I was an Obama supporter until I learned more. He is talking about gimmicks to win an election, well, Obama asked to put signs up at the fuel pumps in his Illinois home senate district stating, "Senator Obama reduced your gasoline prices" after voting for a gas tax suspension in his home state of Illinois. (source: Illinois senate transcript 4/15/2000)

http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans91/ST041500.pdf pg 80-81

I saw Dr. Wright's speeches at the NAACP event and at the National Press Club and I was mesmerized by his extraordinary intellect and demonstrative style of teaching. Eleven thousand blacks and whites applauded him at the NAACP and many more gave him a reception fit for a king at the National Press Club. I feel all who saw him just like me knew a wise and great man was before us. His messages were ones of racial reconciliation and black inclusiveness into the mainstream of American society. He carried his audience on a breathtaking journey into American history, rendering special praise to the white christians who manned the Underground Railrooad that lay thoughout the South that helped blacks to escape from slavery and he praised white christians who established the first institutions of higher learning after the Civil War. His lectures covered culture and music in a demonstrative teaching style that held me spellbound and on the edge of my seat. I knew I was in the presence of great and wise man. Never did Dr. Wright utter and anti-white or anti-American remark. To clarify his patriotism he modestly mentioned his six year tour of military servive (US Marines) and rhetorically asked how much time Chaney has served. Never did Dr. Wright say anything offensive or harmaful towards Sen. Obama. During the question and answer period when asked why did Sen. Obama distance himself from him in his Philadelphia Address Dr. Wright simply replied, "He does what he does as a politician and I do what I do as pastor". How the news media, the racists and the right wing conservatives construed the answer to imply that somehow Dr. Wright ment that Sen. Obama was simply somehow posturing is a sickening stretch of a warped imagination. The most shocking thing to me is that Sen. Obama has allowed himself to be swayed by news commentators that were either unable to comprehend the intellectual discourse of Dr. Wright or deliberately engaged in malicious distortion of the speeches to fraudulently depict Dr. Wright with news media hype to be anti- white and anti-America. At one point during the question and answer period the question was poised to him about his view that the Aids Virus can be traced to the US Government. His impact answer was is that Aids Virus might can be traced to US Military stockpiles of biological weapons. (How many movies and books exist of US Military chemical and biological weapons programs gone awry?. It's well documented that our military detonated atomic bombs in the 50's and then tested the radiation effects on our own troops at "safe" distances from the detonations.) I ask how is Dr. Wright's view on the Aids Virus origin than those who hold views that the CIA killed President Kennedy or the US Government had prior knowledge that the Japanese were planning to attack Pearl Harbor and allowed it to happen to get us involved in World War II, or those who believe the Main was blown up by the US Government to get us involved in the Spanish-American War, or those who believe our country invaded Iraq under false pretenses. This is America and Dr. Wright is free to believe what he wants. That in no way means Sen. Obama should share his views as the airways state. More than anything I am thunderstruck how Sen. Obama could launch an unprovoked attack on a brillant man such as Dr. Wright. Either Sen. Obama has not seen the speeches or has allowed himself to swayed by racists and empty-headed journalists who simply thrive on news media hype to make money. In the black community one of the worst things one can doe is disrespect an elder. Not only did Sen. Obama disrespect Dr. Wright in his unfair denounciation of Dr. Wright hd disrespected the intelligence of blacks and whites who were present for the speeches or who all across this country are able to discern and think for themselves and he particularly relegated blacks to invisible people by saying that Dr. Wright's speeches were divisive, destructive, a spectacle and outrageous. The fact is those are the adjectives I would use to describe Sen. Obama's attack mode. Heretofore, I had been a fervent Obama supporter. I now place that support on hold until Sen. Obama apologizes for his conduct. I had hoped Sen. Obama was a cut above the fray of the often opportunistic black politician and a true and bright hope for change in America. It seems I was seriously mistaken.

An anti-American as president is beyond my understanding. Obama sat and listened to the denegrating of America by an insane radical gentile/muslim and never contradicted him.

Wright uses the Bible to teach hate and racism. I would never stand by him in a lightening storm.

