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Go Home Far Wright

APRIL 9, 2008

Far Wright

BY DAYO OLOPADE

Now that America has seen clips of Jeremiah Wright--Barack Obama's former pastor and longtime mentor--yelling "God damn America" and referring to the United States as the "U.S. of KKK A," there are obvious questions on everyone's mind. There is, for instance, the complicated biographical question of why Obama aligned himself with Wright in the first place. But there is also the more basic political question of why the presidential candidate didn't disown Wright sooner. After all, whatever personal affection Obama felt for the man who brought him into the Christian fold, he had to realize that Wright was a ticking time bomb for his campaign--someone whom average voters would regard with justifiable horror once they got wind of his views on politics and race. So why didn't Obama push him away long ago?


Actually, he did--sort of. Recall what happened in early 2007. Initially, Obama had invited Wright to deliver the benediction at the event where he would formally launch his candidacy; but, at the last minute, Obama rescinded the invitation. In doing so, it seems likely that Obama understood his political problem and was trying to send his pastor-mentor a polite but firm message: Stay away from the spotlight and, please, for the love of God, try not to cause any controversy, lest you sink my chances of winning.


Most people would have taken the hint. But not Jeremiah Wright. Less than a month later, he was on Fox News bickering with Sean Hannity about "black liberation theology" and admonishing the famously obnoxious TV host, "Let me suggest that you do some reading before you come and talk to me about my field. " Five days later, he was in The New York Times complaining about Obama's decision to block him from speaking and volunteering that, "[w]hen his enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli [to visit Muammar Qaddafi] with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell." And he wasn't done yet. Days after that, Wright uncorked an open letter to the Times that accused reporter Jodi Kantor of misrepresenting her interview with him. The screed rambled for more than a thousand words before culminating in this: "There is no repentance on the part of The New York Times. There is no integrity when it comes to The Times. You should do well with that paper, Jodi. You looked me straight in my face and told me a lie!"


Why wouldn't Wright take the hint that Obama seemed to be offering and quietly slink into the background, at least until November 2008? Two months ago (long before his most inflammatory sermons had surfaced), I visited Wright's church on a Sunday morning. And what I witnessed that day makes the answer quite clear.



To put it mildly, Jeremiah Wright is a man who is comfortable in the spotlight. Over the past 36 years, he has built Trinity Church, on Chicago's South Side, into a wildly successful institution comprising 8,000 members. The church sponsors two senior centers, an addiction-recovery program, two daycare sites, student mentoring, prisoner visitation, yoga in the mornings, and "singles sermons" on Friday evenings. But, come Sunday morning, all the attention is on one man. On the day I visit--the morning after Obama's landslide victory in South Carolina--three cameras in the main sanctuary are trained on Wright, dressed in one of his trademark dashikis, as he flaps and struts through the Gospel of John, wherein Jesus thwarts his enemies not with force, but with words. The syncopated speaking style politicos have come to expect from Obama has the audience of thousands transfixed. Wright's gravelly tenor hums through the Trinity loudspeakers, and the worshippers are on their feet, murmuring amens. Even choir members can be seen scribbling in their bulletins during the sermon, on the blank, lined pages reserved for such note-taking. (The fine print below? "Sermons copyrighted by Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.") A scant 30 minutes after the sermon's conclusion, I was able to purchase a copy of Wright's message on DVD in the church bookstore.


Dwight Hopkins, a church member and professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, told the Baltimore Sun that some refer to the blocks surrounding Trinity as "Wrightville." Hopkins added that Wright "doesn't like" the nickname, but, that Sunday, I was struck by how much of the sermon was about--well, him. During the address, he let fly with a verbal fusillade aimed directly at his detractors: "I don't care what nobody in the 4-H club says. Y'all know what the 4-H club is?" The church roared, and he explained: "That's Hannity, Hillary, Hobbes, and Haters." Later, while discussing his opposition to South African apartheid, Wright seemed to take another shot at his enemies: "I was talked about then, and I'm still talked about now," he thundered. "But I'm not going to stop being me because of what somebody says about me. [Jesus] set me free to be me and he set me free to forgive stupidity." And here he gets in one more jab: "So I forgive you, 4-H club; I forgive you, confused journalists; I forgive you, nervous negroes--I forgive you."


Having lived for so long at the center of a world he built, Wright may simply not be used to restraining himself. (Indeed, during the past year, even as he had to know that Obama's high profile could bring the press to his pews, he continued to evangelize against the government.) But it isn't just that Wright is self-centered, although that seems to be the case; it is also that his worldview doesn't recognize firm boundaries between religion and politics, or really between religion and anything. When Wright finally carried out his long-planned retirement at the end of February (no doubt much to Obama's relief), his church held a two-week-long celebration honoring him as a "Theologian/ Teacher," "Ethnomusicologist," and "African World Visionary." Don't laugh; for Wright, such distinctions are necessarily fluid. The sermon I attended freely mixed faith and politics--at one point, Wright intoned, "I got to tell somebody what the Lord has done for my people. I'm gonna use my mouth! Listen to me and listen carefully: Neither Hillary, Hannity, nor Hobbes ever had a grandparent in slavery or on a slave ship beneath the decks, never had a grandparent in a slave dungeon on the coast of West Africa as a prisoner. That's my people's story, and if you think I'm gonna stop telling it, you got another damn thing coming!" No wonder he can't resist sparring with Sean Hannity and The New York Times.


Over the past week, as the controversy surrounding his anti-American rhetoric has grown, Wright has remained uncharacteristically silent. Does this mean that the pastor has finally taken Obama's hints and resolved to shun the spotlight? Somehow, I doubt it. Like other people who believe the world revolves around them, Jeremiah Wright never seems to stay quiet for long.


Dayo Olopade is a researcher-reporter at The New Republic.




SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

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184 comments

Just interested.. have you watched the FULL sermons from which the controversial clips were taken ? If not check them out on youtube http://youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ Then question whether or not the mainstream news agency didn't do a swiftboat job on Wright. Personally, while the theatrics might be a little too much for some - such are Black churches - the whole thrust of the sermon as far as I can see is akin to the Old Testament phrophets war ning Israel of wrong doing. Make sure you listen to the end of the God D... section.

- PLJ

March 21, 2008 at 6:29pm

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Obama will never overcome his 20-year association with a bigoted religious nutcase. Jesus said turn the other cheek -- well, black racists obviously don't, and neither should we. If you preach hate against me, I'm going to call you out. And if you sit and listen passively to someone else preach hate, expect to be called to account for that as well. A man will be judged by the company he keeps. Obama's deeds -- belonging to a racist church -- speak far louder and will echo longer than the craven litany of excuses and evasions that Obama now offers us to explain away his misdeeds.

- J Cline

March 21, 2008 at 7:20pm

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Interesting to say the least but if anything is keeping this story alive it's the press. Charles Gibson and co. managed to squeeze in Jereemiah's rant right after mentioning Bill Richardson's endorsement. Assuming there is another debate, I have no doubt the clip will run again. I really think Obama mishandled the whole situation. He should have took a page out of McCain's handbook--give a brief statement and move on. He didn't keep speaking on his lobbying scandal yet you hear Obama on every station, morning noon and night trying to shore up the dam.

- Darnell

March 22, 2008 at 12:31am

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Let's face it folks. Obama is beholden to the black political establishment, for whom anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and victimology are a religion. Obama knows that that stuff is garbage, but he can't transcend his political milieu, any more than could the Democratic redneck politicians of long ago.

- bulbman1066

March 22, 2008 at 1:32am

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General note: Dayo Olopade and Eve Fairbanks are both great young journalists. (Kirchick should take notes.) Anyhow, I nearly posted something similar about Wright in the comments of an earlier Plank post. The thing that I find oddest about Obama's affiliation with Wright isn't necessarily Wright's crazy politics (with which Obama surely does not agree); it's that from the clips I've seen, Wright comes across as self-absorbed and crass. There's something distasteful about him outside of the conspiracy theorizing and crude anti-Americanism. Wright makes me no less likely to vote for Obama, but I really wonder what Obama saw in the guy.

- Androscoggin

March 22, 2008 at 1:34am

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I'm sick and tired of people complaining about the unpatriotic tenor of Rev. Wright's sermons. Yes, I too think that much of his talk is unpatriotic but no more so than all the white preachers in evangelical churches who damn America constantly for allowing abortions, for permitting homosexuality, etc., etc. Just how many evangelical sermons each Sunday do you think there are where the pastor says something to the effect that God will reek terrible havoc on this country for allowing abortions? What about Falwell's post-911 blaming America for 911? There is just so much hypocrisy going on with this issue! Unfortunately, I think that because Democrats are split between Hillary and Obama the conservative talking heads have had a field day in getting away with attacking Obama's former minister for being a bigoted and unpatriotic goon and tarring Obama in the process. If the Democratic Party wasn't so divided against itself then a concerting counterattack against all these distortions could have been made. Another argument for why we need to get behind a nominee sooner rather than later.

- woland

March 22, 2008 at 1:40am

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I'm not going to claim to have researched everything that Wright has done, but he sure seems to have been quiet since he retired. Might the fact that he is no longer preaching be contributing to his keeping quiet, plus the fact that since the last time he was on Fox Obama has gone from a minor candidate to the lead one?

- anonevent

March 22, 2008 at 2:39am

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Is the "anti-americanism" really what's keeping Wright's pews filled and his name in the news? No, its his unrepentant racism and paranoia. It's just great that creeps like him can be mainstreamed.

- JSinAZ

March 22, 2008 at 5:43am

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"Over the past week, as the controversy surrounding his anti-American rhetoric has grown, Wright has remained uncharacteristically silent. Does this mean that the pastor has finally taken Obama's hints and resolved to shun the spotlight? Somehow, I doubt it. Like other people who believe the world revolves around them, Jeremiah Wright never seems to stay quiet for long." Substitute "Bill Clinton" for Wright and "Hillary Clinton" for Obama and this paragraph makes just as much sense. Self-absorbed ego-maniacs are a tough bunch. One probably brought down Hillary's campaign, another is doing Obama a good bit of damage. Who will come out of the woodwork for McCain?

- ramboorider

March 22, 2008 at 5:51am

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The reason the Wright-Obama controvery isn't going away is ths: for years Obama listened to Wright preach from the pulpit that the US Government infected the black community with HIV, sold drugs to the black community, etc., and did not speak out against it until it blew up in the middle of his presidential run. Where is the celebrated judgement. Where is the leadership? If Obama had given last week's speach 2 years ago it would have been great. Now it is too little, too late.

- NoObabma

March 22, 2008 at 8:24am

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Is he talking about Thomas Hobbes?

- Koogan

March 22, 2008 at 9:14am

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Barry Obama should've let everyone assume that he was a Muslim after all. Being a Muslim is no doubt a political liability in this day and age but it can't be nearly as damaging as being associated with the Wrong Reverend Wright.

- willie

March 22, 2008 at 9:40am

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Very insiteful article. You put the Journal back in Journalism. Thank You.

- Marcus

March 22, 2008 at 10:07am

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A good reason the story is not going away is your persistence in reporting it...

- Gabe

March 22, 2008 at 10:31am

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Interesting account of Wright; I was not surprised to read about his self-centeredness. ...Neither Hillary, Hannity, nor Hobbes ever had a grandparent in slavery or on a slave ship beneath the decks... Which Hobbes is that: Thomas; or some othe white person I am not familiar with?

- basman

March 22, 2008 at 10:42am

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You describe Jeremiah Wright as "self-centered" and say that the sermon you heard was mostly about himself. Well, I read the sermon. And there is a passage in which Wright discusses himself and his ministry . . . beginning after a lengthy discussion of the Bible reading and its meaning--in the 52nd paragraph of the sermon! If Wright is obsessed with himself, he does a pretty good job of hiding it.

- Karl Weber

March 22, 2008 at 10:57am

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The only reason the Wright controversy might not go away is because news outlets like the New Republic will keep it alive, even when the latest polling says that 70 percent of Americans were satisfied with Obama's response to it. What about John McCain's association with people like Rev Hagee and other right wing hate spewing preachers? It's okay for McCain but no for Obama?

- Dash Riprock

March 22, 2008 at 11:03am

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I don't understand this article. What you're saying is that Obama isn't Christ. I don't know how the press could say such a thing.

- WanderSF

March 22, 2008 at 11:12am

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Do you think Alan Colmes is obnoxious?

- A Williams

March 22, 2008 at 11:23am

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who is the Hobbes he is referring to? Thomas or Calvin &?

- mike in tennessee

March 22, 2008 at 11:28am

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The reason Obama continued to attend the church is because he is philosophically in agreement with the Rev. Obama made it clear in his Philadelphia speech that he thinks whites are holding blacks down. This is a misconception that much of the black community has, and Obama is part of it.

- Rod

March 22, 2008 at 11:32am

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You make some very good points in this article but I think that the main reason this problem won't go away is because people like you keep writing about it. Stop talking about the Ferraros and the Wrights. Start talking about the candidates themselves--that's all the American people want to hear about anyways.

- michael

March 22, 2008 at 11:41am

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Zzzzzzzzzz

- Dan

March 22, 2008 at 11:44am

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The article exposes the very sad truth. Voters should be thinking the recession, oil prices,the decline in competitiveness, health care, crime, terrorism, Iraq, the deficit and taxes. But no, the focus will be on the extremist views of an individual who would have absolutely no role in the Obama campaign or an Obama presidency. Sad. And I'm not even for Obama.

- Nathaniel Stone

March 22, 2008 at 11:47am

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I can't believe Obama would rever this man who is so hateful and minimize his words. And Obama is supposed to be the uniting candidate.

- darryl

March 22, 2008 at 11:54am

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I disagree. The Wright flap is fading for most voters. Folks who will hang on to it prefer a candidate other than Obama. In comparison to his opponents, Obama's political "baggage" is laughably light. He needs scrutiny and he will survive the media-competitor smearing and bashing. Why? Because he has integrity, intelligence, compassion, courage, and vision. His strengths far outshine his opponents'. Which of his opponents could have given the speech on race Obama gave... and wrote! Nuff said. Obama '08.

- Dahveed

March 22, 2008 at 12:13pm

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The people who are still supporting Obama are perfectly comfortable with anti-white racism. Racism is only bad if it affects blacks. Imagine what these same people would say if a 23 year member of the KKK denonced the teachings of the Klan but still remained a member. These white-hating Obama supporters would want his scalp. Lies, hate and hypocracy is black / liberal culture today.

- RA

March 22, 2008 at 12:13pm

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Is it still not the case, though, that Wright is not a one-off? He's in a continuum with Robertson, Falwell, Hagee, and a slew of others for whom politics and religion are one cloth. I await that analysis. Dan

- dbuck

March 22, 2008 at 12:17pm

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"Hillary, Hannity, nor Hobbes ever had a grandparent in slavery or on a slave ship beneath the decks, never had a grandparent in a slave dungeon on the coast of West Africa as a prisoner." I DON'T THINK OBAMA DID EITHER.

- stanmvp48

March 22, 2008 at 12:21pm

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Hobbes?

