My compliments to sometimes Sound Politics commenter and Horse's Ass contributor thehim/Lee for manning-up to say he was wrong about the effect of Jeremiah Wright on Obama (see comments #7, 12, & 68 at the link). I doubt he would retract some of his past, individual points on some of the particulars of the issue, but he recognizes now - after Wright's descent into caricature performance yesterday - just how damaging the good Reverend is to Obama now. Good on him for being willing to say it.
Meanwhile, I said in the post linked above that Wright's damage to Obama was "inadvertent." Having a chance to myself fully digest all of what Wright said, I have to confess I can no longer make such an assessment. Maybe Wright wasn't trying to directly harm Obama's candidacy, but he certainly didn't seem to care much about causing the candidate obvious political damage.
That may have something to do with the fact that Jeremiah Wright appears to have one of the great tin ears of our era for national politics. Perhaps that's not a bad thing for a preacher in general, but in this case it is a disaster of epic proportions for Obama.
For now, two takeaways:
1) Many a previous liberal apologist for Wright has again revealed their own inability to understand the church environment. Wright didn't say much at the National Press Club yesterday that wasn't already explored in some way in past coverage of his statements. He just happened to say them inside the Beltway with the cameras rolling and the political press corps eagerly tuned in.
Many initial critics of Wright, and thus Obama for attending the man's church for twenty years, recognized implicitly that pastors generally have consistent speaking styles. There were enough clips of Wright in action, even from the beginning of this story, to indicate they weren't just aberrations in his approach and chosen content for Sunday morning sermons. Thus, something wasn't - and still isn't - quite right with Obama's claims that the truly controversial side of Wright is now suddenly brand new to him. He should have been able to figure that out in twenty weeks at the church, let alone twenty years.
2) This exacerbates an existing problem for Obama; it does not necessarily create a new one.
Looking at it from a different perspective, I've seen hard copy of a breakdown of Gallup's tracking polls from March 7 - March 29, thus before Clinton's post-Pennsylvania boost and the events of the last 72 hours or so. It shows that in match-ups with John McCain, Clinton wins "conservative Democrats" 68% - 25% in a general election showdown. In contrast, Obama secures the same group against McCain by only a 50% - 35% margin. That's a tremendous amount of bleed in conservative Democrats either shifting to McCain or declaring themselves undecided in such a contest.
Many an Obama supporter seems not to get this, or at least why it's occurring. Our own Seattle political scene provides a hint, where a couple Obama supporters are finalists in a MoveOn.org ad contest to support the Audacity of Hope. Watch their submission:
It's a great spot for inspiring the Obama's existing base of young, idealistic voters as well as affluent and/or urban liberals. It does almost nothing, however, to connect with the blue collar, less urban, and older voters who are now Obama's ever-present weakness.
They just don't get it.
Footnote: Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when "early this morning, after a long day of campaigning, aides showed Barack Obama extended excerpts from Rev. Jeremiah Wright's jaunty and freewheeling press conference in Washington. Obama, the aides said, was deeply, visibly angry."
I suspect "violently and profanely enraged" might be more accurate (and understandable!), but the background given to Marc Ambinder is probably better story management by the Obama campaign.
Posted by Eric Earling at April 29, 2008 07:17 PM | Email ThisThis is also why they defended Wright for so long. The reality was too much to bear, so they had the Audacity to Hope that denying Wright's angry rhetoric would get Obama through. Now the cold reality of the narcissistic pastor, whom Obama has called a mentor, can no longer be denied.
And thus the damage is done for Obama. Because besides those who think that the presidency is about painting a banner and cheering for hope, no one else in this country won't be questioning the judgment of a man who allowed Reverend Wright to be a part of a serious presidential run.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 29, 2008 07:19 PMhttp://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/columnists/louis/index.html
Obama did OK in distancing himself from Wright, but needs to walk his talk and leave that church like Oprah did. Right now, I think he is incredibly naive not to realize who Wright is or he is fabricating, which I believe he is doing also.
Posted by: KS on April 29, 2008 08:52 PMOh, that's right, none of them.
That said, I admit that Wright doesn't reflect Obama's views, but I do think it shows poor judgment that he was there for so long. Would that alone disqualify him? No, but that along with a lot of other things ought to.