If Obama did not share his beliefs he would have never made him his "mentor' "advisor' and "close friend",
No one aligns himself with a people or group for 18+ years if he didn't share their beliefs.

What worries me is why would Obama want to lead a nation that he feels that much hostility toward.

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People castigate Wright for saying what he said but he didn't lie. Whites today scoff at the idea that blacks could believe mainstream society has a vendetta against them but systematic and social neglect by city, state and federal governments proves them right. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is only the latest in a string of inequalities the black community has endured from mainstream society.

Just over 30 years ago, this govt revealed how they tricked 399 black men into believing they were receiving treatment for syphilis when no such treatment was granted to them but given to others. This was done to merely observe how the disease spread and killed. It was called The Tuskegee Experiment.

And you shake your self-righteous heads and call Wright a bigot. The bigot is the person who can't empathize with the plight of another. Those among us who scoff while WAITNG and PRAYING for a reason not to believe Obama or his message.

I also read a comment about if white pastors said...yada, yada, yada. But white pastors like Falwell say overtly racists things all the time. What do the candidates do? They indirectly embrace the comments by embracing the white evangelicals for whom it was said. Everyone who is looking for a reason not to embrace Obama now has one despite how weak and feeble it is.

However, don't lie to yourself, it's a smoke screen of an issue devised by the GOP, who dug through and vetted Wright's sermons with the help of Fox News. If you peel back the layers and THINK for one minute, you would see, Wright's words are his own and they were true whether you agree with them or not and Obama never uttered them or anything like them.

I have read all of the commentaries here and I am amazed at quite a few of you missing the point here. A great majority of americans will continue to talk about these speeches, this Reverend and this Church because here in America we do not tolerate this HATRED that seems to be the principal theme in Rev. Wrights sermon. To some the expose of this church brings out that right in the middle of us we have the likes of a significant leftist movement that comes across to DIVISIVE for anyone's comfort. No matter how hard your past could be and the sins of the past in our nation, the great majority of americans see this as an abomination and will reject it.

We would also see that Obama, in siding with this Pastor in what he represents and continuing his support for this Church, made a choice. This choice we see as from someone who frankly has a major identity problem and lacks maturity and good JUDGEMENT. He uses his white grandmother as an example and then stereotypes her and this gives us a great insight into him and we see that HE IS NOT READY TO TALK ABOUT RACE. As a Presidential candidate he should have been much more careful and well read on the issue of RACE for it will not be tolerated as an excuse on either side. This Reverend and his followers made a choice of promoting hatred and the fact that they are black will not excuse them.

This expose WILL remain in the thoughts of many americans, educated or less educated for what it really is a promotion of a DIVISIVE America that we will all repudiate.

So, at the end Obama gambled with an issue that he is not yet fully prepared to deal with and he has lost. This could cost him a nomination!!!

It amazingly disturbing that no one but a few managed to take the times to actually watch more than the 10 second clip that CNN is showing over and over again. Those who did have realized how bad they have been manipulated by that 10 second clip.
At least some peoples have done their homework that more than most of us myself included can say.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/

The famous 9/11 clip was not even from Wright he was QUOTING a white Republican ambassador speaking on Fox News Channel..

But you don't get that if all you listen to is that freaking 10 second clip. How convenient! Journalist are not that lazy if that was left out it was done deliberately. And the stupidity of the way it was done for a week and we fell for it. Twenty years ago you could probably manipulate peoples that way but this is the age of the Internet and we should know better! I don't like being taken for a fool you can easily manipulate. How about you?

EXAMINE YOURSELF!

The point of Obama's speech is to withhold judgment, for both sides to de-escalate the war of words.

To call someone a "racist" today for prejudice against blacks or whites is a severe condemnation in our country. You can be fired for being a "racist", its a real thing that shouldn't be treated as lightly as it is.

But to ignore things like Katrina or the disenfrachisement of the 2000 election and say that Black people have nothing to be angry about is naive.

Using the right's clumsy language as a bludgeon against them WONT FIX THIS. And neither will screaming that everyone who didn't call out Wright as a racist is a fellow traveler is worse.

