Jeremiah Wright for President!

[judy]

I listened to Democracy Now this morning, and they played Rev. Wright's speech to the National Press Club this morning.

I am sorry, but the guy sounded intelligent, absolutely unafraid, and I did not hear anything outrageous or shocking...
He is bombastic as he says himself, and definitely over the top...but even about Farrakhan, he says "you might not agree with him, but black people do listen to him". What's wrong with saying that?

I am appalled at Obama's distancing speech...it is useless, and damaging in my view, as he is accepting the gauntlet thrown by the right, just like Kerry and Bill Clinton before him. And to hear David Gergen say "he did the right thing" made me cringe and think that Obama's run is over.

All he had to say was basically the same thing he said in Philadelphia which I thought was brilliant: "I worship God, not the pastor, and it is a distraction and a disservice to all candidates to focus on someone's words instead of what is happening right now in the world and at home, and how they personally feel. As you the Press and me the candidate, we have much more important things to discuss than the reverend's words. Just listen for yourself and you distinguish easily what I agree with from what I don't agree with. Thank you".

I am a Kucinich supporter, and I have had a tendency to support Obama since the "we will obliterate them" comment from Hillary. However, I will vote for any Democrat come November. Hell, I will vote for a used left foot sneaker against "more of the same"...
Please tell me that Obama's run is still strong in spite of his acceptance of this dirty game?!

[Iwasthere]

1. That worried me too

Obama went too far imo. He didn't have to do that to him. On the other hand perhaps now it is over and we can move on.

[democrattotheend]

24. Wright didn't leave Obama any choice

Obama did the brave thing in March and refused to disown his pastor. If Wright cared enough about him he would have stayed silent until after the election, or continued to show the side of himself that was on display with Bill Moyers, and he would not have implied that Obama's speech on race was just political posturing. By coming out and making a fool of himself, he left Obama no choice but to do what he did. It clearly wasn't easy for him, but it was the only choice he had and I am glad he made it, though I believe it was a choice he never should have had to make.

[Window]

32. Those are my feeling also.

[Cosmocat]

34. BINGO ...

in the bizarre world of republican driven propoganda, Obama showed LOYALTY to a long time friend ...

If this was a republican in his shoes, THAT would be the meme no doubt ... A man who stood by a friend ...

But, in the world of republican propoganda, this has been spun as some sort of scandal ...

Wright, IF HE WAS A FRIEND, should have kept his head down and not made any more waves ...

I don't disagree with most of what he said, but there should have been NO DOUBT in his mind that even any slightly outrages statements he would make at this point would be used against BO, and he goes firing off with even more edgy comments ...

Sad thing is, BO handled this, as he has handled everything else, with the utlimate in reason and class ... Stand by a friend when it was unfair to him, respectfully disengage from that friend when that friend was out of line ...

[ksoze]

2. Did you stay for the Q&A?

[judy]

18. Do you mean Wright's or Obama's Q and A?

They played some of Wright's Q and A, not Obama's.
Anything happen there that would be somewhat reassuring?

[democrattotheend]

26. Wright repeated his outrageous claims about AIDS and praised Farrakhan

Things that he had to know undermined those who have been defending him, including Obama, and could have sunk Obama's campaign if Obama did not act forcefully to denounce him.

[Imagine My Surprise]

3. Glad to see someone other than me -- a gay, white man in KY --

who totally gets what Rev. Wright says and is pissed at Obama's distancing bullshit. Yay!

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Wright speaks the truth

America just isn't ready for someone who speaks the truth like Wright. That's why Obama was forced to distance himself from Wright's sharp language.

Saying gays caused 9/11 isn't all that bad in the good old USA, but don't you dare say US foreign policy caused 9/11 or you will be absolutely lynched by the media, especially if you're a person of color.

The sad thing is that Wright is right about 9/11.

[uponit7771]

5. I think it was the Q&A and Wrights statement about Obama being a "politician" that pissed Obama off

[Cali_Democrat]

7. Obama isn't a politician?

:shrug:

[navarth]

6. ehh....I agree about Rev. Wright being right most of the time, but

Obama had to do what he did, I'm not holding it against him just yet.

Obama can't afford to scare the dainty little white people. Wright doesn't have to hold back. I think there are some problems with his delivery in regards to reaching white folks. They're not used to the blues-shouter style of the black church. It's a shame, because the biggest problem we have today is that black and white folks need to learn from each other and it's not happening enough. Damn shame. Both sides guilty.

