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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I didn't even like Obama before I heard Rev Wright. I'm white and I thought Obama was an Uncle Tom like the white Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas. Rev Wright gives Obama credibility with the people if you ask me. I like Rev Wright, he tells it like it is. God Damn America for electing Bush and Cheney, who have raped the world. Funny that Bill Clinton signed the International Criminal Court agreement and Bush unsigned it in July 2002. Bush and Cheney should be prosecuted for genocide. The one thing I did like about Obama is he said he would investigate Bush and Cheney if he was elected, and Clinton and Bush have gotten so chummy, I doubt the Clinton's would investigate Bush.
If Obama dumps Rev Wright, I'm dumping Obama. All Obama has to say is, "There is Freedom of Speech in America, and Rev Wright is exercising that right."
"Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas" ???
Installed by the GOP machine because he was a stupid black man that they could dominate.
Barack Obama is nothing like the hypocrite Clarence Thomas.
Marjiemiller, you are so transparent it is not even funny.
I do not agree with Rev. Wright, about the AIDS issue, but people who feel just agast that any God fear'in American could ever think that this land that I love could ever do anything like intentionally infect anyone, must have forgotten that this country (Government) among other things gave Native Americans blankets with Smallpox. Just thought I would mention that...
Not to get too far off topic ( the real and important topics) but I just had to add my two cents worth to this discussion about Rev. Wright and the AIDS issue. I believe what he said, in essence was: “ a government who would allow and try to cover up a study of the long term effects of syphilis (bad blood) on the human body, using 399 uninformed Black men”. Can’t be trusted to be, at all times, looking out for our best interests. The Tuskegee experiment was real. The doctors never apologized. In fact, their attitude was very akin to those of the Nazi “researchers”… “it was for the sake of science and therefore valuable”. Congress went ballistic when Clinton suggested that an apology be given.
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Let’s also consider the fact that Pharmaceutical companies ship inferior, experimental or outlawed drugs to the “third world” as a matter of course. And blackmail Africans into being guinea pigs for experimental drugs. (Constant Gardner) American manufacturers ship our unsafe goods (that they aren’t allowed to sell at home) to ‘developing nations”. All this is done in the name of a free and unfettered market place. Whether AIDS was “invented” to “thin the herd” is not the issue. The point is that as long as issues like drug addiction, disease outbreaks, toxic waste dumping etc only affect the poor or marginalize there is usually very little done about it. When the “chickens come home to roost” as it were, and upper class America starts being affected then and only then is there is national outcry. The fact is our government (or corporations protected by a republican controlled congress who, all too often, looks the other way when it comes to controls and sanctions) has got lots of ‘splainin’ to do.
Yes and let us not forget the Tuskeegee Airmen in Tennessee during the Second World War who werwe alos inoculated with dread disease.
You are confusing two completely different groups of black men, and insulting one.
The reason Wright looked so gleeful was because he knew he would be helping Obama have the opportunity to denounce him and thereby help his protege overcome the harm that had come from him (Wright) in the most recent past.. Wright sacrificed himself for Obama. Did it work or did a good many people see through the sham. That Obama was involved in such a devious political scam is unforgiveable. It really means he is can not to be trusted. to assume the highest office in the land.
Amen!
You might want to read this piece by Errol Lewis in the NY Daily News http://www
Lewis notes: "Dr. Barbara Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club 'who organized' the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter. "
Lewis quotes Dr. Reynolds as writing " 'My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you' to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton's presidency. "
Lewis also notes: "The same post criticized Obama's 'Audacity of Hope' theme: 'Hope by definition is not based on facts,' wrote Reynolds. 'It is an emotional expectation. Things hoped for may or may not come. But help based on experience trumps hope every time.' "
Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?
Tuesday, April 29th 2008, 4:00 AM
Somodevilla/Getty
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club event Monday, which was organized by Reynolds.
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted.
See rest of story here: http://www
nydailynew
ginsburg is not to be trusted.
Writers are at liberty to make subjective evaluations, but so are readers. Baitz saw a quietly angry Obama, an Obama who spoke with certitude. I saw an upset Obama, a subdued Obama, a head-bowed- can't-look-the -world-in -the-eye Obama. Which of us saw clearly? As Obama said, "We'll see."
...amazing
He's Barack Obama sistible.
Obama is running as the guy who was right from the start (at least on Iraq). Doesn't he lose that advantage, after taking 20 years now to get it right on Wright?
Last night, I gave $100 to the Obama campaign and $50 to moveon.org to support their 30 minutes Obama ad. It is critical to support Obama who lead this country with honor and integrity.
What a waste of money. You must be one of the wine drinking or is that kool aid drinking liberals. Obama needs to get out now before he inflicts any more damage.
so you don't like wine, then?
This entire event was orchestrated to enable Obama to be able to denounce his pastor and mentor. It has become a necessary evil in order to make a last ditch attempt to get the voters who have sided with Hillary in his camp. He cannot go to Denver with such appaling numbers . Not everyone has been fooled by this political sham. The recent polls have made it necessary for Obama to resort to any means possible to get the white voters other than the young and elite voting for him.
ginsburg is not to be trusted.
