Lear on the Heath
Monday, the world was treated to the spectacle of a seemingly intelligent man of the cloth, named Jeremiah Wright, intoxicated by the giddy exhilarations of lights, camera and press action -- behave like any two-bit celebrity from reality TV. It was a sort of psychological portrait of a bad father figure, at the National Press Club -- a Post-Modern Vaudeville Abraham trying his best to sacrifice a child on the alter of his manic high self-regard. The American circus, once again, exploding in a cacophony of the narcissism of the ongoing cult of personality which fuels all news cycles. I must also drily note that the good reverend's appearance seems to have been orchestrated by a gleeful and fervent Clinton supporter, another member of the clergy (sigh), named Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds.
Tuesday, Barack Obama, riven with quiet anger came out at a press conference in North Carolina, and finally dropped the other shoe. He stood there, and with certitude said "enough is enough." He was visibly appalled, outraged at being labeled a pandering inauthentic politico by his(semi/faux) surrogate. Still, you can see how painful it is for Obama -- how it goes against his intrinsic sense of loyalty and history -- to finally jettison the mad Reverend Wright.
What the last day has been about for many Obama believers, was how long it would be until the inevitable denunciation. One knew, of course, watching Wright rage madly about HIV as a government conspiracy against minorities, not to mention American terrorism and "God Damn America" still being justified, and his mockery of various regional dialects -- that it was a matter of hours before this strange modern Lear on the heath would be excommunicated.
What I find sad is that Wright's soul-sick glee at being heard nationally has all but obliterated whatever was good about the work the man did for decades on the south side. Well, media attention is an intoxicant, and humility is the first quality to collapse when one is drunk with the sounds of one's own narcissistic dialectic. Wright, of course, messianic, and thrilled, and out to sell books, will keep it coming". It's an American tale.
Hopefully, now, Barack Obama can return to a campaign of honor, of hope, and of ideas that inspire. There are miles to go before he sleeps.
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Does this mean that we can now skip all the...
"Barack Obama's speech, perhaps one of the most important in modern political history pushed us as a people to move beyond race and gender, beyond Democrat and Republican, beyond politics and into reviving the spirit of the nation itself. "
I guess Rosanna Rosanna gets the last word... Nevermind.
Would he have made that excellent speech if it hadn't been a political necessity? He has tried from the beginning to distance himself from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and now, his own pastor said he didn't mean what he said, that it was all about "electability". I still love Black people, but I am not going to vote for someone who is not honest or experienced just because his skin is Black.
Obama's career ended 20 years ago when he decided that to get his street creds and he joined Wright's church. The crisis for his campaign is the revelation that Obama is so arrogant that he figured guilty white Americans would treat this association as trivial. Now the faithful are at wits end. so you fall back on the usual - you blindly flail at Hillary... your lies and exaggerations repeated over and over again - but when BO lied about never hearing Wright's hate speech, - then said he had - the media and you followers never rebuked the liar. You expected us to believe that a 20 relationship with his spiritual leader, the man who married Barck and Michelle, the man who baptized his children and gave Barack the title for one of his 2 autobiographies was not worth examining. And then, those of you who don't read (which is most), SAW Wright - angry, paranoid nut that he is, and you've trying not to cringe. Wright's philosophy goes back to the black power movement - it is angry and racist and Barack sat in church for 20 years soaking it up. How dumb are you people? Read about Black Power Theology instead of lashing out, understand - Barack ISN'T LIKE YOU... and he is a Chicago pol - his campaign just turns out to be incompetent.
Wheeew. What a hate filled screed is here. How glad this person is to be given reasons not to vote for Obama. Btw, i am a white, old woman and find my reading of history has more in common with the Rev. Wright's than with the above stink. The thing that pissed Obama off, the thing that hurt his feelings and made him finally denounce Wright is that Wright said Obama was "a politician". That was said with a sneer. Obama never expected Wright to throw a shadow on his sincerity. I do not blame him for being angry.
You're right... young Barry was coming across as "not you father's Oldsmobile" as far as being a politician is concerned and this trumped-up issue has forced him to conform to the standards of all the "usual suspects" in Washington. Sure he's a professional politico but compare him to anyone else in the halls of power, left or right, and he's an eagle scout!
Well said... And what Wright is proving here, despite how insightful many of his comments are, is that he is a self serving grandstander who cares more about his own ego and his book sales than he does about Barack becoming the next president. THAT is the ultimate slap in the face.