But my serious question to those criticizing Obama is this:

Why is this universal first reaction of mistrust to Obama?

Every criticism seems to have definitive knowledge of Obama's "true" character but provides zero objective evidence. Where does this concept that Obama is a deception, a "liar" come from? No one, here at least, points to a chain of verifiable events that shows Obama being untruthful.

Is it a good thing to evaluate people solely on who they associate with and not their actions?

Do people call McCain a liar? He has flip flopped on tax cuts, foreign intervention, and how many times we have been "definitely winning" Iraq, and Jerry Falwell and his brand of religious hatred; but no one questions that he means what he says, in fact the press says he wants to stop lobbyists, even as his campaign is run by them for "free".

Lets try to discuss race with honesty and forgiveness first.

And lets discuss politics on issues and history, not guilt by association and inherent mistrust.

What has Obama ever lied about?

Why is Obama a liar but McCain is a stateman?

Those of you without sin cast the first stone. A christian should be able to enter a dialog with anyone, even Obama, without instantly challenging the other person's basic integrity.

Ooops.....that last part should read uh COMMA PERIOD EXCLAMATION POINT. You know, we all THINK in language. Without language we could not think. Try it sometime and then think about how you use language. We ARE how we think and ignorant does as ignorant thinks.

"Sound and fury, signifying....." freedom to debate and that's a good thing but it would be better if those doing the debating such as lonestarkaty would do it in a comprehensible use of the english language like proper syntax and punctuation so they would be more readily understood and not create impatience in the listener or reader and thereby appearing to be obnoxiously ignorant making their comments unworthy of consideration assuming anyone has the forebearance to read it and thereby making their comments insignificant uh,PERIOD EXCLAMATION POINT the first four words are from Shakespeare's MACBETH so they deserve punctuation

No one has asked Catholics to disown the Catholic Church because the Pope served as a Youth for Nazis in his early years. AND the Nazis were truly a genocidal abomination. Although we find Wright's out-of-context comments unacceptable, there can be no doubt that he is a patriot who loves America, having served in the Marine Corps for six years and sacrificing his life to help the poor and dispossessed in his community. We should also be viewing You-Tube vidoes carrying his Christian, uplifting sermons. Jesus drove the Pharisees out of the Temple, and used intemperate language in reprimanding the villains in his society. But Christians understand and have learned from his language.

Posted by: David L | March 21, 2008 09:53 AM
"Bill Clinton's remarks about Jesse Jackson and Geraldine Feraro's remarks about Barack Obama were the equivalent of releasing snakes in a crowded stadium. Once the announcers got that news and broadcast it, all hell broke loose. No one ever considered whether the snakes were venomous."

I don't think this is at all the way Jeremiah Wright was exposed. It was destined to happen. Some talk show hosts were talking about it as early as January and for whatever reason it just didn't get the air time until the video tape surfaced.

Indeed, if the Clinton camp was able to stir it up they would have done so early on before Hillary lost so many primaries.

DavidR shouldn't bear the brunt of this either. But Obama is now damaged and tainted by hate speech. I cannot believe the man was a part of church that was founded "Against white church and against the white goverment" (the words of their founder Cone) that Obama did not believe any of it. He wouldn't have stayed in the church if he did not believe the man.
I have had conversations with my white grandmother too, the difference when she grew up the word colored was acceptable it no loner is now.
And that's the point, isn't it? That we are always striving to find a way for that equality that is guarenteed in the Bill of Rights.
And that's the point Rev. Wright missed, we are always trying to make things better. You cannot make things better for future generations by using hate speech.

DavidR:
Are you joking?? Have you not watched any of the sermons this pastor gave. They are out there, or just go to their website and watch.
It is horrifying, disturbing and sad that 40 years after MLK nothing has changed.
But as long as there are people like DavidR telling us "Nothing divisive in Rev's sermons" Well then I guess we are never going to get anywhere.
Make no mistake, Rascism and bigotry will be the things then bring about the end of our great nation. Yes a great nation, flawed sure, but a great nation nonetheless.