- frank

March 22, 2008 at 12:34pm

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Certainly, Obama took a hit to the main engine re: Wright, but it clearly did not sink him. His candidacy survives, now more certain than ever to win the nomination but still is wounded for the time being re: the general election. Make no mistake Obama weathered this most serious crisis. Over time, the manner in which he responded will benefit his campaign in the months ahead immeasurably. The furious over-the-top Fox News and Talk Radio attacks, and sub-rosa efforts by the Clinton campaign to convince superdelegates that Obama is unelectable have been unsuccessful (see endorsement by super-superdelegate Bill Richardson). Wright will continue to be a problem, but Obama clearly demonstrated that he can rise to the occasion. No speech could have erased the damage doen by Rev Wright, but if you are honest with yourself you must admit Obama gave an incredibly courageous, thoughful and amazing speech. The easy Clintonian thing to do would be to leave the church, condemn the man and throw the pastor and his church under the bus. Obama's partisan critics would pounce on it and say "too little, too late" and that it would prove that Obama is just like any other hypocritical politician. Instead Obama demonstrated class and leadership that bodes well for his campaign.

- daveis

March 22, 2008 at 12:50pm

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If Wright has been preaching for 36 years why do we only see 2-3 10 seconds clips? Wouldn't there be more material?

- Brent

March 22, 2008 at 12:57pm

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Wright says: "Neither Hillary, Hannity, nor Hobbes ever had a grandparent in slavery or on a slave ship beneath the decks, never had a grandparent in a slave dungeon on the coast of West Africa as a prisoner." By the way, neither did Obama.

- Sandra

March 22, 2008 at 1:05pm

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I would respectfuly disagree, sir. Not only will the issue of Barak Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright be so absolutely irrelevent by the time of the natinal election debates it is already fading from the public political discourse. There are already far more comments on how Mr. Obama responded to the video tapes of Rev. Wright than there are on the comments made by the Reverand. I would like to point our that Mr. Obama has NOT 'disowned' Rev. Wright as you imply in your article. In fact Mr. Obama emphaticaly refused to do so saying he could no more disown the man than disown his own grand mother. In this one action Mr. Obama has done the one thing the cynical political talking heads have been unable to do: Seperate the man from the rhetoric. If you have been paying attention you might realize that Rev. Wright's sentiments are not unusual or unique. Rev. Wright merely states the obvious about the way this nation, whether purposefully or not, has treated the diasadvantaged: With such disregard and disrespect that one can only assume it was done with ochestrated intent. He has spoken with the outraged frustration of his parisioners. He was speaking from his pulpit and not from political office and to take his comments as the underlying policy position of Mr. Obama is irresposible and naive. The preacher might not be going away, however, as the nation gains perspective on what was said, how it was said, and the context in which it was said, the problem is already rapidly fading from the fore front of meaningful political discussion. I would like to point out that the 'meaningful' political discussion has already moved on. WAKE UP!

- The political pyrate

March 22, 2008 at 1:08pm

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I spent many hours in a car, driving from KC MO to Fargo ND and back, with a liberal colleague earlier this week. I don't think either changed the other's mind about any political issue, but I am nevertheless puzzled by one particular stance of my colleague. That is this: Wright has or had little influence on Obama's view of the world, America, etc. Further Obama is not "guilty by association". I disagreed, as Wright is labelled as Obama's spiritual mentor. That's a hefty title. I further believe that Wright's pastoral leadership and influence explains a lot about Obama. None good either. I also believe that one can draw a straight and short line between Wright and Michelle Obama's scripted, negative comments about this country and its people. This article confirms my perspective. The influence of Wright I think is troubling and dangerous. Last, I find it ludicrous that a man who attends a church like Wright's can stand in front of the country and proclaim himself beyond race, and announce that he is our great healer and savior. What a hypocrite, what a fraud. Bill

- William

March 22, 2008 at 1:14pm

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Eventually Obama will have to explain why he was a member of a racist, anti-American organization for 20 years. At some point Obama will have to stop lying and come clean. So far he's done again a good job of clouding the issue with half-truths. I think his true soul, in all it's ugly malignancy, is slowly being revealed.

- jim

March 22, 2008 at 1:20pm

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Obama's "Wright problem" is not going away because news outlets like the New Republic appear determined to keep "the problem" alive, and in our face, into yet another week. Hey...wanna report on the actual issues facing America, and this corrupt Administration removing our liberties and imposing havoc on the world?

- Alex

March 22, 2008 at 1:24pm

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Republican presidents have been embracing anti-American, anti-minority, anti-Semitic, anti-gay, anti-women, anti-Catholic, etc., etc. Right-Wing Evangelical and Fundamentalist ministers for decades. People like Schaefer, Graham, Falwell, Robertson, Jones, Hagee and dozens of others have all preached that America and Americans are damned by God for one goofy reason or another. These religious bigots have been the advisors and confidants to Nixon, Ford, Reagan and both Bushes. But, the anti-American hate they spew is fine because it furthers the fear-based Right-Wing political agenda. Wright's only problem is that he isn't Right. The Right-Wing became a joke in its efforts to "prove" that Senator Obama is/was a Muslim. Having failed that, they turned to sensationalizing Reverend Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ. According to their warped spin, Senator Obama may be a Christian, but he isn't the Right kind. The Right-Wing is running its smear campaign against what they fear as the ultimate boogieman -- a Black president of the United States. OBAMA '08 YES WE CAN!

- Hank

March 22, 2008 at 1:28pm

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Should the entirity of all of our lives be judged based on a few minutes of words we’ve said and nothing else? What if someone had video footage of the worst things you ever said in your life, and that video was then shown to the world? Would we all be right to judge your entire life based on that one, brief video? And even worse, would we then be right to say that one of your best friends was obviously an awful person because he or she remained friends with you, even after those horrible things you said on that video? Can’t the people of this country gain a simple, reasonable amount of perspective on this ridiculous “controversy”? Obama himself has given us no legitimate reason to doubt that he accepts all people, and that he has strong national pride. Can't we stop judging him based on a few minutes of footage of his ex-pastor that was taken seven years ago.

- Sean

March 22, 2008 at 1:31pm

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Obama the fraud will continually be exposed for the deceptive politician that he is. We still haven't had the full does of Rezko and Bill Ayers yet. This Wright controversy is only the beginning. Anyone who believes this will go away is delusional. Obama lied about his pastor in his speech, and the only people who think Obama's speech is historic are his brainwashed supporters. But hey, I'm just a typical white person and one of those silly Americans who really loves his country. According to Obama racism is only bad if its against black people. What a joke. Spread the word: Obama the fraud.

- LC

March 22, 2008 at 1:34pm

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"White-hating Obama supporters" seem to have no problem with former Klansman Senator Robert Byrd. When was the last time you heard a black politician or preacher demand that he recant his youthful views? Strom Thurmond was anathema til the day he died over having been a Dixiecrat --- even though he saw the light politically and even had blacks on his staff. But no forgiveness for him! The MSM avert their gaze from Byrd in order not to acknowledge that pre-Civil rights Act southern DEMOCRATS were all by and large segregationists. People like Clinton's mentor, William Fulbright, and Algore's father. So we owe Revrund Wright our thanks, for exposing how racism, bigotry and Anti-americanism infect self-described "liberals". This will blow over? let's see how all those working class white Catholics in Pennsylvania vote in a couple of weeks. If they swerve toward Hillary in big numbers, Obama's electability in the general election will be doomed.

- Anna Keppa

March 22, 2008 at 1:49pm

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From the first comment... "Then question whether or not the mainstream news agency didn't do a swiftboat job on Wright. Personally, while the theatrics might be a little too much for some..." Ah, the wonders of political spin. Swiftboating? Really? I guess the newsman has bravely said the truth about Rev. Wright in the face of dishonest opposition. That's the definition of swiftboating, right? Second; what is it with using the impersonal "some". "Some" might find it offensive, "some" may not get it, "some" are uptight squares. Not to mention that it isn't the theatrics, but the anti-American, black supremacist, hateful paranoia that has "some" questioning Obama's association with this pastor.

- Ruy Diaz

March 22, 2008 at 1:50pm

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Thank you for putting this bigoted man's words in context for all of us to understand. Barack Obama's defenders have been insisting we need to listen to the whole of these sermons to understand his meaning. You have done that and the view remains unchanged: Trinity Church and its Pastor are un-American and racist to the core. It is Barack Obama's shame that he sat quietly through these so-called sermons for so long. His failure as a leader is demonstrated by his unwillingness to work within his own community to bridge gaps and divisions. His arrogance and self-righteousness is reflected in the implicit notion of his candidacy: that non-Black America can only purge itself of its racism by voting for him! I don't buy it for a minute. It amuses me to think that the Democratic Party is going to cling to this sinking ship all the way to November.

- Pete Kent

March 22, 2008 at 1:54pm

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This is sophomoric non sense designed to evoke the same; it reduces critique to slogans copied from others with and without attribution. In short this is a poor cut & paste job without a mask.

- GO SEE

March 22, 2008 at 2:04pm

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Nowhere in none of his sermons has Rev. Wright made any racial remarks agains White Americans. However, he has excoriated our government. Your statement that Rev. Wright is racist shows the way you think. While it is true that you could call Rev. Wright unpatriotic, you cannot call him racist or bigot based on the snippets of his sermons being aired. He has said nothing derogatory against any people based on their color/race, nor has he said anything derogatory against women. Pulling out the racist/bigot card is what is wrong with some of our citizenry. If you are going to write a comment, at least get the facts right.

- Munk

March 22, 2008 at 2:04pm

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I think anyone who feels this issue will fade has an "audacity of hope". Voters of all stripes will disagree on a host of issues, but 99% of Americans love their country and know if to be the greatest place on earth to live. Obama CHOSE a twenty year association with an America hating bigot and nutjob (Does any sane person believe that our government created the AIDS virus and unleashed on blacks?) and that is the fatal blow to the great "uniter". It would have been nice in his speech this week for him to tell America why he loves his country, not just that his pastor makes "controversial" remarks. His pastor makes "controversial" remarks like the KKK enjoys a bonfire now and then.

- rrick

March 22, 2008 at 2:08pm

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I am enjoying the new Obamamaniac talking points on Wright. "Watch the whole video". Sorry cultists, but you can in no way justify, "God Damn America". Obama is not a patriot. He does not love America. God bless Obama...even if he God damns America.

- ShannonL

March 22, 2008 at 2:13pm

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Name That Preacher: Take the Quiz! Jeremiah Wright made two of the statements that appear below. The others were made by Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham, pastoral advisor to George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton. Which statements did Wright make? Answers and sources follow. 1. “The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve. It demands that we admit that we have been wrong.” 2. “Perhaps a more difficult but no less necessary task is to speak for those who have been designated as our enemies. . . . Surely we must understand their feelings, even if we do not condone their actions. Surely we must see that the men we supported pressed them to their violence. Surely we must see that our own computerized plans of destruction simply dwarf their greatest acts.” 3. “Is AIDS a judgment of God? I could not say for sure, but I think so.” 4. “I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today—my own government.” 5. “I've told you for over three decades now: God will forgive you for sowing wild oats. But God's forgiveness don't stop the crop. Them oats you sowed will bring a crop. You will reap what you sow. But stop calling your crops your cross. ‘Well . . . that child is just my cross.’ No, that child is your crop. A cross is a sacrificial vehicle of redemption that you voluntarily pick up; a crop is the result of something you sowed. Our choices have consequences, our behaviors have consequences.” 6. “I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.” 7. “A lot of Jews are great friends of mine. They swarm around me and are friendly to me, because they know that I am friendly to Israel and so forth, but they don’t know how I really feel about what they’re doing to this country, and I have no power and no way to handle them.” 8. “This stranglehold [of the Jews] has got to be broken or the country’s going down the drain.” 9. “. . . the long line of military dictators seemed to offer no real change, especially in terms of their need for land and peace. The only change came from America, as we increased our troop commitments in support of governments which were singularly corrupt, inept, and without popular support. All the while the people read our leaflets and received the regular promises of peace and democracy and land reform. Now they languish under our bombs and consider us . . . the real enemy.” 10. “A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, ‘This is not just.’ It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of South America and say, ‘This is not just.’ The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.” 11. “If you're here without a church home and you know that the lord has set you free, you want a church home, come on! Red, white, black, yellow, Asian, Hispanic, come on!” ANSWERS: Jeremiah Wright said 5 & 11; Billy Graham said 3, 7, & 8; MLK said the rest. SOURCES: On Hillary's relationship with Graham, see Time Magazine, Aug. 8, 2007(www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1650798,00.html); quotes 5 & 11 come from a sermon Wright delivered on January 27, 2008 (www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=4808fe74-023d-417b-8537-33763c33e399); quote 3 comes from a speech Graham delivered in Columbus, Ohio, in 1993, though he later retracted the statement (www.aegis.com/news/ads/1993/AD931840.html); quotes 7 & 8 come from a conversation between Graham and Nixon recorded for posterity on the Nixon tapes (www.slate.com/id/2063030); MLK’s quotes come from his speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” delivered April 4, 1967 (www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm).

- Mapple

March 22, 2008 at 2:15pm

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I like Barack but I hope in the future he keeps his kids away from this type of language...I don't want black folk to hate my kids because they were born with white skin....

- clint

March 22, 2008 at 2:18pm

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Why are you still talking about the Obama/Rev. Wright issue? The majority of Americans have moved on. John McCain has moved on. Chris Wallace of FOX News has moved on. Why can't the rest of you?

- Swayed Republican By YouTube

March 22, 2008 at 2:24pm

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I enjoy it when an article asks a question and answers it without the author's knowledge. He wants to know why Obama didn't disown Wright sooner; who would want to further incite a firebrand who's presence was already proving a liability, when there's no upside in doing so? The implication That Wright was crazy all along and a liability to Obama is clear from the quotes in this article, but religion in general is crazy and anyone who gives great credence to a zealous preacher has to have his noodle checked. The fact that Obama didn't think that critically about a crazy pastor is to his credit, especially when compared to his ability to parse issues that matter. All three of the candidates are doing no more than pandering to a puritanical religious base in the US; and these evangelists that all three candidates dance around are only too willing to engage in the propaganda wars with huge potential for spin and therefore a basic disturbance in cycles and epicycles that said propaganda gives rise to in the media. Look at how McCain's straight talk express was derailed by his moderate comments about agents of intolerance. Just look at the perturbation that results when someone suggests that Obama might be a Muslim, with no support for the notion whatsoever. Look at the attention Romney's Mormonism got. Imagine what would happen if it could be suggested that Hillary were an atheist or McCain a scientologist. They couldn't because Hillary doesn't sound enough like Hitchens, and he's not famous enough, and McCain doesn't sound anything like Cruise or Hubbard. All of the religious sniping is cheap shots with big guns. The unfortunate aspect is that the religious nuts have such big guns still. If there's one fact that would make my mind up more decisively than any other about the three candidates it would be that he or she is a True Believer in whatever church. That person would lose my vote for sure.

- g thomas

March 22, 2008 at 2:32pm

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The difference between the rantings of Falwell and Robertson and the Wright situation is the disownment. Both Falwell and Robertson were chastized and banished. Obama and a compliant media make excuses. Quite frankly, America is a land of opportunity, hope and betterment of the individual before Obama came on the scene and will be long after he's gone. For embracing Hate like what is spewed from Wright, Obama will be gone faster than he planned.

