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so now the story on Rev Wright changes
I see from the TPM page a link to the biography of Obama, and his service at Trinity, picking up on Wright's social agenda.
Ok, but over 20 years you expect us dunces out here in fly over land to believe that at some point in these deep discussions of intellect, that some of the Reverend's peculiar views did not seep through?
If I worked with someone over 20 years, if he were a closet Klansman, I think at some point you would get a clue.
But, Obama gets a pass...oh, he never heard, he never saw, but he engaged in deep intellectual discussions but learned nothing over 20 years and is not legitimately shocked by being stabbed in the back.
Leaves his judgement in question, but lets wait a few days, this is subject to further revision and extension of remarks, most of them alarmingly facile
Ok, but over 20 years you expect us dunces out here in fly over land to believe that at some point in these deep discussions of intellect, that some of the Reverend's peculiar views did not seep through?
If I worked with someone over 20 years, if he were a closet Klansman, I think at some point you would get a clue.
But, Obama gets a pass...oh, he never heard, he never saw, but he engaged in deep intellectual discussions but learned nothing over 20 years and is not legitimately shocked by being stabbed in the back.
Leaves his judgement in question, but lets wait a few days, this is subject to further revision and extension of remarks, most of them alarmingly facile
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I don't find the scenario at all difficult to believe...it seems perfectly synchronous with human nature. We believe the best in our friends (Obama believes the best in people he doesn't even know...) and sometimes we are surprised by them. Sometimes circumstances change people, and in opposite directions.
I think if we knew everything about everyone in politics, Obama's relationship with Wright would be laughable as a means to defame character.
I say this because I have so many quirky and complicated relationships in my own life and have very rarely formed any kind of friendship with someone who was just like me.
Mostly, though, I don't care much. I have seen enough of Obama to see that he is his own man--perhaps more so than most people. He is less influenced by special interest groups, is defying the system in favor of what he thinks is right...so certainly he can be friends with whomever he choses, because I feel confident that his own good judgment is what I am electing as president.
Take a step back and look at him. Once he is president, grappling with the issues we face, Wright will be forgotten. What you will see is his calm, steady nature evaluating--and RE-evaluating when necessary--the problems we face. That's what I see when I look at the Wright issue. Obama's stunning ability to look at problems in all of their complexity. Remarkably free of anger, prejudice and pandering.
I step back and look at Hillary, too. Believe me. It is too easy in this election to get caught up in the crap.
April 30, 2008 8:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
HE'S DISOWNING AS FAST AS HE CAN!
Proving that proclamations he could never "disown" Wright or the AA coummunity were "just words" Barry boots jabberface. Guess who's next.
VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE
NOT YOUR WHITH GUILTY CONSCIENCE
April 30, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
"If I worked with someone over 20 years, if he were a closet Klansman, I think at some point you would get a clue."
That is quite an assumption, certainly you aren't stating this as fact? Especially concerning prejudice, of any sort.
Even if you are intimately familiar with another person, their private lives are not yours to know, no matter how "sensitive" you think yourself to be.
There is not a living, breathing soul who has not discovered after many years that one of their close friends, family or associates has been involved in something they never knew about.
To suggest that Obama has some supernatural insight into everyone around him, that he would know everything about them like you suggest, seems very ignorant, or worse, disingenuous.
One of the striking factors in this preacher debate is how the Media, the McCain and the Clinton camps are now salivating over any Obama moment, strategically turning Wrights words into Obama's "Dean Scream." They don't have any stock Obama footage that can offend, so they keep superimopsing Wright over Obama, because it is all they've got.
With polls growing closer in NC, now the media mistakenly thinks it has a tool to take Barack out with the Wright fiasco, and at the same time, they also are beginning to realize it may be too late, the populist uprising the has adopted Obama as its figurehead has been looking for a viable leader since Bush stole the 2000 election, and now that we have found one, there will be political hell to pay for anyone trying to bully this mass of newly energized citizen/voters out of the process.
Between the Denver primary and November there are four months to mobilize those sandals on the pavement, and gather in even more new voters.(NEW VOTERS??? Its enough to make Von Spaskovsky cry...)
Considering that Obama's crew has done that street level recruiting better than any candidate in our long democratic history, maybe that should inspire my fellow Dems to support Obama instead of pandering to the beltway boys (and girls).
April 30, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Somewhat off topic, but does anyone else find themselves scratching their heads at the sort of class-war friendly-fire that is flying in these parts of late. Try reading something by RStephen or the author of this thread of late that does not push all the buttons of the propoganda machine to imply that Obama supporters are the enemy of the working man (c.f. second paragraph of the above).
When did fellow democrats become the enemy in the class wars? And how, if democrats can be the enemy, did Clinton become the standard bearer of the common man? I feel like I have stepped through the looking glass reading some of the remarks on these blogs.
April 30, 2008 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not have to agree with any individual's political views in order to associate or engage them in a long term relationship. Obama clearly stated yesterday that he liked the social goespel aspect of the black church and particularly would have found Wright's social progressivism appealing.
A church is way more than it's pastor. Obama could have been actively involved in the social ministry's of Trinity without sitting in the pews every sunday and listening to Wright. There are many members of churchs who do not attend every Sunday.
Furthermore, unless you cut Wright's comment off it is not damning.
Wright said: "God damn America AS LONG AS she keeps trying to act like she is God and she is supreme"
No one EVER repeats the sentence in its entirety.
Wright also explained on Moyers what he meant by that statement was:
"when you start confusing God and government, your allegiances to government or a particular government and not to God, then you're in serious trouble because governments fail people"
Even if I did not agree with Wright's political views...this statement makes sense from a spiritual viewpoint. Wright is simply saying we are not to place our allegiances to anyone or thing over God!
Obama could understand that intellectually even if he did not agree with all the political sentiments Wright made to express that point but yet accept it as part of faith.
There would not be anything there which you could not explain to a child either. Nothing poisionous or blasphemous was stated. Anything not grounded in fact could be dismissed as not being the true point of the message. The concept however, of not having allegiances to anyone or anything over God could be affirmed.
Individuals who are intolerant of diverse and opposing political views are typically small minded and they do not embrace the richness of diversity they live in fear of differences and shun folks who do not tow their myopic moralistic view of the world.
Obama is a world citizen and welcomes diverse views thus Wright would have been someone he found acceptable whether he agreed politically with Wright or not.
Obama told us from the outset that Wright was like a crazy uncle.
Wright proved Obama right at the press club with his rants.
April 30, 2008 9:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Either Obama embellished about his connection with Wright over the 20 years to buttress his "blackness" and/or faith/religion (read not a Muslim)or he's lying now when he says he didn't know the man as well as he thought he did.
April 30, 2008 9:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was married to someone for 20 years and then discovered a part of him that I never knew existed. All the other parts are still there, both the good and the bad, but the lying and deceiving part I truly didn't know until after 20 years. However, even that person didn't try to stab me in the back for his own self-aggrandisement as did the Bad Reverend.
This is my theory: If Barack Obama becomes President of the United States of America, Wright's message that black people just don't get an even break will die on the vine. Which is more important to him; truth, friendship, and our country///or his very own message of divisiveness?
I am sure that Barack Obama is personally devastated at his betrayal. I think he has handled it as well as anyone could have, and has shown maturity and good judgement.
April 30, 2008 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink