Thread: Obama's Pastor: Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Wright brings race issue back to '08 race

Without coordinating with the Obama campaign, Wright has launched a pugnacious public-relations blitz to defend his church and explain comments that critics have called racially inflammatory and unpatriotic.

In a talk in Washington Monday morning, Wright was by turns professorial, defiant, and flip, twice offering himself up as a candidate for vice president.

The Illinois senator was already fending off new questions about his ability to win enough blue-collar white voters to close the protracted nomination fight with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Wright now returns to the headlines as Obama faces new tests of his bid for a postracial politics, first in Indiana on May 6 then in West Virginia and Kentucky later in the month.

Obama has said he sharply disagrees with Wright's portrayal of American government as racist, corrupt, and murderous. But he said in his speech last month that Wright had been "like family to me," "as imperfect as he may be," and sought to put Wright's comments in the context of an older generation of African-Americans embittered by painful firsthand memories of discrimination.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, had been largely silent on Wright, saying he did not believe Obama shared his former pastor's views. Last week, he asked the North Carolina GOP, unsuccessfully, to scrap the ad.
But in an apparent shift, McCain denounced Wright at a news conference in Florida Sunday. He called "beyond belief" Wright's remarks comparing the Romans of Jesus' day to the US Marines and likening America to Al Qaeda.
McCain said that Obama had made Wright fair game by telling Fox on Sunday that Wright's remarks were a "legitimate political issue."

Wright brings race issue back to '08 race | csmonitor.com

Yes, I can understand the need for someone to defend his lifelong career and character. However, I can't understand a black religious leader not putting this on the back burner for a few months until the smoke clears so that history could be made and a black man elected to the White House.

I wonder if there is some sort of payback going on here, that Wright was hurt that Obama didn't stick up for him more?

Originally Posted by chinthee

I wonder if there is some sort of payback going on here, that Wright was hurt that Obama didn't stick up for him more?

My take exactly. He seems like the sort to do just that.

^
i was listening to an analyst this morning who put forth that there has been some tension between wright and obama for quite some time. he claimed that wright was jealous of obama...after all, just a few years ago he was a state senator, and now he's going to be president of the US.

^ Link, Ray?

The real issue is that this is sort of an omni-360 degree problem for Obama. First, he has the issues stay alive and in the forefront of the media. Second, this war by Wright casts a cloud over his own (Wright's) character. If it is motivated by avarice, jealousy or some other non-Christian value, it magnifies whatever character issues already existed regarding Wright.

Third, if Wright is in fact acting out of such pettiness to deny the Presidency to a black, he is in fact a total hypocrite, in that he obviously does not care about blacks advancing as much as his own ego.

And to come full circle, the fact that Obama has acknowledged that he was a close spiritual advisor and confidant further calls into doubt Obama's own character, either for not seeing Wright's bad character, or for sharing Wright's views himself.

Nothing but bad. Wright is Obama's worst campaign disaster it appears. Hopefully it won't derail him, and many observers believe it won't.

Jeremiah Wright Goes to War

Maybe Barack Obama skimped on his contribution when the offering plate came past at Trinity United Church of Christ. Or perhaps he nodded off during one of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons. It's hard to think of another reason why the Illinois Senator's former pastor would put on the kind of performance this morning at the National Press Club that can only be described as a political disaster.

The combative pose that Wright chose to strike is perhaps most damaging not to Obama's candidacy - although the candidate will surely endure yet another round of scrutiny regarding his relationship to the minister and his positions on Wright's views - but to Wright's own message. Because he is right when he says that most Americans don't understand the black church and that their resulting confusion and fear contributes to a racial divide.

Jeremiah Wright Goes to War - Yahoo! News

My prediction is that Henrey R. Clinton will beat Obama then the Republican nominee will be in office again.

Unfortunately.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

^ Link, Ray?

my post keeps "disappearing", but i as stated in post #353

Originally Posted by raycarey

listening

My post pointing out the same thing disappeared as well.

Strange...some bug in the software, no doubt.

I watched the pundits debate on Larry King, which included snips of Wright's (press conference?)

This will hurt Obama. It may not help Clinton, but it will surely hurt Obama. Wright has a big ego and was insulted by Obama.

He's a shit, venom-spewing pastor who Obama should have distanced himself from long ago. He's a mirror-image clansman with a free pass and the media is giving him enough rope for two.

Whether he wins the Dem nomination or not, Obama will regret the relationship.

Advice for the "Rev" Wright:

Fox news is reporting today, that tomorrow they will release some additional stuff about Wright.

Seems they have some more videos recorded at various times over recent years, which go to the issue of whether or not Obama knew Wright held these views; and a report about Wright's personal wealth, a 10,000 square foot mansion, Mercedes limos, etc., and his income.

Leave it to Fox to keep this issue alive. At the same time, Hilary has been interviewed by Bill O'reilly in 4 parts, the 1st of which was aired today. She did extremely well and was quite impressive.

