BINGO. LornaCarol!You can't use race negatively against your opponents and then simultaneously say you aretranscending race in order to bring the country together. This is the thing that middle America (as opposed to the blog boyz and Beltway crowd) is nowseeing clearly and why no this speech is NOT enough and may have made things worse. Thisain't gonna cut it with Joe Sixpack steelworker. The sad thing is that Obama had a chance to be precisely what he claims to be: a unitingforce to help heal what still remains of our racial divide. Had he gone that route of being"post-racial" he would have done a lot of good. BUT he also stood a good chance of losing thenomination to Hillary. Because Hillary at that time still had a respectable amount of supportin the AA community and in the "latte white liberal set" as well as her solid blue-collar andwomen base. Obama made a very cynical very calculated move. He looked at the numbers and thedemographics and figured that unless he shook loose some more latte votes and a LOT more AAvotes from Hillary he wasn't going to make it. He coldly and deliberately began playing the race card. In a horrible horrible way. Hebegan his accusations and guilt-mongering and racial victim schtick. So no. Taylor. I do notfeel sympathy that he is forced into a role he never wanted. I think he is having to lie inthe bed that HE and Axelrod fucking made. Racial politics became an issue because HEmade it so. Democrats were more than ready to treat him with "ethnic blinders" as it were andjudge him solely on the content of his character and his record. As a matter of fact we werefalling all over ourselves in our eagerness to do just that. The problem came when his recordbegan coming up short and rather than allow that judgement of his readiness to be made fairly,he WENT FOR THE MOST AA and GUILTY LATTE VOTES BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE rather than continue tocompete on a level field. He did this to himself. Taylor and no sympathy is forthcoming from me. WMCB | 03.18.2008 - 12:55 pm
JUST WORDS - PROOF OF NO ACTIONS I have re read his speech again.... SHOCKED at the pure audacity of Bs'ing us...***********************************************************************Obama " Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I satin church? Yes"**************************************************************************************He not only now has changed his story again that he was in the pews when such words wereasked.. BUT I'm SHOCKED - he asks us to come together and not just talk about our divides but that wemust act!**********************************************************************************************Obama " And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage orprovide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens ofthe United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who werewilling to do their part "**************************************************************************Senator OBAMA_ HOW can you ask us to act / " do our part" when the 1st instance leading tomultiple instances of your pastor using hate speech. YOU SIR DID NOT ACT YOURSELF! you sat thruit for decades.. to add futher INSULT TO INJURY - you rewarded him by asking him to join yourcampaign!I know the cultish obama followers are in their charles manson seance moment... But what apiece of crock to preach to us to act on these divsions while he himself did jack when it wastimes to act!get you new incense's out obamabots and sing ha ma na ha ma na.. but his own wordscontridict his ACTIONS!Unbecoming of A Presidential candidate!HuffoBanned | 03.18.2008 - 12:59 pm
well i do think he did the only thing he could do which was to try again to elevate thediscourse away from himself and his actions to Race and it seems as though he did that well but I think it will not quell the anger at the patriotism issue and thecompany/association/judgment issue. It is injecting the shiney object he jingles in front ofour eyes to distract us but i think he is in too deep for that to work he is too damaged to bethe nominee whether the party dems who have pushed and pushed his candidacy are willing to dosomething that is for the good of the party in nov is a question to me but he is now a symbolof AAs and Race and that is too much a third rail still for the GE. I think he wanted to avoidthat role and he painted himself into the corner now. Now the rezco news bits will be played among a bacdrop of wright and his judgment we as acountry may or may not be ready for an AA prez but the fear i imagine folks will hve is that inthe time of so many other ciritcal issues [ econmy war] is this the right time to have it. Today we should be focused on the econmy and the anniv of the invasion and getting out ofiraq and because BO is the symbol of Race now we are having this conversation.. and I thinkaverage folks are going to be like - what about the economy? you know? That the concern willarise maybe quietly that a BO presidency will be all about Race issues.. and that evenwithout the lying etc would sink him IMOneilario | 03.18.2008 - 1:09 pm
