Jeremiah Wright May Have Just Sunk Obama's Campaign

Jim Geraghty Reporting
the campaign spot
National Review Online
Monday, April 28, 2008

BARACK OBAMA

Jeremiah Wright May Have Just Sunk Obama's Campaign
The Obama campaign is off the rails.

The entire tone of the race changed the moment we saw the first fiery Wright sermon. The sight of those sermons triggered a question in a lot of voters' minds: How do you get the moderate-sounding, pleasant, agreeable student Barack Obama from an angry, divisive, radical, way-out-of-the-mainstream teacher like Jeremiah Wright? The sermons weren't quite a deal-breaker, but many Obama supporters, leaners, and undecideds were asking... how did Obama choose this man as a mentor? How could he possibly not know that his mentor had these attitudes? And does Obama agree with any of Wright's inflammatory statements?

In response, Obama gave a very eloquent speech about race relations in America. But it never quite answered the question, and in fact tried to blur the distinction between family we are born into and those we choose to turn to for guidance. Hillary jabbed at this in the debate, and Obama never quite had an appropriate response. He even said he disowned Wright, then backtracked and said he disowned his controversial statements.

And since then, it's gotten worse, even with a Bill Moyers interview that wasn't softball so much as it was Nerf Tee-Ball. We've heard Wright compare the Roman Legions who punished Jesus to the U.S. Marines, we've heard him argue that the U.S. and al-Qaeda are doing the same acts under different flags, etc.

Now we hear Wright analyzing the differences between white and black brains (!) and that the criticism of him for his comments was "an attack on the black church." He didn't retract his assertion that the U.S. government created the AIDS virus. He didn't retract his accusation that the United States had committed terrorism. He raved about Louis Farrakhan.

And again, we're left with that question... presuming Obama strongly disagrees with all of Wright's statements in these areas... how did he end up selecting this pastor? This church? (I know we get the story in Obama's autobiography. But did Obama once agree with all of the crazy conspiracy theories? Does he still agree, late at night, when the microphones and television cameras are far away?)

Obama is saying he should be president, instead of two much more experienced rivals, because of his superior judgment. But what kind of judgment is needed to select Wright as a surrogate father figure?

More reaction:

Jake Tapper: "He clearly was not doing Obama any favors, not only by reappearing before a ravenous media thus distracting from Obama's attempt to relate better to white working class voters in Indiana and North Carolina, but by implying Obama's condemnation of some of his sermons was not sincere."

David Brody: "Jeremiah Wright did Barack Obama no favors. Pastor Wright’s appearance at the National Press Club today started out as a great opportunity to explain the importance of the black Church experience. Instead it turned into a circus atmosphere and ensured that the Wright controversy is not going away and has the potential to single-handily take down Obama’s campaign."

Good article, CJBL.  Obama has more to fear from his preacher than the Clintons.  I think the "Reverend" is a very angry man - first, because Obama denied him an active role in his campaign and also because his dreams of being the "Pastor to the President" ala Billy Graham and spokesman for the black community ala Jesse and Al are being dashed.  Every time Wright opens his mouth, the man he mentored comes out again and again to refute and distance himself from the preacher.  Instead of getting attention, Wright's getting notoriety and making all blacks look bad.  I think he's jealous of Obama.  By the time this is over, Obama may decide he doesn't want to run after all. 

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BEY BEY obama

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By the same token, I don't think it is racist or nasty politics for Hillary and McCain to keep bringing up Rev Wrong and his protogee...lets face it, neither Hillary nor McCain forced Obama to sit in that church for 20 years!!  Or to have this clown as his political advisor during his state career, not to have him marry him or baptize his daughters!!  Obama still has a LOT to answer about this problem.  This is a fundamental question of Obamas judgment and beliefs, and I have to agree with what Glenn Beck said tonite that Obama believes this stuff to some degree, but his wife agrees even MORE and she is trying to be first lady!

He was on some interview with Mike Wallaces son this week-end and he was trying to distance himself KIND OF from the rev, he still won't toss him under the bus and still tries to make excuses for him (he lived thru a different time than I did blah blah blah) and defended his church as a good group of dedicated christians...I am sorry, but I saw on those tapes that most of the congregation was up dancing and high fiving and agreeing and clapping to the hate that rev wrong was spewing---that is NOT christian IMO!!!

I did hear some pundit on that Wallace interview suggest that the reason rev wrong is coming out and saying what he is saying now and kind of dissing what Obama said against him as being just "political talk to get elected" is that maybe the rev WANTS Obama to lose so he can continue to spew his hate speech about how "the man" keeps the black people down... 

 

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Talk on the radio this afternoon was that Hillary is actually paying Jeremiah!  I saw it on another message board too.  Wouldn't you LOVE to see that blow up?

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No, I would not Patsy, because I heard that too and it was said in JEST on the program I heard it on, besides, I doubt rev wrong would take money from the 'devil' hillary when some of his sermons slammed her big time for not being "poor" enough...like him getting a $1.5 million dollar mansion is poor!