- Typical White Guy

March 22, 2008 at 2:33pm

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Opolade, i agree. The reason this story is not going away is because you and your media colleagues won't stop obsessing over it. For the media, its what was said, its who said it. Wright is black, many white americans are patriotic rightly or wrong. In America any persons of color cannot be seen as unpatriotic if they speak about the injustices of America. Hypocrites! Wright is no falwell, hagee or robertson.

- Dale

March 22, 2008 at 2:37pm

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Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have one thing in common that beyond all the hype and subterfuge every logical person will eventually have to come to terms with. Neither one will ever be President of the United States.

- Get Real

March 22, 2008 at 2:40pm

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This is a great point, Sandra. It goes a long way to explaining why Obama might give as much leeway to Wright as he did, just as Hillary, Hannity, Hobbes (or I) might view Wright's rants as a privilege of the oppressed.

- g thomas

March 22, 2008 at 2:42pm

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Jeremiah Wright will never go away. We are going to be hearing about him for the next nine months, guaranteed. Obama should have ditched this racist clown about eight years ago when he new his star was on the rise. Instead,he stuck by him and now the "chickens have come home to roost." Personally, I think OBama has clearly demonstrated that he shares many if not all of Wright's convictions about race. It's sad really. Two decades in the pews and he doesn't say anything about Wright's hate speech. Unconscionable. Obama cannot be president.

- Typical White Person

March 22, 2008 at 2:52pm

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I agree with the point made that comments JUST as incendiary are made from white pulpits as well. Which is why, for me - this is NOT an issue of race. It's more a question of why someone like Obama would remain associated with someone who publicly espouses viewpoints that seem to be 100% antithical to his own. It seems to me Obama chose to make this discussion about race - by explaining his association and tolerance with Wright in the context of racial history. I will vote for him if he's the nominee - but it worries me that he seems to prefer pretty speeches over substance.

- JJflowgoer

March 22, 2008 at 3:04pm

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The only thing worse than Obama's decision to associate himself with this raving, racist lunatic is his effort to convice us that the only alternative to racism is socialism -- that we cannot finally eliminate racism unless we elect Obama and agree to his socialistic programs. But racism or socialism is a false alternative.

- Michael Smith

March 22, 2008 at 3:04pm

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This article is useful in re-inforcing that Obama is flat-out lying that (a) he didn't know and that (b) the church is a typical traditional black church. With a pastor like Wright, and the church built up and around him, over a 20 yr span - everyone in this church knows what he and it are about: Black Liberation Theology, true to its originator and Wright's mentor, Cone. Neo-Marxist and anti-American to its core. And Wright is as much about politics as religion (understandably so, as BLT is a fusion), which also contradicts Obama's disingenuous "just sin and salvation and Jesus" description. Why does Obama feel he has to minimize Wright? To keep Wright from the public view now? Why doesn't Obama tell the truth about the church? Why for that matter isn't he telling the public his real and full intentions? (There was a great Open Letter in the LA Times from a long time supporter lamenting his not being specific and candid about positions she knows he holds.) If he is everything his supporters claim he is, he shouldn't be afraid to give us a complete and honest picture. He also shouldn't shy from speaking plainly to the black community's implosion from within - largely due to the politics of grievance and conspiracy preached by Wright and his ilk. This is not going to go away. Americans with a conscience won't let it.

- bville

March 22, 2008 at 3:11pm

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It's sad to watch a candidate self-destruct like this due to the company he keeps. I am afraid that he will not be able to distance him enough from Mr. Wright, and Mr. Wright will likely not stop talking either.

- "Obama's typical white person"

March 22, 2008 at 3:11pm

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The reporter and TNR should be commended for balanced reporting of this Obama/Wright matter. Forget CNN. This is the best political team in the US. I think Hobbes refers to the cat.

- Mitchell Wolfe

March 22, 2008 at 3:16pm

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Keep in mind that Obama doesn't have any slave ancestors either! In fact, Obama from his mothers side, has ancestors who happen to be slave owners! That of course is not meant to be a case against obama, only to show how silly it is to make an issue out of whose ancestors were slaves and whose weren't. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02,0,3453027.story

- Wright is silly

March 22, 2008 at 3:28pm

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This Wright issue will not go away. Obama showed very poor judgment in his use of the TUCC to get elected in Chicago and not distancing himself from Wright long before setting his sights nationally. If you are going to play the game play it well if you want to win in the big game. He's just another politician, inexperienced one at that.

- Vince In AZ

March 22, 2008 at 3:39pm

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The more I see and hear this Jeremiah Wright, the MORE DESPICABLE he seems! WHY WOULD ANYONE ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH HIM OR HIS CHURCH?? This does NOT show good judgement at all!! Why would a man who wants to be president of this country befriend and listen to the hatred of this man who clearly HATES this country and the WHITE PEOPLE in it?? Keep on talking Mr. Wright because your babble will keep Obama from the nomination and THEN THERE WILL BE JUSTICE!!!

- AlwaysforHillary

March 22, 2008 at 3:44pm

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tell you what is going away THE WHITE MALE VOTE

- DEPK

March 22, 2008 at 3:51pm

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Wright is a gift that keeps on giving. There is more to come. I would bet money on that.

- AJ

March 22, 2008 at 3:52pm

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Mr. Olopade quotes Rev. Wright's to the effect that his (White) 4-H critics cannot criticize his racist remarks because they have not experienced the same legacy of slavery that scar his soul. As Wright puts it: "Neither Hillary, Hannity, nor Hobbes ever had a grandparent in slavery or on a slave ship beneath the decks, never had a grandparent in a slave dungeon on the coast of West Africa as a prisoner. That's my people's story, and if you think I'm gonna stop telling it, you got another damn thing coming!" In response, I think it only fair to point out that Obama too never had a "grandparent in slavery" nor did he ever suffer from the years of segregation and, in fact, it could be more justly said that his life experience has been closer to the 4-Hers whom Rev. Wright denigrates than to the denizens of "Wrightsville" whom he represents in Congress.

- Jonathan Dembo

March 22, 2008 at 3:59pm

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"The furious over-the-top Fox News and Talk Radio attacks, and sub-rosa efforts by the Clinton campaign to convince superdelegates that Obama is unelectable have been unsuccessful (see endorsement by super-superdelegate Bill Richardson). " Yeah, Richardson is a political expert -- why else would he have thought it was worth running for prez himself? As to whether the Wright issue will go away -- why should it? It's relevant, and in fact while obie's speech was good stuff for students, it hardly was equivalent to answering some specific questions about what did he know and when did he know it about Wright. If you think that's nobody's business, fine, but don't ask me to vote for him for prez. You run for prez, you make it my business. whether you follow a crackpot like Wright is not the same as your personal intimate life. Anyway, the rationalizers for obama have no idea how the non-liberals think, which is why McCaine has such a great chance in the Fall.

- Rodger Lodger

March 22, 2008 at 4:09pm

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Why is the issue of Obama's position on Wright always couched in "it would have been better politically if Obama renounced Wright earlier..."? Why is it not: Obama should have protested and demonstrated against Wright's views at the time because they were harmful to America, harmful to race relations, harmful to the truth? The entire episode says legions about Obama and raises questions that will, eventually, destroy his chances to become President.

- jefyuaz

March 22, 2008 at 4:10pm

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Clinton's friends at ABC News broke the story. Only question is, why did they wait so long? A strategic mistake - should have done it before Super Tuesday. Obama is finished, and Clinton will lose to the GOP. The Dim-o-krats have done did it again.

- Andy

March 22, 2008 at 4:16pm

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Senator Obama says that he wants to be the President who transcends bigotry and hatred, yet he continues to belong to an organization that gave a lifetime achievement award to a man (Louis Farrakhan) who openly and publicly refers to Jews as "bloodsuckers." Apparently, Mr. Obama has no problem honoring people who hate Jews. I voted for Obama in the California primary. Now that I see who he really is, I wish I could take back my vote.

- Tom Davis

March 22, 2008 at 4:19pm

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I think Olopade's characterization of Wright is telling. Words like "slink" and commands not to laugh cause me to wonder about Olopade's agenda. To seek to trivialize this person, whether you agree with his politics or not, seems an intellectual shortcut. I have no idea who Wright is. Olopade, despite his intent, did not make that clear. I think if I felt I and my work were being misrepresented in the media, I would want to have it corrected. If I had the wherewithal to do it myself, I would want to do it myself. I also have not been around the man for 20 years. If I had to choose who to believe when it comes to describing a person, I think I would go with folks who'd had relationships with each other, especially long term relationships. I think the tone of Obama's critique of Wright's message makes it clear that he is able to see the ramifications of Wright's viewpoint and make up his own mind about what he believes. Others who have blogged have come to the same conclusion, but I think it needs to be stressed. For some reason, folks seem to believe that what you hear somehow determines all that you believe, when in actually, alot of what we come across gives us fodder for critically assessing ourselves and our beliefs. If we take the time....As far as I'm concerned, Obama's speech was evidence of that as well (i.e., taking the time to critically assess one's beliefs.) I am not one to buy into conspiracy theories about Obama's "real" beliefs about race relations. His speech last week was pretty consistent with the book he wrote about finding one's identity a decade or so ago. I think he voices his true self. Lastly, one of the more important things that Obama intimated is that none of us are innocent in this racial stalemate. We are all culpable. In response to some of the earlier posts, I would urge these people not to make assumptions about the nature of intellectual diversity amongst African Americans. Instead, I would really encourage doing more intense homework. Maybe a 20-year relationship?

- Don

March 22, 2008 at 4:19pm

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Obama opponents are voting against him because he's black and/or liberal. I'm a 49 year old white male. No one I know (male, female, black, white, Jewish, Christian, etc.) who supported Obama before this preacher circus has changed their mind. And why isn't McCain's connections to Hagee, Falwell, Robertson, etc. getting much press? Obviously a double standard.

- Rob

March 22, 2008 at 4:27pm

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Obama's connections to Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko, and Nadhmi Auchi pose some serious questions about his judgement. Unless he gives the go ahead to Michigan and Florida to hold new primaries,and of course he won't do that, he will be our nominee. If you don't agree with disenfranchising voters, please go to www.ipetitions.com/petition/votersunite and sign the petition. It only takes one minute to let the DNC know that we demand that our votes count.

- Nancy

March 22, 2008 at 4:42pm

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I love the excuses Liberals keep making for Wright's bigoted hatred. And Obama's 20 year support for same. Do you really think Americans are going to forget Wright's spittle-drenched hatred of America, Whites, Jews? Do you think Obama's exploitation of his Grandmother (by likening her alleged failings to the 34 year career of a professional hatemonger)is going to have people say "Yeah, I want to vote for a guy like that?" You can't talk your way out of the hate that all of America has heard. Or all the hypocrisy Liberals have shown on this issue.

- Hate's enablers.

March 22, 2008 at 5:01pm

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You mean "swiftboat" as in "reveal the truth"?

- John

March 22, 2008 at 5:05pm

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Since I'm having to explain this to you it's doubtful that you will understand it but, there is a difference between white evangelists saying that God WILL damn America for murdering it's babies and Wright ASKING God to damn America because he hates whites.

- John

March 22, 2008 at 5:10pm

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I haven't heard this level of hate America speech since John Edwards quit the race.

- John

March 22, 2008 at 5:13pm

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What does GOD d---America, Aid epidemy, and all that vitrolic preaching has to do with spiritual enrichment? Yet some people are still blinded by his suppose grandiose speech. You wake up! Obama is NO Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was a true intellectual. He wrote his own speeches also. Obama's speech showed that he is a passive/agresive person, a liar and a yes a racist. I would not vote for a white person who is racist, why would I vote for a black person who is a racist? Richardson's endorsement is just plain interest and just a momentary distraction. Richardson is just an opportunistic sleaze, interested in a cabinet position, that is why he stabbed his "good friend, Hillary."

-

March 22, 2008 at 5:33pm

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I believe Barack has to go-along to get along. Michelle was born & raised on the south-side of Chicago, now it's just a guess of mine, but maybe she introduced him to her family's church. She has views of her own that come into question, if she's been listening to this STUFF, it's understandable why. This guy Wright is just perpetuating racism. Imagine a white pastor going around bad-mouthing everything in black society, would he not be the consensus racist of all-time and oh-yea would a white politician who's running for dog catcher not be condemned for his association with this white racist and no dog catching job on top of it.

-

March 22, 2008 at 5:38pm

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what kool aid did you drink?

- big jim

March 22, 2008 at 5:47pm

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The reason that the Pastor Wright controvery is so dangerous for Senator Obama is that he has run a campaign without much content. Vote for Obama because he gave an anti-war speach in 2002 (I opposed the war then also), and he transends politics (Michelle says "he will fix our souls . . .") The speach was nice, but what demostrations or movement did he lead to stop the war or did he highlight it in his 2004 speach at the Democractic Convention and say that Senator Kerry should not get the nomination, Frankly, I find it creepy that any politican is going to fix my soul. Please start with health care or the ecomony first! Thus, a campaign without content that is based on personality, things like Wright and Resko are going to be a big deal.

- PJ

March 22, 2008 at 5:51pm

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To put this all in context, no one who had Bob Jones as a pastor could win the presidency. There would be too much evidence of racial separation for that candidate to survive. This is not about Obama being black but his candidicy of reconciliation. John McCain would be sunk if someone showed (like the NYT sought to portray) special interest favors. His former pastor's commnents

- Planet Bob

March 22, 2008 at 6:11pm

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Hey Olopade, maybe it would go away a little bit if journalists like you would quit bringing it up. Jackass.

- bryan

March 22, 2008 at 6:14pm

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There is plenty of sick nonsense in Africa America, notwithstanding great leaders such as Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfry. So many have flocked to demagogues like Fruckakahn, Father Divine, Jim Jones (a white dude), and this turd. How could anyone vote for an Obamarick, after learning about Rezko and this horrible preacher man? But, the pwogwessive instinct is to ignore everything which veers off the road to glory.

- zoltan newberry

March 22, 2008 at 6:27pm

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This is another perfect example of why church attendance is so harmful. Financially, emotionally, physically and now politically.

- bigot

March 22, 2008 at 6:38pm

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I am shocked that more of the media has not started distributed the full Wright video yet. CNN and Huffington Post have already posted it. I will give you all the links to watch the full 9/11 Wright video, before FOXNEWS corruptly cut out bits of the video and pasted them with other portions to suite their purposes: Full Wright Speech 1 Full Wright Speech 2 Meet the white man that Wright was recited "chickens are coming home to roost." It was not Wright's words, but a white mans. See how FOX tried to present more false Obama media, but Chris Wallace crushed it: Chris Wallace setting FOX straight 1 Chris Wallace setting FOX straight 2

- truthletter

March 22, 2008 at 6:44pm

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"I'm sick and tired of people complaining about the unpatriotic tenor of Rev. Wright's sermons." That's your problem. Patriotism and Presidential politics go hand in hand. "Yes, I too think that much of his talk is unpatriotic but no more so than all the white preachers in evangelical churches who damn America constantly for allowing abortions, for permitting homosexuality, etc., etc. Just how many evangelical sermons each Sunday do you think there are where the pastor says something to the effect that God will reek terrible havoc on this country for allowing abortions?" So 2 wrongs make a Wright!. One bad sermon forgives another one? "What about Falwell's post-911 blaming America for 911?" You're forgetting Bush's statement disagreeing with this. Nobody but the nuts agreed with Falwell on this one. Besides, the issue here is not Wright said but what Obama did when he said it. People expect an advocate for the USA sitting in the Oval Office. What if a year from now a foreign dignitary should tell President Obama that the USA is a bad place. Would Obama nod his head in silent agreement like he did for 20 years in Wrights' church? Plenty of people who might have considered Obama are now opposed to him.

