Reverend Wright: Raw and Un-Cut

Has anybody actually taken the time to watch Rev. Wright's much maligned sermon in its entirety? The one that the MSM's diced and sliced and handed out like amphetamine-laced communion to its maddeningly impressionable flock? It's there, right on that cyber-commons otherwise known as YouTube.

Yeah, there's all manner of dross there too, banal sub-porno and pubescent moronics woven in alongside clips of Sid Caesar and W.C. Fields (that make anything referring to itself as comedy these days as pallid and lifeless as...well...a really pallid and lifeless thing); pimply teens wrestling and gawking and guffawing can be found and viewed, if that's your idea of a good time. It's a glimpse into our own misapplied youth and it's freakin' embarrassing. It's the Crap Drawer in our kitchen we have to wade through to find the one working flashlight when the fuses pop.

But the sermon's there, the latest in a series of unholy grails, and it's in a context that turns the media-manufactured controversy on its ear.

The Fourth Estate is as troubled as real estate, both suffering from an onslaught of unreliable vendors and lenders, both victimizing their customers through empty half-truths and brazen fraud. Fox and CNN's co-opting of Rev. Wright's incendiary text in order to convert their respective congregations into holy rolling glossolaliacs (that means, like, speaking in tongues, you know?) is as much a reason to lose faith in the democratic process as tampering with vote tallies in a national election. And it's edited with as much heart-stopping pizzazz as an action sequence in a '70s chop saki flick.

In spite of the Rev. Wright's arguably righteous anger spewed from his pulpit, and Obama's eloquent disengagement, the MSM knows fuel when it smells it, knows how to stoke the coals when they begin to cool. They take a moment of rage and imply a lifetime of hate. They depend on -- as much as any preacher does -- the crowd's susceptibility to rapture and the likelihood of its being swept up in the fervor of a moment or in the inspiration of a movement. And if they so choose they can take the upward trajectory of a people's hope and nudge it just enough to crash it into a ditch.

It's how information is disseminated these days; the responsibility to sift through the news, advice, guidance, whatever, has been all but abdicated by the individual and entrusted to those that might not be worthy of such a trust. Blessed are they that put their trust in Him. But even then, you might not be getting the whole picture.

Comments

[4U2consider]

We’ve chosen different presidential candidates, but thanks for heralding Sid Caesar; I love that guy! I got to see him live at the Village Gate in 1989. His genius was readily apparent and much appreciated by a far-younger crowd. His two autobiographies reveal a truly decent man and shed some light on what it’s like to be in the eye of a hurricane of success. A lot of people who have been entertaining us a lot for many years honed their talents working for Sid. The Broadway play about his writers’ room, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” was hysterical and I think there’s even a movie version. A lot of his stuff is sold on his eponymous website and, according to his MySpace entry, he’ll be 86 this year. Familiarity with his portfolio should be required viewing for emerging comics.

[Mavin1620]

You are right. There is much made out of little in Rev. Wright's comments. The comments were taken out of context, so who knows what the ultimate message was. I have tried to locate a copy of the original text or a video clip of it, but they are sliced and diced, as you say, I am disappointed in Obama's response. I wish that he had said that the man has a right and perhaps a responsibility to express his opinion. The congregates in his church don't have to adhere to it. The denomination is not a charismatic one. People are encouraged to think for themselves. Obama should have repeated that message in little sound bites two hundred times, instead of dis'ing his former minister.

[4U2consider]

Interesting post--and very successful in fomenting debate, if that’s what you want--but most members of the fourth estate are far more interested in influencing us to purchase their advertised products than to vote a certain way. You’re just sore ‘cause they are, at present, chewing on your candidate. If you feel your own upward trajectory of hope has been nudged to crash, that’s a result of the truth imbedded amidst all the fluff of modern reportage. Obama looking bad is not the media’s doing. Obama himself should have seen this coming and it shocks me he was sleeping on the job--a dire lack of judgment for a person in his position. Blaming the media for the voters’ negative response to this is just obfuscation by you. Furthermore, there was no “eloquent disengagement.” Eloquent words, maybe. But producing such seems to be Obama’s one relevant strong suit.

[krisellyn]

Wright or wrong, Mr. Weber, you're missing the point. We need to win this November. Your strangely convoluted endorsement of Rev. Wright will do little to sway Republican cross overs and Regan Democrats in the fall. But as most of your ilk seem to project, that means less to you than being in the Wright. You might be able to weather another four years of Republican rule, but the most at risk part of the American population can not. We need a candidate that can win. Get over yourself.

[blindjester]

Your handicapping of the race would be more believable if you weren't a total Hillary supporter and Obama opponent.

This is the key for me: the more people know about Hillary, the less they like her. The more they know about Barack, the more they like him. Time is on his side.

[ndolomar]

Thank you, Steven.
Sincerely, a disenchanted journalist.