[judy]

12. I know what you are saying, narvath...

However, Wright is not (in spite of the title of my post :) ) running for President. So what do we care if he reaches white folks or not? It is the media that has put him in this position of "speaking for Obama". We need to not follow their rails, and treat Wright as a very intelligent, over the top, very entertaining pastor. I don't go to church myself, so pastors are just pastors to me. Even if what he said was offensive (which I think it is not), how would that change my opinion of Obama?
However, Obama's back pedaling is another story...just like when he criticized Carter for talking to Hamas, when his "blueprint" on foreign policy says he will talk to anyone, which I think is great.

[navarth]

33. agreed, Wright is NOT Obama.

and we definitely shouldn't be allowing the media whores to frame the issues. But....the pigs figured it out after the Nixon debacle: he who owns the microphone controls the message.

[Texas Hill Country]

8. it is very damaged. we will see what happens next week... if he looses IN by 8-10 and wins NC by 5

or less... then that is really not good.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Obama would be fine with those numbers

Even with those conservative estimates, Hillary would still need to move heaven and earth in order to catch Obama.

[zulchzulu]

9. When Wright mentioned the AIDS thing and Farrakkan, it was Buh-Bye Time

Wright knew it as well.

I'm glad Obama called him on it. Wright turned on him and was dragging him down. That's just the way it is.

[elfin]

10. I thought he was bombastic

and while I saw a kernel of truth in his assertions, he went WAY too far over the edge of reason.

His position is legitimate for his generation, the one that lived through the Klan and lynching era - but so many things have changed, that to charge white racism and America for all the world's ills is not germane.

Yes, we have a long way to go, BUT we must do it TOGETHER as Obama hopes, rather than villify one side against the other.

[judy]

14. I agree, he is bombastic

and he is over the top, and the AIDS thing is a theory I have heard before, but it is just a theory...
My question is: what does all this have to do with Obama???????

[The Night Owl]

13. If you're going to defend Jeremiah Wright, then at least be honest in your defense of him.

Jeremiah Wright went much farther than saying that black people listen to Loius Farrakhan. Wright heaped praise on Farrkhan by describing him as someone who is honest and who has integrity.

That anyone would call for Wright to be president would be disturbing if it weren't so laughable. Fuck Reverend Wright and the horse he rode in on.

[judy]

15. I did not hear it this morning...

maybe Democracy Now did not play that part.
I heard him say that Farrakhan was a voice to be contended with, that could bring a million marchers to Washington, and that one might not agree with him, but it was a fact that black people listen to him.
So I am not being dishonest, honestly, that's all I heard this morning.

[The Night Owl]

17. Once you confirm that Wright did indeed praise Farrakhan, will your opinion of Wright change? {EOM}

[judy]

20. I don't know what did he say?

One thing is sure however, whatever Wright said has nothing to do with what I think about Obama.
So maybe my opinion will change of Wright. So what? who cares? What does this have to do with Obama and the election????

[The Night Owl]

21. Posting that Jeremiah Wright should be president invites commentary about the guy.

Don't create a thread about Jeremiah Wright if you don't want to talk about him.

[The Night Owl]

27. Jeremiah Wright's opinion of Louis Farrakhan...

Minister Farrakhan will be remembered as one of the 20th and 21st century giants of the African American religious experience. His integrity and honesty have secured him a place in history as one of the nation's most powerful critics. - Jeremiah Wright

Would would Obama supporters say about Hillary Clinton if she were to describe David Duke as someone who is honest and who has integrity? I imagine that they would be justifiably harsh on her.

[chaska]

16. I'll vote for Obama or no one. Let McCain take the blame for the coming shitstorm.

[tsdraegeth]

19. Wright

was right-on with the "politician" comment, and Obama (TM) proved it by acting like a politician and turning his back on Wright for political reasons.

[Phillycat]

22. He believes and stated that our government created HIV to kill black people.

He is a lunatic.

[judy]

23. OK, so he is...

What does this have to do with Obama and the election????

[Phillycat]

25. Uh, you posted a thread titled "Jeremiah Wright for President!"

When I rightly pointed out that he was a lunatic, you ask what this has to do with Obama.

[The Night Owl]

28. Typical Wright people...

Wright is awesome! But don't talk about him!

:crazy:

[judy]

31. Well, I didn't hear him say the AIDS thing

as Democracy Now did not play it. However, I have heard this theory before - that the AIDS virus was a result of U.S experiments on Monkeys in Africa or something like that -, just like I have heard that the US Government let the attacks of September 11th 2001 happen in order to further the PNAC agenda. OK.
If I had heard it, I could possibly have come to the conclusion that Wright is insane, I don't know, I didn't hear what he said. (I also think McCain is insane, and Bush/Cheney too, by the same token :) )
However, the title of my post is somewhat ironic.
My points were:
1 - I did not hear anything shocking from J. Wright on Democracy Now.
2 - I wish Obama had said : I worship God not the pastor, and what Wright said is what he thinks, and has nothing to do with what I think, and you judge for yourself listening to me what I agree with and what I don't agree with. This is about the candidates, not about Rev.Wright. End of conversation.

[Bake]

30. I heard the NPC speech, and I don't recall him saying that in that speech.

He did address the question in the Q&A afterwards, by simply asking the questioner if he/she had read a certain book or books, and that if not, they should go read and then come back and discuss with him. I understand that he did make that (or a similar) assertion in his speech to the NAACP.

Do I believe the US govt. created AIDS to kill black people? No. But I haven't really read up on the issue. I know our government has done some pretty outlandish and immoral things.

Regardless, I'm still a Hillary supporter, janesez, so don't freak out. I just want Wright treated fairly. I think Obama cut him off because he was embarassed, not because he hadn't heard it before. I also want the Obama supporters who were defending Wright previously, but are now dissing him, to admit their hypocrisy (like THAT'LL ever happen ...).

Bake

[La Lioness Priyanka]

35. no, he is not. he is reflecting what a lot of people think about HIV

i dont. the science is off but black people have many reasons to be suspicious of white people. the fact that this virus is killing so many if africa adds to this suspicion

his statements are not scientifically valid but i really dont think he is a lunatic

[Bake]

29. I saw the National Press Club speech

And posted about it here the same morning. I'm a Hillary supporter, white male, with a seminary background, and I saw nothing all that bombastic or WRONG with the speech to the NPC.

He talked about reconciliation, which is certainly one of the overarching themes of the New Testament: "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." There certainly needs to be racial reconciliation in America, as it obviously hasn't happened yet. We're getting there, perhaps -- I should say that at minimum we've made progress -- but we're not there yet. So what was so wrong with that theme in Wright's speech? One certainly cannot quibble with his theology.

Wright said that after the election/inauguration, he'd be coming after Obama as the representative of a government with immoral policies (paraphrasing). What's wrong with that? If Obama takes the WH and DOESN'T change anything, we ALL ought to go after him! By the way, is THAT the part where "Wright threw Obama under the bus?" Because all I heard Wright say was that Obama is a politician. Is that not the truth?

He even said that black people listen to Farrakhan. Well, a lot of people do listen, whether they agree or not. The day we can't even LISTEN to anyone who disagrees with us is the day our democracy dies.

I heard some, but not all, of the Q&A. I didn't think he was bombastic there either, from what I heard/saw. He answered some of the questions pointedly and with some humor, but he didn't come off as a "USA-hating scary black man."

Frankly, the only reason, THE ONLY REASON Obama "had" to cut the tie was that Wright's appearances at the NAACP and NPC kept the story in the news. And that's pathetic on Obama's part. Sadly, it appears he reverted to "old-style politics" instead of telling the truth. And all the Obots went right along with him, even the ones who had been praising and defending Rev. Wright. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Bake

[NashVegas]

36. Yeah, That's About Right

I think Wright issued a moral challenge to Obama, and Obama failed miserably; in his zeal to separate himself from the not so scary black man who got on camera and said things that the most moderate lefties have been saying for years, he threw about 35% of his base under the bus, and they're so in love with the anti-Hillary they don't even realize just what happened yesterday. Another 20% understand exactly what went down and are thrilled - and it just happens those are the people (IMO) who keep losing the election for us. Every freaking time.

[judy]

38. That was my point exactly...

Thanks Crisco.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. No. He's more valuable as an community agitator than a politician.

Politicians are forced to compromise, triangulate, sell out, if they want to achieve or retain power.

[judy]

39. I think you are correct.

My title was more satirical than serious...
I'm just sorry Obama took the bait.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

40. Me too.

Just more of the same "politics-as-usual" dance that the politicians indulge in to pacify the already oblivious voters.

"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." Thomas Paine

Love your tagline.

[anonymous171]

41. Wright is a drama cow.

The MSM will keep brining him in for interviews unless Obama denounces him.