Jeremiah Wright's 5-minutes of fame is really distracting us from focusing on Obama's politics and platforms. It's pathetic.
Obama, with this press conference, has now permanently distanced himself from Wright. It's over. I seriously doubt that Wright and Obama will have a relationship after these past few days.
Obama referred to Wright's public comments the past few days as "spectacle!" That's pretty serious.
If Wright really cared about Obama why wouldn't he just wait until his friend's campaign was over to come out and start making speeches about white racism being the biggest problem in America today. I don't get it. They were friends.
Thoughts?
Posted by anthony at April 30, 2008 07:40 AM | TrackBackWright is in a tough place. He can't not defend himself on this, or he'll just get dragged through the mud even more. And he can't go on TV without looking opportunistic, or looking like he's stabbing Obama in the back.
I keep coming back to the idea that this HAS to be the work of the Clinton campaign. Only Bill Clinton has the ability to make the African American the racist. I've been impressed with the way Obama has handled this situation-it would be easy to resort to mudslinging and attack ads, and so far I haven't seen that.
Posted by: Guy Incognito at April 30, 2008 09:42 AMI think Wright would love to see Obama lose so he can use it as more fodder for his "America Sucks" campaign.
Posted by: Paul at April 30, 2008 09:43 AMWright has come off as opportunistic and self-serving. Not to mention the personification of "white America's" (whoever that is) fear of the "Angry Black Man," which Obama had thus far neutralized.
Wright's talk isn't prophetic in the sense that King's was--it's just rash, angry, and ill-informed. And it's killing Obama.
In Philly Donovan McNabb is ridiculed for saying the NAACP's criticism of him was "black-on-black crime."
But what Wright is doing to Obama seems darn near criminal to me.
That said, Obama's been exposed as somewhat aloof and dithering on whether to put this thing away or not. Why couldn't he get Wright to rein it in for a few months? Isn't there a strong "greater good" argument here?
It was good to see Obama display some testicular fortitude and emotion yesterday but I fear it was too little too late.
This is why Obama has no shot at winning the Pres.
You gotta b e kidding me, like Steve mentions above, that Obama couldnt reign this guy in. Republicans band together, Democrats dont.
Posted by: Stork at April 30, 2008 03:09 PMIf Wright really cared about Obama why wouldn't he just wait until his friend's campaign was over to come out and start making speeches about white racism being the biggest problem in America today.
Because one of the biggest human symptoms of pride is the inability to stop talking. And frankly, like you say, it has been distracting. What Rev. Wright has to say has never been important. What Obama has to say and what he believes has been and will be. And it is disappointing that Obama and his campaign have really been hamstrung by a man who couldn't see past his own need to exclaim himself long enough to see what was important for Obama and his run for prez.