The Audacity of Obama (Mr. Unity/getting beyond race's hypocrisy) and his pastor

[jackson_dem]

This is a great entry over at MyDD. I encourage you to read all of it. Here are some of the best points:

--snip-

Outraged Democrats in the blogosphere today are calling for Rev. Wright to resign from Obama's campaign. Yes, he is on the campaign. According to Ben Smith of Politico:

Wright is a member of Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee -- the sort of largely honorary, advisory body that in recent days has recently been used mostly to throw people off who say controversial things.

The Obama campaign couldn't immediately say whether he'd remain on the committee.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0 308/Wrights_committee.html

Well, I'd be shocked if Obama does not announce Rev. Wright's resignation today. What choice will he have?

But Wright's resignation will not matter. It will be far too little, far too late. The sobering story of Obama's 20-year relationship with Rev. Wright provides voters with a window into the soul of this agent of "change" and "unity."

"The Audacity of Hope," Obama's bestseller, was inspired by one of Wright's sermons. Wright is one of the first people Obama thanked after his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004. In a Jan. 2007 Chicago Tribune story, Obama said that Wright keeps his priorities straight and his moral compass calibrated.

-snip-

articulates my concerns about Obama clearly and concisely:

In a campaign appearance earlier this month, Sen. Obama said, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." He said Rev. Wright "is like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with," telling a Jewish group that everyone has someone like that in their family.

But Obama's close association with Wright over more than two decades and the minister's close ties to Farrakhan cannot be explained away so cavalierly. If Obama rejects Wright's warped view of this country, why does he continue to attend his church? If Obama disagrees with Farrakhan and his anti-Semitic and anti-white statements, why doesn't he denounce him rather than continue to associate with a minister and friend who is one of his advocates and who gave him an award for lifetime achievement? Does Obama secretly agree with some of their hate-filled, radical statements while publicly avoiding race-specific appeals as part of his candidacy?

That comports with Obama's habit of not showing up for controversial votes or tackling tough policy issues, allowing him to broaden his appeal through charisma alone. Farrakhan himself recently spoke approvingly of Obama's strategy, which is crucial to inviting whites to support him.

"Barack Obama has been very careful not to position himself as Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton as a promoter of `The Black Cause,'" Farrakhan said in the interview with FinalCall.com. "He has been groomed, wisely so, to be seen more as a unifier, rather than one who speaks only for the hurt of black people."

At the least, Obama's membership in Wright's church and close ties to Wright himself suggest a lack of judgment and an insensitivity to views that are repugnant to the vast majority of white Americans who are not bigots or anti-Semites.

-snip-

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/3/13/14167/3166

[Raffi Ella]

1. wow.

just wow.I can not believe The Party didn't know about Wright before this.

[BlackVelvet04]

2. I'm not going to let it fly that Obama doesn't agree with

Wright. You don't have someone as your personal spiritual mentor for 20 years that you don't agree with. You don't support a church for 20 years that you have deep fundamental disagreement with. The only scenario where I see that happening is if you are too gutless to stand up for your real convictions.



Remember when all of us were saying there was something about Obama that didn't ring true? Well, here it is. This is what he has feed his mind and soul with for 20 years.......hatred of whitey.

[anamandujano]

3. Has this been Wright's role in the campaign?

"largely honorary, advisory body that in recent days has recently been used mostly to throw people off who say controversial things."

Is he the one that helps pick out a word or phrase to spin as racist, from "fairy tale" to "no tears for Katrina" and on and on?

Has this guy been helping with his race baiting which we can all see is bad for the country, even if it wins him the black vote and alienates all blacks from Hillary. (That's what she and Bill get from reaching out more than most others.)

[jackson_dem]

4. Good question!