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

[truthyguy]

Let me take a wild guess who Hitchens favors for the Dem nominee...­..

[Hedonist]

Certainly not Hillary.

[InfinteShibumi]

Christopher has no horse in this race. He appears to be an extremely unhappy man. An expat Brit, he is brilliant, witty and morose. He has had a difficult time of it lately giving up a vice or two. It appears he believes in nothing (particularly God) and no one. Sad, really.

[US55588144]

Why is it that every Obama critic has a problem, but never Obama!

[JamesRiddle]

The only appealing thing about this old drunk is his eloquence regarding atheism.

[Lisette]

You guys are just nitpicking Obama, because there is noting else to picl on with him.
That is why it seems to you that he gets away with things.
Put Hillary under the same mocroscope and you can be busy for a long time.

[JoshMiami]

it is about obama because of how he positions himself as a healer and bringing people together as a leader in a way hillary never did.

my problem is not with Rev. Wright but the fact that he never stood up to him or SHOWED the leadership he claims to have

yesterday i was willing to forget that for convinience sake after all the last think i would want to see is another republican apointing people for the supreme court that their view are repugnant to me yet looking on how obama have conducted himself makes me cringe and for the first time ever consider voting republican now will obama be such a horrible president ? i am sure he will be better than bush but prejudice is something i feel very strongly about i would have stood up
obama did not ... the fact that bush was no better does not make me feel better
Obama claims to bring people together is ringing now hollow

[piezoid]

Obviously that universally acclaimed (by the MSM) speech he gave had been in the can for months just waiting to be used whenever his mentor's shit would eventually hit the fan. What a conniving Chicago pol this guy really is. The excerpt that Hitch refers to is NOT the only bunk that appears in his concoction of half truths and exaggerations that are to be found in that sacred text of his.

Open-minded people can check out today's posting at http://www.taylormarsh.com/ wherein more such self-serving gibberish extracted from his little book can be found.

[US55588144]

It seems that you have noticed the same thing I noticed during the debates. Everything that Obama says is extremely self serving. We should name him "Self Service Barack"

[nomobull]

jack daniels whispering in your ear again

[Sabreen60]

Which little book would that be? The one that won the Grammy beating out Bill Clinton?

[MIldlyMisanthropic]

I was at an event last fall when HItchens called any of us who would support Obama fools and then went on to announce his support for Rudy Giuliani..­..Giuliani­! He also advocates bombing Iran immediately as some sort of preventive measure. I'm sure he'll be weighing in often in the next few months to tear down Barack Obama, but he's just mad because his fascist, cross-dressing ex-mayor not only didn't get the Republican nomination, but looked foolish trying.

[bauersox]

You seem to resent cross dressers. Do you also loathe gays and lesbians? Are you typical of Obama supporters?

[MIldlyMisanthropic]

"You seem to resent cross dressers. Do you also loathe gays and lesbians? Are you typical of Obama supporters?"

I was merely referring to Giuliani's penchant for cross-dressing for comedic purposes. If anyone is dissing anyone's gender or wardrobe preferences it would by Rudy for merely donning the attire for laughs. If I "loathe" anyone it would be the criminals that got us into the Iraq War and Hitchens is right on board there.

[HumeSkeptic]

Of all the things that MM said, you zeroed in on "cross dressers". I wonder why!

[JoshMiami]

actually one thing obama did after starting to run for the presidency is talk to an african american publish about homophobia in their community whether he did it to winn support from gays since he knew he is not going to lose the african american community or if he really believes it was the obama who first captivated me before this whole thing about reverand wright came up

[AnChicago]

Obviously Hitchens prefers a noun, a verb and 9/11.

[Beowoof]

Obama is a positive guy. Hitchens is negative. Hitchens hates the Clintons. The positive Obama threw the grandmother that made him cringe under the bus. The Clintons threw Obama under the bus. And McCain?

[foreverleft]

Positive guy? He allowed himself to be introduced be a man that had just referred to WJC as Joe McCarthy. No matter which side you are on, a remark of this nature is blasphemous. No democrat deserves that. HRC isn't destroying this party. The right must be envious as we eat our own young.

[MsLiz]

Joseph McCarthy questioned the loyalty of certain Americans, right? By implication, Bill Clinton did the same to Obama. I fail to see how it is blasphemous to criticize a Democrat for insinuating this about another Democrat. Bill does it so slyly that he can play the "who me?" game afterwards. It is painful to watch him operate.