Posted by: Cliff on April 29, 2008 09:18 PMAnd if he DID know the real Jeremiah Wright, then he was making it up when he said the previous stuff was no big deal and we should just ignore it. et etc. Sorry, but the man would get all angry and political in the pulpit (called Condoleeza Rice "Condamnesia" and "Condaskeeza" in front of the whole church!) and do his "Black liberation Theology" thing, even though there is no such theology in the Bible. A reporter asked Obama "How important is Black Liberation Theology"? Instead of commenting on the one theology that the church is built on, he replies "I'm not a theologian." Really? Well if your church is all about that, and you go to that church for 20 years, you ought to have several things to say about it, and why it is important to you. It would have to be, or you wouldn't go to that church for 20 years and consider Wright "a comfort" to you.
Nope, too little too late to throw the pastor under the bus. We get it, unfortunately for Obama. Whether he wins or loses--he has forever been marked by his terrible judgment.
Posted by: Michele on April 29, 2008 09:20 PMIn Cone's words:
"Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
Wright believes in this violent rhetoric, and as such, he seems to be exhibiting the role of a prophet for his ideology, bound and determined to boldly show Americans that Black Power is here to stay, and that it is justified by religious inspiration. The potential for real violence is in Wright's words.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 29, 2008 09:42 PMThe Rev. Wright's comments alarm black ministers in Los Angeles
Disputing his characterization of the church, they say they fear Obama's former pastor will hurt the Democratic candidate's chances.
By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 30, 2008
African American ministers in Los Angeles expressed angst and concern Tuesday that a fresh round of comments by Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor was hurting the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign and skewing public understanding of the black church.
In a series of nationally televised appearances over the last few days, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. has defended his controversial remarks as "prophetic theology," and said criticism of him amounted to an attack on the black church.
But most black church leaders and members reached Tuesday disagreed.
"This didn't have anything to do with the black church -- it was basically an attack on the individual message he proclaimed, which hurt some individuals," said the Rev. K.W. Tulloss of Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church in Boyle Heights. "My own members were offended by Rev. Wright's words. His views have cast a wedge between people, and that's the exact opposite of the unity Jesus represented."
Several ministers said the outspoken style of sermonizing known as prophetic preaching was a hallmark not only of the black church but also of the ancient prophets.
The preaching is meant to unsettle the complacent and stir people to action, and that means moving beyond comfortable messages and platitudes, said the Rev. William Epps of Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles
"Prophets try to hold the larger society accountable to recognizing the abuses caused to the marginalized in society," said Epps, who added that he would not pass judgment on how individual preachers chose to convey their messages.
But Bishop John Bryant of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who has known Wright for 30 years, said he would have used less provocative language.
"How one speaks is as important as the right to do so," Bryant said. "If it is done in an inflammatory way, the substance of the message gets lost in the rhetorical style."
Kerman Maddox, a member of First AME church in Los Angeles, said that he had listened to hundreds of sermons in black churches nationwide as part of his political and community work, and that Wright's messages did "not represent mainstream black thought on Sunday morning."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-pastors30apr30,1,875299.story?track=rss
2. I expect a Sister Souljah moment soon.
3. I think I have said before, despite what Dean and Pelosi want, the superdelegates will decide this. If both Senators Clinton and Obama look too problematic, they will look elsewhere.
Posted by: WVH on April 29, 2008 10:36 PMThe Problem is Not Jeremiah Wright - John Nichols, The Nation
The right response to the controversy that has been generated with regard to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. is not to run away from the United Church of Christ pastor, to condemn him, or to try to apologize for him.
Rather, it is to listen to him and to recognize that Wright's not the disease that afflicts our body politic.
That being said, I agree with Eric about thehim. As Eric said, and we said in Ohio, "Good on ya" ...but somehow, somewhere along the line, I missed he was the "dreaded" :) Lee over at HA! Come over from the darkside Lee!
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on April 30, 2008 12:42 AMBarry O's inability to deal with this issue has cost him the election. His vacuous and insipid pandering, his lies on March 18, his ineptitude... all these factors and more have combined to end his political career before it really ever started.
The fact is that this empty suit has somehow, miraculously, managed to empty itself even more, a feat heretofore felt to be impossible.
As the wheels come off the Barry O bus (I wonder if his bus is from Oregon as well?) political scholars will study the slow-motion train wreck his campaign represents and shake their collective heads in awe: How could someone with so much going for him lose so badly in what should have been an arguably democrat year?
Posted by: hinton on April 30, 2008 01:28 AMNow Obama is trying to say he didn't know rev Wright was saying this stuff after 20 years with him?
Sorry I'm not buying.
PS. Cheers to (thehim)
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on April 30, 2008 06:29 AMwow that didn't take long to throw him to the gutter.
