Obama Can "Disown" Wright After All
By lesliecarbone Posted in 2008 — Comments (57) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Moments ago, Sen. Barack Obama finally acknowledged what the rest of the country has known for months. Jeremiah Wright's statements are "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in truth".
Sounding absolutely whiney, Sen. Obama complained that Rev. Wright questioned his beliefs before the National Press Club, showing "disrespect to me". He insisted that he was shocked by Rev. Wright's "performance" yesterday and said that he might not know Rev. Wright "as well as I thought". He also claimed that Rev. Wright was "never my spiritual mentor. ... He was my pastor."
In short, Sen. Obama displayed himself once again to be as unfit for the presidency as Rev. Wright is for the pulpit.
He comes across like someone who said what he said because he had to say it.
The wound is still open, and still bleeding. The knife has simply been removed from the body. There will be a big scab, and a big noticeable scar.
That simply wasn't in the cards for him. No matter what he did he was going to leave doubt in many ways. That is not the point. Of course, it comes across as disingenuous, it probably is. That is besides the point. That is a result of the damage already inflicted, however people are on here criticizing him for disowning him. Let's have some honest analysis and admit that he did the right political move just now.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor
He did the right thing, but what is the impact?
Further loss of credibility and the "new politician" mystique. We will see if he starts to lose support from the more radical elements of the democratic party.
Doing the "Wright" thing after the Titanic has a big whole in it doesn't mean a heck of a lot.
Each action by Obama simply raises new questions:
Didn't you say you could never disown him?
Is there anyone you have ever stood up to and got them to change their mind on anything (e.g. leadership)?
Obama is pathetic in terms of leadership.
you are his political opponent so is it really important what you think. After all, no matter what he does you will treat it with cynicism. Like I said before, escaping this without any damage is not in the cards. Nothing he can do will leave him without skepticism, but this was the right political move and the fact that this site is treating it with total and utter cynicism is just a sign of how out of control the partisanship is here.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor
Many people get out of bed and do the right thing every day. Bad things still happen. The quesion is, what is the impact to the campaign?
I agree Obama did a smart thing....and the right thing.
But that doesn't change the rhythm of the campaign. In fact, Wright is likely to retaliate. Just wait.
You Bipartisans really need to get over the fascination with pretty words and flowery language.
After 20 years of sitting and listening to this joke of a "pastor" say the exact same things he said at the NPC (and taking his daughters to also sit and listen) Sunday after Sunday for all those years, and suddenly, he throws him under the bus, after claiming he could never do such a thing does not deserve to be viewed with total and utter cynicism, then I don't know what does.
PS: Just to make sure you know; you really do not stand on any higher a moral or intellectual plane for being a Bipartisan.
My cynicism is a not a product of my out-of-control partisanship. I come by it honestly through my visceral disgust for Senator Obama's stated platform and divisive campaigning.
The watchwords of HOPE and CHANGE derive a significant chunk of their meanings from the implication that the status quo offers no hope. When Senator Obama's campaign speaks of HOPE and of CHANGE, I hear an accusation that my life is HOPEless without a CHANGE to an Obama presidency. Am I reading too much into it? Please tell me what other substantive meaning could be derived from using HOPE and CHANGE as slogans, and, while you're at it, please tell me why I should discount Mrs. Obama's repeated explication of the HOPE and CHANGE message.
I am cynical because, even if his motives are absolutely pure, what Mrs. Obama has described as her wish for this country's future is my nightmare. Her vision, which, so far as I know, Senator Obama has not repudiated, is downright un-American and aligns nicely with Mao's Cultural Revolution.
I can make an argument that Senator Obama's disavowal of Reverend Wright is dishonest, is a cynical move, is done in desperation, and reeks of elitist disdain for the intelligence of Americans. This meshes perfectly with the rest of what is known about the senator's double-dealing life.
It's certainly your right to call me an out-of-control partisan to challenge the veracity of his every utterance, but I like to think of it as my being prudently considerate of available facts.