The Federal Reserve is about an hour away from making the biggest rate cut in history. Peoplewho were earning more than 5% on their CDs a year ago are now going to be earning 2% if that. People on fixed incomes are going to be suffering greatly as the dollar declines and inflationincreases. In Los Angeles where I live the cheapest grade of gas at the cheapest station was$3.57 a gallon yesterday. Jobs are now being lost. We are not that far away from the worstrecesssion in fifty years if not a potential Depression. And Obama gets an hour of national air time to talk about race in America. He gets thisbecause he is fighting to defend himself and save his nomination because his bigoted pastorhas made abominable statements in his sermons. The Obama campaign has made race an issuedeliberately starting with the South Carolina Primary. They have imputed racism to a varietyof opposition figures including the Clintons and Geraldine Ferraro. They have created thefire and now Obama must take our time to try to act like the noble fireman who is putting itout. The disjunct here is incredible. When the dollar starts to resemble the peso in buying power,will President Obama give a speech on economic theory? When uncmployment is at 10% will hesoothe us with some of FDR's words? This isn't 1968; race relations is hardly one of ourbiggest national concerns. And guess what? Race relations are not going to be any betterbecause of Obama's speech which is like getting a palliative injection for a torn ligament. Putting aside all the media hype and their fascination with speeches the only beneficiary oftoday's exercise was Senator Obama. Which is always the way it has been and will be in hiscareer. William | 03.18.2008 - 1:17 pm
Well maybe Mr Obama cannot distance himself from Rev Wright but we can sure distance ourselvesfrom Obama and can sure distance myself from the Democratic Party. I am an Independent HumanBeing and owe no allegiance to any political party if the party is committing suicide. I am nolemming. I really am sorry for the past experiences of AA people in America. They were enslaved andtreated abominably as everyone knows but it's really time to get over it and move on. Therewas no affirmative action for Jews after the World War 11 or Asians after the internmentcamps.... responsible human beings jest get on with it. Certain humans of every race,cultureand creed make victim-ology their credo. Everything is about them and why they cannot achievex,y or z. The TV show "Intervention" is all about this. I am so sick and tired of this conversation. There is the War in Iraq and the conflict inAfghanistan. Iran the Middle East. Oil. Healthcare and the Economy. Education and theEnvironment. Currently AAs are 12.7 % of American society and in the past week or so race their perceived plight has taken up ALL the oxygen in the room. The flag wasn't good enough to pledge allegiance to on the podium wherever that was nor wasthe flag pin worthy of wearing.. but now Obama is flanked by over-sized models.... he is such ahypocrite and a panderer and so slimy. I just can't bear it. If the DNC really goes with Obama they deserve all the ruiniation they will bring uponthemselves. Maybe one really does need to hit rock bottom before pulling themselves out of a sewer..... Ithink this is what may be happening to the DNC. If Obama's in. I'm out and good riddance artist | | 03.18.2008 - 1:23 pm
Personally. I was not impressed. He didn't answer the central question about this wholeepisode as others have mentioned. He did not give an adequate explanation of why he wouldcontinue to associate with someone so polarizing and unwilling to move on to a place ofreconciliation rather than hatred. That is what bothers me about his association of 20 years. He has listened to thousands of sermons by this man. No one can convince me that he hasn'tinternalized much of Wright's beliefs. In fact his words and his actions show just theopposite. He said:".. they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees whiteracism as endemic"And as we have seen his whole campaign has been busy making everything his opponent and hersurrogates have said be seen as racism. He is practicing that very view in this campaign,trying to make everything said about racism. It can be difficult for some to see with all themedia noise and accusations. What has changed with the outing of Jeremiah Wright is that morepeople are now starting to get it. They are now starting to realize the race-baiting that hastaken place. And they are beginning to notice when these accusations are made (right beforeblack primaries or when he is speaking to a black audience). He said a lot of things about race in America that are very true but nothing that we didn'talready know. He offered no solutions. He basically told us what a freshman history class wouldhave taught. This is a distraction. It has nothing to do with the issue that has caused thecontroversy. He has campaigned on superior judgment. Jeremiah Wright belies that claim. Talkingabout racism in general or our racial history does not convince me that he has good judgment. Again it is a distraction. Nor did he do the one thing that he should have done that would restore my respect: apologizeto Hillary Clinton and her campaign for the repugnant race-baiting he has used to ruin hercandidacy. Until he does that. I won't even consider voting for him. In fact if he is giventhe dem nomination. I will contribute to John McCain and work for his election. As a life-longDemocrat who has never before voted for a Republican and who once voted for Jesse Jackson. Idon't say that lightly. CognitiveDissonance | 03.18.2008 - 1:34 pm