Do you believe the US government developed AIDS to kill miorities? Do you believe Black children learn a different way than white children? Do you believe Louis Farakhan is the best vioce for African Americans in this century and the last? I guess I just don't know what history you have been reading, but the first time I ever heard of Wright was on youtube and everyone knows Martin Luther King Jr. His name is there in every history book and everyone knows what he did.
Are Americans too dumb to distinguish between what a candidate says and what a candidate's associates say ? Wright said "Goddamn America" - Obama most definitely didn't, and has never ceased to talk up the good America that he wants and sees.
Hilary on the other hand said, and repeated several times, a bare faced lie showing how brave she was(n't) under fire that never happened. Then said she made a mistake !! If you'd really been under fire - you'd remember - no mistakes possible. The lie was deliberate, to make herself look good ! She also still supports the Bush/Cheny war (as does McCain). Obama didn't and doesn't - along with most of America.
Its also Hilary that's busy pandering to McCain and company - anything, just anything, to get the nomination - fair means or foul. America has made two blunders in electing a president - don't tell the world that you intend to make it third time (un)lucky !!
I thjink you just proved smayhew right. You ignored the issue with Obama, glazed over your eyes in wonderment, and went on the offensive with Hillary and her wicked ways. If Hillary will do anything to win, she hasn't condemned either (A) her closest spiritual advisor (B) Her own grandmother. That says alot about character when loved ones get ostracized for the "bigger picture". Tell me I've gotta call me grandma a racist to a nation and you'll see someone bowing out of the campaign. If the billionaires pulling the strings will let me.
If you had stopped after the first paragraph, you wouldnt have made me angry. I don't believe what you said and his pastor pretty much said he was just another phony politican. Btu, the attack on Hillary. As one preacher said recently;No, No, No, No, No.No
Obama lies:
1) he never heard his pastor make controversial statements.
2) his mother and father met, married and concieved him as the result of Selma, Al. riots.
3 ) he only worked five hours for Tony Rezko.
4) Tony Rezko only donated $150,000 to his campaign.
5) he didn't know his financial advisor had met with Canadian Consul and made promises about NAFTA.
6) he didn't recall meeting Nadhmi Auchi
7) he didn't know Tony Rezko was being investigated when Michele bought lot for $160,000
We are getting on a slippery slope when start pinning to every candidate ever word their pastor say during a sermon. This is the most ridiculous thing I have every have seen our heard. I will be that if any of the other candidates in this race attend church that I can take the last twenty years of their pastor sermons and make a clip that would sound as bad if not worst.
Why did he have to make it so painful? It was like cutting off his arm an inch at a time over the past few weeks. Rev Wright didn't make any outrageous comment over the weekend that he hadn't made before. Senator Obama could have avoided this whole mess if he had handled it months ago and it would be forgotten by now.
and so it goes.... again and again.
Nothing Rev. Wright has said is even remotely radical. Ronald Reagan failed to address AIDS for the crisis it was because his bigotry saw it as something "those OTHER folks have to worry about". Exactly how is that not a conspiracy of denial from the leading man on the right wing revolution?
What Rev. Wright said about damning America is in line with the governmental neglect of minorities, the elderly and our poor. Instead, we arrogantly left troops in the country that Muslims hold as their most sacred place. We ignored the ire that stirred up. We did so in the name of supposedly securing the region from the mad Saddam, our ... er.. former ally... when he bombed the Kurds.
I think Rev. Wright should take a break, while he's loathe to admit it, he's become a tool for right-wing propagandists. However, I sure won't point my finger in his direction and say "It's your fault Obama's catching heat!".
No, we all know that's not true. We all know that's not the problem. The real problem is that punditry now passes as news. They broadcast the opinions of discussion that too many people are too obsessed to walk away from. And to read white folks scared of their own shadows calling Rev. Wright a scary racist just blows my mind. I'm white, and have no such fear. It's absurd and insults even the most common sense..... which becomes rarer every day.
Fair point about AIDS, although what you're saying is a good bit different than actually engineering the virus for the specific purpose of genocide, wouldnt you agree? You're lending Wright credibility on that one that, given his recent performances, I dont think he deserves. If he meant what you're saying, I have no doubt that he is intelligent enough to have said it. Unfortunately, what you're saying raises less money and sells fewer books.
I agree with much of the rest of what you say, although I have to say that I think the world will be a much better place once we can ALL get past the notion of "sacred places". Muslims willing to start a world war because "infidels" set foot on "holy ground" would be called out for the bullshit it is if you just replaced the world "Muslim" with "Christian".
