Why Jeremiah Wright Is Willing To Destroy Barack Obama; This Campaign Really Is Generational
Remember when Barack first put himself forward? The Obama's not black enough kerfuffle among the old guard civil rights activists? Most of them slowly came around, driven partly by the Clintons' willingness to marginalize Barack after South Carolina but mostly because -- it was just crazy not to. After Iowa the impossible had become possible.
But still. At some level there was this feeling, and it didn't go away. A feeling of -- this isn't fair. It fell into his lucky lap. Look at him, swanning around in front of all those adoring white kids, reaping all the props. And he never paid his dues.
Jeremiah Wright is like the return of the repressed, a last desperate lunge of the undead 60s toward center stage. Wright represents a longing for enduring relevance so deep that it is willing to sabotage the very possibility of setting out on the long road that runs past race in order to preserve the claims of a certain righteousness, a certain rhetoric, a certain stance -- a familiar and heroic sense of self-in-the-world.
It's so hard to get old. It's so hard to watch history pass you by. It's so hard to look out across a public landscape in which your style of being once loomed so large and to realize that somehow -- you are suddenly yesterday.
People who say Obama needs to confront Wright are correct. But he needs to do it simply, he needs to tell the truth. He needs to say, kindly but firmly: old man, I love you and I thank you for your service -- but your day is done.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
This article is filled with assumptions about Wright that you're just passing off as true. I'm referring to baloney like, "A feeling of -- this isn't fair. It fell into his lucky lap. Look at him, swanning around in front of all those adoring white kids, reaping all the props. And he never paid his dues. " Did a survey and got that as your answer? Baloney. This article is not different than half the nimrods who write comments ... lots of expertise in their own minds. "It's so hard to get old. It's so hard to watch history pass you by." No. It's hard to read stupid lines like that.
And personally, nothing Wright says offends me in the slightest. It's just unfortunate that Obama now has to defend himself from jerks on the right who take Wright's sound clips completely out of context and from jerks on the left (like you) who's magical minds know all and see all.
Aren't Wright's "bombastic" comments a problem because Obama makes reference to some of them when he recounts the first sermon he heard Wright give in "Dreams of My Father"? You can look it up for yourself - it is toward the end of the "Chicago" chapter.
I don't know if you can distance yourself from someone elses remarks when you were exposed to them from the very beginning and did not walk away but made that person a key figure in your life.
Good Post you hit the nail on the head it's jealousy plain and simple. I was afraid that it would have been Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson that would heve become problems, but thankfully they stayed quiet. Now we have a person that at one time was close to Obama turing on him in such a negative way. It's truly shameful.
Wright is not unusual for "Great Awakening" Preachers white or black. What is a disgrace is Obama's treatment of his friend and minister. It's infantile and beneath him. When Wright offered him credibility in the community in Chicago he didn't complain. One can disagree with Wright but I know many military people who have secretly told me the same stories Wright speaks about AIDs and the military laboratories and they are not all black. Should we forget Jesse Helms and both he and Reagan's withholding funds from AIDS research because it was hitting Blacks and Gays? Remember it was a San Diego reporter who found the connection between the drugs in the ghetto and the Reagan administration's circumvention of Congress to fund the Contras. The MSM basically has ostracized the guy for talking about the contra drug dealing in the same way they ignore Greg Palast. The stories about Florida considering the voting, are still being pedaled by the Godfather type judge Scalia. The funniest statement is that he was a founder of the Federalist Society. Federalist don't believe in one person one vote. They are elitists of the worst type.
To pick on Wright for preaching what is common in the pulpits of America signifies that no one goes to church and if they do, they don't listen. Jimmy Carter said the same thing on Larry King and when they both listened to a Wright quote they both then misquoted him. Listen to it on the Huffington Post.
What about the aids virus came from africa do you not understand
Obama is in a Lose-Lose place yet again. If he speaks out against what Wright has done to him ("He's a politician and has to do what politicians gotta do") in the past week, his AA base could abandon him, interpreting what he could say as anti the AA church. If he ignores Wright or downplays what he said (or didn't say), he'll pay for it in the press (already has) and with white voters who are even more turned off by Wright than before.