I have listened to Barack since the speech in '04, I am not looking for a Saint.
I have listened to a little of words straight out of a paid speech writer from HRC. She delivers a speech and she is certainly better at it than BUSH, but it is not from within it has the feeling of a rewrite.
I will not condemn BHO for a ministers words. He has been influenced by many people and events in his life and he should be judged by his own accomplishments. Attending a church that has a VERY LARGE MEMEBERSHIP and it is also very diverse, tells me that Rev. Wright had an impact on his community, and sound bite does not define a community. I think that Rev. Wright should defend his comments. Let's get back to this elections and the issues that will in the end be the reason we should cast out votes. Vote for him or don't. In the end you should not let the Media and News pundits make your decision. If, you don't trust him VOTE for the Clintons (they are a package deal) or Vote for MCCain ( who will have his hands tied, because he needed the financing of the right wing conservatives to get elected).
At least I believe Sen. Obama is looking to create a difference.

The sad thing is that racism will not be faced/helped if it is not admitted. Racism against blacks has long been admitted and laws have been placed to protect them. It is WRONG and there is absolutely NO JUSTIFICATION for it. On the other hand, blacks speaking out racial remarks against whites is not called racism...it's justified because of the unfortunate PAST mistakes of whites. We cannot accept this behavior from ANY RACE. Until we realize this and acknowledge it is wrong, we cannot progress. That's not to say that there are not whites who are racist out there, but it is obvious that it is WRONG and by law, we are doing things to address and avoid it. When we apply this same tolerence level to all races, then we will truly move towards unity. As a hispanic, I welcome and embrace both races equally because we are all children of God. Yes, I do believe each person should be judged by their own character but that character should have zero tolerence of racism. I will not accociate with people who harbor hate for another race regardless of their "reasons" for it PERIOD. If something bad happened to yourself or your ancestors, you have a choice to make...become part of the problem or become part of the solution.

Bill Clinton's remarks about Jesse Jackson and Geraldine Feraro's remarks about Barack Obama were the equivalent of releasing snakes in a crowded stadium. Once the announcers got that news and broadcast it, all hell broke loose. No one ever considered whether the snakes were venomous.

W.E.B. Dubois, a highly intelligent black man and a founder of the NAACP became so frustrated with our countries inability to deal with the "black problem", he gave up his citizenship and moved to Liberia.

Statements made from church pulpits are no different than the incendiary shouts of democrats (and many republicans) over the war in Iraq. What highly intelligent black person growing up in this country, given our history in dealing with race, wouldn't consider the inflammatory rhetoric of a Reverend Wright? The fact that Obama rejected his views and choose the path he did, is indicative of his judgment and is to be applauded, not scorned. Claiming he should have walked out of such a church shows an inability to empathize with the plight blacks have suffered for more than 200 years. What white person can know the feelings of blacks living in our society, a society that took more than 90 years and a civil war to release a large percentage of it's citizenry from the bonds of slavery; a country that openly discriminated against blacks into the 1960's; a country that has shown by this very ugly debate, a sore still open; and which white person among us, no matter how liberal and sympathetic to the cause of equality, does not bear the stain of prejudice reflecting the bigotry of our forefathers. Not that it should matter.... but then again, because it still matters... I am a 65 year old white male.

"And JanetP: Do you think there aren't black people still afraid to go into the south for good reason? You must live in the oasis of the south, because the south is still the most segregated part of our US"

I must disagree with you that the south is more racial than other parts of the country. Indeed, I can only speak for my own area, but in my travels I do not find that to be the case. Also, I don't mean to imply that my community is a utopia, but I truly believe that we have transcended racial issues more than any other time in history.

Until my retirement I supervised a government office of about 20 people. The ratio of races fluctuated, but in my 26 years in the office I never had to address a problem that was racial in origin. The camaraderie among these people and their relationship to one another exemplifies good will. They truly wear blinders as to race. They go out to lunch together, socialize after work and attend important ceremonies of one another.

Also, I have visited with these staff members in their churches and have NEVER heard a minister utter a racial word. To be sure, their service is livelier than the tradition of my church. One obliged my dream of singing with a predominantly black choir and it was a wonderful rollicking experience that I remember with great pleasure.

