Reverend Chickens-Come-Home-To-Roost

We wasted another week on Rev Wright, hopefully the last one. No it didn't drag Obama down, though the right wing is spinning their wish that it would. If only. Keep dreaming.

Yes, Obama is a gifted politician, and that's why we like him. We need political leadership, we've done without it for the last four terms, sixteen years, and we hope that this guy really gets that the power is with us, that we pay the bills, fight the wars, and it's our hard work and innovation that drive the economy that makes America powerful when we are powerful.

Wright? He's a deer that got caught in a headlight none of us have ever been in, so we don't really have a right to judge him. He spun around looking for friends, and found he was radioactive, and it really wasn't his fault. He wasn't running for office, in a rhetorical way he totally did inhale and exhale and inhaled again, and again. The only people who really liked his radioactivity were people like Louis Farrakhan and his followers who want to disrupt the US political process.

So what to do with the Wright legacy? I feel sorry for him, but I hope he finds some good people who aren't out to destroy other good people and he skips writing the book, and he kicks back and lets the member of his flock take the leadership we want and need him to.

See also: Bill Moyers, yesterday, on Rev Wright.

Comments

[ohiomark]

When will you Obama kool-aid drinkers figure out that this is NOT about Rev. Wright. It is about Rev. Wright obvious influence on a man who wants to be our President.

You don't sit through 20 years of "sermons" from a man who is racsist and anti-American and not come away with some of the same values. It he doesn't subscribe to this line of thinking, then why did he stay in this church one day longer after he realized it?

[SaddieMcCall]

This is an excellent response by Bill Moyers about the Reverend Wright obsession.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfqCyMU3mfo

[awb]

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05022008/watch.html

please watch

[NABNYC]

I'd like one person to point out one thing Wright said that is wrong, or is hate speech, or is advocating violence towqards others, or promoting war, or ridiculing or demeaning others, or supporting the idea that poor people or "others" should be hurt, and should suffer out of our vision.

The weirdest thing is the way people have reacted to this guy, like "Holy Cow, did you hear what he said?" And I keep waiting to hear what it is he said that is so bad. That racism has destroyed the lives of many people, led to murder and atrocities? That the U.S. murdered 2 million Vietnamese and 1 million Iraqis and nobody can come up with an explanation why except that some president wanted to have a war. That the government spread aids? Nobody has ever come up with a good explanation of how Aids was started, and how it was spread throughout Africa and only in select areas of this country. And even if you don't agree with him, so what? What ever happened to freedom of thought and expression?

The frightening assault on the Rev. Wright is remarkably the same as against other black men who spoke out in this country, no matter how soft or harsh the voice. This country usually kills them or frames and imprisons them. It appears that nothing at all has changed. Black people better keep their mouths shut in the U.S. of A.

[gigi09]

It is my opinion that it is not that people diagree with what he stands for and what he said...it is the timing that has bothered us. It is the fact that Jeremiah Wright came out with a purpose to destroy Obama's chances of becoming the President of the USA. The fact that a black man is this close to being elected would blot out his theory that blacks are not given a fair chance...he would have to get another Jeremiah Wright platform! How much more liberated you want, than to have a member of his church to be the President of the United States of America. Remember the crawfish complex? If you don't remember that, remember that Wright is full of himself ...which carries the spirit of PRIDE, ENVY, GREED, LUST ! Very deadly sins that we sometime ignore in our preachers...that's why God is exposing them one by one! It all about what is in your heart.

[PLUMPLUM]

Hey NAB you stole my lines. Anyway thank you. LOL.

You know this AIDS thing is not new to Wright. I did not grow up in the US and long before I came here(20 year ago) people in my country used to think that this epidemic was as a result of some mess that occurred in the US. They even thought that experiments were done in Haiti since they had the highest rate of HIV cases per capita in the Western world at that time.

[joanndarc]

Agree, although the colour of rev. Wright has nothing to do with thee fact that the majority of people don't want to hear the truth about this country/themselves.

