Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Media Blitz Forces Barack Obama to Face the Angry Black Man Test -- Again

For new school black politicians, it is an essential question: How do you recognize the righteous anger of those frustrated by racial inequality without looking like just another Angry Black Man?

Those of us who write often about black folks and politics knew there would come a moment when the first black man with a realistic shot at becoming president would have to face this challenge -- reconciling black anger and frustration with white fear and resentment.

Our mistake: We assumed that, for Obama, this issue would come flying from the direction of someone like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson -- a traditional civil rights leader who would insist Obama prove his fealty to black issues by showing the kind of aggressive advocacy which often turns off traditional white voters.

Who knew that the race-based bullet wounding Obama's campaign would come from friendly fire -- his spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright -- adding yet another unpredictable twist to the most unconventional electoral contest in history?

I've already pointed out how the initial stories about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons have distorted many of his points. So I'm not saying he shouldn't feel compelled to defend his church and his reputation by facing down the media by speaking to PBS' Bill Moyers, speaking to the Detroit NAACP Sunday and speaking to the National Press Club in Washington D.C. as I write this.

But by now it's obvious Obama is deep in a sound-bite-fed, image-waged war. A man smart as Wright knows it doesn't really matter what he says. He's been reduced to an emotional image -- the Willie Horton of 2008 -- a boogeyman of black nationalism and aggression, used as a prop to make the professorial Obama look like a smooth talker hiding more radical inclinations.

Obama's people probably hoped they might flick controversy over Wright off the campaign's radar the way the candidate quoted Jay-Z in pretending to flick off criticisms from Hillary Clinton. Or the way Obama flicked off traditional black power brokers such as Sharpton and Tavis Smiley. Black folks surprised the pundits by accepting that Obama didn't have to touch base with these traditional leaders to get black votes, and white voters seemed pretty ready to disregard complaints from these figures, given his success with black constituencies.

But Wright's recent appearances will continue to hurt the candidate, because the reverend is the radical Obama never was, and he's close enough to give skeptical white voters an excuse. Right now, Wright is holding court before the world's TV cameras and an admiring audience at the Press Club. His dismissive attitude toward the moderator's questions -- which basically articulate the concerns many white voters have about Wright's public statements and positions -- are playing well in the room, but will likely stoke anger among the assembled press and probably among some white viewers.

The Today Show this morning featured a clip from Sunday's speech where Wright took aim at John F. Kennedy's accent (he was noting that people rarely criticize the way the Kennedys mangle English the way some black people do). But I think his more controversial comments came when he maintained the black people learn differently than white people because of the way their brains work -- something a lot of people, black and white, will find more objectionable.

Obama's problem is that Wright is genuinely controversial, though not in the way some pundits maintain. And as much as Wright maintains attacks on him are an attack on the black church, his appearance today mostly highlighted how controversial he is personally.

And he's now given Obama's critics a fresh raft of soundbites to wedge into news reports and campaign commercials, praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and refusing to retract statements such as his contention that the government created the HIV virus.

What's obvious to me, is that a moderate like Obama is much better equipped to referee America's inevitable struggle to reconcile black anger with white resentment. But Wright's bombastic tactics will put his skills to the test, forcing the candidate to bridge one of the largest cultural chasms in America while running one of the tightest races for the Democratic nomination ever seen.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Obama's pro-black pastor was the one who kept Democrats from presenting the party's first black nominee for president?

Follow Eric Deggans on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Deggans

Comments

[JPFL]

I think it's outrageous that a man like that is linked to the campaign. What he did was an embarrassment to himself, his family and the country. To think that anyone associated with him could ever win the White House is a joke. And she's married to him! Not only that but she has him actively campaigning for her. I think that...uh.­..er...oop­s

[Dragonfly0867]

Thank you for making me laugh right out loud!

[furelise]

Sorry, can't change the subject this time.

[indypete]

Good one... you had me going at first!

[TraitorRick]

I watched Reverend Wright's NPC speech live on CSPAN, no mainstream media interference there, not during the live broadcast.
It was mostly a supportive audience and the reverend may have assumed he was speaking only to the usual choir. Whatever valid points he may have made were easily outweighed by his condescending treatment of the moderator, and his own arrogance. Pandering to emotions may work well in the pulpit, but it doesn't play well on live TV, and it sure won't stand up to repeated viewing. His reliance on logical fallicies won't hold up under serious analysis either.
I've always thought that Obama would be a tough target to swift boat, but that's just because I was expecting it to come from somewhere else. This guy should've been thrown under the bus a long time ago.