So much for Hope & Change.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on April 30, 2008 06:38 AMHe's unelectable in the General. And, by the way, we learn this morning that it was a Hillary supporter who set up the Wright speach at the National Press Club. Kinda like I told ya' it would eventually be found to be thee case. Hillary ain't one to be trifled with.
Posted by: JDH on April 30, 2008 07:30 AMObama was correct, even if it was painful, like disowning family, to sever his relationship with Wright. Wright has shown in the past two days to be more interested in self-promotion than in addressing the needs of the black community and racial reconciliation in the country. Unlike others here who are so quick to smear someone through their association, I have researched Obama and listened to one of his books (Audicity of Hope). Obama does not and never did share Wright's controversal falsehoods. What one sees in Obama is someone with a tolerant and almost generous reaching out personality instilled in him by his mother. This reaching out and assuming the best about people is probably what clouded his vision to the dark side of Wright, who became like a surrogate father figure in his life. This must be very painful. I am also curious as to why, outside of egotistical self interest, Wright did what he did on Monday, especially. Is Wright making such a mockery of himself on purpose so that Obama was forced to totally and categorally divorce himself from the relationship?
For those, like Swatter, who says the emporer has no clothes. You are wrong. I as a supporter know full well that politicians will be politicians. We do not support Obama out of blind allegiance. We support Obama because he proposes a new approach to address the problems. We have studied Obama. We have read/listened to his speeches and books. We have researched his positions. While we may not agree with some positions, what we do agree with is that Change can not come through an individual. Change, like Obama states, has to come from the grass-roots, the bottom up. Each of us has to be involved. We are our brother's keeper. We as fathers have a duty to be fathers and not let others do our job. We have a personal responsibility to change society. This bottom-up philosophy, along with opennes and transparency in government, is what will bring about change. It is a philosophy of open and frank discussion, not back room deals. We also support Obama because he had the correct judgement on Iraq. We should have never went in. We are tired of the reason-of-the-day for justifying a war that should have never happened. We are upset that Osama Bin Laden still goes free while this President, and especially Vice President, are still trying to justify a tragic mistake in thinking. We are tired of a Vice President who thinks he is his own branch of government and not accountable to the Executive or the Legislative branch. We are tired of a Vice President who justifies administration actions by stating that if the Constitution doesn't forbid it, it must be allowable. We are tired of the lies on torture, where the President states that we don't torture, yet has John Yoo write an after-the-fact memo trying to justify torture. You have a former AG stating that our form of waterboarding is okay because we don't force water down the victim's throat like the Japanese. We are tired of a President who tries to scare us with dire movie-plot scenarios when he doesn't get his way on a FISA rule. We are also tired of the triangulation and parsing of words that the Clintons gave us in the 90's. No, we support Obama because of the grass-roots movement to take back this country for the people and to make government once again open and accountable to all.
Posted by: tc on April 30, 2008 09:01 AMI cannot wait for Wright to come out now and say Obama was sitting right there for all of his rants.
Wright hasn't changed. Obama has. Obama is a liar.
Posted by: Gary on April 30, 2008 09:24 AMAs I pointed out at HorsesAss, the issue isn't so much Wright's words, but the fact that Wright is projecting the idea that he and Obama shares his beliefs. I don't believe that Wright was a real problem for the Obama campaign until this week when he did two things:
1) He claimed Obama shared his sentiments
2) He amplified his nutty ideas in another speech
Most people understand that in many communities like the one Wright's church was in, people go to church for far more than just the pastor's words. Places like that are the cornerstone of a community. Obama would not have gotten what he needed politically had he not been a part of that church. I think most people are smart enough to know this (I'm neither a church-goer nor an African-American and I understand this) and most people understand by now that Obama thinks Wright is nutty.
This could still be a headache for Obama, but it could also be akin to the Sister Souljah moment for Bill Clinton. It's still too early to tell.
Posted by: thehim on April 30, 2008 09:29 AM
What I would ask Obama, since you were chumming around with Oprah, didn't she in her infinite wisdom clue you in that Wright was a racist hater? Did she not say, "hey you may want to quit this so called Church BEFORE people start asking about it?
If Obama had quit when Oprah did, he would not be here trying to make everyone believe he is clueless about the fact that Wright and his church are dangerously close to the black equivalent of this; http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Aryan_Nations.asp?xpicked=3&item=an
@26
Gary, that church does an enormous amount of good work in the community despite the fact that some of what Pastor Wright believes is ridiculous. The $50,000 Obama gave to the church was in order to help them continue to do the things they do to help those in their community.
@32
He'll give them nothing. But it will be a shame because, as I said, despite Wright's conspiracy theories, that church does do a lot of good within the community. No serious person disputes that.
