Breaking: Obama "Outraged" By Rev. Wright's recent comments

True

It would have been stronger if it were an immediate reaction. Still, I'm glad he said it so plainly, even if a day late. Perhaps it is political calculation (I don't think that's the main motive), but I think coming out so strongly against someone you have known and respected as a leader in the Black community for 20 years might be hard. Sometimes people have to wrestle with these things for a while...

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by: CathyG @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 17:16:56 PM CDT

I don't mind politicians making political calculations, but how sad

I didn't want to watch this as I noticed all 3 cable news networks covering this around noon here in California. I saw MSNBC had a caption up that this was about Obama denouncing Wright, which told me enough to keep channel surfing. I discovered that TCM was playing A Man For All Seasons, so I watched that, even though that is such an oversimplification of Thomas More's life. There's some connection between these two clashes over politics and religion, but I'm not the one to try to put any fundamental truths about that into words.

The thing is that there is always some truth in what anyone says. People may be outraged due to their racist misunderstanding of another person, but they are truly outraged. Politicians can use race for political attacks even when they know better personally. That's one truth of politics. Critics of Jeremiah Wright have proven over and over again the truth of Wright's speech at the NAACP that our culture is loaded with messages that different means deficient, when differences absolutely do not have to be seen that way.

Then there's the issues about who and what is God really and what does God think of America and all these other things?

I'm glad Jeremiah Wright spoke out about these things. Some people will hear truth here they hadn't thought of before, even if most are lost in the political spin of this. I don't think Wright knows the science of HIV, ADD or cerebral physiology, but why should he? Why is it important if he gets those right or not? There's truth in most of what he says.

For whatever reasons, Barack Obama felt the need to distance himself from this, when and how he chose to do that being something he's entitled to choose, so I leave that to him. I'm sure if any votes depended on his throwing his white grandmother under the bus next, he's capable of doing that. I like Mario Cuomo's label that the best way to be is both pragmatic and progressive. That's the kind of politician I'll vote for with my one measly vote.

But I think Jeremiah Wright is more important than Barack Obama. It would take me a while to put into words why that is. For now, it's just a right brain kind of thing, even though I'm not black. The world is not actually as simple as the dualistic absolutes we tend to see it as being.

I heard Chris Matthews yesterday refer to, "God Damn America," as a quote that will be remembered historically. I wonder. Will "different does not mean deficient" be remembered more or less than that? I'd like it to be remembered more. It's certainly more important. We'll see.    

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by: DavidCD @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 17:32:44 PM CDT

Chris Matthews

has this "Obama- Wright divorce" as his lead story on MSNBC tonight. He and Andrea Mitchell are gonna keep beating this horse until PETA steps in...

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by: Louise @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 18:02:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cool Head

A commenter elsewhere wrote:

"The one thing I wonder about is whether Obama showed enough passion. With the caveat that I did not see his initial opening statement, there was a certain coolness to his remarks..."

This is one of the things I really like about my Senator. He is a thinking man, not so prone to screaming emotional bombasts. We need more of the former and less of the latter on many parts of our political stage. Of late, blind unthinking reactive rage is the norm, not at all sensible or healthy for the Nation.

Let cooler heads prevail.  

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by: ellipse @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 17:43:37 PM CDT

I like that about him too.

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~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 17:46:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

As do I

He didn't shoot off a quick response the minute Rev Wright was done speaking; he carefully considered his words and actions. It appears Mr Obama did NOT want to have to take this position, but he had little choice.

It's funny and ironic; MSM and Clinton scoff his gravitas while he shows more intelligence, wisdom, and depth than any politician I have ever seen.  

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by: Louise @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 18:07:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obama was wise to wait

I admire that Obama waited a day, did not rush into a statement--that would have looked and been panicky.  He gave it a day, he thought about what he wanted to say, and he was ready.  This is not somebody who can be railroaded by the media, so suggesting he was seems really a grave misjudgment.  

That being said, I did a diary on Wright, based on the Moyers interview where Wright sounded, looked, and acted reasonable.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/...