I have no way of knowing if this kind of harmony exists in surrounding areas. Certainly, I do know that it doesn't exist in Chicago.

Perhaps, my own security and comfort with black people heightened my outrage over Rev. Wright's remarks. If I visited Chicago I would not have been expecting hostility because I am white and could perhaps have placed myself in a risky circumstance.

I can only hope that the racial hatred exhibited by Rev. Wright does not spread to other areas like mine and reverse the peaceful coexistence that we enjoy.

I liked Mr Obama's speech. I thought he put alot of his own thoughts into it.
I can also see the way he tried to smooth
over his reverend's comments.
He also showed me why I cannot vote for him.
He believes that the war in Iraq will simple end if we pull out without having a strong government in place in that country that can and will defend itself from the attacks that would come of that development. Wishfull thinking at best.I believe he is a good man ,but please read a history of the culture that you would be dealing with.

I don't personally blame Obama for what someone else has said, and I sure don't equivocate on the subject of holding each and every individual responsible for their own actions. However Rev. Wrights eccentric and distorted views certainly doesn't translate into those same views being the views or perspectives of Obama.

Yet it is true that it remains somewhat of a mystery to me and perhaps to millions of people a mystery, why there remained such a lack of obviation in Obama not calculating the negative repercussions in such an association, especially one that involved a pastor who gave not only outlandish sermons but accolades to Louis Farrakhan.

Farrakhan is a man who is very stereotypical in his description of certain races and has said that Jews are bloodsuckers and Judaism a gutter religion.Rev Wrights proposition that AIDS was created by the United states government as a weapon of genocide against African-Americans borders on delusional ideas, somewhat in the realm of psychopathology. How any concerned parishioner of any church could sycophantically allow that to pass, unscrutinized is beyond reason.

Is this type of distorted thinking a national sickness inherent due to pass devisions of race and inequality, or is it just conspicuous dissimulation that serves the manifestations of crowd psychology?

I honestly hope that this hasn't permanently politically damaged Obama, but there is much room for exploitation from his political opponents, and we have yet to see any retractions of statements made considered divisive by Rev. Wright or his congregation.

I don't personally blame Obama for what someone else has said, and I sure don't equivocate on the subject of holding each and every individual responsible for their own actions. However Rev. Wrights eccentric and distorted views certainly doesn't translate into those same views being the views or perspectives of Obama.

Yet it is true that it remains somewhat of a mystery to me and perhaps to millions of people a mystery, why there remained such a lack of obviation in Obama not calculating the negative repercussions in such an association, especially one that involved a pastor who gave not only outlandish sermons but accolades to Louis Farrakhan.

Farrakhan is a man who is very stereotypical in his description of certain races and has said that Jews are bloodsuckers and Judaism a gutter religion.Rev Wrights proposition that AIDS was created by the United states government as a weapon of genocide against African-Americans borders on delusional ideas, somewhat in the realm of psychopathology. How any concerned parishioner of any church could sycophantically allow that to pass, unscrutinized is beyond reason.

Is this type of distorted thinking a national sickness inherent due to pass devisions of race and inequality, or is it just conspicuous dissimulation that serves the manifestations of crowd psychology?

I honestly hope that this hasn't permanently politically damaged Obama, but there is much room for exploitation from his political opponents, and we have yet to see any retractions of statements made considered divisive by Rev. Wright or his congregation.

Who has the pictures of Rev. Wright and Louis Farakhan in Libia visiting Khadafi?
Mat Drudge or Karl Rove?