Don't we want the young and elite to vote Democratic? The young are the future of the party, without them we are doomed. Make them mad and we could loose them to the Republicans or second party for a long time. Elite means the best, look it up. If the best of our country is voting for him, (as you just said), doesn't that mean we should look a little bit more into what they are seeing? I'm tired of seeing "the elite" as being bad. Since when is being well educated and successful a bad thing?
Appalling, as in Obama is still up by a half-million in the popular vote (counting Michigan and Florida is highly disingenuous as HRC herself initially said they didn't count, and we know from every other primary in which Obama starts 20 points or more in the polls behind HRC, he brings the margin to a maxim of ten points down, and often does much better)? Appalling, as in Obama has gained seven superdelegates to HRC's four since losing Pennsylvania? Appalling, as in Obama's 130+ delegate lead this late in the game, with scant few delegates left to earn or sway?
How's this for appalling? HRC lent gasbag Bill O'Reilly legitimacy by giving him the loofa on Fox.
Give us a break! Obama didn't lift a finger until he spent the weekend conducting a poll as to what he ought to do. In other words, he believes nothing save what his polls tell him. Nonetheless, this entire episode has been an eye-opener into the courage of his convictions, and the man's character, or lack thereof.
"he spent the weekend conducting a poll" ???
NO, HE DIDN'T.
Loved your post. Very well said. Every time I see Obama respond to a crisis of whatever sort, I respect him all the more. He has shown more poise, reason and self-control when confronted with difficult issues than Bush has shown the entire time he's been in office, and no doubt further back than that. And he doesn't threaten to obliterate his enemies, a la Hillary Clinton. I truly think Obama is the best thing that's come along for this country since its infancy. I hope we are smart enough to realize it and that we don't throw it all away.
What happened to the " Taken out of Context" excuse which came from Obama and his supporters? Wright said the same things this past week and suddenly Obama dumps him?
I am even more impressed with Barak Obama's character as this plays out. He is a many of honor and it shows. He is not the old politics; he is a new way of looking at the world. I hope I get the privilege of voting for him and of having him as our President.
Be careful what you hope for.
Wright wasn't ready for his prime time close-up. He was brought up to the big leagues of public attention, and struck out--swinging wildly. As Obama said--Wright caricatured himself. And Black preachers as well. As Wright is intelligent, he had to know that his absurd racial theories, and discrediting Obama's sincerity in his "race speech" as merely political would have a serious effect on ambivalent white voters--especially with important primaries on the horizon. Deliberate sabotage or extreme stupidity? Obama represents a different type of Black leader. The first that is secular rather than religious--long overdue. This a threat to their influence over the Black community.
There was absolutely no way that Obama was going to run seriously for president without having to deal seriously with race, and I'm sure he knew that. It was merely a matter of time before it came up, and the test would be how he handled it for all to see--especially the media. It was the media who first played the controversial snippets from Wright's sermons. He's got to be true to himself, and play it down the middle risking alienating both whites and blacks. But that's also gonna draw the fair-minded from both races as well. Race (on both the white and black side) is the dragon that guards the White House in Obama's noble quest. Can he slay it?
http://i29
The Hero’s Journey
No! It is not Obama’s destiny to be the “black” leader or leader of any color. The only dragons he must slay are his internal ones. He cannot play Luke Skywalker to his Obi-Wan Kenobi because he has lost his fake Jedi Master, the lunatic Yoda Wright who broke his heart. Therefore, Barack Obama must complete his quest alone, without his mentor, without labels of color, race or religion. Barack Obama must defeat his own demons before he can become a Jedi Knight and save the Great American Empire. When he does this, and he must, he will be the leader the Empire has been waiting for. The force will be with us!
Jeremiah Wright is 5' 10 '' of tightly-packed explosives. He may be the best public speaker since Martin Luther King. He is bright, passionate, insightful and erudite. When he speaks; the sparks fly and the ground shakes
He knew every word he uttered would be twisted by the media to make him look like a hate-monger, or worse, a racist. But Wright faced his critics with dignity and delivered another barnburner. By the end of the speech, everyone in attendance was on their feet applauding wildly for the man the corporate media has chosen to destroy.
"Our congregation has sent dozens of boys and girls to fight in the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War, and the present two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. My goddaughter’s unit just arrived in Iraq this week, while those who call me unpatriotic have used their positions of privilege to avoid military service, while sending over 4,000 American boys and girls of every race to die over a lie." ( ovation)
Right on. Wright doesn't mince his words. He knows what's he wants to say and says it with gusto. Like Nietzsche opined, "If you want to be philosopher, bring a hammer". Wright brought his hammer yesterday, only it turned out to be a sledgehammer.
"Our congregation took a stand against apartheid when the government of our country was supporting the racist regime of the African government in South Africa.
Our congregation stood in solidarity with peasants in El Salvador Nicaragua,
Sorry Jon, but over romanticising the last few days events doesn't excite. Far more compelling is the way Obama has led the media class by the nose..comp
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