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The Wright Amount of Breathing Space
Were those attacks on Obama coming from his former minister? Sounded like it to me. It made me realize that the best resolution of the Wright situation for Obama could actually be to have a dramatic public falling-out between himself and Rev. Wright. A falling-out would definitely draw a pretty clear line between the two of them, fighting the soft "guilt-by-association" narrative but might not do much about the hardline "Obama: Enslaving the White Race '08" black supremacist narrative. Any thoughts?
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Comments (8)
I have always favored some form of schism with Wright. The problem is that if it's not choreographed, he can just keep doing Barack worse. But if there's some way to do more distancing, I'm all for it.
April 28, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Read the responses here for more discussion on this matter. I do not believe this qualifies as an attack, as I addressed there, and you'll see people who disagree with that.
April 28, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Any thoughts?"
Yeah, did you watch Rev. Wright's remarks to the Detroit NAACP and Nat. Press Club?
I doubt it. If you had you probably wouldn't have asked "Were those attacks on Obama coming from his former minister?"
April 28, 2008 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha, no - I read about it on Politico like a normal hack. You totally called me out. I did watch the PBS interview over the week-end.
But in all seriousness, watching the remarks were your first mistake. How many people you think actually watched those remarks? All that matters is the spin! My point was only that "Obama Falls out with 'Radical Minister'" would be excellent spin.
April 28, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, screw any thoughts of principle. That's what normal politicians do.
April 28, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Politically a separation might make sense strategically, but the downside is if it looks like throwing him under the bus; Barack will lose more than he gains.particularly among Black voters and others who agree hat Rev. Wright has been crucified by the MSM and bigots. I have to tell you after listening to Rev. Wright's three appearances over the weekend and this morning, despite his justifiable anger, and yes preacher/politician style ego; I am impressed with his candor, intelligence and plain old cajones for "telling it like it is" and I doubt I'm the only one.
April 28, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's probably too late for anything to save Obama from the onslaught of anti-Wright votes that will be coming, but his best hope is throw Wright under the bus today, and claim tempoary insanity as to why he sat in the church for 20 years listening to this race soaked paranoia.
I think the charade that there were only one or two such sermons can be put to rest as of today. Wright is clearly obsessed with race to the point where he thinks of little else.
A monumental disaster for Barack Obama.
April 28, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree there's a lot to like from a 'candor' perspective about Rev. Wright, but even if you agree that the U.S. Gov't intentionally released or spread the AIDS virus to kill minorities, or that the US deserved the 9/11 attacks for it's terrorism against foreign countries and blacks -- you have to admit that his continued repetition of these statements while saying that Sen. Obama is only denying their affiliation to get elected is NOT necessarily good for the Senator's hopes among those who DO NOT agree with you and the Reverend.
In the exchange with the moderator at the Press Club he came off as trying to have it both ways...like he did on Moyers. He's right that his "God Damn" comments are played out of context and the patriotism thing is a joke, but the "Chickens coming home to roost" comment isn't really being mischaracterized. He thinks America deserved that attack and he repeated it today! So his protestations about being taken out of context sound like a disingenuous denial in the form of a victimization play. His snark about the working press not applauding him are similar -- who do they usually applaud?! Same with the "attack on the Black Church" stuff...any questions or criticism raised about his comments are an attack on an entire sector of American faith? Really? So if Senator Obama criticizes any of the Rev's. comments as 'repugnant' or other strong language...is he then criticizing the entire Black Church as well?
And some of you have a question about whether or not his self-defense and fresh bomb-throwing tour is a problem or not?
April 28, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
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