Lets stop this blame Hillary for EVERYTHING game, OK???  Like her or not you still should be proud that a woman has finally made it big time in politics in this country to be neck and neck a presidental contender.  Might as well say McCain's wife is paying him to speak out so Obama will look bad since it will probably be in the end Obama vs McCain and there are HUGE questions already about McCain's age, so he needs all the help he can get.

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                        Oh, Oh!!

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Obama's latest commercial in Indiana is the opposite of what Rev. Wright said.  Obama now insists that everyone has a chance in this Country, and that he is living proof of it. (unwed Mom and all)

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I heard it on a local talk show, not as a news item.  Probably speculation, but it wouldn't surprise me in the LEAST!!  Some people will do ANYTHING for money.  No one is blaming Hillary though.  Poor thing is looking rather anemic and desperate lately.  Proud of her?  Hardly.....I was far more proud of LaDonna Harris when she attempted a run at VP with Barry Commoner years ago.  And, Geraldine Ferraro.  Hillary is just a power hungry twit.  Many women were in politics before her.  And she's not breaking any new ground either.  Did you know a woman ran for president back 1872??  Yup, Victoria Woodhull.  She never made it on the ballot being too young for the office, but she did officially declare.    So I should be impressed with Hillary?  Nawww, don't think so.  She's just another johnny come lately and an also ran.

Those women never made it anywhere, they are just a footnote in history, and you have to dig deep to find them, this is a bona fide candidate, not a whim candidate.  Heck, I could get my family and friends to write my name in for Prez, too, but that doesn't mean I am a bona fide contender!

And do anything for money?  Yep, you betcha, Juan McCain kicked the first crippled wife to the curb and quickly married the young, blonde SUPER RICH second wife who really, really wants to be first lady, so, how much does $100 mill in inheirited money buy you towards the white house???  Note the first ones to run "swiftboat" commercials against Obama and his rev was the republicans in N Carolina....now, where did that money come from????

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VeeBee said:

I heard it on a local talk show, not as a news item.  Probably speculation, but it wouldn't surprise me in the LEAST!!  Some people will do ANYTHING for money.  No one is blaming Hillary though.  Poor thing is looking rather anemic and desperate lately.  Proud of her?  Hardly.....I was far more proud of LaDonna Harris when she attempted a run at VP with Barry Commoner years ago.  And, Geraldine Ferraro.  Hillary is just a power hungry twit.  Many women were in politics before her.  And she's not breaking any new ground either.  Did you know a woman ran for president back 1872??  Yup, Victoria Woodhull.  She never made it on the ballot being too young for the office, but she did officially declare.    So I should be impressed with Hillary?  Nawww, don't think so.  She's just another johnny come lately and an also ran.

Those women never made it anywhere, they are just a footnote in history, and you have to dig deep to find them, this is a bona fide candidate, not a whim candidate.  Heck, I could get my family and friends to write my name in for Prez, too, but that doesn't mean I am a bona fide contender!

And do anything for money?  Yep, you betcha, Juan McCain kicked the first crippled wife to the curb and quickly married the young, blonde SUPER RICH second wife who really, really wants to be first lady, so, how much does $100 mill in inheirited money buy you towards the white house???  Note the first ones to run "swiftboat" commercials against Obama and his rev was the republicans in N Carolina....now, where did that money come from????

You just described John Kerry.

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Patsy said: Talk on the radio this afternoon was that Hillary is actually paying Jeremiah!  I saw it on another message board too.  Wouldn't you LOVE to see that blow up?

With the Cliintons, anything is possible.  Wouldn't you love to see this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hw549HZr7c&feature=related

 

 

 

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VeeBee said:

By the same token, I don't think it is racist or nasty politics for Hillary and McCain to keep bringing up Rev Wrong and his protogee...lets face it, neither Hillary nor McCain forced Obama to sit in that church for 20 years!!  Or to have this clown as his political advisor during his state career, not to have him marry him or baptize his daughters!!  Obama still has a LOT to answer about this problem.  This is a fundamental question of Obamas judgment and beliefs, and I have to agree with what Glenn Beck said tonite that Obama believes this stuff to some degree, but his wife agrees even MORE and she is trying to be first lady!

He was on some interview with Mike Wallaces son this week-end and he was trying to distance himself KIND OF from the rev, he still won't toss him under the bus and still tries to make excuses for him (he lived thru a different time than I did blah blah blah) and defended his church as a good group of dedicated christians...I am sorry, but I saw on those tapes that most of the congregation was up dancing and high fiving and agreeing and clapping to the hate that rev wrong was spewing---that is NOT christian IMO!!!

I did hear some pundit on that Wallace interview suggest that the reason rev wrong is coming out and saying what he is saying now and kind of dissing what Obama said against him as being just "political talk to get elected" is that maybe the rev WANTS Obama to lose so he can continue to spew his hate speech about how "the man" keeps the black people down... 

 

ITA

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