Joe

You cannot defend the indefensible. Therefore, in the context of less than one week after 9/11; "America's chickens have come home to roost" and "God Damn America", I do not think that this can be addressed in one speech or many speeches. The fact that Obama heard this and did nothing casts serious doubt on his willingness to defend America. At the end of the day this is about the office of the Presidency, the Commander in Chief to one of the worlds largest armies.
Rev. Wrighrs comments, especially since he in an Ex Marinem sre extremely disturbing. Especially given the fact that the GI Bill put him through college and gave him a chance to better himself. That he would cast aspirsions to the country that bore "Give us your poor, tired and destitute" and lived through the melting pot that we have strived for since inception, makes me wonder why he served in the military, if he believed in fact that the US government is racist?
Mental slavery is a sad fact of society. Rev. Wright and those if his ilk continue to spew hatred and constantly regurgitate wounds as as a nation we have been trying to heal for more than forty years. Why you may ask? Because its easier to keep people down if they do not believe they can ever make anything of themselves.
Hate Speech, including be it of race, religion or even gender is incredibly deleterious, but unfortunately protected by the Bill of Rights.
Sad it is to say, that people would sit in a church and CLAP after the "Chickens have come home to roost" rather that use their brains and think for themselves, and as someone else on this board said "Vote with your feet".
Obama was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but to paint your own grandmother as a racist, genteel, but still racist was wrong.
But again, I don't think his tolerance of "God Damn America" and "America's chickens have come home to roost" can be addressed in one speech or many speeches.
For my part, as the 5 times great granddaughter of the 8th President of the U.S. Martin Van Buren, I am proud that he had the guts and the courage to split from the DEMOCRATS that made him President and chose to found the Free Soil Party. The first political party to have in its first founding plank the abolition of slavery.

The troubling nature of Obamagate is the harmful effects of a gospel of hate on its audience, regardless if it is Christian, Islamic or Hindu.

Preaching hate is fear consciousness instead of love consciousness. Fear consciousness is dangerous, especially in a leader.

Obama is clever and will never admit to his fear consciousness and hate. It is a cop-out to examine it philosophically.

Either you believe in a gospel of love or a gospel of hate.

Reading the posts depress me. The dems deserve to lose the presidency and we as Americans deserve another 4 years of a third term to Bush if we can't rise above this. I support Obama, and will gladly vote for Hill if she gets the nom, but I know she can not win. I knew it after Kerry lost in 04 and a week later the dems were yelling "Hillary in 08!" Fair or not, Hillary can't get elected and it is not because she is a woman but because a lot of people simply unfairly do not like her and will only vote for a likeable candidate. Now we have taken the only democrat with a chance and we have thrown him to the wolves for someone else's stupid mistake. Racism has changed it's face since yesterday. It is not the klansmen vs the civil rights worker. It is the regular black guy that is angry because he keeps getting passed on the job opportunity and it is the middle class white person that is angry because they think the minority has the advantage of the minority scholarship or the aff act job. You don't hear about it every day on You Tube because white people only say it to whites and black people only say it to blacks. They don't usually say it in front of the camera. They are our fathers and mothers, our brothers and friends and even ourselves. Are you ready to condemn them? Are you ready to disown them? I am a white woman that has experienced degradation for not being beautiful and sexual harrassment in the workplace. I have suffered from sexual assualts too numerous to mention as a child, and I doubt it would have happened as a man. But I also learned the words "porchmonkey" and "watermelon" and "n*****" not from TV or from rap music but from my white family and the community I grew up in. I have grown up in a conservative Republican county in OH and had to listen to it my whole life. I will be more likely to suffer from sex harrassment once in the workplace, but I'll bet I have an advantage over getting the job versus a black person.

And JanetP: Do you think there aren't black people still afraid to go into the south for good reason? You must live in the oasis of the south, because the south is still the most segregated part of our US. I have family and friends from Alabama, and I lived in NE Florida for awhile, and a lot (not all) of whites don't refer to MLK day as MLK day there. They won't say it on a camera, but they will cry the day a black man is elected president. These same people spew hatred as long as it is among other whites. The disadvantage I have to my white skin is that other whites seem to think they can say it in front of me and I won't be offended. I wish I never had to listen to it because it makes me sick for humanity and as a Christian. The problem in the north is that it isn't much different but even in private whites are a little more reserved in their talk and you don't hear it too much until there's something in the news to set it off like an appearance by Sharpton.

The bottom line is, a lot of the people I mentioned above are decent people that are just misguided and are taking their valid frustrations out in the form of hate speech that they don't really believe in. When people feel liked they've been kicked too much, and they don't feel they can do anything about it, they use these words to feel on some level, temporarily, more powerful. A man is not defined by one deed or one action or one statement, he is defined by the experiences and contributions of an entire lifetime.