[Zanti]

Obama's campaign, instead of recognizing the Wright situation for a very serious threat, decided to spin it into a cliched "dialogue" about race in America--the idea being to give Obama a boost on Wright's dime. Now, what were the chances that Wright would go along with this, besides none at all? To see as much, though, would have required the ability to think ahead, something B.O.'s campaign collectively lacks. And it's not as if Obama KNEW the guy or anything.

So, of course, Wright merrily turned on Obama, thus forcing him to boldly (well, meekly) repudiate him. In other words, instead of minimizing the Wright damage, B.O. did everything possible to help it along. We're looking at a campaign that's going to last about five seconds when the Neocons start bombarding it in earnest. God help our party.

Of course, I'll vote for Obama, since it will be the closest thing to NOT voting for McCain....

[Herrington]

"the ability to think ahead, something B.O.'s campaign collectively lacks"

This would explain how Clinton lost the lead for the nomination. Clinton was bound to win using the Blue State strategy. Obama chose a fifty state strategy and is now winning. Sounds like planning to me.

If it had not been Wright, who is actually about as terrifying as most people's grandpa, it would have been something else. What made it difficult for Obama was that he would have to publicly dishonor a man for whom he has feelings in order to quell the notion that he somehow is under the thrall of Wright. And to assume that was the case, which the Right fervently hopes people do assume, you would have to completely discount the stature of Obama as a Constitutional scholar and his clear and principled stand on the separation of church and state.

[Zanti]

The separation of church and state has NOTHING to do with the Wright situation. Nothing. The principle in question refers to the establishment of a state church (i.e., Church of the U.S.) and any religious test (set of requirements) for office, neither of which Congress is allowed to do.

If Obama, as president, were to allow his preacher to influence any aspect of his behavior, we would still be a country without a state church and without a religious test for office as administered by Congress.

That is to say, church-state separation would remain solidly in place.

[Herrington]

Wrong Zanti, for the Presidency to show favor to the tenents of one church or religion over another, manifest by giving credence to the opinion of one preacher's views over anothers, is tantamount to sanctioning a church.

Why do you think the ACLU made objection to Bush's federal funding of faith based charities? The fed ended up having to apportion funding to different faiths based in proportion to their membership in the populace.

[IslandGyal]

The only people, who care about Rev. Wright, like he's the candidate, are the folks want a reason to justifying why they won't vote for Senator Barack Obama. Rev. Wright gives them the reason, so that they can relieve themselves of their prejudice, using him as the pretext. Good for you all. If you can justify voting for the lying, say anything do anything candidate Hilliary Clinton, over Barack, then ask yourself, if it"s really about his "experience" that bothers you¦.

[Zanti]

I personally could care less about Wright--his messages are hardly new, being the kind of things Bill Cosby and Jesse Jackson have spoken out against. And I personally agree that Obama is not responsible for what his preacher says.

But what I personally think is hardly the issue--the issue at hand is the damaging impact of Wright's statements and how poorly Obama has dealt with the situation. I didn't create the situation--I'm just reporting on it.

[SamThornton]

Rev. Wright is an excellent example of the mindset of the American Protestant clergy in general, and his case is instructive for that reason. This is a group of people who, regardless of denomination, are stuck in a cocoon that divorces them from the world most of the rest of us live in. Because they believe that their course in life is governed by a series of divine interventions, they tend to strongly believe that every thought that pops into their heads, every book they read, every conversation they have, is a manifestation of divine intervention and therefore unassailable on any grounds.

This makes for some extremely weird ideas, such as those Rev. Wright has advanced in the apparent belief they are self-evident.

Rev. Wright's example reveals a key weakness in the American religious community. The idea that revealed "truths"-- in the sense that personal experience is divinely directed and trumps objective reality -- is a failure of intellect so profound that no good can possibly come from it. Rev. Wright's, and other's, mindset in this regard is anathema to a workable, humane approach to life and, in a very profound sense, is destructively delusional.