Notice that:AT NO TIME in this speech does Obama admit that he lied to us and ask for our forgiveness. I also find this speech notable for what he DOESN'T say. For example when he says. "The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in oursociety. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; asif this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for thehighest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian rich andpoor young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what wehave seen - is that America can change.".. he SHOULD have said,"The profound mistake.... (etc) bound to a tragic past. HE WAS WRONG. What we know what we have seen - is that America can change."And here again:"In the white community the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ailsthe African-American community..".. with NO corresponding mention of "In the black community the path to a more perfectunion means...".. he should have had the balls to tell the black community that that path goes two-ways. The black community will NEVER move forward until they let go of their grievances and forgivethe ANCESTORS of the present-day whites who enslaved their ANCESTORS. Obama is not just playing the race card here he's throwing out the guilt and the victimcards as well i e.: Black people have a justifiable anger but it the fault of the whitepeople who enslaved us. (the white people who are now dead but no matter; all white people areguilty so long as they are white). So white people have to make it right. White people have to do the hard work. Black peopledon't actually have to DO much about their own situation or acknowledge the personal choicesthat created their situation because the reason they're in that situation at all - is thefault of whites. It's a pretty speech but IT'S STILL RACIST BULLSHIT. I seriously hope someone calls this lying huckster on this crap vanessa | 03.18.2008 - 1:38 pm
His answer more than satisfied me but I'm not at all representative of the electorate; I don'tknow how this is going to work out in the election. I'm crossing my fingers. One thing I'd like point out is Obama's reluctance to disown Wright is consistent with aquality he's shown before; a desire to avoid conflict and bring people together. It's similarto when he appeared with McClurkin and people were calling on him to cancel the appearance anddisown McClurkin for his homophobic views. He didn't back down then either. I didn't like that either but it's consistent with his style and rhetoric of bringing peopletogether. And I was impressed later when addressing a church he chided them pointing out thatprejudice against gays was no different than prejudice against minorities. And I did wonder ifhis refusal to automatically disown McClurkin made it easier for him to reach out in this way,since they could feel he viewed them as human beings and wasn't out demonize them. It is a different of doing things not politics as usual I'm not saying Obama's a saint; heobviously knows how to play political hardball no doubt. But his is a different wqy ofapproaching thing. Sometimes it bugs me; sometimes reconciliation isn't the right course andyou have to call what's wrong wrong as in the case of Farakhan. But I'm interested to see howthis plays out. Rick Taylor | 03.18.2008 - 1:39 pm
Polls always show that while a vast majority of Black people think that race is a major issuein America most White people do not. Most White people share my feelings that in their dailylives. Black people do not face much in the way of discrimination though some of it stillundoubtedly exists. I've gone to law school with Black people worked with Black people dealtwith Black attorneys. I never saw any of them treated with less than the respect which allpeople deserve. Maybe Los Angeles ia a more tolerant place. I'm sure that in their hearts alot of people have some prejudices against members of other ethnic or religious groups. Butmost of them don't act upon it which is the most one can hope for at this point. I don't need to be lectured on race; certainly not by someone who has used it to hispolitical benefit. I am certain that Blacks will love today's speech because it puts theirissue front and center. But I continue to believe that there is not a significant problem withrace relations in this country; and that we certainly do not a would-be Martin Luther King togive us an hour lecture on race. And bigots and anti-Semites still exist in all colors andReverend Wright is one. And he gave many sermons espousing those beliefs and Obama was therefor them and still supported him and his church in a variety of ways. And that is the bottomline. If a bunch of starry-eyed liberals want to see him as some kind of transcendent figure. Ican't stop them. But most of us are not Susam Sarandon or Ben Affleck and we have jobs andfinancial concerns and high prices and health care to worry about. And we want someone who canhelp with real solutions not someone whose stock in trade is the flowery but ultimatelymeaningless speech. William | 03.18.2008 - 1:44 pm
