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Different not Deficient: How Wright Self-Defense is Helping Obama
On his interview with Bill Moyers, when Wright was asked about how he responded to Obama's denounciation of Wright's controversial statements, Wright responded that Obama is a politician and he (Wright) was a pastor and they spoke to difference audiences. Many pundits have seen this as an attack on Obama, but I see it differently.
The point Wright was making was that the responsibility of a pastor, in the black tradition, is not to be politically correct, but to speak to his parishioners as a spiritual leader should. Just as the prophets of the New and Old Testament spoke harshly to and about those things or persons who where ungodly, some pastors find it their duty to do the same today. Obama responsibility as a politician, is different then Wright's responsibility as a pastor. As Wright said during last night's speech, "different not deficient." Politician isn't a dirty word, although some politician might be "dirty."
I don't think Wright is out for revenge. I think he, has to respond to the needs of his church, as there are 8000 members; a lack of response on his part would not reflect well on him or the church. Surely the ongoing vociferous attacks against Wright, are have a demoralizing effect his congregation. Therefore a response is appropriate. Many are suggesting that the timing was wrong, that Wright should have waited until after the election. I have even heard comments to that effect from other pastors. But the truth is that Wright postponing his comments for a later time, would have been politics, and a derilection of his pastorial duties.
By speaking now, Wright, may in fact be helping Obama. His sermons are out there. Before Wright's interview with Moyers, all we knew of Wright came from the media's caricature of his sermons. The effect has been to brand Wright as a devisive angry black man, and calls into question Obama's judgement. Republicans are likely to take sinpets from his speeches, present them out of context, with the intention of damaging Obama. They would release there political ads, and send their surrogates out to all the talk shows just before the general election. The political benefit of Wright speaking now is that we get a chance to air it out and diminish or eliminate the shock value from Rev. Wright's fiery speeches sooner than later. It defuses the "Wright effect," and weakens the Republican attack tool in the general election.
In fact, once you get over the "shouting," for those of us who are not use to that type of sermon, Wright makes a lot of sense. You don't have to agree with all he says, but the comments made by Wright, taken in context, are not without merit. With is public commentary, Wright, who first gained national stature as a caricature, is being transformed into a formidable national religious leader. He is likely to gain the respect of many of all races.
What do you think?
Comments (38)
Shoot. I'm ready to join his church. As Hillary likes to remind us, actions speak louder than words, and Reverend Wright's ministry is amazing.
April 28, 2008 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you are exactly right.
April 28, 2008 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not sure that the pundit class is in step with everyday people. It seems like a lot of people are happy that they are being exposed reverend Wright's comments in their entirety, and not just the snippets they are used to--and this is whether they agree or disagree with his ideas.
April 28, 2008 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I can tell you I'm completely convinced the "pundit class" is in step only with its corporate masters. That would be General Electric, News Corp, Time Warner, etc. etc.
April 28, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure they are not. After a week of bitter and how it would hurt him, it seems to have had no effect. OTH, the debate spectacle where Obama gets asked 9 in-depth gotcha questions to Hillary's two superficial gotha questionsa bout her lying, had an effect.
April 28, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
The debate had an effect, yes, but I've heard virtually nothing about the fact that Stephanopolous sat down and had a serious yet softball discussion with McCain a week ago Sunday. For many people, that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they and/or ABC were out to get Obama. The contrast was incredible. But as usual, everyone left it alone.
April 28, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe Wright's appearance is good for Obama with the actual voters who see or hear what he has to say, but bad for those who don't see the UTube replays and are simply reminded of what they consider as unacceptable remarks.
I'm afraid the second effect is more powerful than the first.
April 28, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cable news is STILL trying to find a way to turn Wright in to a controversy for Obama. To CREATE the news themselves. Is there one real journalist among them? The acquisition of news media by some of the worlds largest corporations (GE, Microsoft, Disney, Murdoch's Newscorpse, etc.) has been a disaster for American democracy.
April 28, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with flavius - when I watch Wright speak in full context I like his passion, humour, authenicity and overall message of justice and reconciliation, however if i were to view him as the media presents him, i know i would have a different view. I just watched an hour of coverage from CNN and MSNBC on Wrights latest addresses, and I didn't receive any balanced or positive perspectives at all. In fact all they were concerned with was how badly does Wright affect Obamas chances with the upcoming primaries.
The questions they should be asking is what does America have to gain from the media's misinforming of the public. Is the media responsible for America's demise, or for not reaching it's potential.