I have seen partial transcripts of the Monday interview, but not a full version yet, and the clips I have seen don't sound nutso, but what I've seen in print does seem way out of line. I'm truly puzzled that Wright could have sounded so rational and grounded a few days ago and be this extreme yesterday.  My spouse says, contrary to all punditry, "He went overboard yesterday to make it easier for Obama to disengage."  

The pieces aren't fitting together here for me.

But I still feel strongly for Obama and believe he can move us all forward.  I'm proud of him for calling the gas tax holiday the stunt that it is.  It will cost the highway fund billions.

I've seen partial transcripts of the Monday interview, but not a full version yet, and the clips I have seen don't sound nutso, but what I've seen in print does seem way out of line.  I am truly puzzled that he could have sounded so reasonable a few days ago and be this extreme yesterday.  My spouse says,contrary to all punditry, "He went overboard yesterday to make it easier for Obama to disengage."  


"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 18:18:24 PM CDT

Parroting others or reasoned response

Once again, Obama shows how wonderfully different he is from other "pundits."  I still want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he really does think before he talks.  

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by: Chalice @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 18:45:28 PM CDT

Wright

I don't mind if Obama did wait before a day but are we even sure he listened to the Wright speech immediately? I mean, he is running for President.

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by: Chester @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 18:52:34 PM CDT

True

he's just a LITTLE busy at the moment... but look at how fast he answered back at the "3am" commercials. Someone(s) in his campaign has the task of keeping both/all ears open to every drop of information or media-covered events. That's why I think he and his team considered how to approach the latest from Rev Wright.

 

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by: Louise @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 04:22:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Glad we don't have any serious problems in this country

Glenn Greenwald has a great take on this whole sorry affair and I totally agree.   The media is just eating this up and it's pretty much a non-issue with everyone I've talked to.  Only the joke of a media seems to care.  Sad, truly sad.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/g...

"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?"

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by: kellyvision @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 20:32:33 PM CDT

24-hours seems reasonable

It's not like waited until next week.  He's kind of a busy person, who knows, it might've been 6 hours before he even found out about it.  Considering it wasn't life and death, 24-hours seems quick to me.  This is someone he knows, so obviously he had to take some time to gather his thoughts.  I think most people would be torn, and it would be lucky if they responded in the same week.

I'm sure someone out there is saying he was too quick to answer.

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by: PunkZanyJ @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 20:36:11 PM CDT

The more they try, the more they fail ...

The MSM media whores want him to fail so badly because they are AFRAID of him.  They know he will win the presidency and they are trying ever so badly to get him to have a Dean Scream kind of moment.

IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Although Obama was not my first choice, I love the way he handles all these attacks.  He will be fine between now and when he is elected US President.

Meanwhile, will sHillary quit or will we have to kick that DINO out of the Democratic Party screaming and yelling.  She disgusts me so much as she has become a typical political whore like many Democrats who have been in power way too long.

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by: Juan @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 20:59:12 PM CDT

Wright at the Press Club

The transcript

He certainly wasn't conciliatory, but was he actually "divisive and destructive"?  Destructive of Obama's presidential hopes, possibly, but it's really hard not to appreciate someone so unwilling to play along with the Very Serious media jackals.  It's disgusting--the different standards regarding what those on the religious left are allowed to say versus those on the right.

"Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" -- Iowa state motto

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by: Sportin' Life @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 21:00:00 PM CDT

My favorite line

I confess to rooting for him when he confronted a questioner with, "Did you see the whole sermon?" (in which "god damn America was uttered).  She hesitated, he pressed, and finally admitted she hadn't.  

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:25:47 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Opposite reaction

today it sounds like less of a authentic reaction than as a politically motivated calculation based on what many mainstream media pundits have been saying for 24 hours.

I think he timed it just right. Had he reacted yesterday, it would have sounded like he had his response scripted, and that he wasn't wasting any time disassociating himself. Remember, this is a guy that Obama said was like a member of the family. By waiting, it reads more like he tried to give him the benefit of the doubt until Wright forced his hand, and less like he threw Wright under the bus.

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by: Darkrose @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 21:15:54 PM CDT

He says he watched the full video before he spoke

And I think that was the responsible thing to do - as someone else said, the video clips initially shown were not the worst of it - and after the Moyers interview, who would have expected that kind of "spectacle"?  Of course, I guess one person who expected it is the Clinton supporter who arranged for Wright to make that speech, who obviously knew what she was doing.  