If you think Obama made the right move to denounce Wright, what, lets call it an even 2 MONTHS (it could be longer or shorter) after the initial comments were made public, then I think you are being a little silly.
The right move was to have denounced him BEFORE running for the presidency. Obamas inability to forsee this whole mess coming can only be attributed to lack of intelligence. And if he couldnt see this coming, then somebody in his camp should have. So we have a stupid candidate surrounded by stupid people.
Your right in the fact that denouncing Wright is good politics (although it isnt because he waited too long), but when you denounce your boy after saying you couldnt (not wouldnt, but COULD NOT) it makes you (Obama) look like a total tool.
Thats not partisan at all.
come back and see us in 7 years minimum so that we can see some behavior to quiet the din of the 20-year pew-parked butt.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
can and we will criticize him....he waited to long and politically checked the winds and than threw Wright under the same bus as his grandmother which he should have NEVER done....he should be excoriated for being just what all of them are politicians...HE IS NOTHING NEW!!!!
I am sure his little young minions are heartbroken...well they better get used to it...
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
however the press conference was the right move. We have Erick spitting conspiracy theories. The rest of you are pretending as though this changes nothing. This changes everything. I am not saying the damage hasn't already been done, or that this story won't do more damage, but please, get a grip. Give the man his credit when it is appropriate. This was smart and it was difficult, and yet he did it. Like I said, he wasn't going to get out of this with no damage no matter what. There are still plenty of lingering doubts, and frankly there were going to be no matter what, but this changes everything.
Wright will no longer be an albatross as far as any new material. The only way Wright can hurt him now is to just go crazy on him or to say that he was in the pews for some of the sermons. This absolutely changes the dynamics. If Wright says something else kooky, it is no longer an albatross around Obama.
the damage has been done and there maybe more, but don't say this changes nothing.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor
it seems important to mike that we awful partisans give obama credit for making a wise political move...
and, at the moment he chose to disown wright, it was perhaps the best thing he could have done...
but that doesn't erase all the wrongs that were made prior to his epiphany. it only raises questions of his judgment (and truthfulness, and sincerity).
and this isn't going away, mike. this stain will remain for a long time, and will restink up the place every time wright decides to open his trap between now & november.
If you actually think you're being nonpartisan, you are wrong.
The point is, Obama made the correct decision for the wrong reasons. He should have denounced Wright for moral reasons, which means he should have done it much earlier.
Obama instead waited to see if he could get away with it, and ended up denouncing Wright simply because he couldn't afford to keep losing momentum/votes/public opinion. Understanding this isn't partisan "cynicism." It's real.
Your inability to understand this does not speak well for your supposed nonpartisanship. Yes, it was "right" in a superficial sense. But it was substantively wrong because of why Obama did it. And if you actually care about what this means for our country who might actually have this guy as president, and not simply "who wins the political game," you would be as disgusted as we "partisans" are.
Obama has no credibility here -- and it's his own fault. Had he taken these steps -the first time- this was brought up, he MAY have gotten away with some bruises. But coming out now in this way just looks petty. It's "You peed in my cheerios, now it's my turn."
Granted, he wasn't going to get out of this entirely regardless... because the -right- thing to do would have been to leave the church as soon as he had an inkling (and nobody can tell me he didn't with a straight face -- and be sane) that this sort of thing was going on.
Fred Thompson, 2008
Then the man would be Caligula, once he was in his 2nd term and had nowhere else to go. The political sstem has partisans for a reason. The chicanery that Barack has shown over Jeremiah Wright is pathetic. If he can disown Wright, and I were his Dear Old Grandma, I would worry greatly over what type of home he intended to park me in.
"I believe we must adjourn this meeting to some other place." - The last recorded words of Adam Smith.
This is a partisan website. In other news, the sky is blue, grass is green, and water is wet.
"If all men were just, there would be no need of valor."