After the first Gulf War many ME states WANTED us to have some military presence there. Dont lose sight of that fact. Religious fundamentalists will use ANY excuse to bomb abortion clinics, stone gays, or fly planes into buildings. "You dared set foot on holy lands" is just the latest batch of bullshit.
"Quiet anger"? I almost fell asleep in the droning indignation, if that's what it is. This kind of thing would not scare Belgium, much less Iran!
Jon, has your man-crush on Obama caused you to completely forget the ideals that this country stands for, and that Obama's comity and willingness to listen to, and work with others will hopefully restore?
What happened to freedom of speech? Is it only for people who help your candidate? Has the Reverend Wright lost his right to have a point of view and talk about it?
I believe Obama is talented and experienced enough to have his message ring out while anyone and everyone continues to speak in the public square. If he isn't, then he shouldn't become president.
Don't bash Wright, Vote Obama!
Jon wrote;
"I must also drily note that the good reverend's appearance seems to have been orchestrated by a gleeful and fervent Clinton supporter, another member of the clergy (sigh), named Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds." This is fact as reported yesterday on MSNBC.
It is time for the Republican
It is true that Hillary surrogate, Rev. Marcia Dyson was not only a longtime member of Trinity United Church of Christ but also still considers Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright her pastor? That Rev. Marcia Dyson's seminary education, in part, was sponsored by Trinity UCC and encouraged by Rev. Wright? And was it not at Trinity were she first met her husband, Rev. Dr. Michael Dyson, who's been very vocal in his defense of Rev. Wright.?
And, lastly of Hillary Clinton, that if Rev. Wright would not have been her Pastor, then why did she and Bill when going through Impeachment, turn to Rev. Wright for Prayer and Support and invite him to the White House in 1998?
This is an interesting post, given that you must convolute everything in order to protect your candidate. Whether other people or people who support Hillary also went to Wright's church is completely missing the point. Obama knew Wright would be a problem because of the rhetoric he spewed. He avoided the issue until the sermons hit the YouTube. Only then did he make his famous speech on race because it might otherwise hurt his candidacy. Now, that his own pastor recognizes that he is a politician like any other (which we already knew), Obama is outraged. This does not pass the smell test.
Why did Rev. Wright, one of one hundred fifty ministers invited to the White House by Bill Clinton, offer forgiveness to the president and then use vulgar language and motions against his pulpit after Obama began his candidacy? Pres. Clinton invited them all to witness his apology to his family, Monica Lewinsky and the American people and they all, including Wright, forgave him. It's not hard to understand Wright's endorsement of his Black parisioner, but he understood just as the campaign understood, they would have to undermine the relationship the Clinton's enjoyed with the Africa American community. That is something Karl Rove must absolutely love because they (Obama, Axelrod, Wright et al) accomplished something the Republican Party has been trying to do for fifteen years. Pres. Clinton was right about them playing the "race card" and there is a memo to prove it. It doesn't matter if Obama's campaign said the plan was never put into action because it's clear they did and it is destroying the Democratic Party.
The only candidate who should be responding to Jeremiah Wright is Hillary. She's the one who decided that the only path to victory was to pander to racists and Wright was the perfect foil. Obama renounced the more extreme statements weeks ago. He has every right to go forward with his campaign. Instead, the 'divider', Clinton (Bush, the 'decider', Clinton, the 'divider'), pushed her pal with the National Press Club to organize an event featuring Wright.
As I've said before, it was a political sting operation with every question obviously vetted by the Clinton people prior to being asked. It was designed to bring maximum embarrassment to Barack. And with the cooperation of Disney, Time Warner and other huge corporate media players, it worked. At least for a few days. It's still noteworthy that Clinton has absolutely no chance of winning.
Note to Limbaugh, Ailes, Hannity, Murdock, O'Reilly, Savage and the rest of the right-wing, anti-American cartel - We know you want Hillary to win. We know you believe even a not terribly bright (sound familiar) warmonger can beat her; and we know that you know that Obama steamrolls over McCain...s
And Hillary...
"Note to Limbaugh, Ailes, Hannity, Murdock, O'Reilly, Savage and the rest of the right-wing, anti-American cartel - We know you want Hillary to win."
I also find it interesting that Rush is trying desperately to get the nomination for Hillary. But he won't come right out and say that will he. I say he's scared to death that Obama will crush McCain. Hence the silly notion to cross over and keep Hillary alive.
Thank you for the wonderful laugh.
Obamacrats are in a bind. Only a couple of days ago hosts of them were issuing apologias galore: Wright was right; the rest of us were wrong; we were only hearing sound bites; Wright was speaking truth to power; Wright was in the mainstream of Black theology; we didn't know the real Wright. There was no end to the rightness of Wright.
