Obama's Pastor -- is Obama a secret radical, or is this just guilt by association?

[Pangloss]

I read an interesting op/ed in the Chicago Tribute today that had a very different take on Rev. Wright. It was written by a member of the same church, but his story has a rather unique twist. He's a white man, and 26 years ago he married a black woman whom he met at that church. When he asked her to marry him, she apparently hesitated for reasons having to do with race. Rev. Wright, knowing both of them, talked her into reconsidering those reasons.

 

Not exactly the profile of Wright that we've been hearing recently, is it?

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0326trinitymar26,0,2414760.story

[Realitycheck]

He's a white man, and 26 years ago he married a black woman whom he met at that church.

 

He doesn't sound white in this speech., or not completely.

 

Over the weekend, for those who have not caught any of it, Rev. Wright delivered the keynote speech at the NAACP convention. CNN gave his speech at least 2 hours of airtime last night, possibly more. Something tells me this is not helping Obama out. All of a sudden, it seems like Rev. Wright is stealing the spotlight. Today, a new poll found that Clinton is beating McCain by 8 points, while Obama vs. McCain is only within 2 points.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcQ8VjYNqlw&feature=related

[iNow]

He doesn't sound white in this speech., or not completely.

Tell me, sir. How is that you've managed to train your ear to "hear" skin color over the radio? Seems like quite an interesting trick, and I'd like to learn how you do it.

[Realitycheck]

I've just never heard a white preacher preach like that. It really has no bearing on what he looks like.

[iNow]

We're talking about someone running for the President of the United States of America and the best topic of conversation we can come up with is "are they muslim, are they black, or are they female?" It's absolutely disgraceful.

 

...

[Realitycheck]

So you're saying that hate speech at his Sunday morning service is irrelevant. No problem here, but somebody else has a problem with it. I wonder what ethnic group they are.

 

I think maybe it has to do with how loud he is talking. Some people get kind of scared or shocked by that sort thing, decide to switch to voting for their own gender, instead of general militant, err, I guess that's guilt by association.

[iNow]

Yeah... I suppose we could all waste more of our time discussing that completely irrelevant stuff which is only there to distract us. Sure. Who cares about the real issues we need to solve like the economy, the war, and the environment?

 

How much longer until gay marriage comes up? That one is always fun and gets the hornet's nest ratted. Maybe we can find an atheist politician and burn him at the cross on Fox News.

 

 

My repetition of my previous quote about the level of our dialogue being disgraceful was not directed at you, agentchange. It just needed repeating.

 

Our level of political discourse in the United States is both embarrassing and disgraceful.

[Pangloss]

I don't think Rev. Wright's re-appearance on the public stage says a single thing about Barrack Obama. Unfortunately I think it says a great deal about Rev. Wright, and none of it good. Like watching a train wreck in slow motion, that is.

 

But I remain completely satisfied with Obama's response. Some of the talk about how the Wright issue affected white voters in PA last week was a real shame to see -- it's the first real sign of racism in this campaign, and I was thoroughly disappointed to hear it.

 

I don't know, maybe I have just completely overestimated my fellow WASP Americans. Not to make too big a deal out of it, though -- it was still a small segment, and most of the poll questions were improperly framed anyway.

 

(Asking voters whether you think race will be a factor in the election is actually asking them whether they think OTHER people will vote based on race, not whether THEY will vote based on race. But even so the polls were disturbing.)

[Realitycheck]

It's too bad. I kind of wanted to see the no-holds-barred debate. I wonder what he had to lose out of a situation like that. I would have thought that he would welcome the chance to control the content after the railroading of the last debate.

 

Either way, I think he's pretty much got it in the bag.

[iNow]

It's too bad. I kind of wanted to see the no-holds-barred debate. I wonder what he had to lose out of a situation like that.

I think the more important question is, what did he have to gain from it. Since that is next to nothing, I can understand why agreeing to yet another debate would favor Hillary and should have been avoided.

 

I saw a poll on Sunday which said that only 10% of voters in remaining states are "undecided." This means that 90% of people have already made up their minds.

 

Like I said, nothing to gain from a debate so it's not worth it. Spend time and energy trying to connect with people face to face.

[john5746]

Link

 

Well, I was going to say this is what Obama needed to do. Throw the SOB under the bus and back over him if needed.

 

It was also interesting to know that the person that coordinated Wright's press conference is a Hillary supporter.

[iNow]

It was also interesting to know that the person that coordinated Wright's press conference is a Hillary supporter.

 

I think it's become clear that she cannot win on her own merit, and can only pull this one off by deficating all over Obama... with the help and support of republicans who also too afraid to face him in November.

[tvp45]

I've just never heard a white preacher preach like that. It really has no bearing on what he looks like.

 

Come with me some Wednesday night to the Razor Ridge Primitive Baptist church, provided they're not doing snakes that week. I don't mind rolling and tongues, but those serpents!!

