[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JicZeBkg67A]
It probably didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Obama acted to further distance himself from Wright today (video above) following Wright’s recent public statements. Ben Smith has posted the following quotes from Obama’s press conference:
“I have spent my entire adult life trying to bridge the gap between different kinds of people. That’s in my DNA, trying to promote mutual understanding to insist that we all share common hopes and common dreams as Americans and as human beings. That’s who I am, that’s what I believe, and that’s what this campaign has been about,” Obama said.
“I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” he said.
“The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago,” he said. “His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.”
“They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs,” he said.
“If Reverend Wright thinks that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well and based on his remarks yesterday, I may not know him as well as I thought either.”
“I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia, explaining that he has done enormous good in the church,” he said. “But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS; when he suggests that Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st century; when he equates the U.S. wartime efforts with terrorism – then there are no exuses. They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans. And they should be denounced, and that’s what I’m doing very clearly and unequivocally here today.”
“It is antithetical to my campaign. It is antithetical to what I’m about. It is not what I think America stands for,” he said.
At least it is fortunate that this is happening in April and not in October. The election is about Barack Obama and his views, not about Rev. Wright, but there is no doubt that this could be damaging to Obama’s campaign. Hopefully by distancing himself from Wright in this manner now this story will be ancient history by November.
There was a time when Rev. Jerimiah Wright was once very respected and sought after, hence his trip to the White House invited by Bill and Hillary Clinton when they were going through Bill’s Impeachment. During this time of trial, who did Bill and Hillary turn to for Prayer and Support, yes, the Rev. Wright himself! Then we have Hillary surrogates who have connections to Rev. Wright (1) surrogate, Congresswoman Shiela Jackson Lee, a devotee of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright; he has preached at her home church, where she is actively involved, annually for the past 15 years and has an open invitation to return, and, that she sat in the pews for his visits and did not bat an eye? AND (2) surrogate, Rev. Marcia Dyson, who was not only a longtime member of Trinity United Church of Christ but also still considers Rev. Jeremiah Wright her pastor! And was it not at Trinity were she first met her husband, Rev. Dr. Michael Dyson, who’s been very vocal in his defense of Rev. Wright.? So you see, there was a time that Rev. Wright was “higly respected, had great influence and sought after, hence his trip to the White House.”
As for Rev. Wright’s part, it seems he was “tempted” and took the “bite” to go take part in this media blitz by Hillary supporter, Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds from Maryland, who has endorsed Hillary on her website — Reynoldsnews.com, Wright all the while knowing it would cause more sensation and not be helpful to Barack Obama. This incitement and temptation by a Hillary supporter has given Barack the ability to do what a lot of his supporters wanted him to do, strongly distance himself from Rev. Wright and save his campaign!
On the otherhand, why would a Republican-owned Media give a “retired” Rev. Wright all that air time, getting all three Cable News Channels to air Rev. Wright’s 45 minute speech in its entirety, SOMETHNG RESERVED FOR PRESIDENTS. The Candidates themselves, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, only receive Blips on the cable television shows for their stump speeches! Was this a coordinated effort, and by whom?
Are Repbublicans trying to help Hillary win the Democratic nomination? Then try to win the White House with the help of African-American voters turned off by the Clintons’ “kitchen sink-strategy” directed at Barack Obama? Is that why McCain is so actively wooing them? Is that why a Republican-controlled Media “daily” 24/7, through their talking heads build-up Hillary, tear/smear down Obama, so that if Hillary does become the Democratic nominee, they can then unleash their “arsenol” of weapons that they have against her, something they have been planning for years! They have even engaged Karl Rove through his letter to Barack by disengenuously suggesting that Barack has lost his touch– that he can’t attract white-working class Americans, etc., something they know he can do and has done! And why is President Bush have a sudden interest in making all these speeches? Unfortunately, Barack has to fight a “two-headed” Giant — the Clintons and the Republicans, and their Republican-controlled Media, maybe it’s three heads — an awesome, destructive power and force indeed for one lone man to go up against! These Republicans and their corporate-owned media are no friend to the average joe! They fear what Barack stands for unity and power.
Let’s be really clear, the only Ones who have made Race an Issue in this campaign are the Clintons and the Republican-controlled media — from the start, Barack Obama has tried to transcend Race, but they will not let him, as it would be to their disadvantage… daily they inform us he cannot attract white-blue collar workers, hoping if they say it long enough, it will catch on and people will begin to believe this. They do not want a candidate who inspires hope, unity and change, so they, and the Clintons — the two-headed Giant — try to bring Obama down anyway and with any lie they can! The Republicans for their own reason (they don’t want change) and the Clintons for theirs (they want the nomination)! Either way it is a mighty battle and if they get their way, the People Lose! That is why Clintons and Media are trying to make this a “racial” thing, you know divide and conquer so the people cannot concentrate on the real issues and miss the boat again!
And yes, it was time for an amicable Parting of the Ways between Barack and Rev. Wright who has definitely put a sword in his side. I now understand why Barack thinks some people are bitter — he has been conditioned to think that way by the bitterness of his former Pastor, to think that some people are bitter, although Barack was not subject to this bitterness himself but was able to overcome this conditioning and escape it rahter incorporating ther engery of inspiration goodwill and hope instead! I hope we the people will not be blindsided by this onslaught directed at this Candidate of Change and Hope we have in Barack Obama and miss the boat again by allowing him to be “Swiftboated”!
Great post Angelight.
One aspect of those forces you left out is the political power of the black churches, which Wright is very much a part of that structure and tradition. The black church has not endorsed Obama. Not one minister has endorsed Obama. All of them are in the pockets of the Clinton. The Clintons are certainly behind Wright. They know him well, given that Wrights parishoner, Barack Obama was responsible for registering 100K voters in 92 to take Mosely Braun into the Senatae and Bill Clinton to the WH. The Clintons probably sat in the pews next to the Obamas in Wrights church in 92.
What we are witnessing is a changing of the guard. The black chuch was just as involved in attempting to take down Obama as the Clintons…they ALL conspired together.
Obama will not owe special interests, big donors, nor the black chuch. He is not beholden to any of these traditional DEMOCRATIC Presidential candidate groups.
He is upsetting the entire national power structure and they are out to bring him down as this was supposed to be BubbaBill and GoldwaterHill’s return to the WH.
I will never give another dime to the Detroit NAACP ..Mfume the chair was also an Hillary supporter. He too, provided a platform for Wright just like Barbara Reynolds did.
The TIMING is not coincdental either..it was timed to help Hillary with the NC and IN primaries. The black church went right along with this plan.