- NotTheIssue

March 22, 2008 at 6:47pm

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"The only reason the Wright controversy might not go away is because news outlets like the New Republic will keep it alive, even when the latest polling says that 70 percent of Americans were satisfied with Obama's response to it." Wow, I think that the media (non-Fox, that is) totally loved Obama's speech. "What about John McCain's association with people like Rev Hagee and other right wing hate spewing preachers?" Good point. My guess is that Rev. Hagee doesn't have quite the knack for the snappy one liners (i.e. 'G---n Americ'). Plus it's Obama's perceived lack of patriotism causing the flap to explode. No one can seriously claim McCain is unpatriotic. Now plenty believe it about Obama. "It's okay for McCain but no for Obama?" Nope, two wrongs don't make a Wright!

- NotTheIssue

March 22, 2008 at 6:54pm

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What Obama saw in Pastor "Wrong" was political expediency. Like most overly ambitious people Obama sees everyone through the lens of "What can that person do for me?" Pastor "Wrong" did a lot to help Obama get to the Illinois State Senate, and the rest is history (which should be scrutinized endlessly). The reason Obama gave his speech/lecture is so it can be played endlessly on YouTube to counter the Pastor "Wrong" video on YouTube. I hear that Obama's speech/lecture/excuses have gotten 2.5 million hits on YouTube. See? I have to say that the Obama campaign is the best at media manipulation of young minds.

- DSS

March 22, 2008 at 6:58pm

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Why is Wright popular and respected by people who attend Trinity? Probably because he is a dynamic preacher, but more so, he seems to take care of his community. This creates loyalty to all stripes everywhere. Period. People listen to a lot of things, even bad things, when the person is the person in your community that is actually helping people. Hannity, have you done more?

- Janet

March 22, 2008 at 7:00pm

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ahhhh, yes, why don't you watch it?

- Janet

March 22, 2008 at 7:01pm

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When McCain defeats Obama soundly in the general, blacks in every major metroplex will riot for days, causing perhaps billions in property damage.

- Jerry

March 22, 2008 at 7:26pm

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Obama campaign is finished. It is Obama's judgement that has destroyed his future. Obama's judgement was to stay in this church, Obama's judgement was to take his wife and children to this church of hate, and Obama's judgement was to sit in this church for 20 years and not renounce this pastor of hate. Finally he had a chance to end his relationship with Rev Wright and Obama's judgement was not no I will not break with this "hate monger". Obama has shown his superior judgement don't you think?

- where the beef?

March 22, 2008 at 7:35pm

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I found Pastor Wright's comment's distasteful and his embrace of Louis Farrakhan abhorent. That being said, trying to belittle the anger of Black Americans is not only misguided, it is wrong. The worst evil the world faced was the Nazi's in World War II. Black soldiers faught and gave their lives but were not allowed to stay in the same barracks with White soldiers and were treated like third class citizens at best. Yet, when they died, their blood was no different than their White counterparts. They returned home to water fountains they were not allowed to drink from, restaurants they were not allowed to eat in, and had to sit in the back of the bus. The Tuskegee episode had the American government using Blacks as experimental guinea pigs. While I too find accusations of the government manufacturing the HIV virus to murder Blacks outrageous any Black American that was taught about the Tuskegee disgrace has reason to doubt their government. Voter suppression of Blacks was rampant and even as recently as the 2000 election for President there were allegations of attempts to turn away Black voters. The entire world saw Black bodies floating down the flooded streets of New Orleans as the federal government stood by and did nothing as the Black neighborhoods of New Orleans were destroyed. Today, in 2008, Black men are still stopped at random by policemen for the sole reason they are Black. A Black man trying to catch a taxi in most major cities in America has a less than 50% chance the taxi will stop for them. Yes, I abhor what Reverend Wright says. I am White and I am Jewish but I still can understand his anger and the anger and doubts of most Black Americans. We can criticize him all we want for hating us but history shows his animosity is most definitely not make believe. There were wrongs that were righted and wrongs and injustice that still must be righted, but we do our country a great disservice by dismissing everything the man said as ranting and raving. We cannot move forward if we cannot understand our past and we must embrace each other as equals and treat each other as we would like others to treat us.

- Mark Jeffery Koch

March 22, 2008 at 7:44pm

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Jeremiah Wright discusses Louis Farrakhan. http://youtube.com/watch?v=MX1y6Q9PYcg Reverend Wright gives me a very bad feeling in my stomach I would never vote for Barack Obama . . He has exposed his young children to this filth. I am not convinced Obama is qualified to be a parent, let alone leader of the Free World. You can kiss Israel's security good-bye. For many of you, that is a good thing, I suspect.

- Mitch

March 22, 2008 at 7:53pm

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I found Pastor Wright's comment's distasteful and his embrace of Louis Farrakhan abhorent. That being said, trying to belittle the anger of Black Americans is not only misguided, it is wrong. The worst evil the world faced was the Nazi's in World War II. Black soldiers faught and gave their lives but were not allowed to stay in the same barracks with White soldiers and were treated like third class citizens at best. Yet, when they died, their blood was no different than their White counterparts. They returned home to water fountains they were not allowed to drink from, restaurants they were not allowed to eat in, and had to sit in the back of the bus. The Tuskegee episode had the American government using Blacks as experimental guinea pigs. While I too find accusations of the government manufacturing the HIV virus to murder Blacks outrageous any Black American that was taught about the Tuskegee disgrace has reason to doubt their government. Voter suppression of Blacks was rampant and even as recently as the 2000 election for President there were allegations of attempts to turn away Black voters. The entire world saw Black bodies floating down the flooded streets of New Orleans as the federal government stood by and did nothing as the Black neighborhoods of New Orleans were destroyed. Today, in 2008, Black men are still stopped at random by policemen for the sole reason they are Black. A Black man trying to catch a taxi in most major cities in America has a less than 50% chance the taxi will stop for them. Yes, I abhor what Reverend Wright says. I am White and I am Jewish but I still can understand his anger and the anger and doubts of most Black Americans. We can criticize him all we want for hating us but history shows his animosity is most definitely not make believe. There were wrongs that were righted and wrongs and injustice that still must be righted, but we do our country a great disservice by dismissing everything the man said as ranting and raving. We cannot move forward if we cannot understand our past and we must embrace each other as equals and treat each other as we would like others to treat us.

- Mark Jeffery Koch

March 22, 2008 at 8:02pm

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My good natured liberal friend just told me that she will never vote for Obama because of this. Obama represents the Hamas wing of the democratic party. Its over for him and he doesn't even know it yet.

- Patrick

March 22, 2008 at 8:08pm

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The Obama supporters are whining, petulant little B's. What they don't seem to get is Jeremiah Wright is a cancer to the whole party, and because of him the Dems will probabaly lose the White House. You can thank Hussein's superb "judgment" for that. Face it, Obamanites, Barack's campaign is in the toilet and that's where he'll stay until the toilet gets flushed.

- Douglas

March 22, 2008 at 8:12pm

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Let me said as america born in Purto Rico in the history our contry when the Island were colony of Spain. We had Black slave from Africa and native indians.On those time black slave and indian native slave sofer the same treat as slave in america.But we lear with time to overcom the pain of the pass not blaming in others the atrcity that people that the white people of Spain did.Black people in our contry were segregated but they did not see that as and obstecla to become a better person. Now we all are puertorricans we don't blame our nation for what hape in the past or in the present. All nation all gobermet are not flaless. I see these Black liberation theology ass an cult no more or less then the Davidian cult in Templo Tx. or Jim Jones in Jonestown, located in Guyana, South America.

- Juan

March 22, 2008 at 8:13pm

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Mr. Olopade, Those videos are much easier to swallow with context. You should visit http://truthabouttrinity.blogspot.com. During the KKK of A sermon, Wright is speaking about the history of government dating back to Lincoln, up to Bush. You might want to give that one and others a listen, and then for you, maybe the Pastor Wright "problem" will go away. Good luck with that.

- olga

March 22, 2008 at 8:16pm

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comments not going away our men Rush and Shawn will see to that - live with it - Obama will not be President in this lifetime - nor the next

- Vero

March 22, 2008 at 8:25pm

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The Wrights in this world gather a tremendous following because the blaming (of others) and finger pointing provides a ready excuse and relieves his followers of taking personal responsibility for their lives - "We've been treated horribly and the cards are stacked against us so no use trying. Instead, we can put our efforts toward hatred."

- Randy 2

March 22, 2008 at 8:26pm

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A previous post noted that Obama's speech has been favorably received by 70% of the voters. That is not where this election will be one or lost, but, with the 30% who are either undecideds, independents or the cross-overs from either the Ds or Rs. The rub is not with readers of the NR, Nation, Slate, Salon, NYT or even WSJ, but, with the non readers who responded to the Swift Boat attack on Kerry. As one pundit observed: If the Rs attack machine can question Kerry's patriotism and make him French imagine what they can do with the Wright diatribes. The battle will be with those old Reagan blue collar white Nascar viewing Dems. They were already a tough nut to crack for Obama even against Hillary (the only thing going for Obama was to hope that this crowd is more mysognist than racist), but, it will be a tougher delta to overcome when compared to the uber-patriot McCain. We all are preaching to the choir with these posts. The real target for the Obama bashers to focus on will be the listeners to talk radio. The next time you come across some blue collar type pounding nails, operating a backhoe or repairing your car stop for a moment to see where his (yes it is a he) is otherwise diverted - to talk radio which will graft Wright's views onto BO without the benefit of BO's Tuesday reflections.

- An Independent

March 22, 2008 at 8:38pm

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Wow..talk about refusing to accept reality. Obama's problem is that he embraced this man. Trying to draw comparisons to right wing evangelicals is a tansparent attempt to deflect. If McCain had spent the last 20 years listening to and donating tens of thousands of dollars to Fred Phelps of "god hates fags" fame, then you might have an argument. And don't pretend that this will go away. Black nationalists aren't used to being told to tone it down...especially by the democrats who have placed them above criticism and who desperately need their votes. There will be more of this. It's gonna take a lot more than the usual media groupies tossing their panties on stage at every Obama utterence to wash the stench of this nasty affair out of the minds of independents and moderates. If anything, the media adoration is becoming a joke in itself.

- rs

March 22, 2008 at 8:47pm

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Amen. The man never lets a guest he disagrees with finish a sentence.

- teejay

March 22, 2008 at 8:48pm

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Look Obama CHOSE to make this man his advisor. No matter how hard you try, you can't separate the man from the rhetoric. Wright is who he is. Obama has been with him for the past 20 years, and then oddly this last weekend decided to cut off that relationship. Obama liked Wright when he was useful for winning the black vote. Now, however, he no longer is so Obama is done with him. Look you Obama defenders, think what your reaction would be if McCain or Hillary were close friends and advised by a person who damned the country, called the US a great big black nation, insulted political leaders, and spewed other racist garbage. I would hope you would rightly condemn that, as Obama should Wright's message. We need unity, not division. Sadly, Obama has claimed unity yet takes advice from those who want to divide.

- fountainviewkid

March 22, 2008 at 9:00pm

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People should just stop it with the "only snippets" defense of J. Wright. The "out of context" argument is absurd- the televised clips are clear in their meaning, and no surrounding text is going to change that. How much pre- or post-sermon do you have to read to understand "the government produced AIDS to commit genocide". It doesn't matter how redeemingly benign the rest of the sermon is.

- scribe15

March 22, 2008 at 9:04pm

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those that think this story is going away are dreaming - whether or not obama wins the nomination, he will never win the general with this around his neck. but to suggest to the media that they shouldn't report on it is nonsense. sad.

- dreamer

March 22, 2008 at 9:44pm

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Wright, like his friend Farrakhan, compares himself to Christ, and, like Farrakhan, compares his enemies to the "enemies of Christ", i.e. the Jews. This cannot be called a slip of the tongue by a crusty old uncle; it can be called the expression of hubris and paranoia by a bigoted old egotist. That's what I call it. adamholland.blogspot.com

- Adam Holland

March 22, 2008 at 9:51pm

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If this issue doesn't die down Obama can take the offensive; Rev. Wright's speeches may be shocking, but he's still a patriot. He served his country as a marine and built a lasting organization that has a real impact on its community. That kind of patriotism, even when paired with the anger he spouts on Sundays, makes the cable and talk show crowd, and much of the rabid right wing hypocrites look like the blowhards and demogagues that they truly are.

- Steve

March 22, 2008 at 10:01pm

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Olopade's point is that Obama's problem with his association with Rev. Wright is not going to go away because Wright has proven to have a big mouth and is bound to shoot it off again soon. So everyone will be reminded of him again. I guess we shall see.

- TLars

March 22, 2008 at 10:07pm

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I was innocently active in 4-H as a young person. I'm puzzled why Wright should have anything against 4-H. I'm sure he doesn't know anything about it. His tirade is blatently racist and very off putting for 4-Hers (swing voters). I don't believe that Obama can win now, given his association with Reverend Wright. If he wins the nomination I will be very depressed.

- Eliann

March 22, 2008 at 10:18pm

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The damage is done and the story does not have to keep going. Every slip up, every minor mistake like his "typical white person" remark will just add another straw on the cart. If he still gets the nomination he only needs another big one to totally wipe him out. From now on he is walking a tight wire act with one side already weighted down. He will have no one to blame for this but himself but then again had he not sided up with the good Rev to get his black cred in line he might not be where he is now. So, you live by the sword you die by the sword. THE CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST!!!!!

- kabookey

March 22, 2008 at 10:36pm

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hillary is poisoning the dem waters for obama by saying he is: un-american not to allow MI and FL votes to count; and un-electable for the deep, spiritual, long-time relationship he had with a racist nut who espouses a weird afro-centric mysticism and insane racial conspiracy theories. I believe obama is finished.

- aisgreen

March 22, 2008 at 11:04pm

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Until just over a month ago I was ready to vote for whoever got the nomination, but that's no longer the case. I will not under any circumtance vote for Senator Obama. I had ignored quite a few issues that really troubled me,but when I heard Rev. Wright's sermon that was the final drop. How can you maitain a relationship of over twenty years with a bigot whose message is full of hate against America and pretty much any other race other than his, and simply turn a deaf ear to such repugnant comments and don't walk away. How can you listen to a man who openly expreses admiration for Minster Louis Farrakhan. This would be like going to KKK meetings for over 20 years listening to their filth and not walking away and later to simply say I condem their statements. I watched and listened to his speech hoping for something to change my mind, but I had a big problem with one of his statements-- I can not disown him no more that I can my white grandmother. Well, while her comment was racist,they're completely different to Rev. Wright's inflammatory and repugnant sermon. In addition, unlike a family member which sometimes we have to accept/tolerate even when we disagree with them, Rev. Wright is not a family member. Finally, instead of rejecting him, he attempted to explain his message of hate and race-based rancor. Believe me,I'm not trying to minimize what African-Americans had to endure and still sometimes do, but that's not an excuse for so much hatred. I don't see Native Americans or Jews using anti-American and anti-white raves because of everything they went through. I agree that we can't forget about the past or the history, but we can't remain stock in the past.

