Would People Please Stop Blaming the Rev. Wright For Obama's Mistake?

[McCamy Taylor]

There was a lot wrong with last night's Countdown (I already have another thread about the Drudge like distortion of a WaPo article of a Hillary Clinton interview). But I had to wait for the transcript to come up so that I could get the quote that made me really angry. Here it is.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23725033/

MILBANK: No, in fact, it‘s better news for Obama if the race remarks for now are not resonating. It will mean he has done his job, if things have moved along to the, again, the back and forth on the economy, the back and forth on Iraq. He has put the marker down on what people are calling a remarkable speech.

Inevitably race will return to the election at some point but if he‘s been able to climb out of that hole that the Reverend Wright dug for in, that‘s good news for Obama.

OLBERMANN: Dana Milbank of MSNBC and the “Washington Post,” I guess we‘ll have to wait for some polling to see just whether or not he‘s dug himself out of that. As always, Dana, great thanks.

I hate Dana Milbank! This is utter bullshit! Rev. Wright runs a perfectly decent Church. He is about to be honored by the Brite School of Religion, associated with TCU here in Fort Worth (though now TCU is getting scared of the publicity and wants the Brite School to move the awards off campus.) Ministers have a Constitutionally protected right to say anything within their church which they feel is in the best interests of their congregation. I have heard nothing in those videos that does not sound authentic and heart felt.

It is Obama who dug the hole when he failed to heed his pastor's advice to make himself more acceptable to mainstream America. Had he changed churches in 2006, when he was getting ready to run for president, this would not be an issue. Who would care what his former Church said or did? That would be a minor story. Wright showed good judgment and Obama showed extremely poor judgment. And those people in the news media---and those here at DU---who blame Wright for being "too extreme" and give Obama a pass are painting an issue which should be about judgment as one about race and religion.

[LSparkle]

1. To be fair, this would have come up anyway ... just changing churches

wouldn't have helped. I'm a proud member of the United Church of Christ and
I hate to say this, but if he had switched churches in '06, it might have even
prompted MORE curiosity (why had he done that?). Even if he had, there would
still be the connection to Rev. Wright and the tapes of Wright's fiery sermons;
Obama would still have had to deal with it, but he would also have been burdened
with having to explain WHY he had "sold out" his church/pastor.

[babylonsister]

2. You're too much. First you praise the Rev. to high heaven because

he truly is deserving of it, but then suggest Obama used poor judgment by not removing himself from the likes of the good Reverend? Does not compute. Maybe he sees the same thing in Wright that you do.
I think Obama has shown character and integrity for not divorcing himself from Wright.

[SunsetDreams]

3. I disagree

"Rev. Wright runs a perfectly decent Church. He is about to be honored by the Brite School of Religion, associated with TCU here in Fort Worth"

"Had he changed churches in 2006, when he was getting ready to run for president this would not be an issue"

Your argument doesn't make sense to me, one minute you say Rev. Wright runs a perfectly decent church, then you blame Obama for not leaving it?

Your right Rev. Wright does run a decent church, which is why Obama didn't leave it.

It is not Obama who dug the hole, we can thank those 15 to 30 sec clips, without reporting the full story on the church, for that.

It is the media and those pushing the story who dug the hole.

[JoFerret]

14. "decent church"

shame that is so often an oxymoron.

[Window]

4. WTF???

Pure unadulterated bullshit!

Why for fuck's sake should he have left the church he loved for politics??? Have you ever heard of separation of church and state??? That is patently absurd and phony.

Even if he had left his church, these treacherous bastards would have still dug up Rev. Wright.

Please.

[JoFerret]

13. the bit that bothers me

is "loving a church'. but then i'm an atheist

[ThatBozGuy]

5. I am fundementally torn on my response to this....

It is Obama who dug the hole when he failed to heed his pastor's advice to make himself more acceptable to mainstream America. Had he changed churches in 2006, when he was getting ready to run for president, this would not be an issue. Who would care what his former Church said or did? That would be a minor story. Wright showed good judgment and Obama showed extremely poor judgment. And those people in the news media---and those here at DU---who blame Wright for being "too extreme" and give Obama a pass are painting an issue which should be about judgment as one about race and religion.

Because while it was a lapse in judgment not to "mainstream" himself( your idea not mine ), it is his overriding principal that he is who he is, not a politician doing "the dance", not putting on a costume to fit a mold of what "mainstream" is.

The typical political play was hide who you are and lie to mainstream yourself. Mr Obama instead said, to paraphrase "I disagree with him fundamentally on these issues but he is still family to me", that is integrity, and character to not sacrifice people for your own gains, stand and be measured on who you are not who you can pretend to be is not a sign of bad judgment, but a good person.

From a purely political animal standpoint I say he should have dodged it all, but on the fundamental side I REALLY DO WANT A PRESIDENT WHO IS A GOOD PERSON.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. Ya. Brilliant logic. Don't Blame Wright for what Wright says. Blame Obama for what Wright says. nt

[Annces]

7. Are you looking for some kind of purity

He is a politician dancing around many sensitive issues. He cannot please everyone. If he told the exact truth, he would be unelectable.

[SunsetDreams]

10. hmmm

"If he told the exact truth, he would be unelectable"

And just what is the exact truth? have you gone to that church for all those years, have you listened to more than 15 to 30 sec clips that Fox and parrot media pushed?

Have you did your own research?

[Annces]

12. I am just saying he is trying to appeal to many

different groups. He is trying to calm down people's fears about him. I don't know what you are implying about the research. I agree with what Pastor Wright said, but obviously I know that a lot of Americans cannot listen to what he has said without getting freaked out.

I noted Obama is very much putting the corporations on notice, regarding outsourcing and healthcare, and that is music to my ears.

[mmonk]

8. Interesting twist.

[blm]

9. Is what Wright said any different than Hillary holding up newspaper headline that read BUSH KNEW

in the senate?

Aren't they basically implying the same thing?

If Wright can be used against Obama in the general with his remarks, can't GOP easily dig up that video clip of Hillary in May 2002 and do the exact same to her by twisting that pic into the same 'conspiracy theory' rant they twisted Wright's remarks?

[WDIM]

11. Obama made no mistake

And he has handled the situation perfectly it will be all forgotten in a week and especially by November. I think this so called crisis has shown great character from Obama and shown that he will make a great leader!