April 29, 2008 6:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I watched the entire interview with Moyers and was very impressed with Wright. I am an atheist, but the kind of Christian values linked to public service he was talking about made me consider attending church myself.
The fact that the MSM is distorting his message is to be expected, but is still disappointing.
April 29, 2008 7:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I think we will be seeing the corporate media take a well deserved public shellacking for their treatment of Wright, now that Wright has come forward and shown who he really is, a brilliant scholar and powerful religious leader, and not the cartoon bad guy they made him out to be.
Just as Obama's candidacy has raised the awareness in this country, so too will Wright's presence in this public drama. The haters will cling to their hate, and the rest, the majority who are fair minded folks will be upchucking the poison fed them by the media.
April 29, 2008 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I watched the reverend yesterday with interest. I have only seen his sound bites and thought, well, let me see what he has to say. Well, other than the fact that he is a self centered man and apparently likes keeping his flock firmly locked in the past, he is also a bigot. As the great granddaugter of an irish slave, the catholic church taught us that "to error is human, to forgive divine". As such, once freedom was achieved, my ancestors worked to better themselves and our church worked to lift us up. If this man is representative of the black church in America, it is clear why there is still a problem. My concern is that after listening to this for 20 years, does Obama see white people the way that this man, his spiritual mentor, sees them. As the root of all evil? If so, as a white person, do I want him to lead my country? Can I trust him? I can't take the chance.
April 29, 2008 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rev. Wright's sermons are not about the Past.
I also think there's a great difference between 'listening' and 'hearing'. Many have been listening to Rev. Wright for days now, but have not been hearing him, some because the frame of reference is too 'alien', others unfortunately by choice.
April 29, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think his sermons are all about the past, and if by bringing up all the injustices done to the black community week after week so it just never dies, without relishing how far you have come, is any idication of what you say is uplifting, then I guess I am out of touch. I see it as excuses for not moving forward. In sports, for instance, you don't fall down and stay down, your coach tells you to get up and shake it off, move on. Same goes in life. Rehashing the past has never served anyone moving forward. I have worked to keep prejudice out of my house. I have taken to task members of my family that have used racial slurs, or had opinions I felt were unjust, I have asked friends not to speak in certain ways, and my kids were brought up to accept everyone as individuals and not stereotype people. I know being black in America is not easy. I will just never UNDERSTAND being black, because I am not. I HEARD what Wright was saying and he made some good points, but he is so angry and living in the past, that no matter what, he will not be able to get what he wants, what his community needs until he lets go and moves on. A Christian man would have this concept in his heart every day. Someone who holds onto the hate only works to keep it right at the surface, so real dialog will never be possible between the races. He appears to be an educated man, but his readings have become his teachings, and there should only be one book that he preaches from. The Bible. If not, then he isn't really a pastor for Christianity at all.
April 29, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
MsBehavin, I think you should listen to Robert Jensen's NPR interview, featured in the link in my previous link ... and read the transcript of Rev. Wright's speech to the National Press Club. You might find that, perhaps for you, his body language and mannerisms may have caused interference in the communication process and that his message comes across more clearly on reading. If you still think ill of Rev. Wright after that, well, that's your prerogative. Some walls are more difficult than others to bring down.
April 29, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is denouncing him [as I type] and so the fact that he is as digusted as I shows me that morally Barack may be better than I thought, now having said that, I will back Obama if he wins, which is a definite 360 degree turn from a month ago when my second choice was going to have to be McCain. I still want Hillary to win, as she and I share the same views on policy, but at this point, McCain is no longer on my list.
April 29, 2008 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Obama saw white people the way Wright does, why in the hell would he think he had a chance at winning the Presidency.
It seems to me that his entire candidacy is based on the idea that Wright is wrong.
April 29, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
My mom called me and said, "Turn on CSPAN. Reverend Wright is talking at the National Press Club."
Later in that same conversation she says, "I had no idea that this is who he was. None. I want to join his church and I am not even a Christian!"
Not only is she not a Christian, but she has no organized religion at all. Lots of Boomer and World War II generation retirees watch PBS and CSPAN.
This will be a net gain for Barack, because up until now only the blogging crowd had the context of who Reverend Wright was. I had told my mom all this before, but seeing the man on TV was the clincher. Hearing Wright's own intelligent, passionate voice speak to lifting up our fellow man had her talking about moving to Chicago and reminiscing about the black churches she went to as a little girl in downtown San Diego.