- Gio

March 22, 2008 at 11:04pm

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Biblical prophets in the Hebrew Bible spent at least as much time, if not more, excorticating their co-religionists for their failure to take personal responsibility in fulfilling God's word. It is inadequate to point fingers at others for one's problems and demand that only one sector of society assume the entire guilt for the moral lapses of others. Other ethnic groups, visible minorities and others, have had difficult histories and embraced their homeland not for the ill that it foisted on them but for the opportunity to move beyond that ill, while simultaneously being marginalized and despised. To accuse successful black figures of being "house" blacks and Uncle Toms fails to provide individuals with an alternative narrative to the blame whitey chorus. Obama, in an en passant passage inadequately emphasized and noted, stated that blacks should read. The gospel according to Bill Cosby and Shelby Steele, and Thomas Sowell needs more exposure. Add the historical reality of black family intactness as recently 1950 being 75%, can you explain its disintegration coinciding with expanding civil rights and attempts by America to redress black grievances and focus solely on America as the perpetrator of black misery? Blaming "whitey" needs to be a less central gospel to the narrative. As an Orthodox Jew, I claim status as a visible minority whose history is not significantly more salubrious than the black narrative.

- chaim klein

March 22, 2008 at 11:21pm

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Woland, You state with a great deal of certainty that Pastors all over the country rail on the US like Rev. Wright. I am a Pastor and have never once railed on our Country or pronounced judgment on it and certainly never "damned" it in God's name. Nor in my acquaintances with hundreds of Pastors have I ever heard the kind of rhetoric you say happens all the time. Why? Because it doesn't happen all the time. You here that kind of rhetoric from televangilists and those Pastors trying to make a name for themselves, but not from the everyday Pastor who is to busy trying to help people to spend time hating them. Pastors that truly understand the "love of God" don't waste their time on hate. Yes we may take what some would consider unpopular views on social issues but we do it with love and compassion not hate and venom. Rev. Wright is not typical and the excuse that everybody is doing just doesn't fly. Wright is wrong and you can't justify his actions by pointing to others.

- John Robinson

March 22, 2008 at 11:38pm

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Wright, Rezko, Lies about meeting with Canada,Typical White Person,Farrakhan, Ayers, Race, Lies and voter surpression, all of these things hurt Sen. Obama. Ask your self this question if Florida and Michigan were both 75% African American, what would Obama and the NAACP be doing to make sure the voters had a voice and each vote counted. Sen. Obama said "we need to have a conversation about race", then let us start by being honest and let us make sure everyone gets the chance to speak. It was he that said there was a frustration by Rev.Wright and his followers , that was attributed to their feeling , that they did not have a voice , that no one was listening. So let us not add insult to injury.

- Ernie

March 22, 2008 at 11:41pm

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This is a non-issue. Most of America knows about it, most of America thought Obama's speech effectively addressed it, any further attempts to tar Obama with it will be met by total backlash because everyone has already been innoculated to Wright. That's my prediction. Right-Wing 527: "Oh, Wright! Look at the angry black man!" America: "And. . . your point is. . . what, exactly?" Right-Wing 527: "He HATES America! He's a RACIST!!" America: "Um, dude. Our economy is collapsing, we're still in Iraq, McCain is a geezer, and whatever else we might think about Obama, he's interesting, and there's nothing America likes more than good show-business." Right-Wing 527: "But. . . but. . ." America: "Yada, yada. . . get fucked." And Obama wins in a walk.

- Abe

March 22, 2008 at 11:53pm

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Obama is a an unexperienced lightweight not ready for prime time. If he wasn't he would have realized years ago the damage this type of rhetoric would do to anyone's campaign. The problem Obama has is that the reason he didn't run from Wright's comments is that he basically agreed with them. Therein lies the problem that will dog him to November if he is the nominee. It's not Wright, its Obama. His negatives have gone up considerably, he is now behind McCain in states like Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas by 30 points, and he is struggling in Penn, Mich, Minn, NH, and Ohio against McCain. Wright might fade, but the idea that Obama himself shares radical leftwing ideology is not going to fade, and the Republicans will make sure it doesn't fade. He is not gettting white blue collar workers back, a lot of them will move from Hillary to McCain. Unfortunately for Obama, his "aura" is tarnished, the magic is gone. He will squeak by the nomination based on his existing delegate advantage, but is going to get crushed in the general election. And it's not the media's fault, it's his.

- George Falthop

March 23, 2008 at 12:22am

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Why can't people just let this go? It's almost as if White America is hysterical. Blacks of all generations experience racism throughout their lives. Guess what? Lots of them are angry. Obama did not write or preach the sermon so move on. Face facts-- From time to time, someone is actually going to speak HONESTLY about America's racist legacy. Don't shoot the messenger, he is not responsible for American history.

- bluesky

March 23, 2008 at 12:28am

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After watching Obama and McCain speak throughout all these fabricated and hyper-inflated controversies, I can say simply this, and, in saying it, for once be brief: McCain and Obama are both too good for the American Press. Compared to the hackish, blaring, soap-operatic American Press, our two leading contenders for President look like class acts. It's is the fakeness, and the willful trumpeting of really silly and non-germane stuff that reveals the shameless snake oil salesmen our journalist and pundits are. Compared to these two great gentlemen running for President, what a pathetic bunch of circus clowns our so-called journalists are. As for the pundits and the talking-point and ratings-seeking classes of folks, what losers you are, spiritually, ethically and personally.

- Mel C. Thompson

March 23, 2008 at 12:37am

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>>>...the whole thrust of the sermon as far as I can see is akin to the Old Testament phrophets war ning Israel of wrong doing. Make sure you listen to the end of the God D... section. NO. Old Testament prophets WARNED the Israelites of God's wrath. They didn NOT call God's wrath down upon them, as Rev. Wright does when he shouts G-D America. Wright is WISHING and praying for God to damn America when he says that. He wants PAYBACK. That's not what the OT prophets were doing.

- David

March 23, 2008 at 12:48am

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Wake up dummy! The first black candidate to be elected President can have absolutely zero skeletons in the closet. Small, silly transgressions like "rims that cost more than the car" may be forgiven but anything even Pluto-remotely anti-white racist will be the death knoll of the campaign. Forget all of this anonymous BS online and look at the polls. Numbers talk, BS walks.

- anti political pyrate

March 23, 2008 at 12:57am

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Rev. Wright's comments and Senator Obamas comments continue to diverge. It is amazing to me that Obama is being judged on sound bites from another man's public speeches. Has it occurred to anyone that Obama may be more intelligent and rational than Rev. Wright? That the younger may be wiser than the older? That there is a clear reason that Rev. Wright never got any bigger than his local church whereas Obama is nationwide?

- john

March 23, 2008 at 1:02am

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Aaaaannnddd .... what about Falwell, Swaggert, and other super-mega church pastors? Sooooo what.

- MarineBugler

March 23, 2008 at 1:08am

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Good piece of journalism, all these folks wishing for this to go away must be Obama supporters. Obama said he wants to talk about race so let's talk about it and while we're at it Obama's judgment for 17 years. Like it or not the doubt is out and people are wondering if those kind of sermons are what inspired Obama to have audacity to hope? After all Rev Wright is his mentor. Obama has lied to us about his Retco connection Obama has lied to us about hearing the preacher say the things he does and now admits he has to some extent. Supports disenfranchising FL and MI voters. He says he can unite but GOP will point out he is most liberal senator and has no bipartisan legislation on anything controversial. etc... etc... The question to ask yourself is do you want to win election or feel good about Obama being nominated because he will not beat John McCain the all American war hero with Wright wrapped around his Christianity and patriotism. Beside his own flip-flops caught on video denying then admitting to knowing about Wright's controversial sermons there's that video of him not holding his hand over his heart and looking away, there's his wife's comments etc... Suck it up and repeat after me, then get over it: Obama WILL NOT beat John McCain in general election. Clinton 2008

- SalP

March 23, 2008 at 1:40am

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Why is it that everyone goes out of their way to call Wright a "racist?" His statements were about "rich white people," who, he alleged, control most of the machinery in this country. He was pointing out that blacks - who have been in the US for longer than most white groups - have been systematically excluded from power. Is his assertion disputable? Clearly, no. So what's the pious indignation all about? (Are we trying not to offend the God'n'guns crowd? F*ck them.) Not to mention - what ever happened to the useful notion that only hegemonic groups (eg, whites) can be "racist?" Now is a crucial time to bring all of our current insight, c. 2008, to bear on these types of issues. Don't let the ignorant and the cynical frame these events.

- Bill

March 23, 2008 at 2:37am

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SPEECH NUMBER 1 Sam Stein>> Meet The (White) Man Who Inspired Wright's Controversial Sermon America owes Rev. Wright an apology. Take ten minutes to hear the entire message. Fox news should be forced off the airways for perpetuatinn racism in a country alreasdy on the course to destruction. Now I understand why Obama refused to throw his beloved pastor off the back of the bus. This is a disgrace, and the citizens in this country should be outraged. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/21/meet-the-white-man-who-_n_92793.html ===================================================================== SPEECH NUMBER 2 The full story behind Wright’s “God Damn America” sermon Posted: 06:33 PM ET Editor’s note: CNN Contributor Roland Martin has listened to several of the sermons of Rev. Jeremiah Wright from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Portions of the sermons have been excerpted in recent stories. Martin says listening to the full sermons help put the excerpts in context. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/21/the-full-story-behind-wright%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%9cgod-damn-america%e2%80%9d-sermon/

- Sylvia

March 23, 2008 at 2:40am

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Roy Hobbs.

- teplukhin2you

March 23, 2008 at 2:53am

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Time to move on, eh" DREAM on.... This goes to heart of the most important quality that Americans look for in a President - a record of character. Hillary flunked out of that race long ago. Obama and McCain seemed to be in a dead heat, both far above the typical politician. Obama did indeed take a "hit to the engine". Who could belong to this church for 20 years without standing up and challenging the racism and hatred so rampant there? I would expect ANY person of intelligence and decency to speak up, or just leave. That a candidate for President failed to do so, and then has the "audacity" to run a campaign based almost entirely on being a "post-racial, post-partisan" unifier reveals either a fraud or an utter wimp.

- alex black

March 23, 2008 at 2:56am

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There is some good news here... we now know where(..TUCC)/how young black people get the "slavery chip" installed. We could use Obamas logic as given in his speech to justify what the KKK says. FB

- FrotoBaggins

March 23, 2008 at 3:42am

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There is no boundary between faith and politics. Throughout human history, faith has informed politics, not the other way around. Atheism is not a lack of faith but a faith in human intellect which as we know formed the basis of Soviet communism, a failed religion. Politics among black Americans begins and ends in the church, always has probably always will.

- Carmen

March 23, 2008 at 4:08am

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It's amusing that the Obama supporters would like to believe this is already going away. Sorry, but it isn't and it WON'T. Why? Because it speaks volumes regarding Obama's poor judgment and lack of honesty. And the polls show a SHARP DROP in his numbers after the story aired and they are still going down. It's a matter of which polls you choose to believe...but most of them are spot on.

- Thomas

March 23, 2008 at 4:12am

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Does Mr. Wrights comments reflect Obama or himself. It is hysterically funny how Obama opposers prior to the "sermon" claimed that Clinton had substance and experience over words and speeches, but when that strategy did not work.....it was a damaging blow to Obama because of the words and speech of his pastor.....not him. White America is not to blame for Mr. Wright and his comments, nor should Obama be blamed. If all it takes is for a Reverend that is not running for President to change the minds of whites because of alleged anti-American or racial remarks, then they were not up for change in the first place. America has been racist, not just against blacks, but against latino, white, indian, asian, jewish, and arabs. When poor whites from the affirmative action era sat around the dinner table at nite they felt the same feelings towards American government and blacks. When 9-11 came most Americans had phobia, and hate for arabs. This country was ideally founded on freedom of religions, and speech but when rumors spread that Obama was Muslim it was widely perceived as un-American. Make up your mind people still voting.....change or SOS. Old world politics and issues on race are just that old world people still planting the thoughts of old back into society. Children see difference in color and background, but elders plant the idea of different being a problem.