- Agesilaus
...but couldn't seem to come up with anything new Wright had said to explain the change in attitude.
And can we really call it disowning? He seemed to hedge on that a bit, as if they were going to be separated for now.
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- "Make love not war? Real men can do both!"
terms. There is little more he can do. He wasn't going to escape this fiasco without questions. That simply wasn't in the cards for him. This was the only and the best political move, and if you criticize this then you are just being a partisan.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor
....for being an opportunist. The only reason. The ONE AND ONLY reason that Obama denounced Wright is because it is damaging to his presidential campaign. This is all about protecting Obama's political career. He isn't anything new. He isn't "above the game" as he likes to hold himself out. He is a partisan Democrat and rank opportunist who thirsts for the presidency.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Odd, since as far as I knew I was being someone who felt his reasons were unconvincing and possibly dishonest.
I agree it might be the smart thing to do, just as it would have been months, possibly years ago... but doing the smart thing in a bad way isn't anywhere near as helpful as doing the smart thing smartly.
Some of his rhetoric sounded more like his relationship had merely been seriously damaged, at least for now. And he didn't base this on anything new. The closest thing to something new he pointed to was the accusation he was distancing himself for political reasons... which Wright had been saying, and pointing out that Obama had agreed with as early as last summer.
That's my objective look. Call it partisan if you feel it necessary. I disagree.
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- "Make love not war? Real men can do both!"
but that doesn't mean Bush didn't inherit a whole lot negativity even though he did the right thing?
What do you want me to say, good job Obama?
Fine. Well done.
Such a low bar. Kind of like thanking politicians for not commiting a crime (e.g. doing the right thing)
We're not interested in what his best political move was. I agree that this was his best political move, but that's precisely why I am critical of him. Honesty and leadership are praiseworthy, not political calculations. To say that any criticism of this is just partisan more ridiculous than I can possibly convey.
He has simply been reacting to Wright entirely based on political calculations, trying to distance himself as little as possible. After the recent crazy, anti-American rantings he decided that he had to denounce him more forcefully. This doesn't tell us a thing about Obama except that he is willing to lie to our faces that he didn't know Wright was a racist anti-American. He's known it for years and years! He's brought his daughters into that Church to have their minds poisoned for the rest of their lives. Now he is pretending as though he didn't know what was going on. It's a bald-faced lie and you'd better believe I'm going to be critical of it, not because I'm partisan, but because it's a lie!
"We're not interested in what his best political move was. I agree that this was his best political move, but that's precisely why I am critical of him."
He sounds more like the old kind of politician every day.
Knock me over w/ a feather-duster!
"I believe we must adjourn this meeting to some other place." - The last recorded words of Adam Smith.
You can usually recognize them by their penchant for self-righteous posing, their strange belief (ably demonstrated by mike up there) that being a "partisan" is second only to being a Fascist, and that Republicans do not compromise enough.
Consequently, you tend to see them rushing to remind us to give every benefit of the doubt to Democrats even while they raucously cheer whenever a Republican attack other Republicans.
They're not mobys though. Just weird.
...sort of thing on Left blogs. The communities found on them - particularly the ones with comment rating systems - are quite ruthless when it comes to enforcing orthodoxy. As many online Clinton supporters abruptly discovered earlier this year. :)
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
...and then backed up and ran over him again.
Questions that now need to be asked and answered:
1. Are we really to believe that Rev Wright's appearance at the National Press Club was the very first time Obama had any inkling about what this guy was all about?
2. Why did Obama donate $27,000 to Trinity United Methodist Church last year?
3. Was Obama lying about what he knew about Rev Wright in his "race speech" in Philadelphia? Does he take back the comment about "he cannot disown him anymore than he can disown his own family"?
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
------------JUST ANOTHER------------
Next will come the calls to explain Rev Otis Moss for his "lynching" comments....especially after the glowing way he talked about Rev Moss today
" Got to love the Lord for making things like that."