[Marlyn]

Barack Obama did NOT throw his grandmother "under the bus". He loves her, but he told the TRUTH. That is what we need, and he will do it. He will tell us the TRUTH. We have not had that for a long time.

[Hedonist]

He not only threw her under the bus but he backed the bus up and ran over her again.

[jsinclair]

It's fascinating to see how many people (even self-described "intellectuals" like Hitchens) can't understand Obama's speech. To conclude he was (1) stereotyping all white people as racist and/ or (2) demonizing his much beloved grandmother is so mind-numbingly STUPID that I don't know how these people can ever understand any issue intelligently enough to vote. I harbor a hope they are all just GWB supporters--the die-hard 30% who surely must be the dumbest people in America.

[piezoid]

If you're interested in learning more about the truthiness of Obama better to check out some of the facts of that matter in today's posting here:

http://www.taylormarsh.com

These are excerpts of Obama's own words spoken, published and verifiable.

[Beowoof]

Sorry Marlyn, I found Hitchen's article lame and unfounded and was playing with the ludicrous notion that Obama threw his grandmother under the bus. For those who like Taylor Marsh, aren't you a bit suspicious when someone is purportedly liberal or progressive, but has a website that promotes Obama's negatives and Hillary's positives. Her site is very similar to Limbaugh's or Hannity's and they're all pulling for Hillary.

[kennedy]

What a load.

[JoshMiami]

actually everything the clintons did ... did not work than came this story and it was not the rev. it was obama and he did not even through himself under the bus he just showed that he did not have the balls to stand up .... simple

[kennedy]

Obama a positive guy? Hah, hah, hah,hah,hah,hah.

[majseventh]

Bravo Mr. Hitchens. Mr. Obama does get away with so much. I know they want this to go away and that it is over, but this will never be over. He never has disenfranchised himself from any of it. He thinks that all of this is the way it is supposed to be. Well, no it isn't. That woman should sue her own grandson.

[MsLiz]

http://www.smart-kit.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/idiot%20test.gif

[letuckerchicago]

As dyspeptic and negative as Hitchens is, I suppose it's not surprising that he would take such a dim and dismal tact. It's amazing that Hitchens can't tell the difference between "selling out" and telling the truth - even a painful and somewhat humiliating one. But Hitchens appears to be profoundly empathy-challenged, so I presume he never gave a moment's notice to what it must have felt like for Obama to make that statement, particularly in service of clearing the air on the subject of race as precipitated by the deceitful hatchet job done on Rev. Wright. Maybe it's a Black Thing, Chris, but you REALLY don't get it.

[MsLiz]

I've been told that alcoholics and drug abusers quit maturing at the age when they start using. That would explain Hitchens petulance.

[westreal]

Hillary's surrogates race baiting attacks on Obama are monstrous, shameful and destructive to the Democratic Party.

I HOPE THE SUPER DELEGATES PUT THIS PRIMARY TO REST AND PUBLICLY PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT TO OBAMA BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS TORN APART.

[piezoid]

Well you folks are REALLY big on the hope thing, so no surprise.

[Marlyn]

NO doubt about that.

[US55588144]

WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR HURRY!
Are you people afraid another scandal like his pastor will come out? We still have to find a solution to the Florida and Michigan fiasco. You disenfranchise those voters by denying them delegates and Florida and Michigan go Republican in November.

[gcg]

Hitchens has it just about right. The worst thing that can happen to Obama's electability is for voters to begin to believe that Obamma is just another calculating politician. The whole basis of his campaign is that he represents a new kind of politician . In reality he may be just like all the rest which makes his case for the Presidency less compelling.

[rixhex56]

He is just like all the rest. I see no evidence to suggest otherwise. Edwards is missed.

[FogBelter]

I like Edwards too, but he isn't calculating? Come on ... he was DLC until he found a better deal as a populist. Politicians are politicians ... that's a given, and successful politicians get to run for President.

[piezoid]

Hitch did nail it. His brilliance in stating the obvious factual case leaves Obama's supporters here railing at him instead of his facts. I'm surprised that they haven't tried to turn his comments into some kind of racial attack on their dear leader but Hitch doesn't leave any room for that meme since he is not a racist and calling him one just won't fly. But that didn't stop them from calling racism on the Clintons. Didn't have to true.. as long as it turned the Afro-A community away from her, mission accomplished.