- Mr. Grace

March 23, 2008 at 4:51am

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Hello Dayo Olopade, that's a good piece of writing from a home fellow. Beautiful work and English usage. However, we just pray that God can use the whole situation to heal America. That's exactly how God works when He wants to solve a particular problem or call attention to it. It is not a coincidence that Barack and Wright met at such a time as this. Reading your article clearly helps me to reaffirm that Barack's speech is just perfect. That speech will win him votes from God. You know what that will mean. In the last minute, right in the voting booth or a night before the elcetion, God can campaign across America for Barack, telling significant number of people (regardless of race or creed or whatever) to vote for Obama. I really think that Obama is the nxt President of the USA. One of the worst mistakes America can make this time is to miss electing Obama President. This man is not black, he’s not white, he’s not green or yellow or whatever. HE IS A GODLY AND HUMBLY SENSITIVE AMERICAN whom God will work with to bless America again. Don’t be surprise that the fuel prices at the pump will soar DOWN to unbelievable price per gallon again, and OPEC will have little or nothing to do with it. God is God when He gets the right person in place. Hillary cannot do it. Obama has to also think doubly twice before choosing Hillary as VP. She might be a source of problems!!! God is setting up America to be healed through this man. I continue to see it this way. Ohio and hundreds of thousands of voters in Texas have been duped into voting for Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton duped them with the lies and innuendos on NAFTA and the 3:00 a.m. call. But see–God exposed Clinton on NAFTA lies against Obama. Now it is discovered that she is the one communicating with the Canadian government that the promises she was giving on NAFTA are simply campaign related, designed to gain votes. Well she gained the votes and won. I strongly call on Ohio and Texas voters to chastise Clinton and to demand their votes back!!! This exposure on NAFTA will let you know about what she means when she talks about the 3:00 a.m. phone call. Hillary will not answer that call. If she does, she won’t know what to do or she will most probably make the wrong decision, trying to do things just by herself without consultation or she will be worrying and bugged down with “guilts” about what she has done to people. Obama will make very good decisions, and he will make sure to get together with the right people to help him explore necessary alternatives and contingencies. Wake up America and stop being maneuvered by people like Hillary. As someone wrote in the internet, concerning Hillary’s stunt on NAFTA, “When people talk about Hillary’s experience, it is this type of stunt they are referring to…i.e., political experience. She’s good at the Dark Arts, but that’s about it as far as her experience goes.” Mr. Barack Obama is actually stronger in national security, economy, healthcare, and some of the other issues than either Hillary or McCain. America is at a stage in her life that she needs overhaul. The agent of that overhaul is Obama for such a time as this. His middle name does not matter. He did not give himself the name. He loves everyone, including Israel. What people do not know is that Obama attends one of the strictest Christian denominations that commit very seriously to serving Jesus Christ. Church of Christ is STRICT! A weak Christian cannot attend such a denomination. It is seriously Pentecostal. It is also becoming very clear that Hillary can do or say anything to win while Obama, on the other hand, being a strong Christian, simply does not want to attack Hillary negatively, although he and everyone else knows how to do it. right now, Hillary is striving to mess up the chances of the democratic party in the general election. NOW Catch this: America cannot be resurrected into vitality and prosperity until significant number of her citizens become energized by the inspiration, wakening, and motivating spirit that God has embedded in Obama for the benefit of America AT THIS TIME. When people are aroused and awake again, then they can work hard and participate together toward believing and making everything work toward strengthening the economy, family, political system, national security, and building healthy and trusting relationships within America and between America and the rest of the world. That’s NATIONAL SECURITY! THAT’S ECONOMIC STRENGTH! THAT’S PEOPLE TRUSTING AND BELIEVING IN AMERICA AGAIN! I am a Professof of Business Administration and strategic management for a long time. Obama is what America needs at this time. World leaders will actually respect him much more than others due to his humble spirit but also quiet inner strength! In fact, terrorists will think much-more than twice before they try to attack any American interests with Obama as President. they already have it in their heads that this man cannot play with them. Obama is more humble than Reagan, but he has a tough demeanor similar to Reagan (if not better) that outside world will fear and respect! He will not make many mistakes and he relatively will not waste resources as many American Presidents have done. He will appropriate resources wisely and monitor their use and who uses them, especially in relations to other nations. Many nations trick the United States into sending the dollars; but the dollars have usually been used to accomplish very little. Most dollars are wasted in highly corrupt foreign leaders who claim to be assisting their nations. Such leaders will find it difficult to try to play Obama. There is so much to write, but I will stop here! Feel free to get the Obama campaign to contact me. I will advise them on how to win the general election. Well, one more thing: I strongly advise the Obam campaign to run this ad nationally. I am writing it for them right now— “….. Shouldn’t the President be the one, the only one that is capable of uniting people and solve problems without letting any problem turn into crises? The inspiration, my ability to relate to people instead of using intimidation or fight-posture, and my ability to manage or analyze contingencies and draw necessary conclusions and judgments define domestic and national security for America. Such qualification leads to getting problems solved without heading into crises that will bruise and drain America and wound our economy and every other thing! That’s REAL security! That’s the REAL experience you need! That’s Barack Obama! We don’t have to use force when we don’t have to use force! If experience leads to consistently bad judgments, then what is that experience? You be the judge! How can somone who does not mind duping Ohio and Texas into voting for her with lies on NAFTA be your President? How can Hillary Clinton be the President of this great nation if her experience is on lies, innuendos, and accusing Obama wrongly for what she herself is doing? She is both Ms and Mrs. Hood Wink Wink and double-talk! Make Hillary pay for Ohio and Texas! Run away from HILLARY! Leave her alone! She is TOO DESPERATE to be the President of this United States of America. Her mind won’t be steady at 3:00 a.m., worrying about all the negative campaigns. I will make the right judgment at 3:00 a.m. given the circumstances of the call! People’s lives are at stake; therefore no one can jump into quick and un-chewed decision without consulting the Presidential cabinet or even the congress or even the American people. Run away from misjudgment. [EVEN the ‘3 a.m. Ad’ Girl Wants Obama to Answer Call. Girl featured in Hillary Clinton’s ad actually supports Obama. ABC News - Sun Mar 9, 12:35 PM ET] Make me your President and let us deliver Change We Can Believe In. YES WE CAN!” Dear America, let us open our eyes and see how God is fighting for this man, Mr. Obama, who is a serious Christian running to become our President. The cheep and deceiving Hillary’s campaign didn’t know that they were using a girl in a campaign who is actually campaigning for Obama right now. That’s how God fights for people who are humble and means well like Obama. That’s how God will fight for America when the right person becomes her commander in Chief. Just read the ABC News excerpt: —-[”They were parodying this ad, kind of poking fun at it,” Knowles said. “My brother was like, ‘Is that Casey?’ And we just erupted. Sure enough, it’s me.” The file footage was originally shot for a railroad company advertisement. The Clinton campaign bought it from Getty Images. Knowles, a senior at Bonney Lake High School who turns 18 next month, has been campaigning for Obama. She attended his rally at Seattle’s KeyArena on Feb. 8. Her mother, Pam, told The News Tribune of Tacoma that Casey cried and trembled after shaking the candidate’s hand. The next day, she was a Democratic precinct captain for the state’s caucuses. If she plays her cards right, she could go to the national convention. Not to mention that she could be in another ad. After her identity became known, Obama’s campaign contacted her. “I mentioned that we should make a counter ad, me and Obama, against Hillary,” she said. “They thought that was really funny. They actually might take me up on it.” Now you make the judgment. This is Obama’s time for America. Vote for Obama to vote for America’a security, peace, economic prosperity, and political prosperity again!!!!!!!!!! Don’t let selfish and wicked politicians dupe your vote.

- strongblood

March 23, 2008 at 5:52am

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I have to agree tha tit's really articles like this and the rest of the press tha tis keeping this story alive....or even framing it as a "story". You have to be pretty dumb not to know and understand how this church rhetoric comes about. Being from an urban area (Chicago), and even being White and not a regular attendee at a "Black" church I am aware of what the tone CAN sometimes be. I can only think that your readers and others who condemn Obama for attending Trinity just because his pastor may have a certain amount of "radical" thought are expressing a subtle form of racism themselves. Is it practical for any of us to remove ourselves from all bad voices in our environment? And because those voices exist does it mean that you absolutely agree with them? I don't believe in the long run this will hurt his chances of winning the general (especially since McCain has some unsavory religious characters on his team), but it ceratinly proves Obama's point that as a nation (and especially the media) we need to work to get beyond racism.

- Chibri

March 23, 2008 at 7:23am

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No, my lineal relatives weren't in the hold of slave-ships, as they were too busy being literally burned alive by Nazis or gang raped by Cossacks. (Pardon me for being a descendant of victims of a different evil. I guess that makes me morally inferior). The Wright controversy is not going away, because it shouldn't- Obama is a U.S. Senator, the most influential and prominent member of his congregation and a close ally of its leader, and NOT ONCE did he try to get the guy to rein in the rhetoric. Maybe because he agreed, maybe not, but it doesn't matter anymore. Morally stupid, tactically stupid, and cowardly-there are P.T.A. moms in my community who are more suited to be President than this man, and have shown more moral courage. He is a disgrace.

- dyinglikeflies

March 23, 2008 at 7:25am

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Obama probably will retain his base supporters (African Americans, young voters, high-income and educated white liberals), but those groups will not be enough to elect him president in the general election. In particular, Obama's 20-year close association with an anti-American racist bigot who preaches hate will permanently cost him votes among blue collar workers who decide elections in key swing states.

- Roberta

March 23, 2008 at 7:25am

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OBAMA IS UNELECTABLE IN GENERAL ELECTION Easy to see already see Republican attack ads against Obama. First open with videos of racist wife, Michelle, saying she was proud of America "for the first time" because of her husband's presidential candidacy, next Obama explaining that he doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin or hold his hands to his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance because it is a "substitute for true patriotism." Then flash a clip of Obama explaining that his Caucasian grandmother was a "typical white person" because she uttered racial epithets and was afraid of black people. Finally, the coup de grace, pictures of Obama's angry, arm-waving preacher blaming the United States for 9/11 and shouting "God Damn America" to the rafters of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ and preaching the U.S. government formulated the HIV AIDS virus to commit genocide against blacks. Even though Obama supposedly condemning Wright's shocking verbal assaults against the U.S and White Americans, even last year; Obama was the first to public ally demand Don Imus ouster for making a racially insensitive remark, and Obama continues to support Wrights racism and remains at the church for more than 20 years, he and Michelle obviously feels it’s a good environment to expose his young daughters too. His opinions and issues change with the weather, he is too UNSTABLE and proven he cannot make a decision or stay with one. If that’s not enough, then you start showing his terrible senate voting record, Obama when faced with tough choices always gave in to pressure from the Bush administration or corporate lobbyists, Obama dealings with one of his largest contributors, Exelon, a big nuclear power company and the deals he cut behind closed doors to protect them from full disclosure in the nuclear industry. Obamas record shows he infact did support the war when he got to the senate, voted twice against bringing America's troops back home. He voted for war appropriations giving our money to Halliburton and Blackwater where Texas woman, was gang-raped by her co-workers at a Halliburton/KBR camp in Baghdad, His latest bit of posturing S 433 allows the Bush Administration to suspend any troop withdrawal, if not suspended, keeps the troops in Iraq for a long time to come, but in his camp stumps touts he wants to bring troops home, but as we have witnessed his recent lies to voters like Canada he cannot be trusted on his word and lastly ALL the corrupt indicted financial backers, like Rezko…Get out of the race Obama you are destroying the democratic party!

- OBAMA IS UNELECTABLE

March 23, 2008 at 7:53am

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I live in Singapore and have been following the elections. Seems like the majority of journalists (from both print and tv) have not seen the Rev.'s entire sermon. I have watched it on Youtube and his comments have been taken completely out of context! I'm afraid the American media's coverage of the Rev Wright affair has been shockingly unprofessional..more third world than first! I think everyone should make it a point to watch it.

- Yvonne

March 23, 2008 at 8:31am

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ACtually Jerempiah Wright has been saying out loud what needs to be uttered. Amerika's elite nuked Japan (a couple of hundred thousand deaths), carpet-bombed northern Korea (2 milion dead at least), killed, raped and ruined Vietnam (3 million dead), pitched over a million tons of bombs on Cambodia then blamed the dead on the Khmer rouge. That's Amerika's eilte. What keeps ordinary Americans rising up against them?

- Jeff

March 23, 2008 at 8:34am

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I will pray for forgiveness and healing of all my hateful thoughts and words and I can and will forgive Rev Wright Go OBAMA

- whiteman4obama

March 23, 2008 at 8:40am

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One is brought to amazing wonder what you saw in Oboma ?Other than you and Oboma are obviously very Anti War , Liberal /Socialist STYLED welfare is wonderful and high tax believers ......Obviously . I am quite sure your "Tone and Vote " would change if the word KKK or Black hating White Church was inserted instead of Rev, Wright or the HIGHLY RACIST Trenity church . He who runs with a pack of haters tis' not a man I would trust to bring peace between the races .A good man makes no deals with those that hate .

- sam

March 23, 2008 at 8:59am

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These people that say you can't cherry pick a few words or phrases. You need to listen to the entire sermon. So let me get this straight. If I give a half an hour speech on something, and I use the word nigger in a couple of sentences, I'm supposed to believe that these same people are gonna take the ENTIRE speach in to account? Or do you think that they might zoom in on the nigger part? So please, cut the garbage. Your boy got caught dead to rights. His 20 year membership in a church with a PIG for a Pastor can never be explained away. He's got the backing of the New, and improved Black Panther Party. And we wouldn't want to leave out Reverend Hitlers' brotha from another motha, the equally RACIST Reverend Meeks. He gets caught hanging out with racists, and all of a sudden, the REST OF US need a conversation on race? Any WHITE, who votes for this lying sack, this Racist in sheeps' clothing, is a fool.

- Timothy L. Pennell

March 23, 2008 at 9:14am

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Of course it's not going away - sort of like the right-wing press and the Scott Beauchamp story - remember how TNR was haranged over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over... sort of like what you're doing with this hackneyed and boring recap of the hackneyed and boring recaps we've been reading all week long... In fact, the ONLY people I hear speaking of this is the press...

- Warpublican...

March 23, 2008 at 9:36am

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Hey "typical white person": Vote Obama 2008! Or you're a racist like my grandmother.

- Bob Dobalina

March 23, 2008 at 10:16am

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Youtube Watch: Obama's speech: 2.6 million views plus. Top Anti-Wright video: .3 million views. And, a rising star -- Wright sermons in their full context. Watch out, Obama bashers, the trush is sneaking up on you.

- Andrew Davis

March 23, 2008 at 10:22am

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I found Pastor Wright's comment's distasteful and his embrace of Louis Farrakhan abhorrent. That said, trying to belittle the anger of black Americans is not only misguided, it is wrong. The worst evil the world has faced was the Nazis in World War II. Black soldiers fought and gave their lives but were not allowed to stay in the same barracks with white soldiers and were treated like third-class citizens at best. Yet, when they died, their blood was no different from their white counterparts'. They returned home to water fountains they were not allowed to drink from, restaurants they were not allowed to eat in, and had to sit in the back of the bus. The Tuskegee episode had the American government using blacks as experimental guinea pigs. While I, too, find accusations of the government manufacturing the HIV virus to murder blacks outrageous, any black American that was taught about the Tuskegee disgrace has reason to doubt their government. Voter suppression of blacks was rampant and even as recently as the 2000 election for President there were allegations of attempts to turn away black voters. The entire world saw black bodies floating down the flooded streets of New Orleans as the federal government stood by and did nothing while the Black neighborhoods of New Orleans were destroyed. Today, in 2008, black men are still stopped at random by policemen for the sole reason they are black. A black man trying to catch a taxi in most major cities in America has a less than 50 percent chance the taxi will stop for him. Yes, I abhor what Reverend Wright says. I am white and I am Jewish, but I still can understand his anger and the anger and doubts of most black Americans. We can criticize him all we want for hating us, but history shows his animosity is most definitely not make believe. There were wrongs that were righted and wrongs and injustice that still must be righted, but we do our country a great disservice by dismissing everything the man said as ranting and raving. We cannot move forward if we cannot understand our past, and we must embrace one another as equals and treat one another as we would like others to treat us.

- Mark Jeffery Koch

March 23, 2008 at 11:18am

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Obama did not "disown" Wright. That's one of the many reasons he will lose in November if the Democrats are suicidal enough to give him their nomination.

- ajmalkov

March 23, 2008 at 11:49am

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Wright and Obama have used each other for their own personal political ambitions. Obama now has as much a chance of being elected as the Right Rev's Jackson and Sharpton. After the Wight stories, the truths about Obama's bonafides have finally surfaced. Personally, I do not think the country is ready for a black president. Not this one, anyway. I agree with a previous comment--Obama has no real connection with black America. Father--an African. Mother-a lost white girl in Hawaii.

- Mmarquez

March 23, 2008 at 3:47pm

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I second Brent's observation. And even the 30 seconds or so that we've seen is only "racist" or "anti-American" if its taken out of context. Which, of course, it is. Wright gets angry about racism in America. He doesn't argue that all white people are racists, but he does argue that racism is a big, ugly part of American society and culture, past and present, and he's sure that God doesn't like it. So what makes him "racist" or "anti-American"? Is it because he insists on insisting that racism is relevant? Or is it just because he's so "angry" about it? What's interesting is that most of Wright's message is about issues like self-reliance, personal responsibiliity, responsibility to the community, etc. These are all themes that everyone, left, right and far right can get behind. He's also a veteran and a pillar of the Chicago community, apparently. But he's an angry black man, too, so I guess that trumps everything else.

-

March 23, 2008 at 4:31pm

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YOU claim that Rev. Wright will have "absolutely no role in an Obama presidency." The problem is that Obama himself did NOT make such a commitment to the American people. That's the problem. Obama never directly refuted Rev. Wright's nutty doctrines, such as AIDS being a white conspiracy against blacks. Bill Clinton had no trouble telling 9-11 conspiracy theorists to their face that they were crazy. Why does Obama have such trouble labeling a crazy theory as crazy? A simple commitment that "When I'm president, such views and such men will have no place in my Administration" would have been worth a lot more than Obama's attempt to have his racial cake and eat it too.