"I mean, it is true that part of the job when you're running for president is that anybody who is tangentially, you know, even remotely associated with you is somehow fair game and that's unfortunate because most of us in our lives -- we meet people, we know people, some people we work with or we sit on a board with -- we don't really go vet them and find out all the terrible things they might have done because, you know, we don't know or what they said to see if it's politically correct," Obama continued.
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Obama is a liar. His judgment/personality is all he had going for him. Now what does he have? He has delegates because the press didn't do its job when it had the chance. The Dems are now tearing themselves apart because the press failed to do its job and examine this fraud a year ago.
Posted by: Gary on April 30, 2008 01:17 PMThe press really is missing the boat here - by God I read more sob stories in twenty minutes than a whole month of NYT Sunday editions. My favorite is the total failure who had sacraficed his entire pot budget since last September to donate to the campaign. It is absolutely heart wrenching to read of the sacrafice that has been made for a cause they now see as lost.
Marterdom, has never seen the equal of these people to hear them tell it.
I'm LMAO.
Posted by: JDH on April 30, 2008 01:58 PMThe press really is missing the boat here - by God I read more sob stories in twenty minutes than a whole month of NYT Sunday editions. My favorite is the total failure who had sacraficed his entire pot budget since last September to donate to the campaign. It is absolutely heart wrenching to read of the sacrafice that has been made for a cause they now see as lost.
Martyrdom, has never seen the equal of these people to hear them tell it.
I'm LMAO.
Posted by: JDH on April 30, 2008 01:59 PMMuch like liars, slick-talking snake oil salesmen like Obama can't keep track of their previous lies (Hillary clinton is in this class too) and thus expose themselves as the superficial persons they are. I'm sure it has gotten Mr. Obama a date or two in his life, but in order to get the panties off and convince the American electorate they want a one night stand with this fellow, he'd better do a little better than what I'm seeing.
Luckily, I think the voters are largely put off by him and Hillary in their recent poo flinging epic (not to mention lies, on top of lies, covering up for obvious lies) over the past few months and are giving McCain a second look as the only sane, viable choice in the mix.
The disease of "Obamaphilia" is very curable....all it takes is a higher level of education and a love affair with reality.
Posted by: Rick D. on April 30, 2008 02:24 PMI swear... being a liberal is either very hard, or very easy.
Posted by: Gary on April 30, 2008 02:49 PMSeriously, why does Obamalama keep running, he is not inspiring young blacks, he is not inspiring whites, he should just quit. Right or Wrong? Conservatives will only vote for a black if he NEVER EVER EVER says anything good about a dimocrat and lived in any sort of ghetto. Dimmys won't vote for a black unless they feel guilty about what the country did to blacks...oh, umm...50 years ago!! Come on now people, be truthful. Most people see blacks as: Wanting handouts or not fit for anything outside of a sports stadium. What does obamalama really think he is doing? He is NOT helping race relations, shoot...GW Bush is doing a better job of that by giving some of his black friends jobs. The more I read this site and others(dimmys and cons), the more I see a polarization of the races. Older whites WILL NOT vote for obamalama. Any Conservative(TRUE and not a RINO) won't vote for him. He should just give up and stop trying. NO?
Ask Rick D he knows blacks are good for wanting handouts: Ginny~ If you wanted points all you had to do was ask hon. I wasn't aware you wanted yet another handout in addition to the one the Government provides to you". Ouch, that had to sting. The truth always does and Rev Wright speaks for not all blacks, but MOST, which in my book is far too many. night night you liberal scum!!!
Posted by: Truth In Words on April 30, 2008 07:20 PMIt made W the conservative choice in 2000 despite the fact that he made most of his family fortune from a publicly funded stadium deal in TX, a deal that should have been anathema to conservatives.
Now Dems are in denial over the racist nature of Black Liberation Theology, and Obama's intimate connection to a leading BLT proponent.
Posted by: russell garrard on April 30, 2008 07:49 PMThe conclusions that can be drawn from this are that Oprah has better judgment than he does about Jeremiah Wright. He should have torpedoed Wright in his speech in Philadelphia, but he chose to walk the tightrope and have it both ways.
He has given Hillary the opening to exploit this, never mind how the Clinton campaign has done toward amplifying the issue. If Wright fires back or contradicts Obama's comments on Monday, you can stick a fork in him - he is politically damaged goods, even though he has a better personality than Hillary, he does not show the right stuff when the going gets tough.
Posted by: KS on May 1, 2008 05:22 PM