[Herrington]

"Because they believe that their course in life is governed by a series of divine interventions"

And we all know or have known someone just like that. God is trying to communicate with them in every way imaginable, voices in their heads to winning the lottery.

I am hard pressed to imagine there is any difference between a latter day preacher and a troglodyte witch doctor smearing himself with chicken entrails to garner divine favor. I mean so what if the guy believes the U.S. created AIDS to kill black men, he also probably believes the world was created in six days 6000 years ago and that Mary was a virgin. Religion is not conducive to questioning assumptions and therefore cannot lead to solid, tested, conclusions on any subject.

Clinging is just exactly the right description, if somewhat insensitive.

[Zanti]

Three simple words: Obama screwed up. It's not the fault of the press, or religion, or Hillary, or sun spots, or the obesity epidemic in America.

Obama screwed up. People do that, you know. He's only human, after all.

[nomobull]

.how? what did he say or do that you can actually attribute to him.

[Zanti]

Are you serious? Okay. Obama came out with his phony "dialogue" about race, all in an effort to turn the Wright situation to his advantage. To turn tragedy into triumph. Which doesn't happen in real life, especially in political campaigns.

In other words, Obama presented himself as a more rational (and up to date) version of Wright. Meanwhile, the media (MSNBC and Huff-Po, especially) were busily painting Wright as a misunderstood prophetic preacher whose words were being taken out of context, etc., etc.

Two problems with all that. First, you want to DISTANCE yourself from disaster during a campaign, not embrace it. Second, Wright couldn't be trusted to cooperate--all he had to do was turn on Obama. And guess what? He did.

That the campaign would even put itself in that position is beyond mind-boggling. Don't you agree?

[Softnsweet]

Obama did not screw up. He is not Rev. Wright's best friend. He was a member of Rev. Wright's church. A member, nothing more. He was not Obama spiritual advisor as the MSM puts it.

[Zanti]

Tell that to the Neocons--they'll be impressed.

I'm sure they'll see that it's a non-issue and that there's no point in bringing it up over and over and over during the generals.

I also believe the Moon will become a new market for McDonald's.

[tedbear]

Amen!!!! These past few days have astounded me. Being a news junkie, I ask for it by tuning in and listening; in the process this week I have lost respect for many news anchors who are simply "yes men to their bosses." I'll bet not one of them, Chris Matthews, Dan Abrams, of course not Wolfe Blitzer and especially Anderson Cooper and the new girl Campbell Brown, has actually ventured an opinion to their superiors that this is about as low as a news network can go. Keith Olberman, I salute you for at least adding humor in an effort to show the true lunacy of the attack and organized assult of Barack Obama. You are the BEST PERSON IN THE WORLD THIS WEEK!!!!!

This behavior of the media makes one suspect a, in the words of Hillary Clinton, right wing conspiracy!
What is up with this media bias?

[Softnsweet]

tedbear,

Ditto, I had to stop watching it. I just could not believe the attacks. No matter what the man does. Hillary and her husband has wretched havoc in this Country when he was President. The reason we do not have jobs starts with Bill and Hillary Clinton, promoting NAFTA, Columbia free trade and China.
Right no she is in Indiana talking about the factory where the jobs when to China. It was under her husband's watch that the factory was sold but she does not tell everyone about that. MSM does not really talk about it.

[vincealy]

Moyers piece here http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05022008/watch.html puts some perspective on this, MSNBC has shamlessly sensationalised this story. Call Dan [ the lawyer} Abrams amd ask 'Sir do you have no shame" call "Wolfman " Blitzer at CNN and ask the same question

[apoyo]

It is a tragedy of incomprehensible proportions that the media conspired to bring down Obama.

[Zanti]

Please elaborate.

[YankeeCanuck]

It's not a tragedy yet. That is, not a tragedy for us or Obama. He may still win the nomination and then the presidency.
But the coverage of the nominations race has been a travesty from the get-go back in Iowa.