Thanks so much Jeramiah (me, me, me) Wright for nothing.
The more I see this race the more I dont like the democrats chances of winning. There has to be a supreme worry that whites will not vote for Obama. And if Obama doesnt get the nomination cause of Rev Wright, although I dont think many blacks will vote for a republican a large amount will not vote this year.
Alot of blacks I talk to feel betrayed and disrespected by the Clintons and for a race of people who feels they are never respected this is a huge problem. Obama problems are very severe, he has to convince whites he is not that black and doesnt expressed the views that some if not many blacks seems to have about this country. Translation: Its all over but the crying. But this may be a good thing. I feel america is like a bad alcoholic. You need to hit rock bottom first and sadly america is not their yet. Four more years of mccain should do it, provided Hilary is not the nominee. She is dead to the black community I dont care how many black politicians she stands up next to her. This is the cross she must bear. It is ironic two of our strongest candidates are completely unelectable.
Wright needed to stand up for himself not Obama. To each his own. Wright is not an irrelevant old man--to pretend that the entire society has moved beyond his issues is empty sophism. Wright speaks up now because the press butchered his words, trampled on his church. The fact that Wright is black would be insignificant except for the media ruse. Wright the religious scholar notes the difference between government's definition of justice and God's definition of justice. That he happens to be black is not the ultimate point, but it is not a total coincidence either. The universal concept of justice coincides today with the relativistic concept of racism not because Wright hasn't moved beyond it, but because politics hasn't moved beyond it. That's what Obama is here for. Wright's here to remind us how far we haven't come.
The media fed into the "Obama-Mainia" and now the media is going to destroy Barack Obama. But am sure that most of you Obama supporters and Huff-po will find a way to blame the Clinton's for this.
Excuse me, but people in the 1960s shed blood for the right to vote! In the 1960s!!!!
That means that a substantial population in the 1960s could not vote, after being in this country since the 1600s.
In 1960, black male unemployment was 1.8 times white male unemployment in the U.S..
Today it is 2.8.
Wright is from the black power era...diff
Look at the media...st
Last comment - Rev Wright has done nothing wrong. He isn't sabotaging anything for anyone. The man deserves his life back. Based on Fox and the media including Huffington, the man reduced from a respected Pastor who for over 30 years served his country and was a leader in his community, fed the hungry, founded programs to educate young and old, provided multiple programs based on the need in his community, reached out the gays and lesbians in his church, founded the AIDS program to a anti American bigot. Why shouldn't he speak out?
Because of what the media has done, he and his prior congregation receive daily death and bomb threats. Why aren't you speaking about that? I love Barack and am a strong supporter. But this isnt about him. What of this man? Where are his rights or doesn't it apply?
Remember this quote from "guess who's coming to dinner"??? Sidney Poitier, about to marry a white woman, is arguing with his father about it.
You don't even know what I am, Dad, you don't know who I am. You don't know how I feel, what I think. And if I tried to explain it the rest of your life you will never understand. You are 30 years older than I am. You and your whole lousy generation believes the way it was for you is the way it's got to be. And not until your whole generation has lain down and died will the dead weight of you be off our backs! You understand, you've got to get off my back! Dad... Dad, you're my father. I'm your son. I love you. I always have and I always will. But you think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man. Now, I've got a decision to make, hm? And I've got to make it alone, and I gotta make it in a hurry.
Barack and Michelle will not suffer any hardship if this election is stolen. The AMERICAN PEOPLE will suffer. For the first time in a while some citizens believed it is possible to make a difference and influence real change. Countries around the world watching this election stated consistently that for the first time in a long time they perceive the US in a positive way. Many of us started to believe that the US is in fact the land of the free and holds true to the promise of equal opportunity for ALL Americans.