- sinz52

March 23, 2008 at 5:05pm

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The "outraged frustration" of Rev. Wright and his parishioners is no concern of mine. I'm not interested in "understanding" it, rationalizing it, excusing it, or appeasing it. I have never been interested in soft-soaping extremism, whether it's Islamic extremism or black nationalist extremism. I just want to make sure it doesn't damage my beautiful country in any way.

- sinz52

March 23, 2008 at 5:10pm

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In Barak Obama’s recent speech on race relations, what if he had focused on his own conduct instead of everyone else’s? What if he had applied his principles of hope and change to himself? What kind of speech would he have delivered? The following is one Obama admirer's concept of what he would have said. A MORE PERFECT CANDIDATE THE BARAK OBAMA SPEECH I WANTED TO HEAR ON MARCH 18, 2008 Good evening. The major television networks and cable channels recently aired a series of video clips showing portions of sermons by my pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Reverend Wright served as the leader of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. I have attended the church for the past 20 years. Many Americans thought the sermons were anti-American, anti-white, and anti-Semitic. Therefore you may be wondering whether I share those contentious views. I do not. Tonight I would like to explain my beliefs and dispel the misconceptions I have created about my leadership ability and judgment. For me, hope and change is not just a slogan. It is a principle to live by. It starts with me taking responsibility for my faith and my place of worship. Hence the following atonement. First I want to apologize to the black American community. I gave you the impression, by participating in the Trinity Church, that I endorsed the church’s black liberation theology. The truth is, I never identified with that brand of Christianity. I appreciate the history of the movement, with its muscular concepts of oppression, victimization, and empowerment. But America has come a long way since then. I would rather build on that progress than dwell in a perpetual re-run of the 1960’s. I joined the Trinity Church for reasons of acceptance. The church enabled me to accept Christ in my life. It helped me accept my black heritage. It accepted people in need. It accepted me, even though I hardly fit the profile of a resident of south side Chicago. In return for the church’s acceptance, I accepted the offensive parts of Reverend Wright’s sermons: his obscenities, his use of the “n” word, and his denunciations of America, whites and Jews. For 20 years I listened politely to the Reverend’s slurs, tacitly playing along with his social blame game. I never heard his worst outbursts until a few days ago, when I watched the videos. But that is beside the point. The Reverend was my spiritual mentor and friend for 20 years. I had already heard plenty of similar lyrics in his jarring song. Indeed, I repeated some of them in my 1995 book, "Dreams for My Father." There I recounted the Reverend’s "Audacity of Hope" sermon, quoting the line “[W]hite folks’ greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere…That’s the world on which hope sits!" My staff was also familiar with the Reverend’s divisive prose. That is why they advised me to dis-invite him from my campaign. The point is that I never should have accepted the unacceptable. My silence was complicity. I should have used my position as a prominent American leader to challenge the Reverend’s views and show my fellow congregants a better way. If I had succeeded in effecting change, I could have started the kind of constructive inter-racial dialog that is long overdue in this country. If I had failed, I still could have shown leadership by leading the way out the door. Unfortunately, I was afraid of losing my church’s acceptance. So I kept up appearances at the cost of my ideals. You deserve better from a U.S. senator, especially one who aspires to be president. And for that, I am deeply sorry. Going forward, I will make sure that Trinity Church cleans up its act. If the new pastor continues in Reverend Wright’s tradition, I will leave the church. It should not be hard to find a place of worship that offers acceptance without peddling the politics of hate. After all, Christ never said ‘hate thy neighbor.’ If I cannot find a tolerant church in the black community, I will find one elsewhere. I feel no compulsion to join a black church simply because I am half-black. By the same token, I could not be a parishioner of Pastor John Hagee. Pastor Hagee is the white evangelical preacher who said Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment of the City of New Orleans for holding a Gay Pride parade. Next, I owe an apology to white Americans, and by extension, America in general. My involvement in the Trinity Church helped popularize its anti-white theology. How much that swelled hatred towards whites or America, we will never know. This we do know: in the age of the Internet, anything we say can and will be used against us in the court of world opinion. Take the disgraceful episode of prison abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In April of 2004, during the Army’s criminal investigation of the wrongdoing, one soldier released some of the investigative evidence, namely, a series of photos depicting the shameful abuse. Within one month, Al Qaeda terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi conducted a video-taped beheading of U.S. citizen Nick Berg. The militant announced that he was responding to Abu Ghraib. Here is another example of how we Americans help shape our image abroad. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack, an anonymous foreign source published the unfounded conspiracy theory that Israel’s intelligence agency warned Jews to leave the World Trade Center before the attack. Then others mass-e-mailed the lie. One of the spammers was Malik Zulu Shabazz, head of America’s New Black Panther Party. Eventually, an opinion poll found that the majority of the “Arab Street” regarded the falsehood as fact. Mr. Shabazz and his group may not be Islamic militants any more than the U.S. soldier in Iraq. But his words, however inadvertently, give them rhetorical ammunition. We know the standard narrative of radical Islam: it could be any story, fanciful or true, shaped to demonize Americans, Jews, or capitalism. Often the alarmism is accompanied by some religious invocation. For example, Osama bin Laden refers to “the oppression and tyranny of the American/Israeli coalition against our people.” He adds that “oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy … to keep busy their various corporations.” Then he claims “Allah” is his “Guardian and Helper.” Notice the similarity of Reverend Wright’s caustic themes. He yelled, “God damn America,” called us “the number one killer in the world,” and accused our government of inventing AIDS as “a means of genocide against people of color.” He said we invaded Iraq “for oil money.” He referred to the word “Israel” as a “dirty word” and filled one issue of his newsletter with an article by a Hamas official questioning why anyone should “concede Israel’s ‘right’ to exist.” He explained the 9/11 attack as “America’s chickens coming home to roost.” I can just imagine bin Laden salivating before his in-cave TV set and rubbing his hands with glee. Reverend Wright is a friend and admirer of Louis Farrakhan, another influential Chicago-area spiritual leader who spills gasoline on the fires of terrorist texts. Farrakhan made the bald assertion that “Zionists … manipulated the American government” to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. You may recall that I have already repudiated this man in the strongest terms, despite his unsolicited support of my campaign. Another purveyor of Osama-style speech is James Meeks, an Illinois State Senator and Pastor of Chicago’s Salem Baptist Church. He refers to America’s mayors as modern-day “slave masters” who are “presiding over systems where black people are not able to be educated.” He also blames “Hollywood Jews” for making the Academy-Awarding winning film, “Brokeback Mountain.” Many times I have said ‘words matter.’ I meant it. Every American has the cherished First Amendment right to denounce our government. But the more we emulate the terrorists’ propaganda, the more we encourage their terrorist acts. Especially dangerous is the trend of militarizing religion. I do not want my spiritual leaders to hijack Christianity the way certain Moslem extremists have hijacked Islam. We must each decide what we want America to be: a cauldron of clashing civilizations or a pluralistic democracy. Whatever the outcome, we had better decide soon. Our national security is at stake. By failing to challenge the above haters, I displayed a lack of leadership. All three of them were based in my own backyard of Chicago. All three operated out of the state that I represent in the U.S. Senate. In one of the three cases I tried to conceal the individual’s involvement in my campaign. That lapse of judgment only exacerbated the problem. Nevertheless, I continue to believe that I am the best-qualified person to move us beyond the racial blame game, which only fuels the rhetoric of our mutual enemies, and start solving our problems through civil debate. That is the core of my proposed agenda as president. Therefore, I hereby recommit myself to my trans-racial mission by resolving to denounce American racism at every turn. Black, white, brown, or purple, whoever tries to lead Americans in the direction of racial strife will hear from me. I will write them and debate them. I will organize counter-marches and other media events. I will leverage my credentials and contacts. I will rebut their op-ed pieces and soften the cynics. In short, I will do my part to walk the walk in this nation’s march for a more just and equal America. In addition, I will apply my community organizing skills to form a non-profit foundation that will conduct inter-racial workshops on the social challenges of our day. To the extent that the group can reach solutions though multi-racial consensus, I will propose them in my campaign. There must be ways to invest in education, health care, jobs, and peacekeeping that meet our common goals. My efforts may cost me the votes of a few holdouts who cling to the grudges of the past. But to me, uniting this country is more important than winning public office. How foolish I was to spend twenty years paying homage to a bigot as my spiritual mentor. Each time the Reverend bashed the “white man,” he was bashing me. I am the one who put myself in that demeaning position. So the buck stops with me. It is no excuse for either of us that the Reverend’s black racism was caused by white racism. Every clergyman knows that two wrongs do not make a right. And every Christian minister knows the golden rule. In the particular context of racial justice, there can be no double standard. Otherwise we send the signal that it would be ok for someone like John McCain to join a white supremacist church. In fairness to Reverend Wright, he never used derogatory terms in his conversations with me or his direct interactions with whites. He was like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. For those deeds I remain in his debt. Moreover, the Reverend did worlds of good for his neighbors. He housed the homeless, provided day care services, raised funding for scholarships, and cared for the sick. Finally, I ask for the forgiveness of the American Jews. Of all the people for blacks to spit on, Jews deserve it the least. Be assured that a prominent goal in my war on racism will be to conquer the forces of anti-Semitism. That is my responsibility as a believer in democracy, and especially as a member of the black race. We blacks have as many as five good reasons to support Jews and Israel wherever we can. 1. Black America could not ask for a better friend than the American Jew. The Jews marched with us shoulder to shoulder through the civil rights movement. They helped establish us in a legally protected class while never seeking the same status for themselves. To this day they join us in every cause from civil liberties, to poverty relief, to the genocide in Darfur. 2. Far from the model of South African apartheid, Israel has set an example of democratic tolerance for minority populations. The freest Arabs in the Middle East are the Arab citizens of Israel. Remarkably, despite continuing animosities between Arabs and Jews, Arabs are represented by multiple parties in the Israeli parliament. They serve as ministers in Israel’s executive branch and judges on its supreme court. They receive Israeli government-provided health care and education and enjoy a much higher standard of living than most other Arabs in the Middle East. By and large, it is the Arabs in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and southern Lebanon who strap on the explosive vests. Their vision of a future Palestine includes no Jews at all. Israel’s democratic diversity is also well known in Africa. A continuous stream of refugees from the African conflict zones are literally overwhelming the tiny State of Israel in their desperate search for asylum. When I quoted Reverend Wright in my book, “Dreams for my Father,” I wrote, “[W]hite folks’ greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another ….” The apartheid charge was an anti-Semitic smear. I assure you I will not make that misjudgment again. 3. Blacks, of all people, can identify with the Jewish struggle for survival in a prejudiced world. Both groups were targeted for extermination by the Nazis, both were attacked by the Ku Klux Klan, and both suffered discrimination by the American establishment. Also remember that the 9/11 attack was directed at all Americans, not just whites and Jews. When it comes to the war on terror, just like our other foreign and domestic challenges, we are all in this together. Today Jews comprise such a tiny percent of the world population that they are nearly extinct. Meanwhile, Israel is surrounded by enemies who have been trying to destroy the nation since 1948, when the United Nations ushered it into existence. Its people are beleaguered by war and terrorism, and its military advantage erodes as we speak, thanks to the emerging power of Iran. We are the guardians of the human right to exist. We cannot stand by while Israel is wiped off the map. 4. Blacks hold the key to conflict resolution. It is called nonviolent protest, and it was Dr. King’s gift. Let us share that gift with all would-be suicide bombers. Imagine the potential transformation of Moslem grievances, not just in the West Bank and Gaza, but Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Algeria, Kashmir, Kosovo, Denmark, and France. Dr. King believed the pen was mightier than the sword, and he was right. 5. Whether our black heritage happens to be Christian or Moslem, our religion is an outgrowth of the Jewish faith. We should no more hate the Jews than two sons should hate their mother. As we do God’s work on earth, let us act like the family we are, with mutual caring, respect, and support. I suppose I could have given a politically safer speech tonight. I could have treated the matter as though it were someone else’s burden. I might have retraced the tragic history of race in America, feigned shock at the language of Reverend Wright, and moralized about his state of mind. I could have pointed out the racial imperfections of others, perhaps including my own mother. I could have pretended that leaving Trinity Church would be tantamount to disowning the black community. I could have tried to melt your hearts with a story about an elderly man’s gesture of racial sensitivity. But the issue of my leadership ability and judgment is not something I can ignore with the hope that it fades away. I must be fully accountable for the role I played in my controversial church. To all who support me, I promise to make the needed personal reforms and hope they meet your expectations. I cannot change overnight. But this is my start.

- Joel

March 23, 2008 at 5:20pm

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'Obama will never overcome his 20-year association with a bigoted religious nutcase' Obama did with his Speech, the most important Speech on Race since Martin Luther King's. Besides Sean Hannity will never get over his association with white nationalist, white supremacist, and former Internet radio talk show host Harold "Hal" Turner.

- John Bryans Fontaine

March 23, 2008 at 9:44pm

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I am a white Canadian.The truths about history will always bring out resitance unfortunatley Mr Obama is like a lightning rod for these people.Remember the civil rights movement in the world is not over.The truth is right.If it wasn't the pastors sermon it would have been something else.

- james thompson

March 23, 2008 at 10:44pm

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Wright is about 66, 67. It is highly improbable that he had a grandparent in slavery. Slavery ended in 1865,143 years ago. And it is absolutely impossible that he had a grandparent on a slave ship. The slave trade ended in 1807, 201 years ago. Obviously, the reason Blacks don't just forget about and get over slavery is that he don't know any history and can't do simple arithmetic. With Politely Correctness now gone insane, recently a White man was fired for reading on his lunch break a book ATTACKING the KKK. He was told he was "insensitive" because his Black co-workers were struck down with pain when they saw the letters KKK on the spine of the book he was reading. Yet Wright is allowed to spew race hatred against Whites, often copied from Hitler's attacks on Jews. Thus just as Wright said Whites invented AIDS, so Hitler said Jews invented syphilis. The contradictions of living in a country controlled by Blacks would be amusing, if they weren't' so frightening. Soon we'll have, as Wright preached and demanded the Final Solution of the White Problem

- Jan Rogozinski

March 23, 2008 at 11:41pm

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His association with Rev Wright has hurt him in the polls and us "typical white people," won't vote for someone who refers to us in that manner. Let's put Hillary in Obama's shoes and let her give a talk on radio where she refers to "typical black people," and let's see what everyone thinks. By 2020, white people will be in the minority in the US - I can't wait for those affirmative action polices to kick in for me at that time (as I, a "typical white person" will be in the minority). If you decide to be a victum, you will be - my best friend is black and even she thinks thats part of why those that are black continue to live in the victum mentality and why they are raising their kids to be the same. We don't have slaves now, we haven't for more than 100 years - get over it and get on with your lives - us "typical white people" also face reverse discrimination due to the affirmative action laws designed to protect you, but not us "typical white people." The choices you make (YOU) determine the outcome of your life - good or bad, take responsibility, quit asking or expecting the government to support you while you sit on your butt and start raising your children to unite, not divide!