[zulucious]

I don't watch cable news for this exact reason - I get my news from reliable internet sources because I find cable news reolvting. But, everyone here who critizes media coverage of this campaign should do something about it - demand "Fair and balanced" coverage with pocket books. Write to Fox News advertisers - tell them what you think of Fox's so-called "journalism" and tell them you won't buy their products until they pull their advertising from Fox. Same for the other networks who pull this cr@p.

http://www.debone.com/boycottFoxNewsSponsors.html

[shades3]

HuffPost's Pick

Even the cherry-picked, 30 sec Rev Wright clips are not lies. They are America's history, warts and all, with a plea to do better having heard them.
The entire sermons were recorded right after 9/11 when white evangelical preachers were blaming promiscuity and gay people for the tragedy.
The AIDS crisis is most certainly not a genocidal plot against black people, but the other remarks about the bombing and the killing by Americans throughout history are undisputed.
He was asking America to hold a mirror up to themselves and ask themselves if they really deserve God's blessing. It's a fair question.
Sure, his sermons are fiery and arm-wavingly loud. But, he is not lying, or racist. He is just not accepting America, right or wrong. Must you?

[zenguy]

Then why is the Obama campaign in full meltdown over Wright?
Why not move on?
Why all the need to convince people what they saw was not what they saw?

Me thinks the Obama does protest too much.

[realpolitic]

They really do not look as if they are in full melt down to me. Obama has made a speech on the issue and has moved on. It is the press who will not let go.

[LeftRight]

Obama wasn't going to do anything about it until the media forced him to it. Further, the media is the one coming out daily even now complaining about it. Obama only says anything about it when he's asked a question, usually by the media.....

[straightshooter]

While Reverend Wright's views may be shocking, they convey basic truths. Those truly informed regarding the Israel/Palestinian-Arab conflict know that Israel is an ethnic cleanser, a brutal occupier, and an expansionist state that has been illegally dispossessing and brutalizing the Palestinians and invading its neighbors for 60 years with Washington's support and financing.
His comments on 9/11 are essentialy in sync with those of the Pentagon's Defense Science Board : "Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as [US supported] tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states." The U.S. Senate 9/11 Commission concurs: Its report declares Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the "mastermind of the 9/11 attacks" and concludes that his "animus toward the United States stemmed not from his experiences there as a student, but rather from his violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favouring Israel."

[Incredulous]

The one thing that the Rev. Wright scandal has illustrated most clearly is the institutionalized hypocrisy of America. America, a country that prides it's Freedom of Speech so rabidly that they'll shoot you in the face if you dare question it. Hate speech has no limits in America, and no laws or regulations regarding it. You can spew whatever hate and bile you want. It's encouraged. Look at FOX news pundits. Look at radical clerics like Pat Robertson or the late Jerry Falwell, or a whole host of hateful, intolerant clerics. Look at the right wing blogs. Look around folks! And what do all of these purveyors of hate speech have in common? They're white!!! But if a person of color ever dares to call out whitey, or criticize whitey... crucifixion! Even guilt by association, in the case of Obama. And corporate media, run by rich white guys, play that 30 second Wright clip on a loop, over and over and over and over and over and over. "Look at that angry black man! How dare he criticize this great country! How dare he criticize us!" I guess Freedom of Speech is only for whitey.

[John]

In regards to the criticism of Wright's speeches. Have any of you wingnuts who are piling on this guy ever listened to any evangelist, or fundamentalist preacher (black or white)? I'll bet you could take any 30 seconds of recorded material from any of these loudmouths and find several things that are either completely nuts, or that in some way make them out to be racist/sexist/hateful/ethnocentric/stupid etc. Preachers are professional BS artists. Period. They make their living selling an absurd set of lies. Is it surprising that they throw in race bating, appeals to patriotism or charity, prurience, sentimentality, guilt, revenge, and every other device that language allows for, in order to con their flocks and get their money?

[PJay]

Thank you, Mr. Weber, for an excellently written piece that goes right to the heart of this outrage. All the cable news channels played these sliced and diced out of context sound bites literally thousands of times. As some have said, it seems like CNN, FOX, and MSNBC (with Joe scarborough seeming to lead the charge there) were in a contest to see who would play it the most times as they all put a picture of Reverend Wright with Senator Obama. This is media at it's worst - doing the bidding of the partisan hacks BY partisan hacks. Basic marketing principle: one needs to hear something 30 times before it permeates the psyche, but needs only to SEE it 7 times. HOW many times did we see AND hear these spliced and doctored clips??? The media was almost solely responsible for taking down Howard Dean's candidacy by playing a deceptive version of the Dean Scream thousands of times. (I say deceptive because they turned off the speakers of the screaming audience as well as put that same audience out of camera range.)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/26/politics/main596021.shtml

[Looplinker]

The left is trying to gloss over serious flaws in Obama’s character and judgment brought to light by the media. On the one hand we see the power of Obama’s words trying to convince us that he is a uniter. Then we find out about his deeds. For 20 years he sought spiritual guidance from Reverend Wright who turns out to be less of a holy man and more of a racist demagogue. Given that Obama sought this church and this pastor for his moral and spiritual compass, his judgment on this account is pertinent about his understanding of what is true and what is false. For 20 years Obama sat in comfort in this congregation while the pastor ranted far left views and his congregants showed their approval of Wright’s anti-white, anti-European and anti-Jewish sentiments. He was also comfortable with the church honoring the racist Farrakhan and only when asked about it publicly did he have to disavow it. This amounts to giving Hitler a pass because of the good things he did for Germany before 1938.

