Wright, brothers!
Posted by Ron Coleman on March 17, 2008
[A]s Wright’s America-bashing gets more airtime — and as his Obama-boosting sermons put his church’s tax exemption at risk — Obama may have to go further down the road to explicitly disavowing his pastor. His connection to Wright isn’t the equivalent of John McCain’s going to Liberty University to make nice with Jerry Falwell. It’s the equivalent of John McCain taking his wife and children, most Sundays, to Jerry Falwell’s church. And the disconnect between Obama’s studied moderation and his congregation’s radicalism requires more of an explanation than he’s offered so far.
That’s as good a summary of the issue as you’re going to find, I think. I discussed the simmering issue of barely-sub-rosa antisemitism among black clergy (at that point, not Wright), in particular, here. Antisemitism of this sort is never found without broader hatred of America, and its values, and what do you know?
To me, the fulcrum of the matter as it applies to Senator Obama is this:
I don’t believe he believes what his minister says… exactly. He does, however, tolerate it, and consider it a legitimate level of discourse, albeit only in the “proper” context. And I believe this puts the Senator in excellent company among people of his class and race.
And I believe that it is the attitude of this excellent company, and not merely of Senator Obama, that is really what we should be looking at here. Because if he is indeed the man to prick the pimple of unreasonable race-based distinctions in this country, we need to know what is going on here, and why.
Christian Prophet said
Disavowing the pastor won’t help. Barack Obama is in serious trouble as a spotlight is shined on his particular THEOLOGY. See:
http://miraclesdaily.blogspot.com/
Ara Rubyan said
Spare me.
People are popping a blood vessel about whether or not Obama was in church when Wright preached one sermon or another. Fact is, whether or not he was doesn’t make any difference. After all, everyone knows you can sit in the most milktoast church and listen to the gospel of jesus for fifty years and come away completely unchanged. Why should Rev. Wright’s sermons be any different?
Besides, we’re now hearing about the meaning of this affair from the same people who told us Obama was a Muslim; that he was sworn into office on the Koran; that doesn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance; that he’s anti-Israel; that his advisers are anti-Israel; that he’s friends with terrorists; that the terrorists want him to win; that he’s the Antichrist.
After ignoring the church and culture of African-Americans for decades, mainstream America is now shocked — shocked! — at what they’ve found.
How Insane Is John McCain? said
I’m waiting for the part of the campaign where the media focuses on what the candidates themselves say.
Ron Coleman said
Insane, I’m waiting for the part when Barak Obama says something substantive enough to be focused on.
Ara, you actually seem to agree with me.
How Insane Is John McCain? said
Ron Coleman:
He’s giving a big speech on religion, race and everything else tomorrow, we’ll see if you cover it and cover it fairly.
Ara Rubyan said
Ara, you actually seem to agree with me.
I go back so far, I’m in front of me!
How Insane Is John McCain? said
Well? What do you think of the speech?
Ron Coleman said
I think Paul Mirengoff said it exactly as I would say it — almost as if he read my blog post. Here’s an excerpt:
Ara Rubyan said
Given that Mirengoff describes the speech as “a ‘major address’ on race relations and Pastor Wright,” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he picked over it, looking for tidbits about the Chicago pastor and his relationship with Obama.
Unfortunately, he missed the forest for the trees. Too bad for him.
Ron Coleman said
Well, here’s the thing, Ara. It looks like Obama is getting out of jail free on the brilliance card. Hey, I dig brilliance. But the specific trees that Mirengoff is hitting are the exact ones we needed comfort on. And I can’t say Obama gave us that. And I don’t think you can, either.
Ara Rubyan said
Obama is getting out of jail free on the brilliance card.
He’s a regular criminal mastermind!
the specific trees that Mirengoff is hitting are the exact ones we needed comfort on.
I listened to the same speech you did. Shy of bringing Rev. Wright up to the podium and whacking him with a baseball bat, I don’t know what else he could have done to satisfy some people.
Ara Rubyan said
Seriously, Ron: Rev. Wright will end up being the answer to a trivia question. People will soon forget who he was and what his connection to Obama was. But they’ll remember the speech.
Ron Coleman said
Ara, it’s a little hasty to conclude anything about the speech, though I do agree that the Rev. Wright will at best be a footnote in history. But even liberals sitting down and looking for the meat are beginning to feel uncomfortable with what the Senator has served.
By the way — I still prefer him to Senator Clinton.
Ara Rubyan said
See now, there’s your problem: That word doesn’t mean what you think it does.
Kaus is not a liberal.
As for Obama v. Clinton, I know lots of Republicans who are so disenchanted* with their party that they will be voting for the Democrats — but only if Obama is the nominee.
*What’s up with McCain saying Iran was training al-Qaeda and being corrected, sotto voce, by Joe Lieberman? The optics, as they say, don’t look good on this, Ron.
Will Lieberman be laying in bed next to McCain when the phone rings at 3am? That makes me shudder on so many levels.