And then came the blinding flash that revealed the true Wright. We were right and Wright was wrong. Wright was disloyal. Wright was basking in his fifteen minutes of fame. Wright was envious of the Obama who had stolen his limelight. Wright was giddy, exhilarated. Wright was mad. Wright was sacrificing his god son on the altar of Mammon. Wright was setting himself up for humongous book deals. Thee was no end to the wrongness of Wright.
What is a poor Obamacrat to do but turn to his keyboard and tap out an anti-Wright tirade and, at the same time, praise Obama for his elegant and graceful sacrificial tossing of his mentor under the bus, the act, in this case, since we are speaking of his Obamaness, of a reluctant god son (the son of god, to hear some Obamacrats speak) rather than a practical, single-minded, ambitious politician.
Obamacrats are blind? Dare to compare!
Who said this (and who were the idiots who believed him enough to vote for him) ?:
"I will restore honor and integrity to the White House"
"No decision on Yucca Mountain until research results are available"
Free trade
"I'm a compassionate conservative"
"Leave no child behind"
"I'm a uniter, not a divider"
"President of all the people, not just those who voted for me"
"A reformer with results"
"It's the people's money, not the government's"
Election reform
Reforming the military
Reversing Course
No, no, Newsketeer, Obamacrats are in a BIND, not blind. And that's Obamacrats, not Democrats.
I listened again to Obama question Gen. Petraeus during the Armed Services Hearing on the State of Iraq, and I remember what it is about him that made me want to vote for him. McCain is a repeat of the last eight years of mistakes, Hillary micromanages and seems to have a hard time with honesty. Obama is our last good shot at reversing the De-Constitutional Era.
Obama lies:
1) he never heard his pastor make controversial statements.
2) his mother and father met, married and concieved him as the result of Selma, Al. riots.
3 ) he only worked five hours for Tony Rezko.
4) Tony Rezko only donated $150,000 to his campaign.
5) he didn't know his financial advisor had met with Canadian Consul and made promises about NAFTA.
6) he didn't recall meeting Nadhmi Auchi
7) he didn't know Tony Rezko was being investigated when Michele bought lot for $160,000
Hillary lie:
There was sniper fire in Bosnia.
The proof of that, of course, is how well he has handled the Rev. Wright issue. He avoids, he soft-pedals, and then he high tails it and runs. Where in the world do you get the fact that Obama and only Obama can save America. He can't even save his own campaign. If he wins the nomination, it will not be because he deserves it or that he would be the best candidate. It will be because he was able to keep all or most of his skeletons in the closet long enough to put a few wins behind him.
Really now. Wright may be dillusional and a demagogue, but you must really be dillusional if you think that Obama in his 20 years of association with his spiritual mentor had no inkling of Wright's world view. One cannot deny that there was a 20 year long association between the two men. It is very possible that Wright's statement about Obama saying one thing politically while believing the exact opposite spirtually may be true. The fact that Obama had no problem with Wright until he announced his candidacy for the Presidency and the video tapes surfaced suggest that Wright may know more about Obama than we give him credit for.
The whole affair has shown that Obama demonstrated very poor judgment about his choice of a spiritual mentor. This is not a trivial deficiency. It speaks to character.
looplinker,
does the same poor judgement apply to "Sniper Fire" , NAFTA ,voting for the war, Mark Penn the list goes on and on.....
This is another case of where separation of church and state, politicians and preachers, should be practiced. They are mutually exclusive professions unless the preacher turns entertaine
As much as he professes his "God Objectives" it is ever more apparent that his new found religion is entertainment ! Watch for him on talk shows and Saturday Night Live in the very near future.
The news media is already using him to sell tampons and shampoo. Can endorsements be far behind?
Wright is doing Obama's bidding. The Obama people seeing his campaign going down the toilet needed to bring up the Wright issue so that Obama could pretend to be indignant. The last couple of days have been pure theater...
Wright was invited to speak by a woman who is a dedicated Clinton campaigner. She has talked about inviting him publicly. He could not be doing Obama's bidding unless Clinton is in on it too. Not likely.
Like Rev. Wright said, Obama is a politician, he is a pastor. Too bad Obama wasn't outraged until it was political.
AMEN, wrensis. Barak was willing to stay with Wright until his polls crashed, then he totally rewrote his script. Does that mean, Obama will do and say anything to get elected? YES.YES. YES.
In my eyes, Obama looks weak and, what's the word, bored. Imagine, having to vet people around you. Imagine the work and effort to having to actually campaign. Why, oh why, do I have to talk to all these reporters. Woe is me..