Morally Compromised
We've got our own crazies, but they no where near compare to Jeremiah!
Obama and Jeremiah represent the Trinity United Church of Christ. And that's a whole different ballgame.
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Just a typical, small town, white girl...
Did he apologize to his Grandma
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association
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
What did Wright said yesterday that was worse than what he's said previously?
And is Obama disowning the black community and his own family?
This guy takes phoniness to unknown levels.
you are right, not much in substance, but the NPC performance was worse for Obama than the Youtube stuff because:
1) Wright directly trashed Obama, calling him a phony politician who will say whatever is needed to get elected.
2) Wright conducted himself with a level of class and dignity about on par with the typical Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam.
3)Wright reiterated, live and for all to see, the same obnoxious stuff he said before, so now it can't be dismissed/excused as an out of context snippet that was part of an overall discussion about Black frustrations in America.
So this goes from being a "does he believe it" problem to a "he's just another opportunistic politician" problem.
______________________________________
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After all once a messiah is brought down to earth they don't get back up again.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
To the mushy middle out there who love the country, Obama appears as lower than the typical politician. How many national politicians have friends like Obama's?
If Michigan had a do-over, Hillary would win by 20%. The UAW Reagan democrats do NOT like him.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
worthy of some respect.
Obama has proven to be as utterly fake and insincere as Hillary. McGovern is authentically McGovern. He was not a panderer or a cynical triangulator.
he was just an idiot. I remember hearing him on NPR some years ago, after he retired and opened up a bed and breakfast. He exclaimed now shocked he was at all the regulations and all the taxes he had to pay!
I wanted to reach through the radio and pound him.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
I didn't actually hear the broadcast but the comment was widely reported! I remember thinking something along the lines of 'gee....now maybe you know what it's like to have a real life!!!'
omnia dicta fortiora si dicta Latina
Wright and Obama don't exist together alone in a vacuum.
There's also Ayers.
How many other politicians do you know who choose a spiritual mentor whose spiritual advice includes "God Damn America" as well as having a political mentor who regrets not committing more acts or terrorism against America?
One might be a fluke, but two is a pattern - and it's a frightening pattern.
Obama.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
You forgot to mention his wife, Mrs. Michelle "I have never been proud of my country" Obama.
"I repudiate the idea of voting for a Democrat
The more he acts like just another politician, only younger, the more people in the middle will be turned off by him.
For those paying attention, Obama's credibility is now zero.
For those paying attention and who have no irrational emotional attachment to the campaign*, Obama's credibility is now zero. Although I suppose that it'd be difficult [to be paying proper attention and still have said emotional attachment].
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
*From what I can tell, the actual candidate associated with said campaign is virtually a plug-in for many of these people.
I saw this quote awhile back during an Obama discussion, and it is even more telling after recent events.
"Of no little importance to a prince is his choice of ministers, who are good or bad according to the prince's intelligence. In forming an opinion about a ruler's brains, the first thing is to look at the men he has around him, for when they are adequate and loyal he can be considered prudent, because he recognizes those who are competent and keeps them loyal. When they are otherwise, the prince is always to be estimated low, because the first error he makes, he makes in choosing advisers."
— Niccolò Machiavelli
I also think we should refer back to Machiavelli. There are always undesirable that cling to those climbing the ladder of power. There are always those who hang on, try to make inroads with, and claim some part of the politician. But Tony Rezko, William Ayers, and Jeremiah Wright are three men that Barack Obama chose. He chose them for their influence. He was the hanger on. He was climbing their ladders.
To quote Machiavelli, what does that say about Obama's brains?
Who knew?????
omnia dicta fortiora si dicta Latina
spin this all you want, but this was the exact right political move to make, and I know this because Dick Morris recommended he do exactly this last night. Call it whiney, contrived, but face it, he just finally got out front of the story.
The only questions left are how much damage has been done and can there be more. To try and pretend as though this was anything but exactly the right thing to do is to be a bitter partisan.
The Provocateur