The only thing that helps us this year is the truth getting out there in as many venues as possible. How many VHS tapes are being shipped right now with a copy of the CSPAN speech? There is a whole separate communications system that involves phones and VCRs rather than email and YouTube.
Wright was smart to speak directly to the people via a medium that was lying to them previously by presenting a distorted version of reality.
April 29, 2008 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone with a small amount of progressive leaning is able to distill what Rev Wright is doing and saying. The media is a major contributor to all of the distortion tha tis out there----but, are we sheep who can be that easily led?????All who favor social justice must ground ourselves and help ground others in the notion that what is being said is meant to sway our thinking--it is Swift Boating and it is Clintonian. I can't fault Hillary Clinton for "fighting the fight" but I can fault her for using dishonest and hate mongering tactics which are anything but representative of the Democratic party ideals.
April 29, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've been talking to some nervous Obama supporters about Rev. Wright's comments this week. I think you're right. I can't think of a better way to emphasize the difference between the politician and his pastor than for the pastor to make his own story the new loop. You're right that his Moyers interview normalizes him for the public — he's no longer the African garbed bombastic preacher. Context is everything. Now we have the context of this personality as a person. I think it's good in the long run.
April 29, 2008 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let me put in a plug for Lily Tomlin.
Maybe it's because I'm old, but posters here seem to still have an innocent view of today's political reality. (That's innocent, not naive.)
The people who watch whole speeches or sermons are a tiny minority. Most people depend on news organizations or friends to give them summaries. The traditional media and the people's media (the Internet) both survive because they make money, which often means they survive to make money.
These media don't make money by being balanced or thoughtful. They cater to the same instincts that make people slow down to view roadside accidents. The roadside Obama ikon has been wrought by Wright.
April 29, 2008 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
"These media don't make money by being balanced or thoughtful. They cater to the same instincts that make people slow down to view roadside accidents. The roadside Obama ikon has been wrought by Wright."
You nailed it. So a fight exists they braodcast it, and where it doesn't they create it, in their own self interest. SO how do you get the public to wake up?
The "glimmer of hope" I see is youtube. Remember Maccaca?
April 29, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Most people seem to wish Rev. Wright would crawl under a rock until the election is over, but not me. I think the more press he gets the better.
True, he seems to revel in it, which may not be your personal idea of the way the clergy should act. But please consider that the Black Church has always had the mission of joyously uplifting a downtrodden people. Certainly the number of black politicians, celebrities and successful businessmen has grown, but the black community as a whole is still struggling and pastors like Rev. Wright are pushing and pulling their flock toward REAL equality.
April 29, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hear, Hear!
April 29, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I should also add that he is just defining the problem ... which remains to be tackled. If just hearing about the problem is freaking people out, what will they do when the time comes to do something about it? Which is almost like 'right now'.
Fortunately this time, in very large measure because of Obama and his supporters, Jack cannot be squeezed back in the box. A change has now come!
April 29, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I really enjoyed Rev. Wright's interview with Moyers, his appearance at the National Press Club and his address to the NAACP meeting.
I think that he has a great sense of humor.
There is NOTHING that he said that could pin him as anything but ANTI-RACIST.
He is exceptionally educated and well-spoken and speaks for the down-troden everywhere.
When his speeches are played in their entirety, except for a few controversial comments, he makes a very good impression.
Also, I am still pushing the CNBC clip with 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners in Economics and their approval of Obama's Economic plan.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=722561891
The problem is that the media doesn't take his speeches as a whole, and yes, they are taking only the controversial comments and then creating a controversy by all of them saying "Oh, this is so terrible for Obama".
The other problem is that only a small number of people probably saw the Moyers interview and an even smaller number the NAACP address or the appearance at the National Press Club because there are still a lot of people who don't have cable and even the people who do have cable seldom, if ever, watch c-span.
I think that everyone needs to flood the comments on the MSM websites challenging them to cover real issues, asking them to stop reiterating the McCain "maverick" stupidity and forget about stupid thinks like flag pins etc.
April 29, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
The only way to get them to move off their "profit at any cost" position is to hurt them -- their bottom line. Any ideas?
April 29, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only way to get them to move off their "profit at any cost" position is to hurt them wher it hurts -- their bottom line. Any ideas?
April 29, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wright has been highlighting the injustices done by Americans to non-majority groups both in the US and elsewhere. He specifically mentioned the Indians and the Japanese-Americans as well as enslaved Africans. This is not the benevolent American myth which is taught in elementary school.