- Kim

March 23, 2008 at 11:54pm

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Televangelist David Parsley, whom McCain has called a "spiritual guide," has declared Allah a demon spirit, and called for the American-led obliteration of Islam. McCain actively sought the endorsement of John Hagee, who called the Catholic Church "The Great Whore," "the "apostate church," a "False Cult," and "the "anti-Christ." John McCain's mother appeared at her son's side on Hardball and blamed "Mormons" for "that mess in Salt Lake City." (You should check out the YT video--McCain's expression is priceless). And let's not forget McCain sucking up to Bob Jones. If the candidates wanted to make this a War of Preachers, there's plenty of ammunition for both sides. But they don't. Obama's already hurting from this stupidity, and McCain would rather not put himself in a position where his complicated relationship with the Christian right gets any more attention. When I do vote against McCain, it won't be because of some crap his _preacher_ said, or his Mama said, or his wife said, or one of his advisers said. Most of us have had a minister or a preacher or a priest in our life who said something stupid or hateful, to our shock and dismay, and to remind us that we are all human, after all. This "scandal" is just one artillery shell in what promises to be a long and punishing year. If Obama is the nominee--as I believe, better or worse, he will be--this won't be at the top of the electorate's mind when it comes time to pull the lever. That's because, like most "issues" in an election year, this is no issue at all, and because all you have to do is listen to Obama or read Obama to understand that any implication that he's some sort of secret racist is just bullshit. By November this will be just another one of the craters on both sides, and the Wright issue will only matter to the people who think it's really important--bigots who never would have voted for Obama anyway.

- sullydog

March 24, 2008 at 9:26am

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'yawn......

- Thrasher

March 24, 2008 at 10:26am

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Obama is finished. Wright is an anti-American bigot. I also have freedom of speech to call Wright what he is.

- Sandy C.

March 24, 2008 at 10:32am

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Pastor Jeremy Wright's hateful fulminations are way over the top and disturbing. But Fox's Hannity has gone too far too. His continuous badmouthing of OBama and Wright are creating a backlash among Fox viewers and on Fox itself. Hannity is turning Wright into a sympathetic character and Hannity himself is becoming a hate monger. It is like " the pot calling the kettle black". By the way I think "Hobbes" is the cat.

- Mitchell Wolfe

March 24, 2008 at 10:42am

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Obama showed his true self with his off-the-cuff "typical white person" remark. Wright is only part of the problem....Obama himself is the real problem. This is a lasting impression that is not going to go away and perspective and context has nothing to do with it. I think Obama is toast.

- darcy

March 24, 2008 at 12:09pm

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I just love how Obama supporters keep telling themselves that the Wright fiasco is "fading"...keep telling yourselves that...all the way to a defeat in November. Americans may not wish to hear about this for months on eed, but come time to vote in secret at the ballot box...they won't be forgetting who Obama associated himself with for 20 odd years. Believe it!

- Dave

March 24, 2008 at 12:34pm

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Defend Wright until the cows come home if you want, it sure as hell is not going to win him any cross over/undecided votes. This is the gift that will keep on giving to a 3rd bush term. Hillery will storm the convention just like Kennedy in 1980. We are watching history.

- Eric

March 24, 2008 at 2:05pm

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It is clear to me from so many of the reactionary comments here that few of the posters have ever set foot in a black church, or have any significant acquaintances that have. If they did, they would realize that Rev. Wright is not an anomaly in the black community. In fact, his ethnicity aside, he is not even an anomaly in evangelical Christianity. First, to call Wright and those like him racist and anti-American is ludicrous. Yes Virginia, many black pastors lace their messages with imagery and hyperbole that tie scriptural accounts of struggle and triumph to the struggles of their parishioners. This is an act of relevancy. It is not racist. There is no call for retribution. There is no call for violence. There is no call for hatred. There is no call for incivility. Rather, the call is to reflection, repentance, and dedication to God and his principles. Please hear this - when a black minister points out the existence of institutional racism in the greater society, or the ungodly acts of our government, he is attacking the passivity and apathy of his listeners. To what end? In the Christian message, change begins within, not through external acts like violence. This message calls the hearers to personal accountability. It teaches them that they cannot depend on the greater society to solve all of their problems nor to rescue them. It reinforces to them that there may even be cases where either the government or government-supported industry may disregard their safety or well-being – as in the Syphilis experiments on blacks. It teaches them that those in power don’t always have their best interests at heart, but that God does! This continues to be an important message is some corners of the black community, especially those where blacks may have been victimized due to their prior passivity or undue trust in the supposedly benign acts of the greater society, i.e., whites. It is this message of personal responsibility, of pride, of enduring faith, and yes, of strength that draws young black men to the church. No doubt, Senator Obama connected with some aspect of this message as a young community organizer in Chicago, and once settled in his new "church family," felt no need to leave, despite the occasional odd comment from the pulpit. http://prevailingwins.blogspot.com/

- Jomo

March 24, 2008 at 3:02pm

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First I saw the 10 second clipsof Wright ranting. What in the world, I wondered, was the context we were not seeing. I found a nearly 10 minute segment on YouTube which gave a fuller context to the post 9/11 sermon. The sermon expressed the pain and dismay over the slaughter of innocents on 9/11. It warned against facile vengeance that would hurt more innocents without necessarily curing the underlying issues that had led to 9/11. It recounted some of our own failings as a country. It said no more and no less than I had heard my own rabbi say with much less rhetorical effect. Moreover what both said was throughly in the prophetic tradition. It needed saying. (Hey. I'm not some kind of Left Wing Radical against all wars. On the contrary. I was for the Iraq war... But what Pastor Wright said still needed saying and I wish that I and my country could have heeded what was being said). Then on Easter Sunday I decided to go to TUCC. I learned that its motto was "Unashamedly Black and unabashedly Christian." Fair enough, I thought. It would be odd, if TUCC proclaimed itself to be "Ashhamedly Black and abashedly Christian." Why was the media saying it was racist and separatist to have the choir wear dashikis I wondered. Or to have the congegation urged to take pride in itself and to take responsibility for their own lives? That is what TUCC's many ministries are all about. Isn't that what churches are supposed to do? Or are only Black churches not permitted to do that? Have you all taken leave of your senses? As for Wright's rhetoric... well believe it or not much of it is extraordinarily artful (take it from a Harvard Ph.d in literature). No it is not tame and it is full of aliterations and rhymes and passion. But what in the world is wrong with that? As for Moss, TUCC's new young pastor, he is fully in the Black rhetorical/prophetic tradition with less of the seemingly outrageous. I certainly heard the spirit move in the joyous choir singing inspired by African traditions. I heard the story of the crucifiction and the ressurection preached in an ethical way by TUCC's young pastor, taking as his text, a passge from Luke which describes Jesus on the cross between the two thieves. Do not deny the "thugishness" in ourselves or in our neighbors, Moss told the congregation. And went on to preach that by admitting that thugish, we may be taking the first step to redemption. He also did a brilliant fugue on the second thief's request to Jesus: "Remember me in Paradise..." suggesting that what the second thief was not, as I had always assumed, memory, but re-membering, putting the broken members back... renewal, rebuilding, restoring... pastor Moss must have had dozens of synonyms all beginning with "re.." In all events, I as an "Unashamed Jew and as an unabashed Secular Humanist" understood the Easter message for the first time and understood also its power for and within the Black community. Odd isn't it that yet another pastor, Huckabee, was one of the few to stand up and defend Wright and Obama. Moreover while you are blasting Wright, why not mention the fact that he served as a US Marine for 3 years and as a navy medic for another 3. I am certain that neither you nor your other media pontificators can say as much about your own love for and willingness to serve this country in a way that puts your lives on the line, while you yap and yammer about Wright's purported lack of patriotism. And while you talk about TUCC and Wright... you might have tried to put it into the context of the type of city Chicago is and how blighted it was for years. When I first moved here from the East Coast in 1967, I went trolling looking for the interesting, colorful and safe ethnic neighborhoods of my NYC youth (1950's and 1960's). There were none here. It was just a desert where each ethnic group lived in its own fearful conclave. At least Wright tried to minister to a very broken community, while trying to raise it up to take pride in itself despite the brokenness and to take responsibility for its own repair. That's what I heard and saw...so we must have very different lens. Do I agree with everything Wright may ever have said? No. Do I need to in order not to condemn him and by association Obama? Hardly. It is high time we all began listening to one another with open ears and hearts. It is high time we all tried to understand before we all rush to judgment. And it is high time that we all understand the context.

- Edna Epstein

March 24, 2008 at 4:32pm

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Histoy tells us the story should not go away. If Mr. Obama has been influenced by Wright's views, buyer beware.

- Maureen

March 24, 2008 at 4:49pm

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Is there a reason you haven't posted my comment on my visit to TUCC? There was nothing offensive or disrispectful in it other than disagreement with your take.

- Annabelle2

March 24, 2008 at 9:31pm

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At best, Obama is an enabler of racism and hatemongering. I will not support a racist for president. Thats leaves Clinton and McCain to choose from.

- Fen

March 25, 2008 at 10:43am

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Interesting to see the false equivalence made between a terrorist organization (the KKK) and Wright. Some of these comments might be appropriate on Fox News but hardly fit in a "intellectual" website. Also some people seem to think that reading a rather biased article absolves them of their responsibility to learn the context of the comments made. How would they look if someone took THEIR worst comments and played them over and over on sound bites?

- Fred

March 26, 2008 at 4:33pm

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"At best, Obama is an enabler of racism and hatemongering." This is complete, unsubstantiated bullshit. If your pastor said something anti-semitic, would that make you an anti semite? If you don't want to vote for Obama because he's black, fine. But don't try to make yourself feel better by substituting his imagined racism for your own.

- sullydog

March 26, 2008 at 4:33pm

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Does anyone here actually go to church? Is the only reason you're there that you always agree with everything that is said? If your pastor says something with which you disagree, do you look for a new church regardless of how long your family has been associated with it or how many of your friends attend? People don't just walk away from church for political reasons. Politics is not the point of religion.

- abbiehoff

March 27, 2008 at 4:59pm

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Obama belonged for twenty years to a church whose pastor is a racist, an anti-Semite and an America hater. Suppose John McCain belonged to a White Aryan Church. Would you even consider voting for him? I wouldn't, not would even decent person. Yet because Obama is black we are supposed to give him a pass on just about anything. That sort of patronizing attitude is what is truly "white racism". So we have a choice between a doubling talking Chicago hustler, a pathological liar (Hillary Clinton), and a war hero with a long record of honor, integrity and patriotism, namely John McCain. Please, liberals put honor, decency, and patriotism over partisanship and realize that this is your country too.

-

March 28, 2008 at 12:17am

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Wright finds more in common with Muslims than other Christians. Is it any wonder he mixes politics and religion? They are the same thing in Islam.

- olcottr

March 28, 2008 at 10:53am

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My pastor hasn't said anything that I wouldn't be proud to have aired. Maybe I should run for president.

- olcottr

March 28, 2008 at 10:57am

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For the record, Barack Obama does not have a "preacher problem". OTHERS have a problem with opinions/attitudes expressed by Barack Obama's former Pastor. Those who are so inclined will continue to tar Obama with the same brush. Those who are not are recognizing that we, as social individuals that have a multiplicity of relationships (each that serve some sort of purpose in our life), are not synonymous with each individual we are bound with. But more important, if you want to ascribe the more radical aspects of Rev. Wright's character/beliefs (Black separation theology, AIDS/government paranoia) to Barack Obama, then you damned well better ascribe equally to Obama the Rev. Wright's character/beliefs of social justice; ministration to the poor, sick, hungry; children; AIDS/HIV victims; gangbangers; anyone who presents themselves to the Church or the community with at least a desire to learn about their Lord. It just seems so obvious: people were looking for an excuse NOT to back Obama that would make them "feel good" (or at least not guilty) or that would be "easily explainable". But the bottom line is that political philosphy, the philosophy of government's role/relationship in/to society is what is important to know about your candidates. Judge your candidate by THAT--not relationships (including revenge voting--sheesh).

- ericad

March 28, 2008 at 2:50pm

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and 2 more things: If the Priest that married you, baptized your children, heard your confessions, etc was a child molestor, do you condone that as well? Do you leave that church if he hasn't been replaced? Or do you condemn that aspect of the complicated man who was still able to inspire you all those years and bring you comfort? If you are a homosexual drawn to Church, are you a hypocrite or self-hater for not assailing your denominations belief system if the Celebrant rails against the sin of homosexuality or the just punishment of AIDS? Or do you take what you can get that is uplifting and that helps you live a moral/ethical life outside of Church and just hope and pray for another enlightenment? Politicians, believe it or not, sometimes are just people too and act like people.

- ericad

March 28, 2008 at 2:55pm

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Woland (#6) wants us to believe that Wright's denunciation of the U.S. is no different from that of white evangelical preachers. Over the last 39 years I've been to many evangelical congregations, within and outside the mainline denominations across the U.S., and also in the Middle East, and I can tell you that Woland is very much mistaken. While pastors of those congregations will certainly talk about sin, they most likely point to themselves and their congregations in the "we" sense. Yes, many are concerned about abortion (though most, and you may be surprised about this, never mention it from the pulpit) and sexual sins, whether heterosexual or homosexual, but they tend to point to the condition of the human's heart towards relating to Christ, rather than specific sins and habitually use specific sins as examples only. In other words, as I hear it in these churches, if the believer's heart and mind have been cleansed through forgiveness, the relationship to God is one in which his benevolent authority is leaned upon, the relationship to other believers is healthy, and the Scriptures are being studied, then the believer is in the place where he or she can gain further light on how to live. This is the premise of most every message given in an evangelical church. I have never heard a message similar to the one Wright spoke in which evangelical pastors "wished" or prayed God's damnation upon the U.S. or on any other country. Likewise, I have never, ever heard that in any of the number of black or mixed churches I've been in (again, both in the U.S. and Middle East), though I have heard plenty of fiery sermons. My contention, then, is that Wright's message is NOT NORMAL for evangelical churches, and to try to argue otherwise demonstrates an ignorance of what evangelicals are really about. Such ignorance may be understandable in light of the media's tendency to lean upon one or two sources who use (or are used by) media, such as Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell. Journalists can be amazingly lazy in that they keep going to the same people for a quote time and time again. (Note that when Robertson and Falwell made their infamous comments after 9/11 that their own listeners and parishioners disciplined them. Such is not the case with Reverend Wright's followers.) Now the media have discovered Rick Warren, so they think there is a big shift in evangelicals towards serving the poor and conserving the environment--if they only knew of the tremendous efforts, both domestic and international, in evangelical churches towards these very things since the 1920s, they would feel embarrassed. But you see, this type of information I'm alluding to does not fit easily within the print and electronic media templates for "story." To put it bluntly, most journalists are "dumb" when it comes to religion. To put it more tactfully, they are not very nuanced when it comes to exploring or communicating about religion or people of faith. Most of this, evidenced by numerous surveys, stems from their lack of genuine interest in such things.

- R. L., expat in the Middle East

March 28, 2008 at 5:00pm

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This link answers the attack on Rev. Wright. www.timwise.org

- bennie

April 5, 2008 at 2:50pm

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As far as "Reverend" (hah!) Wright's extremist, hate-mongering, conspiracy-theory, race-baiting, mainstream proselytizing goes, as Obama Barack's very own Christian mentor, it should be a wake-up call to all good people that race relations are very much a two-way street, and tragically, at a Mexican standoff. Considering that blacks in America comprise only 7% of the population, we need to move on.

- S. McKenzie Kennaugh

April 8, 2008 at 7:08am

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Wright is a hate-mongering racist and Obama is his minion. People that still support him are eithe self-loathing white people or racists themselves.

- vinnyc

April 20, 2008 at 7:04am

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