Jbgnyc
Stop pandering. Anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt even rev. Wright, but if his idesire is to go on being a spectacle and distracting then Barack Obama was right. Distance himself entirely. The sound bite game played by the media was shameful and only worked on people without very much education. You know the kind of backward people Hillary does well with. Pennsylvanians, Ohioans and some backward hispanics from texas. Big turnouts for her huhh. She doesn't appeal to educated folks that can read. I wonder why??? any way heres a sound bite for http://you
It comes with the package.
If Obama gets elected, we'll be seeing scores of 'Black' issue stuff.
So. Fine with me.
However, at a time when the planet is past Hubert's curve in oil, in a war or two, the national debt and consumer debt at record highs...on and on ad nuesum....
Sorry to be so blunt.
But we need Hillary.
She will help Black people, too.
Unfortunately, Hillary has already sold out to the international corporations who own our country. She and her husband are beholden to them for $109 million in the last 7 years (not including 2007 which is still undisclosed) and $500 million to the Clinton Library. She's been a fighter all right. Fighting for NAFTA and outsourcing and power.
Hillary has sold out indeed. She is a fervent supporter of Monsanto, the chemical company that is responsible for contaminating our food with Roundup and genetically engineering the plants (GMO) so the poison won't kill them. Now we are all soaked in PCB's and weird DNA. Thanks Hillary.
I think I an more concerned with the Pastor wanting his 15 minutes of fame (repeatedly) that supporting a parishioner who is a Presidential candidate, and the first potential real African American that is running and has a strong hold with the democratic party in this country. He should be doing everything he can to support Obama instead of throwing him down to grab the spotlight and possibly giving this campaign to Hillary. A pastor should not be selfish, but selfless. This is not about him, but about Obama.
Somewhere, the message got lost.
My feelings exactly, ErinB.....
We need Hillary like we need a hole in the head.
She won't help any people. She will only (continue to) help the Corporations that are supporting her campaign. NO MORE WAR! NO HILLARY!
and she'll do what exactly about Hubbert's curve?...g
Hillary is about the trees, but Barack is about the forest.
"If Obama gets elected, we'll be seeing scores of 'Black' issue stuff."
The converse of this is that we can continue to sweep "'Black' issue stuff" under the rug, as we have always done.
What about other issue stuff? The current President is more foreign to me (a poor, white American) than "Black issue stuff." Expensive luxury SUVs and Hummers and oil money might as well be some new ethnic food for all the relevance they have in my life. Eight years of Bush, and I don't see improvement in my own life, and not in the people in my social network, either.
So, then, you say Hillary is the answer, and that makes you a Democrat. But, Hillary is not a healer. She's divisive, manipulative, micromanaging, and always seems to have an answer for every question. The trouble is, I don't trust her answers. They sound like they were dreamed up in a board room, by committee. Maybe she should be on a committee, but I don't think committee thinking is right for the presidency.
"Past Hubert's curve in oil," you say? What's that got to do with Clinton? I'm sure she could come up with a targeted solution, of narrow scope, if asked. Somehow, that bothers me. What characterizes Hillary, more than anything else, is that she is clever, but lacks the depth required for new direction.
Hello???!!!! Does anyone realize that Rev. Wright has had a very close relationship with Bill and Hillary Clinton and many of their supporters
The best we may be able to hope for is that NOTHING gets resolved until Denver and the stupid, clueless Dems are forced to nominate another candidate entirely. Al Gore, are you ready to be DRAFTED? Or who else?
"our lazy, Bushyfied media" ???
But don't you realize that the MSM isn't ours? It is owned and operated by GOP billionaires, and those working for the networks are doing as they are told.
It is no longer news. Now it is just propaganda. CONSIDER THE SOURCE.
You must be very young if you can say about the news, "Now it is just propaganda
There is no such thing as a position-neutral newsgather. There is certainly no such thing as a position-neutral commentator or columnist. Everyone has a bias, conscious or unconscious. If you can find an agenda-free news source, more power to you.
I know it will come as a shock to you that politicians are just politicians. People who are looking for fastidiously altruistic candidates are chasing a will o' the wisp.
Hillary has her flaws and Obama has his. They are both just politicians, both ambitious power seekers. They have their sets of beliefs, but as politicians they both know that there are times when they have to make accommodations. The question is this: which one will work harder to promote progressive goals?
We don't need a saint or a knight in shining armor to lead this nation; what we need is someone who'll do the necessary even if it means getting down there in the muck. Is that person Obama?
I think not.
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