I read the whole speech. I couldn’t watch him – he grates on my nerves just like Bush. This guy is a demagogue and we were all right about him. He’s trying to use inspiringwords to cover a pile of shit. It won’t work. None of what he lists is a reason to stay in a hate-preaching church for 20 years. BO’s camp has made the race issue divisive from the beginning. What controversial remarks did he hear while he sat in church? Were they remarks thatwould make a proud American walk out and never come back?Just because he’s a good writer (or whoever wrote this for/with him is a good writer)doesn’t mean he’s a good man. This a just like when MO said her idiot line about being proud of our country for the firsttime in her adult life. So many gave her a pass. Then we found out that’s exactly what shemeant. Don’t drink the KOOL-AID. We can’t keep falling for the “what I reallymeant” argument!All AA churches don’t tolerate hate and division coming from the pulpit. He’s tryingto lump them all together and it won’t fly. BO doesn’t think that what we heard on the videos is derogatory to whites? His idea ofderogatory must be very different than mine. That is the tone taken in all of the videos Isaw. He ridiculously equates taking away support from him with walking away from theissues. No dear it’s you and your divisiveness lying ducking out of responsibility,race baiting etc that we will be walking away from. That will actually make it *easier* toaddress these issues!Segregation legalized discrimination economic inequality – Barack is using these asexcuses for staying in a “church” that preaches “God $#%# America”!Another insight into his mindset: According to this speech every AA that ever failed did sodue to discrimination. That is not a healthy belief since it is not true. We’ve all fallenshort of some mark due to our own shortcomings at some point in our lives. Any reasonableperson could acknowledge that. I can’t believe he equates what Wright preaches with what is normally heard in blackchurches. I’ve never heard anything remotely like what Wright said in AA churches I’vevisited. Basically what I’ve heard was what my Methodist preaches says but with a lot moreexcitement and entertainment!Faith | 03.18.2008 - 1:45 pm
This speech means nothing to the average voter. My husband is a managing superintendent with acommercial construction company and supervises the various trades on a job site. Believe me,these working folks (mostly men white black brown) don't give a damn about race. They dogive a damn about the "un-American" comments made by Rev. Wright. It isn't about black orwhite it's about what the dude said! These hardworking and good people care deeply about what is happening to our country and totheir children's future. They don't have time to contemplate where the country is on racerelations and have a "discussion" about it. They want a conversation about income disparity,jobs healthcare etc.. the things that touch every moment of their lives. They believe thatrace is not what is tearing this country apart at this particular moment and now is not thetime to spend all our energies trying to solve the issue much as Obama and his "Sally Quinnelites" would like to. The everyday working folks are wondering where they will get the moneyto fill the car with gas so they can work to feed their kids. The clips are out there the Republicans will use them. Democrats will lose the election ifObama is the nominee. We as a party will lose these working folks again. And I don't believePres. McCain will solve anyone's problems. Excursion | 03.18.2008 - 1:53 pm
Was that the end of his speech? No there was more!!He calls what Wright was expressing “anger.” It was actually hate. This is not a victory it is a sham attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of those desperateto believe. More thoughtful people will know better and see through it just likes MO’sridiculous “pride” comment. Just because some of what he says is true (“Hey look the sky is blue!”) doesn’tchange his situation. BO stayed in a hate-preaching church for 20 years most likely becausehe agrees with the preacher. So what if he recognizes America is run by corporations? Whodoesn’t?Pretty words – pretty candidate – ugly political approach – ugly mentoring background. He’s wrong about Wright – his profound mistake was not "speaking as if our society isstatic (another attempted excuse!!)." His profound mistake was to spew hate-filled rhetoricyear after year to his parishioners of which BO was one. I love how he’s saying. “Oh,wait yes I was there!”THIS IS RICH:”We have a choice…we can accept a politics that breeds division and conflict.” Bythis he means “You can listen to the truth about my relationship with my moral compass.” Or…”We can come together,” by which he means “You can ignore the truth and support meanyway.” Who are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?I’m not the enemy – corporations and the media are!Iraq. Iraq. Iraq (push emotion button repeatedly here…). Pander to young people who regrettably believed me before today. I’ll need them a lot moreafter this!I love the made-up part in the “Ashley” story: “Perhaps somebody told her along theway that the source of her mother’s problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy towork.” How about too lazy to come up with a good ending for a speech? This is aninvented mental picture meant to further work up the “rubes’” emotions. He seriously is used to addressing people who are willing to swallow his verbiage hook line,and sinker. Not in this house!I’m going to go contribute to Hillary. And while I’m at it. I think Taylor deserves alittle love too!Faith | 03.18.2008 - 2:12 pm