[Yasmine]

NOW about selling out the grandmothe­r.........­......MR Hitchens that is your interpretation
not the interpretation I have of the grandmother being typical.
I am a white grandmother too, and i would be afraid to pass any man black or white in certain circunstances too.......­.......he mentionned he loved her .
Please keep your intelligence for more correct criticism.

[dora rice]

threw the womanunder the bus, who partially raised him , who was there for him when his Dad left him for better things in Kenya, They both are hypocrits. The one who is more Muslim then Christian, and the other lies she dodged sniper fire. Neither one deserves the primary. Edwards deserved it.
Well looks like McCaine looks to me and many more Americans every day better.

[nomobull]

he also talked about how she loves him and the sacrifices she made for him.why is that not reported.

[bauersox]

The problem is that Obama compared his grandmother's fright at being accosted by a black man when she was alone at a bus stop to Jeremiah Wright's bigoted ravings. That's the way Obama sold out his grandmother.

[mawrm]

The point is this - _good people_ occasionally do or say offensive things based out of ignorance and fear but it doesn't change the fact that these people still mean well and have big hearts. Rev. Wright said things that would be hurtful to a white person. Obama's grandmother said things that would be hurtful to a black person. Rev. Wright and his grandmother are two people in Obama's life that he greatly respects, two people who've lived honorable lives and have done a lot of remarkable, kind and considerate things. However there have been times when both have said something that Obama has found offensive. However he does not disown them on the basis of a ill-advised comment.
Obama's point - At times people both black AND white make offensive statements and what we must do is avoid this rush to judgement and name calling but instead consider what the person said and _WHY_ in the context of their life story. Maybe they said it out of ignorance and fear, or maybe they did say it out of true malice. That's why Obama talked about the background of Rev. Wright's generation to give an understanding of why he might have said what he said. That's why we mentioned the mindset of his grandmother's generation being a reason why she likely reacted the way she did. Otherwise we can not have intelligent conversations on difficult topics if we always resort to these sensationalized reactions to people's _one-time_ off-colored comments.

[nomobull]

only in the sense that he understood why both felt the wat they did. he disagreed but still would not denounce either because there is more to them .

[DasBoot]

Obama sold out his grandmother? Aha, and Christopher Hitchens sold out his principles in 2003 when he supported the Iraq War, yet he is the one who expects us to marvel at dexterity in justifying Bush and co. Classic self goal.

[Yasmine]

Mr. Hitchens ..........­..OBAMA as a UNITER should not SHOULD NOT quit anybody.
You do not get him.period­.
Besides, How can Christians ask OBAMA to leave the church of the man who brought him to JESUS.
HONESTLY , i do not know why people call themselves CHRISTIAN who say these things.
Of course Mr.Hitchen­s being an atheist is welcome to his opinion.

[markkraft]

Yes, but... why listen to the ramblings of a drunken, goddless, Trotskyist mysogynist like Hitchens?

And why do otherwise intellegent people throw words around like "intellectual" to describe those who are merely socially unacceptable miscreants?

Unlike his far more reasoned brother, Christopher Hitchens is a scarred child of a man, who has yet to show one clear example of wisdom and moral courage in his entire life. He is, essentially, a fussy baby of a man with deepseated resentments that have long since gone past the point of rationality, with an obsession for argument not based on reason or wisdom, but on his congenitally egotistical and disagreeable nature.

[bodi1313]

How refreshing! A media person that has not drunk the Obama kool-aid.

[steamboat]

He certainly DID sell out his grandmother. The ONE who raised him......I can tell you I live amongst quite a few folks of Eastern European ethnic heritage. Actually I'm in a total melting-pot area. Anyway, I drink coffee in the morning at this hangout thats alot E.European­. These are working-class, blue-collar people whom Obama NEEDS if he's too win in November. Guess what, they ALL were pissed. Nobody is more sacred in the E.European family than good 'ol grandma. He may have blown the presidency with that statement

[nomobull]

no one believes that but idiots like this guy and those w3ho are afraid to face the truth about race in this country. they took these w3ords from a paragrah . why are thet afraid to quote the entire thing . maybe because the picture they want to paint would collapse.

[foughtthelaw]

Christopher Hitchens is a smart man who fails to take into account anything about human existence that doesn't conform to reason or logic. However charming his arguments often are, this is a fatal flaw in his thinking. He rejects religion, compassion and other sordid human frailties, and yet he preaches his rejections more self-righteously than even Reverend Wright, himself.