[ecoli]

I think it's become clear that she cannot win on her own merit, and can only pull this one off by deficating all over Obama... with the help and support of republicans who also too afraid to face him in November.

That's not fair assessment, I think... if it was the other way around, you can be sure Obama supporters would be defecating all over Hillzoy.

[Realitycheck]

It is notable that when asked recently who should win the nomination, Dean replied "Whoever is the most electable." However, he has run a much better campaign and I don't see any other plausible outcome than him squeaking by.

[Pangloss]

Yeearr! Gotta trounce them Republicans! Oh well, that's his job now, so I guess he has an excuse, unlike some people.

[ecoli]

Interesting perspective: http://skullsinthestars.com/2008/04/22/oreilly-goon-gets-his-rhetorical-ass-handed-to-him/

[Realitycheck]

It is notable that when asked recently who should win the nomination, Dean replied "Whoever is the most electable." However, he has run a much better campaign and I don't see any other plausible outcome than him squeaking by.

 

Oh man. Dean is on the Daily Show and he just said that the Florida and Michigan delegates WILL be seated, openning the door for a Hillary upset, depending on how it is divied up. A lot delegates at stake here, 368 total delegates originally, plenty of room to play with. This has a real swiftboat smell to it.

 

And here you have it, the smoking gun, all over the blogosphere. What is it with Florida and election controversy?

 

“I think the race is going to come down to the perception in the last six or eight races of who the best opponent for McCain will be. I do not think in the long run it will come down to the popular vote or anything else.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3d03a310-12f7-11dd-8d91-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

[iNow]

Oh man. Dean is on the Daily Show and he just said that the Florida and Michigan delegates WILL be seated, openning the door for a Hillary upset, depending on how it is divied up.

 

QUOTE:

 

JS: If I were designing a plan to submarine your chances... then again, you don't have to follow my advice here... I would take the state that was, let's say, crucial to the Republican election chances... Let's call it "Florida." ... and I would find a way to insult them. Maybe, not seat them at the convention, that sort of thing. Then I would pick a rust belt state, maybe a Michigan, and say to them... the same.

 

Now, you've got TWO states that angry with you. Do you think THAT would be a good way?

 

HD: Well, we're actually going to seat them at the convention.

<...>

It's going to be quite a juggling act, but we're going to do it.

 

 

 

Context. It aids in undersatinding and accuracy.

[Realitycheck]

What does context have to do with anything in this case? They either get seated or they don't. "Seating" does not mean that they just get tickets to watch the show. They are having a hearing on 5/31 to figure it out.

 

And where did you get that transcript anyway. That's not the way I heard it. Where's your source?

[Pangloss]

I saw it and I agree with iNow, he's not promising to count those votes, at least not exactly. Though I do believe in the end they will be counted somehow.

 

(In fairness and accuracy, Florida and Michigan votes counted already, they just haven't been used for their intended purpose just yet. Nobody gets to tell a state how to run its election. But the national party has the right to determine how it gets to pick its candidates. Seems fair enough -- that's the whole point of this fiasco in the first place, the fact that I don't WANT Howard Dean's home state determining who my candidates are. I think Florida has made its point, and the point has not been lost on national officials, and perhaps over time the underlying problems will finally be addressed, but in the meantime let's move forward.)

[iNow]

And where did you get that transcript anyway. That's not the way I heard it. Where's your source?

My source would be the exact episode you referenced. I had it DVR'd and typed that small section of "transcript" myself... verbatim from the program...

 

I'm not sure what you did or did not hear, but I can tell you that my quote accurately reflects the words which were spoken.

 

 

 

 

 

Yeearr! Gotta trounce them Republicans! Oh well, that's his job now, so I guess he has an excuse, unlike some people.

 

Pangloss, it's a bad idea to attack and ridicule people who don't do what they are told. It is detrimental to the health of the board and I won't sit idly by when it happens.

[Pangloss]

Ariana Huffington and Howard Dean are not members of this community, and thus I've not pressured them to do as they are told, nor is my post detrimental to the health of the board. You are also welcome to respond to my post.

 

That act is distinctly different from your attempts to create a politically correct atmosphere on certain subjects here, and you're clearly playing a game here that will have no traction because it is so obviously based on a false premise.

[Taq_is_hot]

I just don't trust Obama. I have bad feelings about him...scandals or no scandals, I always have. That's really all I have to say.

[iNow]

I just don't trust Obama. I have bad feelings about him...scandals or no scandals, I always have. That's really all I have to say.

 

I think this really gets at the heart of political disagreement today among the populace's alignment with the candidates.

 

It's the distilled reason why we make different choices.

 

I am going to vote for Obama because I find him authentic and sincere.

Those who are not going to vote for Obama are doing it (not because the other candidate is better, but because they have been motivated somehow and for some reason to distrust him.

 

 

God damn America!

 

Did you know that more americans vote for American Idol than vote for the President. <shudder> We get what we deserve, I suppose.