the many other religious extremists with whom they've aligned the Republican party. By doing so, they not only provide clear and undeniable evidence of their hypocrisy, they demonstrate that they don't care to understand Blacks (or minorities, in general), laying bare their own bias. And they play this race card unabashedly, with the sole goal of scoring cheap and immediate political points.


Engaging in this... public "lynching"­... may yet prove to be a monumental error since it will soon cause other religious figures to get very nervous. It's one thing to attack Obama, it's yet another to attack a religious figure with whom many in the religious communities (White, Black, Christian, Jewish, or otherwise) will inevitably identify.


With all this manufactured noise, the collective religious consciousness is likely to further awaken from its decades long Republican-induced slumber. The Republicans seem to have quickly forgotten that the party is going through an identity crisis largely because of that awakening that was already in progress. However, after the din subsides, they will soon be painfully reminded that the old wedge issues and gamesmanship are slowly being rendered impotent.


They already know that McCain, decent and honorable man than that he is, can not represent the future of the Republican party; and, like the Democrats are now doing with Obama, they will need to reinvent themselves if they are to remain viable. With his speech, Obama began to un-blur our collective vision with regards to race, but in doing so led Republicans directly to the path to rebirth with this line:


~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~
"Ironically, this quintessentially American - and yes, conservative - notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change."
~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~~~~~~~~­~~~


How ironic it is that the future of the Republican party lies with Obama.


Unity is important for not just for the Democrats, but Republicans, as well. Even Karl Rove and Ari Fleischer realized this in the past before they were enticed by the bong of immediate gratification in rhetorically assassinating Reverend Jeremiah Wright. These guys are regarded as political pushers within the party, so everyone just follows along hoping to score a contact. They should appoint Huckabee the designated driver before it's too late.

[Stanley]

Reverend Wright is allowed to feel anger and hatred and voters are also allowed to let this effect their decision. Bear in mind that these are very old speeches and the fact that they get constant attention a this point in the campaign seems manipulative by either the media or the Clintons. It seems that this should have come out sooner and probably would have affected Obama earlier and maybe worse because he may not have had such momentum if race and hatred was the constant bell being rung. Needless to say we have a political superstar in Obama and he outclasses and outlines a clearer vision than his opponents, even though his positions are not drastically different. McCain has many of the same plusses but without the polish. Hillary though seems determined to divide the nation in her zealous power grab and the Republicans will run the White House for four more years. Democrats will not have a problem voting for McCain. In fact he may get more support than in the primaries

[truesoccermom]

As much as I and other enlightened Democrats see Obama's brilliance in dealing with the issue, I fear there are many others (mainly repubs and working class dems) who are still left with the idea that Obama's "mentor" is an extremist who preaches angry sermons about blacks being victims. While I hope I am wrong in this I think the only way to reach these people (and at the same time silence the hateful right-wing witch hunt about black preachers) is for Pastor Wright to come forward (on Oprah or 60 minutes perhaps). He could explain his background and talk about his struggles as a black man during segregation. He could talk about the Christian and religious aspects of his ministry and explain how he came to know Obama. And finally, wouldn't it be wonderful if he could admit that he too was touched by Obama's speech and recognizes that his past angry rhetoric (preaching as if the country were "static") is no longer helpful and productive in the black community. He could show that Obama is now his "mentor" and demonstrate what a truly amazing leader Obama will be for this country. I think something like this would turn this whole thing around and truly further the discussion that Obama has started.

[boldboulderite]

Amen brother (or sister)

[Stanley]

Huckabee and McCain defended Obama in this hate fest. Hillary and Bill love the seeds that they planted. This will divide the nation more than it has ever been. Republican talk show venom must stop infecting our ability to make progress. Stop listening! They felt irreleant when MsSain won and they should stay that way.