That saying these things is seen as controversial just points out how incomplete our understanding of our history is. The recent revelations about yet another instance of mistreatment in Iraq and Guantanamo is making people uncomfortable,since this is current behavior. This explains the push for mindless patriotism and empty symbols like flag pins. Rather than face up to our imperfections the right tries to drown them out.
Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" has been an underground best seller for decades. He covers the same stories, but hasn't gotten the coverage because the right sees no way to tie him into the current election.
Obama's attempt to remove race from the election may be a clever strategy (I'm not expert enough to judge), but failure to discuss the issue won't make it go away. If it wasn't Wright then some other incident would bring it to the fore sooner or later.
April 29, 2008 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like Zinn's work and consider it important, but it is also skewed in its treatment of America toward the negative just as much as conservative history is skewed toward a rosy view of our country and a whitewash of its sins.
I would like to see a lot more balanced view of America from both sides.
April 29, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good point.
April 29, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
For a religion that bases its primary ritual around eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a God that rose from the dead and floated up into the clouds and disappeared into the sky(without burning up in the atmosphere), how can you possibly say that Wright's sermons are "out there"?
April 29, 2008 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think your "better now than later" argument assumes that Obama will be the nominee. But the resurgence of the Wright controversy at this critical stage for Obama may prevent him from becoming the nominee.
I believe much of America was shocked to learn how wide-spread this style of preaching is among black churches. Obama has been seen as someone who would bring America beyond racial divisions. That means letting go of the anger and guilt-slinging. However the revelations about Wright and his church link Obama to the old style of blacks portraying themselves as perpetual victims who continuously remind America of its prejudice in order to shame and force America to change. This undermines Obama's image as the new kind of politician who will usher in the post-racial America. It evokes the politics of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson which is ever angry and accusing and demanding of concessions. Obama can say that he truly is beyond all of that and ask that we believe him, but he can not disassociate himself from it.
April 29, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm one of those who feel that Wright helps rather than hurt Obama. The Republicans are going to run ads of his 30 second sound bites NO MATTER WHAT. By getting out and about, the public may get innoculated to his presence, and might even be bemused by his exasperating personality. They will also recognize the decent but misguided man in him, and at least they won't fear him.
He won't raise Obama's ratings, but he will at least help to beat back the impact of the Republican ads, neutralising that avenue of attack.
He is quick, witty and funny, that's going to go down well as a TV personality. Even Comical Ali, an "Iraqi enemy", was quite a hit - it was impossible to hate him. Wright'spresence will help diffuse the fears of the "unkmown" in Obama once and for all, and that's a good thing.
April 29, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I certainly hope you're right. That last paragraph is the most persuasive thing I've heard on this thread. I.e., even if voters end up hating the guy, they'll be forced to see him as a human being.
But I have to confess I feel sea-sick. I'm one of the people Josh is talking about when he says that Obama supporters are having a little vertigo over the last 48 hrs or so. I think Wright is a smart guy with an awful, awful political tin ear. The quicker he gets offstage the better, and Barack did the right thing today by repudiating him.
I'd love to have the conversation Rev. Wright is starting -- an in-depth conversation about apologies for slavery, and Farrakhan, and AIDS, and all of it. America needs to have that conversation. But please, please, please, for the love of bleeding Jesus, let's have it in 2009. *After* we've elected a brilliant, inspiring, African-American president.
I still think everything is going to be okay in the end. But at this rate, I may have developed a drinking problem by the time Obama gets elected.
April 29, 2008 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you talking about this paragraph from qwerty? "He is quick, witty and funny, that's going to go down well as a TV personality. Even Comical Ali, an "Iraqi enemy", was quite a hit - it was impossible to hate him. Wright'spresence will help diffuse the fears of the "unkmown" in Obama once and for all, and that's a good thing."
April 29, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Only one that may be somewhat lame?? Do they get their ratings from website hits or mostly from actual TV viewers?
You can see most of the clips on their website. Turn off the TV, except for c-span, of course.
Even c-span I sometimes get frustrated with because 90% of their programming, aside from covering congress, is either AEI or Heritage etc with very little progressive organizations.
April 29, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Barack to prove you have slain this Wright Beast, you must bring his skull for us to drink from and his eyes for us to dine on. Then and only then can we, the powers that be, trust you are one with our cause and can be entrusted with the super secret hand shake.
OK young Barack, you have succeeded in your quest and we have drunk from his skull and feasted upon his eyes. As promised you have earned the super secret hand, but wait, THEEEERRRRREEEE’S MORE! One more thing – about your flag pin …
April 29, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
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