ssmith you would rather vote for another four years of Bush?destardi considering this speech was delivered to a mainly black congregation not to themedia. I believe it's hardly divisive. Remember they are americans too. I take responsibilityfor this countries guilt. And it's no more divisive than any other group "us and them"speeches. Corporate america to its members. George Bush talking to Billionaires for Bush (whothink it's funny to make jokes about poor people). We are a divided country. Barack Obama was not being smart. He doesn't know how to be because he just smells which waythe wind blows and goes with. Disassociating may have consequences as well. These churchorganizations probably provide a lot of electoral support and organization. He may have blewthat or decided the "time was right to do so."mui | 03.18.2008 - 2:18 pm | # So you're actually trying to tell me with a straight face that calling whites "cigar chompingcrackers" doesn't stick in the mind of Wright's black congregants when they happen across whitepeople on the street?All of the work that Bill and Hillary have done then being turned on by Wright? Telling hiscongregants that Hillary is too white to ever know such painful things?These things aren't DIVISIVE?AHAHAAHAHAHRight. Keep telling yourself that destardi | 03.18.2008 - 2:29 pm
ladywalker68 how many black churches have you been too? or dissenting churches for thatmatter. It's *rhetoric.* Okay? and he makes some fine points. I have been to Zero black churches or dissenting churches and for about 40 years. I haven'tattended any white churches or "assenting churches" and I don't think that matters or hasanything to do with the topic at hand. I haven't ever been to a KKK meeting or a Nazi meetingeither but I still find the guiding principles of both organizations reprehensible. And to be clear. I don't go to any church because I believe all religions are wrought withhypocrisy and that religion has often been at the root of the most evil and destructive forcesin the world. Whatever happened to the concept of separation of church and state? What is Obama doing withsome sort of council on religion? What is that all about? Obama can't pick his family but hesure as heck and pick his churches and he did so this morning and I am not impressed. And finally. I don't care if your church is magenta puce fushia teal or mauve. Just asthere is no crying in baseball there is no room for a Presidential candidate to aligns himselffor 20 years with a Reverend who said. "God Damn America" and who danced on the graves of thevictims in the 9/11 rubble only a few days after the attack. For God's sake: Today. BarackObama threw his own white grandmother under the bus trying to save his candidacy. Yuk. I need to go take a shower to wash off the Barack Obama O-Crappo.. ladywalker68 | 03.18.2008 - 2:59 pm
I never heard mention of Obama's grandmother before today. Certainly he never called her hisspiritual advisor or credited her for shaping his beliefs as he has Rev. Wright over the lasttwenty years. I don't think that Obama or any politician to call out any and all relatives who may havesomething unsavory in their past. However. I do think it is disgusting to spend twenty yearsputting Rev. Wright on a pedestal and then claiming you can't renounce him because he's family. And let's get one other thing straight. Obama never renounced denounced repudiated,rejected distanced himself or in any way expressed disagreement with Rev. Wright's statementsup until about one week ago. Not when he ran for Senate in IL. Not when he he announced forPresident. Not when his surrogates were calling Hillary out on the race card. Frankly if SeanHannity hadn't called him out on Wright he would have been quite content to let Wright go onhuffing and puffing and chairing Obama's spiritual committee all the way to the White House. Obama is great for pointing to a six-year old speech showcasing his great judgment but hecan't produce one single statement in twenty years up until about one week ago in which heindicated any disagreement whatsoever to what Wright was saying all the while he was sittingin church smiling and nodding. SilverScreen | 03.18.2008 - 3:20 pm
Mawm,The "America Hating" wing of the Democratic party are the ones who say we deserved to behit on 9/11 the ones that say as you did that they feel guilty for the sins of white peoplein the past. I have never heard a Democrat say that. That is something like Jerry Falwell would say onlyhe blamed on gays lesbians wiccans and the ACLU. They are the same ones that I argued with before 9/11 about the taliban. When the talibanblew up the buddhist statue. I had a discussion with my liberal friendsAnd I know a lot of "liberals" who thought it was an absolute crime. I fall into the easternreligion category so I know I was horrified. But at the time they were a sovereign country. We are not supposed to invade sovereign countries at the drop of the hat and unilaterally butabide by international laws. Something Bush has not. When you listen to Wright's sermons it sounds like he is trying to start someinstitutionalized racism of his own. His church is an institution after all isn't it?Why address the oppression of slavery and Jim Crow by force feeding their children hatred ofwhite people. Why address the history of this country. It's important. Institutionalized racism exists notonly for blacks. Institutionalized sexism exists. There's a history behind that. As for Wrightstarting his own institutionalized racism. I don't think one has to worry. He doesn't run thegovernment he doesn't control the status quo he doesn't control major corporations either. Nor can he change the culture of this country singlehandly. The power is in the hands ofprimarily lily white straight men. And I don't exactly think they're shaking in their bootsover Wrights sermons mui | 03.18.2008 - 3:35 pm
I didn't see Obama's speech but I just finished reading it and I still think he's in majortrouble. First of all it was divisive of him to put Gerry F's comment in the same category asWright's hateful tirades. That will piss off many people. Secondly he was the one going afterGerry but now he's trying to seem as if he's beyond this petty race bickering. Furthermore some whites may feel he's putting the blame for the ills of black society solelyon whites. He talks about the disintegration of the black family due to black men's shame thatthey couldn't provide for their families due to [white] discrimination. Some might feel thatdeep down Obama believes Wright's message that whites are to blame for everything. Although Obama makes several good points only those who already are for Obama will give himthe benefit of the doubt. Essentially his long speech was a defense of Wright and he basicallyexcuses Wright by saying that since the black community has suffered so much it is ok for themto be racist. I don't think that is helpful to better race relations in the US. Lastly. Obama had a chance to talk about the sexism that Wright espouses but he nevermentions it. Not only did he make crude references to the Clintons but Wright mocked NataleeHolloway's rape + abduction/murder by saying that this white girl goes off gets drunk and"gives it up." Wright is a pastor whom 8000+ members look to for spiritual guidance and Wrighthas a responsibility to refrain from encouraging racist and sexist attitudes. No. Obama doesn'tget a pass IMO. Obama chose this man out to be his pastor and mentor and he had plenty of timein 20 years to walk away. One more thing even if liberals give Obama a pass on this the moderates and conservativesmay not and so Obama will be doomed in the GE. Months down the road when the 527s are playingsnippets of Wright's rants no one will be playing exerpts of Obama's LONG speech. Obama'sspeech requires one to read/listen to it in entirety but hearing Wright screaming angrilyabout whites and the US of KKK A is a powerful emotional tool laurel nyc | 03.18.2008 - 3:36 pm
I believe that Obama told another lie -- the one about his Grandmother's remarks: but awoman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street and who on morethan one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. This is/was Hawaii -- and from what I've read -- Honolulu -- where his grand parents livedand where Punahoe is the exclusive high school that Obama attended. His grandmother to point out the obvious -- is FEMALE. And as nearly all females know --at certain times and certain places -- MALES can be a potential threat. It's dark and you'rewalking alone and a man approaches -- or a man suddenly appears. Again his grandmother is in Hawaii (still alive I believe) and walking alone at night insome places is not safe for a WOMAN. So she may have said that she felt unsafe -- and Obamatrying to excuse Rev. Wright chose to take his grandmother's statement which many WOMEN havemade -- and yes threw his grandmother under to bus. Obama has no concept of sexism -- I really doubt he's even considered this. Hisgrandmother faced extreme sexism as did his mother -- but he has zero empathy -- real empathy. He can read a speech but he doesn't have the capacity to understand what sexism is. Obama used his grandmother he used his mother -- Obama is still a misogynistic fool. Obama's grandmother if she was walking on a sidewalk in Honolulu would more likelyencounter someone of color or "na haole" (white folk-"na" indicates plural form of the work). It is not so much the race of the person but the GENDER -- she would more more concerned about. Young male thugs -- and purse snatching. And Obama didn't get this -- so he used a real concernthat women have and threw grandma under the bus. Obama is a sexist pig -- and women's rights take a back seat -- back of the bus. Hell heshouldn't even be a Senator. He's really unfit for public "service" -- because public serviceis a free ride for Mr. Obamacon. Northwest rain | 03.18.2008 - 3:46 pm
For me this was a very carefully crafted political speech. This speech seems to be part of astrategy to take take what might be perceived as 'his' problem (judgment issue re: relationshipwith Wright) and redefine it as 'our' problem (race relations in America). It's very Obama for me because it feels like people can take away from it what they want. Ifsomeone needs Obama to condemn Wright's remarks he does it. If someone needs Obama to defendWright's life work he does it. If someone needs Obama to admit he knew about the remarks hedoes it. If someone needs Obama to distance himself from the remarks he does it. What really jumped out at me was when he took Wright and connected him first to himself thento the black community then to his family (in particular his white grandmother which is ofcourse quite a clever choice of an example) and then to all Americans. That's his case for unity IMO and he's using it to attempt to immunize himself against attackagain on the Wright issue. He's once again framed himself as the post-racial candidate anddisowning Wright becomes like disowning America since we are all part of the big Americanconversation. I'm curious as to how effective this will be. Clearly the media loves it. Will votersconnect to it? Or will people think to themselves. 'This isn't how I am or how my family is,or how my church is.' Will people connect or see a disconnect?Beyond the political calculation of the speech. I would also hope it would mean good thingsabout the types of conversations we can have in this country but until I observe actions fromSenator Obama that match this speech. I'm just taking this as a move to counter his currentslide in the polls. As long as his surrogates are pushing the 'Hillary will do or say anythingto win and advance her over-weening ambition' meme. I'm just not impressed by speeches aboutunity chris vee | 03.18.2008 - 4:03 pm
