Jon Stewart Takes On Wright Coverage: "The Reverending Story"

On Monday, The Daily Show tackled Rev. Jeremiah Wright's recent remarks -- and the accompanying non-stop media coverage, which Jon Stewart dubbed the "Reverending Story."

Stewart added: "Whatever you want to say about the substance of what the reverend is saying -- interpret as you may -- if I had had a rabbi who brought that much game, I wouldn't have spent this Passover neck deep in a bacon and cheese croissant-wich."

Watch it below:

Comments

[CompliantMedia]

Oh that Reverend Wright, the "white" Michael Moore some might say.

These two media outcasts use hyperbole and fiery rhetoric to call attention to issues that make us feel uncomfortable.

Along with Ralph Nader they must be the three most feared and detested social and government critics in the modern era.

Many may see them as roguish villains while I sit back scratching my head pondering the notion that some of what they say might actually be perfectly valid.

We white Americans are so disposed to waving the flag and flattering ourselves about how great we are while we make ad hominem attacks against countries and cultures we disagree with.

Isn't it time we focused more of our attention on solving problems and less on castigating those we take issue with?

[CompliantMedia]

Obviously I meant the "black" Michael Moore.

I hate those pesky senior momnets.

[mellene]

As much as people decry what Wright has said, we all know that there is much oppression in this country and dreadful race-baiting that still goes on. For the country to continue to ignore this and the imperialistic ways of the government is to ignore a giant red flag in front of a bull. We all know that no candidate running for office will have the guts to admit what is really happening in America because they're all owned by mega corportations and Wall Street interests, whether it is Obama, Clinton or McCain. The real losers continue to be ordinary American citizens.

[NicoleAnonymous]

He thinks the government created AIDS as a way to kill black people and intentionally puts drugs in black neighborhoods so black men will go to prison.

Yeah right - I can just see Rove and Cheney driving around Watts dropping off packages of crack on every corner.

[FullMedia]

Please Google Michael Ruppert. He is a former Los Angeles Police Officer who is on record (and vetted) as having provided documents proving the CIA's participation in bringing crack cocaine into Los Angeles as part of their funding of Nicaraguan rebels.

This isn't anecdotal and if you find the right video clip you'll see the Directory of the CIA at a meeting in South Central L.A. unable to deny the allegations. Then come back and listen to Jeremiah Wright again ...

[qdog112]

Do your own research. Our government has never done anything to harm black folks. See: Tulsa- Black Wall Street, Brownsville Boys, TX, Katrina, Plessy v. Ferguson, Jim Crow, The Peculiar Institution and the Tuskegee Experiment. Ever heard of separate, but equal? It's one thing to prove it's not true, but to say the government never has is simply not true.

[NicoleAnonymous]

What are you talking about? I didn't say our government has never done anything bad to black people.

But creating AIDS in order to kill black people? Yeah right - too bad they had to kill a few million gay people to accomplish that goal.

[CammyV]

Rev. Wright's a funny guy. Sure, he's a tad racist, but I'd watch him host SNL. He's got pretty good comic timing.

[EyeballKid]

Among the thousands of comments, this one will likely get lost. But here goes:

I've a stinkin' hunch that the latest Wright-Obama flap was scripted. Both parties knew that there would be no way to cut the perceptual cord between them, in the corporate media's persistent desire to heighten the drama, unless there were a clearly visible repudiation of all that is Wright. Obama needed to put Wright behind him and to give the corporate media NO REASON to continually return to the issue without looking hateful and slanderous in the eyes of the public.

So a plan was hatched to get Wright out there, in the public eye, and make an ass of himself, so that Obama could once again claim the high road and cut the cord between the two. Now, as Obama moves on, the media and his political opponents will have no choice but to view Wright as a figure from the resolved past.

If this recent media flap weren't so perfectly mapped for the desired effect, then I've a brand new respect for serendipity.

[Kim445588]

Well, your theory might make more sense if the media had actually shut up about Wright. They are just looking for different stories to create out of it.

[FullMedia]

No, this one is ego rising in a man who feels that the student has out shown the teacher.

[RezidentBivrip]

I was one of the people who gave Reverend Wright the benefit of the doubt when those snippits first came out. I said "Those were just a few seconds from a 30 year career taken out of context, I'm sure all of his sermons weren't like that, nobody would stay for a church service like that"

And while I still believe that, the fact that the snippets were taken out of context and don't represent his whole career, i.e. what he preached about every Sunday and the reason Obama still respected and even defended him after the original statements...

It is now obvious to me that this guy is a publicity seeking zealot who used his friends time in the limelight to jump in front of the camera and spew whatever garbage will get you more airtime.