Now the media is successfully drowning out the cries from the American people who are calling foul. An attack on Wright is an attack on ALL AMERICANS. Swift boating Barack is the same as Swift boating all minorities and people who are different from the "norm". I don't understand anyone with a conscience is not moved to speak out against what is happening in front of them. It is blatant that the goal post is being moved daily for Barack. This is WRONG and if we have any decency we have to do something.
Thank you and I totally agree. I will vote for Barack Obama in November.
If the selection of the President and leader of the free world in based on an obscure reverend, then America will get what she deserves. We are screwed.
Wright isn't running for office. The rest of the world is looking at us as incredible idiots. I can see why the rest of the world wants to develop nukes. It's to defend themselves from the boobs in Washington.
America is terrifiying the rest of the world.
Hell, America is terrifying a lot of Americans. After all, it's the boobs in America who keep putting the boobs in Washington in Washington.
Thomas - Bottom line, if it wasn't Wright it would be something else. Handing over the highest office in the land to a black man (even if he is half white) will not be easy. Obviously Barack's background, 20 year work history and his level of intellect are all irrelevant. Per the media - Barack is too smart, too elite, can’t connect with the "blue collar" workers, can only get blacks, young people, and educated people to vote for him. Barack has to comply with your rules on your terms, sever ties with who you choose, sell his soul, strip himself of his integrity to prove that he has earned a position that he has already won based on the people’s support and vote.
Double standard? Barack is held responsible for the actions of an ENTIRE race of people and the past history of all his associates while the other candidates are not held responsible for their OWN WORDS and ACTIONS. Their pastors aren't being discussed on the same level as Rev Wright, Hillary isn't questioned about her judgment to stay with Bill after multiple affairs, his lies to the American people and to her. What of Hillary’s propensity to lie to the American people back to back without apologies until forced (always a non-issue), and her say and do anything to anyone as long as the results are to her advantage? It says to me -- WE are all STUPID and deserve what we get.
Well, I agree with you on one thing; we are all STUPID and deserve what we get.
and the reason the press (rightly or wrongly) is focusing on Wright and not the other candidate's spiritual advisors is because the other candidates have not credited a spiritual advisor for the formulation of their views. Personally, I actually agree with a lot of Wright has said and I don't really consider it an issue. But I also don't consider it an issue that Hillary forgave Bill. And frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing about both. And even sicker of the people who continually bring them up. Please...e
I am not discounting forgiveness. I believe that is a personal choice and frankly none of our business. What I was trying to say is that -- why is one person allowed to see the whole person and make a decision to forgive and move on but Barack is not allowed to disagree with views but still have a connection? That is what I am saying.
I am very pro Obama for president. I think he has alot of quality to be a good president and I will try very hard to see him get elected. Having said that Rev. Wright has every right to defend himself. Obama may not have threw his former paster completely under the bus but he did kinda leave his church out to dry. When people say "why would he stay in that church for 20 years", that is not just a shot at Obama or rev wright but ALL the members of that church. For a month the church has received death threats and Obama didnt say or do anything. Partially because he knew he couldnt offend white voters. So without Obama defense and no MSM outlet the church was bashed unmercilessly, belittling a church who does real work for their community.
For alot of blacks when they see a pastor getting crucified for calling out America's oppressive laws and action, they take it personally. I find it remarkable how so many americans are offended by wright for calling out america but are not offended at america for hanging pro-slavery confederate flags from states or naming schools in their honor. How can America say they respect blacks when they honor their slavery. The problem for blacks is nobody cares and Obama knows this so he must distance himself from all things that are black and controversial. I want Obama to win but not at this cost
"How can America say they respect blacks when they honor their slavery."
Dorraj,
You need lessons in logic (ever hear of a strawman?). WHO honors slavery? WHO is not offended by the display of confederate flags? I (and EVERYONE I KNOW) find these and other actions JUST AS REPREHENSIBLE as the rants of "pastor" Wrong. Anti-Americanism and racism are equally bad, no matter who practices them.
And he doesn't get a pass just because he's a "man of the cloth." Organized religion is responsible for more of the troubles and pain of this world than every other institution combined - or so I see it!
-MS
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