Well. I said yesterday that I thought he was making a mistake in giving this speech. I didn'thave the stomach to watch it but what I have read from your posts. I gather that he has notaccomplished anything. It dawned on me this morning that Americans are still in the shock mode of processing whathappened with Rev. Wright and his hatred racist rants. When they process this and it ishappening right now. I hypothesize that it will turn into ANGER. Why? Americans will not only be angry at what Rev. Wright said but they will be angry at BOfor playing them for a fool. He knew this all along and yet race baited this entire campaign. He attacked Hillary and Bill at every chance he got. He hoodwinked and bamboozled at hiscampaign stops with a rock star projection to which voters were "mesmerized" with him. Hetalked about being a uniter for hope and change. All along he was in the tank with hisminister for 20 years and never told us this. I think that ANGER is going to result when the reality of this sinks in that BO has beenplaying the American people for a fool. I think this is going to transpire in the next fewweeks. I agree with Grey - we get two things from his speech - he was PRESENT during Rev. Wright'shate-filled racist sermons and he will NOT abandon Rev. Wright. In other words. BO agrees withRev. Wright. Oh yeah one more thing he LIED to us!If there is one thing Americans understand it is religion. It is the basis of our morals,values and our belief system regardless if one considers herself/himself to be religious ornot. BO's connection with Rev. Wright gives us a snapshot of BO's values morals and it showshis judgment and character. No fancy rhetoric is going to overcome that fact. Dr TS | 03.18.2008 - 4:07 pm
Mui like I said. I think the greater issue here is not what Wright said. Do I agree with whathe said? Flatly no. I do not wish for god to damn America nor any other country. Though I amnot a religious person. Rev. Wright obviously is and I believe it is a very serious thing tosay in a church or any other house of worship particularly if you are a believer. Words domatter and I think people need to be careful with them particularly when they are leaders ina community. For a reverend who believes in the lord to be asking the lord in the lord's houseto damn our nation is serious business. I also do not buy the argument that perhaps he was justbeing inarticulate because if you watch the video he was reading the sermon. I grew up inChicago and I am well aware of Rev. Wright's good works as well as his controversial and fierysermons. He said exactly what he meant to say. And that is fine. I disagree with his statement,but he has every right to say it. And BO had every right to sit there and listen to it and implictly endorse it with his money. But by the same token since he is asking to lead our country. I have every right to judge himfor sitting there and implictly endorsing such anti-American sentiments. You just have to askyourself if this is a quality you want in a president. For some this does not matter forsome his implicit endorsement is positive (yes. I have a friend who I respect and this makeshim see BO more favorably) and for others this is a deal breaker. JJ | 03.18.2008 - 4:27 pm
Wow. 427 comments! Personally. I don't care what Obama said. It makes not one bit of difference to me becauseit's all BULLSHIT. The bottom line is Obama's Reverend is preaching hate and racism. Obama hashad a close 20 year relationship with Wright. He was married by him. Had his kids baptized byhim. Used him as a spiritual mentor. Even put him on his campaign. Then when shit hit the fan,he disassociated himself from Wrights comments-not the Reverend just the WORDS. Then theybooked his ass out to Africa. I can't begin to understand if Obama did not approve of this message why he sat through itfor 20 years. It makes me shudder to think of so many people who want him to be President ofthe United States. The black community thinks they are the only ones who have been discriminated against or hadto endure emotional pain. Women gays handicapped people who are overweight wear glasses,have a big nose big ears and I could go on and on-have all been subjected to this biased,hurtful and unjustifed torment. The difference is some people use these situations to riseabove it and become better people because of it. What possible good does it do to stay angry,hurt and resentful over something that happened decades ago? Absolutely nothing. Most people alive now had absolutely nothing to do with slavery yes it was awful it wasterrible. But guess what? We can't change history or turn back time. It's done. You can eitherrise above it and be the best person you can be. Or you can sit around and blame everyone foryour lot in life and be pissed off all the time. That doesn't even make sense. Wouldn't it bebetter for the black community to look back at their history and say yes we went through thisbut we endured and look at us now. Only they can't do that because they are too busy beingpissed off. You can't plant tomatoes and expect onions to grow. You're going to get tomatoes. As theysay-"if you keep doing what you're doing you're going to keep getting what you're getting". Forgiveness isn't about releasing the wrong action for the other person. Each person has toanswer for their own behavior. Forgiveness is about releasing the wrong action for yourself soyou can move on. Wrights words are not God's words. I was almost in tears today thinking about all of thenasty hateful things Wright said. Especially right after 9/11. It's inexcusable and Obama wentright along with it. He is not fit to hold any public office let alone President wodiej | 03.18.2008 - 4:42 pm