And you have the audacity to speak on the status of blacks in America, while America is on the verge of electing it's first black president ever, someone who considered you a friend, you are doing everything in your power to ensure it doesn't happen.

You are filth Jeremiah Wright, and you are ugly (In the spiritual sense), and God don't like ugly.

[butchie65]

This is Hillary's classy way of getting votes. She has one of her supporters rig up the Rev, Wright's speech and sits back and laughs. How ANYONE could vote for this kind of person, is beyond me. Love, Jon though !

[antaeus]

Talk about cognitive dissonance in action!

You seriously suggest that Michelle and Barack Obama spent years attending the church of pastor who was so feeble as to be a pawn in other people's machinations? This guy is clearly able to act for himself.

[Kim445588]

Another example of cognitive dissonance is democrats supporting Clinton.

Somethings gotta give.

[w&cheneysuck]

I was in the audience for this and the funniest part was the "Moment of Zen" where Wright is dancing around.....what an IDIOT! He needs psychiatric help!

[EyeWantOneNation]

Also on Jon Stewart last night:

Did anyone see the tape of Leslie Stahl interviewing Judge Scalia ??? She asked him about "cruel and unusual punishment in redards to detainees at Gitmo; being tortured. Doesn't this apply to them ?? Scalia said "NO...torture isn't punishment !!""

HUH ???

Great minds sit in the highest positions of our Judicial system !!!!

[HurryUp1212009]

JERRY FALWELL: And I agree totally with you that the Lord has protected us so wonderfully these 225 years. And since 1812, this is the first time that we've been attacked on our soil and by far the worst results. And I fear, as Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, said yesterday, that this is only the beginning. And with biological warfare available to these monsters -- the Husseins, the Bin Ladens, the Arafats -- what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact -- if, in fact -- God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

Oh, that's right: Wright is black and Falwell was white.
I guess that makes Jerry OK and Jeremiah not OK

[antaeus]

You are absolutely right in pointing out that cooky ministers come in all colors.

But you are wrong to suggest that there isn't a difference in kind in Obama's case. As "The New Yorker" showed in a lengthy article on Michelle Obama and her Chicago background a few weeks ago, Wright played a central role in the lives of the Obamas. He was not some voting block leader who showed up around election day to give a prayer breakfast for the candidate. The white presidents in recent memory attended "mainstream" generic protestant congregations, if they went at all.

There are plenty of more sober black congregations out there. The Obamas chose not to attend them.

[FullMedia]

Honestly, a show of hands here; how many of you live your lives by what your minister preaches on Sunday?

Your spiritual walk is more informed by the personal relationship you have with (your) God than the rhetoric of a minister. If that were not the case, then America would be a nation of justice, charity and love. In our hallowed halls of government would reside peacemakers and not war mongers.

But this is not the reality and to make Jeremiah Wright the barometer by which you judge Back Obama is much like looking in the oven to see if the sun is shining ... they both produce warmth, right?

[Durango]

I guess Pancho Villas raid on Columbia NM doesn't count?

Not enough people killed?

How about Gettysburg? Or Shiloh?

[RezidentBivrip]

The difference between the two, is Obama is part of Wright's church and defended him publicly, like Obama, I gave wright the benefit of the doubt. He showed his true colors over the weekend, and I'm glad Obama acted so quickly and decisively to say this guys a jackass.

[EyeballKid]

I'm getting more and more convinced that many of us are gullible in viewing the current Wright-Obama conflict as serendipity.

My better hunch is that Wright, the bright man that he is, saw that unless he causes a clean break between himself and Obama, he'll be considered heavy baggage for BHO for the duration of the campaign. The only way to set aside the "Wright" controversy is to cause a clean break in the eyes of the public. How? Wright makes himself look like a pompous, self-absorbed fool so that Obama can fully divorce himself from Wright. End of story.

In other words, Wright falls on his sword for the next president.

I'm guessing that, when we can view this episode in retrospect, we'll see the Wright debacle as a brilliantly conceived tactic to remove from Obama so much corporate media-inspired baggage. Obama's "outrage" and separation from Wright now inoculates him from being swiftboated about Wright in the general election.

[Adjective]

I thank the universe for Jon Stewart and the Daily Show: You express my sentiments, exactly, but do it with such hilarity. The contrast between the substantive, thoughtful answers given in the Wallace interview and the lead story on Monday morning was brilliantly choreographed. Great Job! Croissanwiches for everyone, on me.

[hlc]

In his Philadelphia speech on race, Obama, in so many words said Rev. Wright's views and words are those of an angry generation that had to deal with blatant racism and that America had moved on to a post-racial society and implied that things are just shy of perfect for blacks. Rev. Wright is merely demonstrating to Obama that his view is very wrong. Racism is alive and well and will eventually take Obama down. The uproar proves Rev. Wright is right. This is a sick, effed up country. I, like Michelle, was beginning to feel so good about the US. I have put away my hopes

[protagonia]

hlc,

"I, like Michelle, was beginning to feel so good about the US. I have put away my hopes"

Well get those hopes out and polish them up. We need you out there helping to undo the damage these soulless sociopaths are trying to do to our wounded nation. You have the energy to type, then get your ass out there and pitch in.

Obama 08'

[JoInCalifornia]

No one is saying that things are perfect for Blacks. But I can honestly say, the white people I know never demonstrate racist feelings in any form (speech, actions, choices). And I have never heard a white minister talk about Blacks the way Wright talks about whites. And many millions of white people are supporting Senator Obama. I think it is very important to not automatically see every act as racist, nor to ascribe every act as racist. Is it racist for a Black person to vote for Obama because he is Black? Is it racist for a white to vote for Hilary or McCain because she or he is white? We need multilateral racial harmony, not unilateral. And if Senator Obama does not win the Presidency why automatically believe that it is a reflection of America's racism? Maybe not enough people will like his politics.

[Durango]

When I worked in the South the most racist people were always polite to African-Americans face.

The racism, and I mean RACISM, came out after they left the room.

[lizr]

well that was a very helpful comment.

Enjoying being part of the problem, and creating problems for Obama?

You and Rev Wright, birds of a feather, eh?

[butchie65]

Got the right lizr, couldn't have said it better !

[ghostofgrrrl]

Thank Gawd for Jon Stewart
The worse things get, the more he makes me laugh

[NicoleAnonymous]

Actually his joke wasn't that funny and it didn't make much sense but Huffington Post censured my respond so I won't explain why again.

[lizr]

I think you were better off when the censors were cutting your stuff.

[NicoleAnonymous]

I just figured out his joke anyway. He is saying if his Rabbi was that exciting or controversial then he would have celebrated the holiday instead of doing things that Jews aren't supposed to do like eating bacon and so on. I still don't think it's funny though and it's scary that some writer on his show making lots of money actually spent time writing it. And Jews can eat bacon - it just has to be turkey bacon or something.

[protagonia]

Oh Nicole,

"And Jews can eat bacon - it just has to be turkey bacon or something."

Get a new handler. You're just hurting your own cause with every new word.

Poor thing. Try to become nicer - and smarter.

[lizr]

Girfriend, get a sense of humor.

I think they are selling them now on the QVC channel.

Seriously. YOU are the reason they say women have no sense of humor.

Lighten up.

[Sioen]

OMG, how clueless are you?

It's kinda adorable, in a wow-I-guess-it's-neat-you're-trying sorta way.

Keep up the good work! More tough joke decryption will be coming your way!

[buckeye59]

I think Rev. Wright wants Obama to lose.Every time he talks,Hillarys stock goes up and Obamas down.

[lizr]

Absolutely agree, Buckeye.

he is a saboteur and Obama had to cut him loose. You could see how much it hurt him though. I'll never forget the Rev putting him through this kind of hurt, with all he's had to deal with, the racist and disgusting MSM, HIllary Clinton..

and now the Rev cutting him off at the knees. It is just too much to throw at a person who only wants to help us.

He would be forgiven for dropping out and wondering why he bothered.

But he won't because he has this incredible spirit that shines out every day, with every new adversity. He never loses it and becomes enraged like an animal.;like so many of us might. he has such innate decency, he never loses his self control, never lashes out.

Not like John McCain who loses it over anyone who challenges him. Now that dude is SCARY>

[NicoleAnonymous]

I don't think he wants him to lose - it's more that he is very hurt and feels betrayed. Don't forget the Wright is really responsible for changing that church from a small place with a few hundred members into a very influential church with thousands of members. He dedicated his life to that church - can you imagine how it feels to have them insist he "retire" from his church because Obama doesn't want to be associated with him?

The fact is that Obama wasn't really a religious person - he joined that church for politicial reasons. He wanted the support from the people there at the beginning of his career and now that it might cost him the election he decides that Wright has to "retire" although he clearly is healthy enough to keep giving sermons.

When people are hurt they will sometimes do things in anger to hurt the person who hurt them and that is what Wright is doing. I think Obama should have just left the church and let Wright stay there - it's insulting that they made him leave. So now Obama is finding out what happened when you hurt s