Hitchens: Obama Sold Out His Grandmother

Slate:

It's been more than a month since I began warning Sen. Barack Obama that he would become answerable for his revolting choice of a family priest. But never mind that; the astonishing thing is that it's at least 11 months since he himself has known precisely the same thing. "If Barack gets past the primary," said the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to the New York Times in April of last year, "he might have to publicly distance himself from me. I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen." Pause just for a moment, if only to admire the sheer calculating self-confidence of this. Sen. Obama has long known perfectly well, in other words, that he'd one day have to put some daylight between himself and a bigmouth Farrakhan fan. But he felt he needed his South Side Chicago "base" in the meantime. So he coldly decided to double-cross that bridge when he came to it. And now we are all supposed to marvel at the silky success of the maneuver.

You often hear it said, of some political or other opportunist, that he would sell his own grandmother if it would suit his interests. But you seldom, if ever, see this notorious transaction actually being performed, which is why I am slightly surprised that Obama got away with it so easily. (Yet why do I say I am surprised? He still gets away with absolutely everything.)

Read the whole story: Slate

Comments

[SolarPowerGuy]

Yoo-hoo, Mr. Hitchens!

I'm one half of a mixed-race marriage -- the white-guy half. I have a racist grandmother whom I would like to "out" as well. And sometimes my own parents can be a bit shaky, too.

I'm not an Obama supporter, but that's not because of anything that he said in this recent speech. Quite the contrary. His remarks were unusually candid and honest, the kind that my wife and I would convey to each other, but which we never hear anywhere else.

Unfortunately, several comments in your article DO have a familiar ring. I've heard them on right-wing talk radio. "What the hell next? A tribute to the African-American sense of rhythm?" For shame.

[SirHenryClinton]

Thanks a million Hitchens, I'll make sure not to vote for Rev. Wright (I didn't even know that he was running). Also, the "under the bus" comment is "over the top". Thanks for adding one more cliche's to the American political process (I'm referring to you, not your stupid article).
Sincerely, Sir Henry Clinton, expired.

[rzan]

Do you really think that Baracl did not love and respect his grandmother? You are just looking for some problem, however minor, to blow way out of proportion. I don't know who you are, Mr. Hitchens, but you sound kind of stupid. I grew up in a home where the N word was used regularly. My parents just didn't know any better. Now that they are quite old (in their 90s) and have limited time before they meet their Maker, they have changed. They will be voting for Barack Obama as our next President as will I and every sane person that I know.

[nohat]

Oh, yes, it's a brave person who criticizes Obama. Why bother, Hitch? You know what's going to happen. It is journalistic masochism. The man is perfect, where have you been? And even though the posters who will slaughter you for this, are democrats, they will not, in this case, allow any debate. Even though debate, the kind that listens to others with respect even when they don't agree, is the heartbeat of democracy.
You are brave.

[SirHenryClinton]

Nohat (obviously no head to put it on), go ahead, call him a rock star or a messiah. You trolls can't seem to find any valid criticisms of Sen. Obama so you try to dismiss his candidacy as fanatic fervor. Truth is that most everyone who supports him is doing so because America needs an honest, sincere, and intelligent president for a change instead of your tired, deceitful distortions and outright lies.

[LittleSanityLeft]

It's the fact that the dudes a hateful man and 2 dimensional. There's nothing positive coming from the mans lips, hence there's no perspective and no honest attempt at perspective. He writes as if his readers are simpletons who are completely blinded by Obama but once again the superior intellect of Hitchens has it all figured out.

Hitchens is a mouth piece. He get's paid to be a mouth piece. Like mainstream news he entertains and maintains his audience by focusing on and sensationalizing the negative.

Here's a fact that the superior intellect of Hitchens is ignoring, Obama didn't need pastor Wright on his campaign team to win Illinois. Wright would have supported him anyways, he didn't need favours from Obama. Obama wanted him on his campaign. Wrights sermon "The Audacity of Hope" is what Obama has based his campaign around. Wright who also helped Obama begin his relationship with God. If you have empathy and understanding Hitchens it's easy to understand why Obama was slow to remove his pastor from his campaign. I won't hold my breath.

This is the third time I've tried to post her, lets see if third times the charm.

[bluesnot]

Brave. Right. He bravely yammered away to sell the Iraq War. So brave.

[busybeez]

I have the right to say my father was a racist (which he was but he recognized late in his life that it was wrong), and that is a part of my own personal story. But since you never interviewed my father, you do not have the right to make postulations about my father, nor our relationship, and print them in an article. You are the one using Obama's grandmother unethically and without any facts! As a grandmother, I can tell you she would probably throw herself in front of a bus to save him from this type of character assassination, better defined as a witchhunt.

[hank48188]

I'm a "Typical white person" and i agree with Hitchens, he threw threw the woman who raised him under the bus to gain political points. Obama joined a racist Church because it fits the feeling of Obama and his wife, they don't like white folks.

[aftershock]

I suppose he hates himself than, and Michelle likewise, married him because she hates him, or at least half of him? Get a grip please.

[batguano]

EXCELLENT busybeez! Thank you for this spot-on analysis!

[bluesnot]

Take that, Hitch!

[MaracaKabob]

Every time Hitchens opens his 'alco-hole', out spews lies and bourbon bile.
He reminds me of the killer from Hitchcocks "Rope", he just wants to see if he can get away with a kinds of creative realities with his superior intellect.

[Beowoof]

When Ron Brown(former Clinton Commerce Secretary) died in a plane crash, some had questioned why Bob Dole didn't attend the funeral during the presidential campaign of 1996. Hitchens said that the only reason Dole should have attended the funeral would have been with a PICKET SIGN to protest all the bad trade deals that Brown was responsible for. I don't think Hitchens should be lecturing anyone due to his own reckless statements.

[busybeez]

Irony: Use someone's grandmother to make a point against that person--by saying they used their grandmother to make a point. At least he didn't use YOUR grandmother, so he has displayed higher integrity than you Hitchens. I seriously doubt Obama's grandmother appreciates your politically-motivated comments on her behalf. Find a new topic for your witchhunt, this one has been played and replayed too many times.

[gorebeatbush2]

Hitchens still thinks that al-Qaeda and Iraq were allies before 9/11...he is not the brightest man in the world.

[Wildcatdiva]

This twit of a man is relevant... why?

[DocGreen]

Christopher--once again you shock and awe us with your keen insights and the immensity of your world view. Have another scotch.

[Yuma]

Pray for him???

[FreedomLoverX]

Poor Hitchens did not have a grandmother. He is the result of something less "holy".

[Bulbul]

He is an atheist.. that`s all, nothing un-holy abvout that...

[dcshogun]

From the looks of the picture that goes along with this article, it appears that Hitchens has sold out ad space on his second chin.

[ChandraSF]

Hitchens is a two penny idiot.