Hi everyone.. for me.. the bottom line is Barak Obama cannot be trusted... I see him as an arrogant mastermanipulator... I see this 'speech' as an attempt by his campaign with Axelrod to 'control' thescandal and the primary race in general... He thinks he can dismiss his problems by impressing us with his oratory.. and change the newsto what a wonderful speech he gave'Why did he not take questions?.. this man is not a uniter.. he is an egotist.. he came out of nowhere by a fluke into theSenate and in less than one year has divided the entire Democratic Party.. and managed to pitus against one another and to exploit the Clinton haters..... if he cannot keep his own party united how can we hope for him to unite the country???He wants to be President of the USA at the expense of two states in the USA... How does heever think he will have legitimacy if Florida and Michigan voters are not counted??? The DNCis wrongly assuming we will all come together... Why is he afraid of the voters? Why is he afraid to let the people of Florida and Michiganhave their voice?Is this how he would manipulate events as President? win at any cost.. he is guilty of thethings he projects onto Hillary... Obama is so cynical that he is making the whole primary about him.. from the beginning it hasall been about him.. even if two whole states and millions of Americans are left out... I think we must continue to bombard the DNC and all delegates and Nancy Pelosi with theemphatic declaration that they cannot count on us.. we will sit this election out or some willbecome MCCain Democrats.. they will suffer the consequences of depriving the voters... The country has too many problems to deal with without Barak Obama adding to them andcreating more division in the country... DNC be forwarned.. we will dominate the newscycle at the Democratic Convention if theDemocratic Party does not count Florida and Michigan.. the DNC is making a mockery and a jokeout of the Democratic Party... Please all remember that the Republican votes WILL count in Florida and Michigan but theDemocrats will not exist.. this is the audacity of disrespect for the individuals that live inFlorida and Michigan... Shame on the Democratic PartyS | 03.18.2008 - 6:27 pm
Guys it is scary to have Obama particularly in this situation of grave consequences facing ourcountry. The War,The Economy,The Social Security,The HealthCare,The Job market,The Middle ClassProblems so serious needs someone with experience. Now this guy does not have a long history and he wants to change the world (US to startwith). He is a man of a race. Black man has never been a President (Not to say he is racial) it addsone more issue to above mentioned list. The Race. I know the race religion and caste issues since I have moderated few elections in the Eastand they are ugly. A person who becomes a President is not a one man show. If he tries to be that he looks likeBush who is to the right and this guy Obama is to the left. A government is a big machine made of millions of people who are going to be there even whenthe Presidents and Govt change. A senate and a house which change but not totally. The peopleare still same. If you have someone so ideological but at the same time having no networking with government'machinary'how in the hell can he bring change other than VeTO. WE have seen this more so oftenthese days. No matter how you look at it this is a dangerous combination of an in-experienced politicalfigure raised to the alter by sheer disappointment for the current administration. The mob mentality in US politics is the last straw on camels back so to say. If we get someone with these credentials it would be a disaster I could see the same Americanpeople being more angry than they are now when the war is right now outside the US. This man can bring this war within us. The reason is simple we cannot change things overnightand that is what he is trying to say. He says it is not going to happen overnight but gives afeeling it might. There is an attribute of socialism in his speech which can further hurt our structure. Now let me be clear there is nothing that he says is wrong. But the fact is it is not that simple. Bush would do it if it was so and get his 4generations guanranteed Presidents of the USA. This man Barack may have a good character notion and good intentions but what he ispromising is to naive and is dangerously day dreaming. He is taking about change which needs to start but at the grass roots in local govt senate,and house and than at the center. He by far needs more time more experience and more to show us all of us that he can deliver. If he has the stuff he would come back. But even if he is right and I am wrong right. If we get him the Presidency it would be thelast Presidency that would shatter the USA from what it used to be. God Bless US ALLJamesD | 03.19.2008 - 00:00 am
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