Barack Obama said on MSNBC's Countdown tonight that the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. - pastor of Obama's Church, and a longtime religious mentor - was akin to an "uncle," a member of the family, who says something that "you really disagree with"...
Here's some of what this "uncle" has said ... September 11 was "chickens coming home to roost" for America ... "God damn America" ... and, about the Clintons, "Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty." (You can see it all on YouTube videos.)
Obama has said he deplores those statements. He says he was not present at the sermons in which they were made. Wright, as of this evening, no longer has any connection to Obama's campaign.
Where does that leave us?
1. Obama and Wright are not the same person. Nor did Obama ever endorse any of Wright's statements. And Wright's statements never went out under Obama's name (as racist statements did under Ron Paul's).
2. But the fact that this raving hater was Obama's mentor for so long remains a concern. Obama's denunciation of Wright's statements is welcome, but it does not explain or excuse their long spiritual relationship.
Human beings are flawed - including those who run for President. No President or candidate for President has ever been perfect. Obama's gifts are no less inspirational today than they were last week.
But Barack Obama has taken a hit from the vicious, intolerant statements of his pastor. He will have to work that much harder to prove he is the best person for President.
4 comments:
Why be concerned? Wright's comments were taken out of context, both cultural context and syntactical context.
Wright doesn't speak for Obama.
Besides, I don't see his comments as hate-filled.
Maybe the preacher was speaking the plain truth.
Well, if you think Wright was speaking the plain truth - about September 11, for example, or about white America - then I'm afraid you are as mistaken as he.
I'm a conservative Republican who has only voted for two Democrats ever--Jimmy Carter and Eliot Spitzer--both of which I regretted. Still, I think Obama is OK here, unless we see video of him cheering while Wright espouses hate, bigotry and idiocy.
We all have friends and relatives who say outrageous things from time to time. I won't throw any of my friends under the bus and I don't expect Obama or any other politician to do so, either. If they aren't on your staff, then just tell me you don't agree with their position or statements and show me that you don't agree by your actions, and as far as I'm concerned the issue is over.
If I disassociated myself from every friend and relative who is a bit crazy, I'd be a lonely, lonely, man.
Well, I mostly agree with you.
The difference is that Wright was/is more than an associate or even a good friend - he was Obama's spirtual mentor.
But I agree with you enough that I'm still supporting Obama and hoping he gets the nomination and then elected.
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