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by: Mama's Boy @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 22:01:48 PM CDT

NYTimes

Well there's some good reaction to Obama's press conference (which I "saw" at the airport, so there was no sound on, and they switched to ESPN in the middle) reported over at DailyKos. Tomorrow's NY Times will include an editorial specifically praising Obama and noting that McCain is not held to the same standard at all, vis-a-vis someone like Hagee. Sure, it's the liberal Times, but they can shift and shape the MSM coverage out there for the better.  

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by: CPT_Doom @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 22:54:20 PM CDT

Nom

This will all end up costing Obama the Dem nom.

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by: jennifer from pittsburgh @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 23:08:00 PM CDT

See my diary today

Politico reports that he has won the super delegates already.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:54:41 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wright is the past.

I was still defending Wright even after the Bill Moyers interview on Friday but the NAACP speech on Sunday was the final straw for me. His nonsense about left brain vs. right brain validates the worst stereotypes I've been fighting all my life. My brain works the same as everyone else's. Yes, there are individual differences in learning styles (and our educational system needs to accommodate those) but racial differences, no.

Yes, difference does not mean deficient - and I was impressed that he included gays in his long litany of groups whose difference has been treated as deficient. But we do a disservice to black children if we imply they don't have to learn proper (American) English or live up to the same behavioral standards that everyone else does in order to get ahead in this society.

I think too many blacks want to have one foot in the black nationalism and separatism of the past and one foot in the multi-cultural, multi-racial future that Obama represents. Some of the unease that many whites have felt about Obama is the result of a suspicion that Rev. Wright represents Obama's real views. And for the first time, I have to say that I feel that is a legitimate (and not necessarily racist) concern. Because I don't want anyone who shares some of the views I heard yesterday at the National Press Club anywhere near the White House.

I hope that Obama has finally put those concerns to rest today. I believe he has (at least to fair minded people). If he hasn't, then he is not going to be the next President of the United States.

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by: claudew @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 23:11:41 PM CDT

I couldn't agree more

I was on his side after the Moyers interview and felt he had been unfairly pilloried by the press, especially understanding the Biblical tradition he came from.  When he used Deuteronomy's blessings and curses as a touchstone, I totally got it. Ironically, the press that is so obsessed with religion on the surface (literally--like Mary's image appearing on a piece of toast in a diner or some such idiocy), didn't bother to delve into the textual basis of his "God damn America" for its heinous acts.  He was speaking the language of faith but being reported as if he was speaking the language of politics or maybe just the language of the bar or the stands at a football game.  However, this right brain/left brain bushwah is embarrassing, and how a man as sensible as he is can promote arrant nonsense is puzzling. Likewise, he doesn't know his history and his facts. He still believes that the Un brands Zionism as racism, when the UN revoked that resolution sixteen years ago in 1991. If you take the national stage, you should get your facts right, not Wright.

But even writing this, I think of the long lines at a local gas station selling gas at 27 cents less than neighboring ones.  And the growing tab each week at the grocery store.  And the melting ice caps.  And drought and famine bringing 1000s of millions closer to starvation and eight years of utter paralysis in Washington while the world we know it is sliding into chaos.  Wright is a sideshow, but that's what our media loves.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:36:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Have you seen

the latest in "express" supermarket lanes?

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by: Louise @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:32:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Too true!

We shop for most groceries at a terrific local market on Tuesdays when they have senior discount because my spouse qualifies, and I am astonished yesterday to leave with around ten little plastic bags (not bigger brown paper bags) whose tab was close to $200.

Does Washington realize that there have been huge changes in farming in the country that will contribute to basics like bread and pasta going way up in price?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...


"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:53:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The national press is profoundly ignorant about religion

and religious language and tradition. For that matter, so are many church-going Christians - the level of Scriptural ignorance in members of the "Bible-believing" literalist interpretative "tradition" (dating back about 100 years) is not to be believed. A lot of non-believers are more conversant than the proof-texting types.

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by: NancyP @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:18:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]