[ResidentChimp]

What context do you want to put on "God Damn America"? How about the US of KKK? Or that the US Government created the aids virus to kill blacks? Angry Black men don't have the right to take their anger out on others. When they do it's mostly other blacks. Angry black men don't have the right to spew hate and lies like Wright does. And you're also wrong about Sharpton. He has taken Obama to task for exactly as you say: for not being an angry black man in regards to the recent NY case.

[elkabong]

Wright said, (loosely quoted) "If God wants Barack Obama to be president he will be president."

Wright must think he has no influence over the presidential race.

Shouldn't it be obvious that it is idiocy to ignore cause and effect in favor of sky fairies who decide what will happen on earth.

[2sleepy]

I'm bored with the whole Wright issue, as are most of my friends. The media has beat it to death. Wright is an intelligent, perhaps brilliant, man who has lost touch. As many others have commented, he has become much like the wacky great uncle or aunt we all have, who makes us cringe wondering what outrageous thing they will say or do at family gatherings.
The other day I heard Tamron Hall on MSNBC state that Wright's church is 'the church' to attend in Chicago, she said she went there and never heard Wright say anything that was offensive.... 8,000 people attend that church- I don't think that would happen if Wright were the caricature that the media is trying to turn him into.

[MizLiz]

"Intelligent"? Oh, sure. He's really helped his cause, hasn't he?

"Brilliant"? Maybe at self-aggra­ndizement, and crass promotion for profit.

I was afraid of this happening, because I so wanted Obama to be President. But deep down, I guess I've always known that to attain the presidency, a person has to be utterly ruthless..­..idealism won't take you very far. Tell me I'm wrong!! Where's Al Gore? A victim of the Rovian-led Republican smear machine. Where's John Kerry? Ditto. Okay, personally, I think his wife was a millstone around his neck. When she spoke about "my husband" she meant the Dead One. :::shudder:::

[indypete]

I've often thought Obama needs to call the Rev and say, "Dude... if you want to help me, don't help me!"

[Benmyoho]

I don't have schadenfreude; nor am I gloating. But Rev. Jeremiah Wright is the gift that keeps on giving! What's this BS that he is mouthing, that the biology of African-Americans predisposes them to be underachievers, and because this is the norm for him, Barrack Obama is not AA enough, having gotten an Ivy-league degree?

Hopefully, as this imbroglio stares the Obamabots in the face, they will accept that it is not yet Barrack's time, and that they will accept the VP slot should Hillary Clinton reiterate the proffer. And hopefully, as the wine is more superior as it ages, Barrack , in the interim, will intensify his learning in the ways of the possible, and be seasoned as a result.

[exxman]

Maybe what we will all need to accept is that, after McCain beats the pants suit off of Hillary in the general election, America's time is over. McCain must be astonished at his good luck. All along he has been salivating at the possibility of facing Hillary in the general election. I can't wait to see what he has in store for her. I will be watching the spectacle from the safety of my new home in northwestern Canada. Good luck to you all.

[quest44]

Do you mean seasoned in the ways of the Clinton's who learned that lobbiests and trade deals are their bread winners .
You Hillary supporters can be just as ruthless as she is .
I am sure what your camp is hoping is that the black voters turn against Obama over this thing with Wright or the white voters .
Seems to me Obama needs to stop playing nice and pull some of Hilly and Bills skeletons from the closet to make the news media fun game .
Believe me those who support Obama know this is a hatchet job done by your Hillary and McCain campaign.

I saw Wrights whole speach and I for one didn't find any of it offensive ! Now chew on that !

[ReElectNoOne]

I think Wright has kicked Obama to the side and slid into his place in the spotlight...and is loving it!

His televised antics at the NAACP meeting portray someone who is a real showman and has found his place in the spot light...and is milking it for all it's worth.

Of course what he says and does is not under Obama's control and does not necessarily reflect Obama's beliefs, but you just know that the media will use every form of twisted logic they can devise to keep Wright and Obama tied to each other until the campaign is over.

As a result, Wright's showmanship does a dis-service not just to Obama but to the cause of blacks nationwide. Not to mention leaving the impression that his outburst are now about the show and not the cause.

[nellie]

hy is Wright even an issue in this campaign? Because the media made him an issue.

If reporters were interested in truth and perspective rather than stirring up the public into a state of irrationality, Wright either would never have been covered or would have been covered in a completely different way from the start. HE IS NOT AN ISSUE. He has nothing to do with whether Obama is qualified to be president. I don't care how much the media tries to convince people that this is so. IT IS FALSE. Otherwise, we would be delving into the sermons of every pastor of every candidate who ever ran for the presidency.