Obama knows the power of words. He knew of the sentiments and world view of his pastor. Somehow none of this bothers him since he allows his daughters to go to that church and to be indoctrinated there.

His unwillingness to publicly confront his pastor shows that he is unfit to run for president.

[John]

"...Reverend Wright who turns out to be less of a holy man and more of a racist demagogue."

Cut the MSM manufactured BS. Did you even read the editorial above?

Wright is no more a demagogue than any other preacher in America. Nothing he said in any of his sermons is untrue. It's just material that is too difficult for the average self-satisfied white person to face (I'm white by-the-way). Like Weber writes above "They take a moment of rage and imply a lifetime of hate." You've obviously bought the snake oil.

[ChrisInTennessee]

I'm thinking he makes and distributes the snake oil!

[druidlady42]

How appallingly blind!

[northeast73]

CNN has actually been the most balanced network lately, (not saying the MSM shoudl be proud of anything right now)

But MSNBC is just shameful....Olbermann is JOKE. Here is an example of Olbermann spin....

Olbermann says...."superdelegates are Hillary's ONLY HOPE of winning this thing"

FACT "superdelegaes are also OBAMA's only hope of wining this thing"

[BBackSoon]

As a disclaimer, the only news show I go out of my way to watch is Olbermann. That being said I think it is fair to say his show actually has that elusive liberal media slant, and I like it. We have been forced to watch the steady slide from the middle of the road to the ditch on the right side from all the major news outlets over the past 8 or 10 years. Oldermann says quite a lot of things that I think border on the edge of good taste. Even he thinks he crosses the line since he has made his own ‘Worst Person in the World’. But Countdown is the only MSN show that I can watch without having to fight the urge to throw things at my TV. Now I am sorry that your feel your candidate is being slighted but from where I sit he is on the money more than he is off.

[John]

????

The superdelegates are necessary for anybody to win. It is an unfortunate reality that we even have superdelegates. The very idea is a slap in the face to voters and to the concept of democracy for which so many have fought and died since our country was founded.

[Amadeo]

Alleluyah!
The man is a former marine for heaven sake,
even if he said it and temporarily meant it, he has earned that moment to vent....unlike so many of us who are just spouting hot air and never did anything but go to work in this country, and that includes many of these politicians who think they are owed something!

[northeast73]

even if he said it and temporarily meant it, he has earned that moment to vent....
============

He earned a moment to vent????

Vent about how blacks should NEVER vote for Hillary because she is an uppity white bword, and dont be fooled thinking Bill Clinton was good to "them". Are you as outraged about this BLATANT RACE BAITING as you are about Bill uttering that horrible smear "jesse jackson"

no, you are not. :(

[taylorU]

Well, at least Rev. Wright made his comments in the confines of his congregation, not on the 6:00 news! I'm sure the audience who buys his videotapes, also is a small segment of society, so let's not make that argument that he was selling them to anyone and made them "public". He never realized that his comments would be broadcast all over the world. Bill Clinton made his idiot comments to a reporter and he is a former president and closely aligned with his wife's campaign. He clearly has been in politics long enough to know what not to say, or maybe he has been around so long, that his right/wrong perception has been distorted like so many other politicians! Wright is not a politician who has to watch what he says and he is not a part of Obama's campaign.

Furthermore, why is it that no one is outraged that esteemed people, like an Ambassador Peak, make "incendiary" statements about our country, but they're outraged when a black minister does? Wright himself said in the same sermon that the point of saying all of that was to look at ourselves and do a "self-examination" to keep our principles fair and honest. Maybe we can go a little of course from doing what's right when we forget our principles. He actually makes a lot of sense.

[candyc]

Yesterday, I recorded Obama's speech on our DVR, because both my husband and I wanted to see all of it at our leisure.
It was a brilliant speech full of ideas and solutions. In depth, detailed solutions that make complete sense. Shrillary's speech was aimed at the semi-retarded

Because I had simply pushed the record button when the speech began and then forgot about it, I ended up recording 4 hours of MSNBC. We watched the speech and started fast forwarding to see if I had also recorded Shrillary's speech.

My God! Watching 4 hours of cable news, speeded up five x, was a stunning experience.

Here's how it went...... Baraks speech.... cut off before the end... no analysis..right to the pastor... pastor video, talk about pastor,graphs and guests talking about the pastor, a blip on how clinton voters won't vote for Obama..pastor...pastor...traincrash...pastor....Bush's speech... little analysis..back to the pastor..clips of the ranting pastor...different guests discussing the pastor... a car crash... more on the pastor.. Shrillary's speech... no analysis..back to the pastor...graphs..pastor clip, guests discuss pastor... quick snip of McCain's stupid speech.. really quick pastor shot (raised arm)... train wreck...PASTOR..
You get the point.

It was deeply disturbing and incredibly racist. 4 hours of condensed,dangerous stupidity.

Meanwhile. Shrillary hasn't released her tax forms and the MSM is sitting tight on HER scary religious cabal with Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback.