Obama, Not Wright, Is Obama's Worst Enemy
Whoever on Team Obama keeps feeding into Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's seeming compulsive need to speak out on the Reverend Jeremiah Wright should get the swift boot. When Wright went on his latest public and media tear, Obama should have simply issued a statement saying this: Wright is no longer my pastor. And as I have said repeatedly, his views do not reflect mine, and then move on.
But no, Obama's Wright compulsion drove him to deliver a defensive and apologetic so-called race speech in which Wright was the centerpiece. Next, he denounced Wright's views in an interview. Now he holds a halting, stumbling, anguished voice press conference to denounce Wright again. Here's the effect of all this. He's given a slew of gossipy, media talking heads more salacious grist for the gossip and rumor mill about Wright, the church and Obama's long term relationship with both.
He's elevated Wright from a relatively obscure, local preacher to a nationally known polarizing figure. He's deepened the suspicions of those who all along felt that he was a closet radical and race panderer. This hurt him with white voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and almost certainly it will hurt him in Indiana. It has pecked away at the razor thin lead he had over Clinton among Democrats, and dropped him behind McCain in the general election. (Hillary beats McCain by ten points).
He created clouds of doubt among some of his non-rabid, and non-true believer supporters that maybe it's time to take a second look at him and his candidacy. He's given political analysts and pundits boundless ammunition to fire the jibe that maybe he is unelectable. After all, if he bombs with blue collar, rural, and less educated white voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania who are Democrats, what chance does he have of getting a big swatch of the must win independents who fit that same vote demographic in the South, the Midwest and the West to back him in a head to head showdown with McCain? He's gotten so bogged down with the obsessive need to slam Wright that he's managed to self-derail his campaign from the issues that should matter to debating Wright on of all things as to whether Wright and the black church as Wright claims are one and the same.
Finally, and worst of all, no matter how much he protests that Wright doesn't represent him or his thinking, the fact is he sat in his church for nearly two decades, called him a spiritual mentor and family confidant, appointed him to an advisory post in his campaign, and in his so-called race speech refused to disown his two decade experience and relationship with him. This instantly makes his Wright protest sound like the wail of a politician running scared, and who sees the long, arduous, time consuming and patient work he put into building up public trust in him as the nation's great political hope fast washing down the drain.
But Obama is no different than other inexperienced politicians who get blind-sided by damaging and hurtful allegations and associations. They panic, do their public mea culpas, and hope and pray that it all blows over. It never does. The clouds of doubt remain transfixed in the air of the voter's minds, and that doubt will always be there with whispers, wisecracks, and raised eyebrows that maybe the politician with a taint who so many put their fervent faith and hope in is not all that he's cracked up to be.
The more optimistic Obama backers point to Bill Clinton as the best example of a much admired, effective political leader who rebounded from a scandal and attacks and whose popularity ratings soared to the stars. That's true but there are some big differences. Clinton was a battle tested, second term president, the economy was booming, there were no major foreign policy crises, and millions of supporters including many Republicans saw the GOP assaults on him as nothing more than vindictive partisan politics. That was more than enough for him to ride out the tide.
Obama is hardly Clinton. And the issue that dogged Clinton was sex. The issue that dogs Obama is race. That in any season is perennially for a politician, especially a black politician, their worst nightmare. That's even truer for Obama who has worked tirelessly to sell white voters on his non-racial message of unity, harmony, and hope.
Obama then must understand two things. Wright isn't going away. His ego and a press insatiable for any inflammatory Wright quip will insure that. If that's so then Obama should button it up on Wright. Anything else he says on him will further insure that Obama not Wright is Obama's worst enemy.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House (Middle Passage Press, February 2008).
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The real crime is that Obama already threw Wright under the bus, a man who brought him to Christianity and baptized his own children. Obama's betrayal of his own pastor, a man that has been demonized like no other in recent memory, tells a lot about Obama's character and his weak kneed streak, whether it is facing Republican politicans, corporations, or even FOX news as demonstrated this weekend.
I was somewhat supportive of Obama as the least of all possible evils this fall (between a candidate that will remain corporate tool but not threaten armageddon, and two who will bring the world to the brink of ruin and destruction). I still believe that, but he has done far more damage by throwing Wright to the wolves and acting like the very politician that Wright noted in his speeches.
Sadly, almost everyone is falling for the tradition right-wing playbook to distract, divert, and demonize, rather than taking a long hard look at this country. You would think after a ruinous illegal war that has raped and pillaged the cradle of civilization with a million dead and millions more displaced, America would have some remorse or introspection but, alas, no. Rather, as in days of old, America rather shoot the messenger.
Upon rereading this blog, again. You're right, EOF. Now he should ignore him.
Rev. Wright reminds me of Chelsea Clinton's statement opposing Obama's argument that the country needed to move beyond the old divisions. In effect, who are you to dare tell us to forget the old conflicts, for the better of the country?
Wright is gravitating towards a national platform to both to air and justify the bitterness of Black Americans from as far back as the pre civil rights era, and his own relevance, Obama's candidacy be damned. I have to wonder if he can see the many trees of progress we've made in this country, for the forest of our past. Ignore those issues? I don’t think we can, or want to. I wonder at the propriety of staking claims outside those issues, and instead, thrusting inflammatory rhetorical issues to the forefront instead.
You, EOF, seem insidiously of the same mindset keeping conflict alive at its most visceral level by offering transparent, hackneyed, specious remedies despite the very complex dilemma revolving around race in our country. Ignore Wright/EOF? Indeed! This solution is wackadoodle to me.
"The clouds of doubt remain transfixed in the air of the voter's minds.."
Earl, just for your information: clouds don't remain transfixed - by nature they disperse.
"Obama, not Wright, Is Obama's worst enemy?" Oh really? I doubt that very much. But I know one thing for certain: Hutchinson is Hutchinson's worst enemy. This is an utterly undifferentiated post full of opinionated conjecture and irresponsible attributions.
Well said, Earl. If half of those who read your column to complain about your logic had had a course in logic, less would be said here--and the more carefully Obama would be scrutinized and not canonized. Obama has irrepairably divided the Democratic Party, and both his supporters and those who back Clinton now publically state that if their candidate does not win the nomination they will either vote against the Democratic candidate or sit out this election. I am one of them, who has given thousands of dollars to Democrats, been a Democratic chair, and active in Democratic politics for more than 40 years--but this year will be different. I have already stopped my financial contributions, and now must decide if I vote or sit it out.
Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember anyone demanding that Catholic politicians disown the Catholic Church or its priests for the coverup of decades of child molestation. What are we to take from this? Child molestation - OK; saying goddamn America - not OK.
No Mr. Hutchinson--people like you are Sen Obama's biggest enemy. Black on black crime at it's worst.
Obama on Wright is another black on black crime. They keep throwing each other the bus. Earl just calls it as he sees the scene.
Odd that Obama only "had enough" of Rev Wright when he began insulting Obama's convictions and imitmating "wink wink nod nod" Obama is speaking out against Wright because he is a politician.
Arrogance and narcissism - it only matters when Wright's opinions (in context) are criticisms against him.
I agree but feel you left out a few things like obama squashing his credibility and judgment. Is it really believable that obama never new of rev. wrights views on Farrakan, his view on our engagements around the world and his belief on the AIDs virus (these have been the explosive videos being passed around) and if not what does that tell us about a man who claims he has be so clueless?
Obama has claimed that the man who has been making these statements in the last few days is not the man he met 20 years ago. Maybe this is a credible assertion maybe it is not. There is a way to determine how credible this is. There are 8000 other parishioners in the congregation, reaction from them about Wright's behaviour over the last week would settle the question, but unless a reporter goes and contacts some of them for reaction we only have our own opinions and that is determined more by whether or not we want Obama to win than by an actual facts.
Earl, your jealousy and cynicism is a touch transparent, don't you think? There's a Dickipedia entry on you just waiting to happen.
You say the issue that dogged Clinton was "sex" and the issue that dogs Obama is "race" and you're absolutely right. And, being a black man and a political analyst who has dogged Obama's every step since the beginning, you are part of his "race" problem and you know it. So why don't you go ahead and admit that up front the next time you write an article like this one.
I dare you.
Spoken like the true Hillarybot that Hutchinson is... one could intelligently argue that those large swaths of downscale voters to whom he refers were waiting for just such a total denunciation as the one that Obama delivered yesterday, NOW he can move on, saying that Wright doesn't speak for him, period. As for the Clinton "he sat in his church for 20 years" talking point, Obama's butt must be pretty sore by now, and where did he find the time to run for political office? From a church pew? Obama has stated that Wright is not the same person that he was 20 years ago (are you? Is anybody?) and I tend to believe him; Wright is being used by Hillary's operatives and is clearly a spiteful egotist lapping up his 15 minutes of media fame. Can we all move on and discuss the fact that I can't afford to buy two slices of pizza for lunch now that it's up to $3 a slice? Thanks.
Bravo!
It took all of us one day to figure out that Wright is a nut. Why on earth did it take Obama 20 years?
Most disturbingly, why did the Obamas take their children to listen to this Loony Toon?
Are you honesty trying to argue that Obama has "an obsessive need to slam Wright?" Are you living in a parallel universe? Did you fail to notice that Obama has bent over backwards to avoid slamming Wright, especially in his speech on race? Oh wait, you criticized him for that too.
Sorry Earl, but this is quite possibly the most dishonest, most self-contradictory, and silliest piece of writing ever to emanate from your convoluted mind.
Agreed, agreed, agreed!
It is quite silly and Earl of all people needs to come correct. No matter what Obama did it wasn't going to be enough for the blood thirsty media to be satisfied.
Times online says that he needed to be more aggressive and angry. Well you see what they do with the image of a angry, aggressive black man.
It just so very sickening to see how much time and energy has been spent on trying the tear Obama down while the media gives all the crooks in the white house a free ride.
Yes, Obama has an obsessive need to slam Wright. Obama is a narcissist, and right now he is frantic to eject an imperfect object from his orbit.
Hopefully Obama is reading Earl's blogs so he can tap into Earl's incredible political acumen instead of relying on his own defficient ethics and judgement.
In fact, why don't we elect Earl president?
Fortunately, your viewpoint seems to be a lone voice.
Which is well-deserved.
Obama is no Bill Clinton? Thank God! That lying, race-baiting, vicious DLC near-Republican is hardly my idea of a great role model. The fact that Obama is not a Clinton is one of the main things he has going for himself!
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