The whole bitter fiasco—thank you so much Huffington Post—is another example of emotional reporting at the expense of truth

It's getting so bad, it's harder and harder to recognize when we are being manipulated and the extent to which it is happening. We need to remember the ABC debate. A false, useless series of non issues that created a shameful, but at least identifiable, propaganda message: don't pay attention to the national problems, don't pay attention to your shrinking household budget, don't pay attention to your years of unemployment, don't pay attention to Iraq.

Wright is not the issue. His life may be worthy of a Vanity Fair feature article, but he is not an issue in this campaign. The media, on the other hand, is.

[Stevelagain]

You are right. Wright is NOT the issue....his hate is obvious and undeniable. Obama's real WRight problem he has not addressed and may never address. Obama's real Wright problem is that he sat for 20 years under this hate filled man and only spoke against it when faced with losing a presidential nomination over it.

To me that means Obama accepted his hate. And clearly, Obama af first tried to defend it and thus causes all his supporters to run off spinning and lying for Wright.

Now that Obama has tried to distance himself from Wrights hate, he has left one major question and problem unanswered, how can he be the president we want we he so willingly tolerated and supported black on white hate? He seems to be lacking leadership and lacking the ability to think for himself. Also, why did it take him so long to truly make it clear that Wright was wrong, offensive, and he doesn't support Wrights offensive opinons? Obama doesn't seem to be able to think on his feet very well.

It makes me wonder if he really is capable of dealing with that 3am call. All this points to his inexperience. It seems he needs to mature a bit before he's ready for the big chair.

[Aleka4]

Oh for god's sake, must you be such a drama queen?

How idiotic to go bleating on about "willingly" 20 years and all that crap. You are STILL reducing the man - however controversial he me be - to a few sound bites of alleged "hatred". Don't forget, sheep, how many WHITE pastors and priests came and spoke up FOR the guy, for his sermons and his messages that were NOT controversial, for how much his church helped the poor and needy.

You Sir, shoiuld be ashamed to play this game. Are you no bettert than this?

[Sebastian11]

I am not excusing Rev. Wrights hateful outbursts, but aren't you using them to attack Senator Obama? If 20 years of attending Wright's church, have not change the Senator's goodwill disposition toward all Americans, and preaches unity and love for all, then no amount of hate the Reverend spews out could turn Obama's kindness into ill feelings.
You cannot define Obama by the hatred of others. Obama has demonstrated to be a sincere and respectful person who is trying to bring peace and prosperity to all Americans. There is not a single cell of ill will in his whole body. So don't use somebody else's hate, as an excuse to spread your own.

[Apache6]

Like i said the other night Steveie, your inspirational messages of hope and tolerance are a gift to us all.

[Stevelagain]

What's disappointing to me is how many in the "progressive" camp spent their time defending WRights hateful, offensive comments and now Obama himself has finally acknowledged what all THINKING people knew, that Wright was saying hateful, offensive things.....Obama himself now declaring that he, too, was offended at what Wright has been saying.

You folks should have been honest enough to acknowledge Wright was hateful and wrong instead of all this long winded crap making Wright out to be a great spiritual leader and how we were "ignorant" for taking offense.

Obama took offense.....he claims.....is he ignorant? He's 20 years too late, that's for sure and that's the base of his problem here. He accepted this offensive and hateful man for 20 years.

[Exit]

Wright is either mentally insane, seeking to make a lot of money, or hates Barack Obama. It may be a little of all of them. I know for sure that he is mentally insane.

[albionmoonlight]

What is the variety of insanity that is not "mental insanity" called?

[IAM4CLINTON]

Rev.Wright said that if Obama should get elected, he will come after him on policy. That, to me, is the real issue with Obama as the nominee. Most americans would not want Rev.Wright anywhere near the White House with his poisonous attitudes and hateful rhetoric.
Most of us are desperate for a Democrat in the WH to erase the wrongs of Bush- I do not believe that Obama can make it with this baggage.

[Stevelagain]

Obama has called this man his mentor, a father, etc. And I'm sure he was being honest, that's how he feels about him. Will the fact that he was FORCED to admit that Wright is offensive change that? I doubt it.

Obama spent 20 years at that mans feet and never said a word against it. Now he has suddenly seen the light? Each voter will need to make up his own mind but I quite frankly find it disturbing that Obama didn't see the light of day until the camera's were turned on.

[Queenofthedamned]

And I find it equally disturbing that voters CHOSE George Bush when they knew they'd been misled about wmd. If Obama is indeed so deeply guilty of the same racist attitudes you suspect him of because he attended Rev. Wright's church--then everyone who voted for Bush is a torturing, lying, stupid war criminal who's brought the country to the worst financial crisis in my boomer-aged lifetime.
Wright, whose anger I understood and considered unproductive, but justified, has now proven himself to be yet another media whore who's exploiting racial division as a way to keep himself in the spotlight and further ingratiate himself to that segment of the black community who will never, nor do they WANT to, get past the very real issue of racism. Way to go rev.
But Steve, why do you need this trumped up excuse not to vote for Obama? Just say, I prefer a white guy who likes war and will cut my taxes--this is America--you don't have to pretend to be tolerant and certainly not on an anonymous message board.

[mac6737]

Fair enough, but you imply Obama actually shares Wright's antipathies. I'll cut him some slack here, only because I suspect he chose and stuck with this church and its wacko pastor when he was trying to be a Chicago politician, with his base in the black community. As the president of the Harvard Law Review, he could have written his own ticket, but instead became a "community organizer" (read "aspiring office holder"?). The Episcopalians didn't meet his needs. So now Hillary's against NAFTA, McCain has flip-flopped on a sustained Iraq presence, Jerry Falwell, etc. You gotta judge BO against the others, not against some abstract standard of intellectual purity.

[abby4ever]

Will the real Judas please stand up?

[una4dable]

What I continue to find funny as I watch the coverage of Jerimiah Wright on the cable news shows, for instance last nights CNN coverage of religion and politics and the "black church" the discussion was being tossed back between four white people and one black person. How can a real discussion be had if both sides are not equally represented. This people need to take their cameras into the urban black areas and the rural black areas and go to church. We do have pain, but we also have unspeakable joy. There is so much pain in America right now, why are WE trying to put a color on it. Why are WE always trying to put people in a box. I think the reason that Rev. Wright's comments make people so uncomfortable is because he make us ask ourselves the hard questions like( What are the real significant differences from the innocent lives that this country has taken in the name of America, versus the lives that we lost here on 911?) Are we truly saying that American lives are more important than the lives of others? How Christian is that. Wright not only questions OUR patriotism but our own attachments to religion.

[Stevelagain]

obama has now come out and declared that he was OFFENDED BY THE WORDS OF REV WRIGHT

Obamabots can stop defending Wright because Obama is now declaring Wright to be Wrong....and all Obamabots defending Wright are now on the WRONG side of the issue, according to Obama.

Obama's problem remains however. 20 years of accepting this offensive hate and only when the spotlight of public opinion shown down did Obama finally get offended. So much for his "leadership" and "bridging the gap".

[bkholmes79]

Obama has been trying to get out from under the weight of Wright,...

Obama. I'm giving you this clue for free: Renounce and denounce Rev. Wright. Just say you made a mistake about him, you "misjudged" him and his motivations. Take the hit. Say publically that you and your family do not subscribe to Wright's Black Liberation Theology (Theology? I don't think so.) At least you'll stop the bleeding.

Now that Wright's gotten a good taste of the cameras, he's hooked and doesn't want to give it up. The shame of this is that enough white liberals and black sycophants will follow this man, who looks more and more like a potential partner-in-crime to Sharpton and Jackson. Geez, Obama's dumb.

Wright has taken all the class out of Obama's campaign. Politically, he has set Blacks back thirty years. When people listen to his rants they say..."not in our White House."
Obama is going to have to sever all ties with this man and his cohorts or he get the fork. The funniest part of all will be watching the Dems reverse their support for him as his campaign falters. What a circus!

John McCain, you must have an angel guiding your ship through this hilarious fog. Unbelievable and sad to see our politics hit an all time low. It won't be long, before the nation will wish they had President Bush back to kick around.

[Stevelagain]

The Wright thing more adds further concern that Obama's judgement is not that good. From deals on his house to deals for supporters to being unable to realize how bad WRight is....time and time again Obama has made the wrong choices.

[daddigrace]

No, you've apologized enough Obama. You see, the ones who have been the most adamant about you turning on your pastor are the ones who were never going to vote for you anyway. They are using you. Please don't turn into one of these FOX news stooges whose only purpose in life is to be a black sickem' mutt for people like Bill O'Reily, and Richard Cohen who will have YOU take down the blacks that THEY choose to villianize.