Originally Posted by chinthee

Fox news is reporting today, that tomorrow they will release some additional stuff about Wright.

Seems they have some more videos recorded at various times over recent years, which go to the issue of whether or not Obama knew Wright held these views; and a report about Wright's personal wealth, a 10,000 square foot mansion, Mercedes limos, etc., and his income.

Yup. Oft-times, Reverands and religious "leaders" develop a cult of personality, even though it's local and limited. They get a following, earn good income, and then start to become more didactic. I never understood organized religion. But this will possibly affect some folks on the fence in certain demographics, and independents.

Leave it to Fox to keep this issue alive. At the same time, Hilary has been interviewed by Bill O'reilly in 4 parts, the 1st of which was aired today. She did extremely well and was quite impressive.

Yes, I see Fox keeping this alive.

In Baltimore, black preachers have been divided, but many of them resent what Wright has done to Obama.

The Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr. considers the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. to be a tremendous pastor and a brilliant theologian. But sitting in the audience of the National Press Club in Washington this week, Hathaway found himself wincing at some of the remarks by Sen. Barack Obama's embattled former pastor.

"Many of us pastors are pained," said the Rev. Johnny Golden, pastor of New Unity Church Ministries in Baltimore and president-elect of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. "We see a lot of what he is saying and we understand it, but his comments have wounded the opportunity of Mr. Obama to make gains and opportunity for America to embrace its ideals."

Golden said Wright's comments fail to reflect the diversity of black churches, and in doing so, the black community at large. "Having someone who speaks for the group in some monolithic way is offensive to many," he said.
But the Rev. Marshall F. Prentice, pastor of Zion Baptist Church, said he has been troubled by the criticism of Wright.
"To attack any pastor for what he says from the pulpit is an attack on all pastors," he said. "Whatever we say on a given Sunday, we truly believe is given to us by the inspiration of God."

The Rev. John L. Carter, pastor of Ark Church on East North Avenue, said that like Obama, he was saddened by Wright's most recent display.
"As much as I believe what he said is the truth, I don't believe that this nation and even the world over is ready to take a penetrating blow of reality at this point," he said.

Black preachers agree to disagree -- baltimoresun.com

^Crackpots the lot, Wright included.
I'd like to see this as a non-issue, but it's not.

If Obama wins or loses, I'd like it to be on his merits or missteps.
We'll forever be listening to the what-ifs and why-dids of the '08 election.
Or how the American public is insensitive to the rhetoric of prophesizing black racist preacher boys.

The black director, Spike Lee, says it looks like Wright is being paid to keep talking and sees a possible conspiracy. This comes in light of revelations of Wright's $10million home and lavish lifestyle being revealed today.

The director Spike Lee has waded into the ongoing controversy surrounding the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, advising him to do the right thing and keep quiet. "The more he opens his mouth, the more damage he does," he told the Guardian.

Lee hinted at a political conspiracy behind the Chicago pastor's recent, contentious attempts to justify his remarks. "It looks like he's being paid to keep talking," he said.

Director Spike Lee tells the Guardian that pastor is damaging Obama campaign | World news | The Guardian

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Friends with an unrepentant bomber, married and attended Church with Wright for >20 years (but never heard any of that inflamatory stuff - nudge, nudge, wink, wink) & makes statements revealing his arrogance/elitism in SF etc.

Yawwn. But anyway, just keep repeating it ad infinitum, and soon everybody else will be yawning too!

Jeremiah Wright axed from honorary degree by Northwestern U.

In a highly unusual move in the academic world, Northwestern University in suburban Chicago has publicly disinvited the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright from its June commencement ceremonies, where he was to receive an honorary degree.
It's another indication of the rolling repercussions of the retiring African American pastor's inflammatory comments on America, 9/11, race relations, the AIDs epidemic and Illinois' junior senator, Barack Obama.

spike lee, michael moore.......gee, i can't wait to read what britney spears thinks.

^ she's pro- Mccain, surely. Hopefully.

Here you go:



Washington (ANI): The likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have another set of critics US Presidential hopeful Barak Obama's daughters. In a recent interview, Obama said that his daughters Sasha and Malia are plugged into the pop culture world, but they are not really Britney or Paris fans even though they follow all of what goes on in the entertainment world.

When asked whether his daughters ever ask about Britney Spears, Obama replied: "Actually, yeah. But they're very sensible. They're pretty down on Britney and Paris and all of that. They think that's very yuck." "They're way more into Hannah Montana and Beyonce. They got to go backstage and meet Beyonce and they just love her to death," he added.

^Is Hannah Montana black? Is she the 15 year old who just had a scandal for sexy pics being posted on the internet?

Originally Posted by chinthee

s Hannah Montana black? Is she the 15 year old who just had a scandal for sexy pics being posted on the internet?

Hannah Montana is the characters name. Played by Miley Cyrus. Looks pretty much white to me. Billy Ray Cyrus's daughter. Photos just released in Vanity Fair. Shows her bare back. How awful!!

Miley Cyrus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia