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Did Rev Wright Fall On His Sword?
Looking back over the past few weeks, my take on the Obama-Wright situation is a little different from what I am generally hearing. After Obama gave his speech on race relations, that should have been enough to put it to bed and it seems to me that Reverend Wright was keeping a pretty low profile. But the wing nuts kept stirring the pot and keeping the issue alive so that it could be used to hammer Obama in the debate. That was a successful ploy by anti-Obama forces on both sides. Obama's numbers went down and Clinton's went up.
Now Obama is in a catch-22. He has already vowed not to throw his pastor and friend under the bus, even while disavowing all of Wright's controversial statements. But the right wing and corporate media have continued to make Wright the albatross around Obama's neck. Having defended Wright and his relationship with him, how does Obama now shake Wright off without tainting his own reputation?
If I am in Rev Wright's position and I want to help Obama, I can see what's happening. Staying quiet for a while didn't help at all, they're not going to let this die. If I am Rev Wright I know what I have to do to give Obama a way out of this mess. Just grab the spotlight and the microphone push it over the top - be a big enough public jerk to give Obama a good reason to denounce me and put some distance between us.
I'd do that for my friend, and I bet Jeremiah Wright would too. At least, those are the romantic speculations of this old fart.
Comments (8)
I think Reverend Wright's appearance on Bill Moyers was a favor to Obama. If he had simply left it at that, I believe we'd all be talking about what a great pastor and great American he was, and how the nation owed him an apology. Even his appearance before the NAACP wasn't bad. He was funny and bright, and he made some excellent points. But the Press Club event was simply inexcusable. Wright's performance was clownish, garish, and filled with vengeance, bitterness and barely-veiled racist statements. In my opinion, Obama had no choice. Wright is clearly a loose cannon and Obama needed to shove him overboard.
Hopefully Wright will take the hint and shut the hell up until November 5th or so. We need people like the Reverend Wright in this country. Just not now.
April 30, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know what to think about it, frankly. I can't see Wright deliberately being vicious as a means of posturing. I can see him working himself up into a righteously indignant rage and spouting off, knowing in the back of his mind that Obama would have no choice but to cast him off, though.
April 30, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
My take on this is that Wright was making a mockery of the press in retribution for the trashing he has received over the past few months. It appeared that he was attemtping to show as much disrespect for the press as possible, but that it instead came off as him showing disrespect for the postion that Obama is in.
April 30, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think that Andrew Sullivan may have identified a piece of this as well. He thinks that Rev. Wright may feel that his worldview, which was cast in the 40's and 50's, is threatened by Barack's candidacy. If so, then it wouldn't necessarily be a conscious act of sabotage by Wright.
April 30, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wish it were true but the AIDS bit makes that hard to swallow and bubba won't get the nuance.
April 30, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Generally, the agree with most of the above. Personally, I abhor the style exhibited by Wright at the news conference at all times, but such behavior makes a point. In January Bob Johnson a Clinton supporter did much the same, do recall his remarks on Guess Who is Coming to Dinner, and so on; of course outrages and over the top, but suggesting Johnson or Wright are racist is overreach. As with many terms racist and racism has too much baggage; their respective performances were more akin to a ministerial show of black folks in blacken faces.
Unquestionably, a farce and the metaphor of the sword is appropriate; exercises as these in effect pushes all in another direction, and in this case it was needed.
April 30, 2008 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Generally, I agree .......
Sullivan' sabotage and worldview of the 40" and 50' argument is trite; Wright's central arguments are not less valid today than fifty years ago, the battle grounds have changed. I have heard variation of this for fifty plus years; Sullivan's critique is not new nor are Wrights observations.
April 30, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've heard this twisted logic for almost 24 hours. The Clinton camp is also spreading this spin, to make Obama's move nothing but political posturing.
To think that Wright would do this kind of damage so Obama could "divorce" him is just too nutty to believe, I'm afraid. I agree that almost everything in the Moyers interview was positive except the "he's a politician" line which overshadowed everything else. A week before two important primaries?
There's no game playing worth this risk. And it might not even work. This may have ruined Obama's chances for 2008. The very worst case scenario: he is totally "rehabilitated" for 2012. Because mark my words: either McCain or Hillary are one-term presidents. Hillary is not up to the job, and she has none of Bill's gifts to get her through. And McCain -- well, enough said.
I'm hoping Obama has stopped the bleeding; although MSNBC and CNN are still doing their damnednest to use yesterday to ruin Obama. The polls will tell by Friday.
I'm still very afraid. But this tortured logic about it being all a set-up -- that's nonsense.
April 30, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
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