I've been so hopeful for our future as a nation with the Barack Obama candidacy.

But it's certainly clear that many American's are still capable of incredible hatred and venom. This man, his heritage, his father's religion, his church, his blackness, his successes and happiness in life have all been attacked and reviled by people so willing to see evil in somebody who is a different color and background than them.

I'm afraid there are still way too many people that are afraid to change from the current status quo of ever escalating national problems and a government gridlocked because of mud-slinging gamesmanship of one party over the other.

I have family from a mid-western state, my brother in law reports back that while blue collar Americans might now be willing for a white woman to be president, they definitely won't sit quiet for a black man seeking that office. He believes Barack Obama to be a very courageous man. I agree

I've been so hopeful for our future as a nation with the Barack Obama candidacy but at the same time fearful for his life.

It's certainly clear that many American's are still capable of incredible hatred and venom. This man, his heritage, his father's religion, his church, his blackness, his successes and happiness in life have all been attacked and reviled by people so willing to see evil in somebody who is a different color and background than them.

I'm afraid there are still way too many people that are afraid to change from the current status quo of ever escalating national problems and a government gridlocked because of mud-slinging gamesmanship of one party over the other.

I have family from a mid-western state, my brother in law reports back that while blue collar Americans might now be willing for a white woman to be president, they definitely won't sit quiet for a black man seeking that office. He believes Barack Obama's life to be in danger.

It's interesting how a man like Rev. Wright whose supposedly so full of hate could have mentored a man as great as Barack Obama...He's obviously done something right...

No, we don't need to settle down. Obama is running for office and Obama CHOSE Wright as his mentor, chose to attend that church for 20 years, and we have a right to judge his judgment in doing so. In this case, his lack of judgment.

I love the Obama talking point out there, repeated here,that Obama talked to us "like adults". I'm an attorney, a democrat, and very much an adult. So if after hearing the speech, I don't think Obama is a courageous man, if I think he condoned and supported hate rhetoric, he gave money to a church that spewed that hatred and has been and STILL is a member of said church and has never walked away and I hold him accountable, then I'm just too stupid to get it? As a white woman I'd walk out of a church spewing equal rage at blacks. Being black doesn't give Obama a pass to not have done the right thing.

Obama lacked the courage we expect from a president--the courage to walk away from hate and anti-americanism. No speech saves him. the media is falling all over themselves over a not very well written (it justified Wright's actions and took no responsbility) and not very well delivered speech. They think if they say it enough America will believe it. Well, we don't. If the dem party gives him this nomination I will walk away from my party. Obama had choices. He had a choice--he had his 3 am phone call moment--and he chose to not answer the call for courage.

Growing up as a poor white child, I lived in a ghetto, was called white trash (and worse), lived in "the projects," and went to poorly run public schools. However, rather than be angry, I fought my way out of the ghetto and put myself through college and now run a successful business. I did not attend a private high school, as Obama did. I did not graduate from Ivy League schools as Obama did. I had to work nights and attend school during the day.

Don't tell me that Obama can relate to my situation. And, don't tell me millions of other Americans haven't experience hardship. The difference is that some of us have stopped being victims a long time ago and have not used negative situations as justifications to get elected to office.

Well...I see some progress here since I last checked several weeks ago.

Obama has gone from being a "lying, Christian-hating, Muslim terrorist, with a suspicious middle name"

to simply being a

"lying, white-hater"

Who said Americans are too stubborn to change their minds?

The sad fact is that Obama finds himself in this predicament because he was forced to ''choose'' a race. Would Obama have had a political future if he had not planted grass roots in the black community? I suspect not. He could have walked out of Rev. Wright's racist sermons, he could have chose a different path, a different church. He, more than most, knew a fuller truth. But in America, biracials are forced to choose sides. Their world can be a lonely place if they fail to do so. And that truth is no different for one so blessed and talented as Barack Obama. Check out http://www.CrabbyGolightly.com for some thoughts on the subject.

I came to this country 20 years ago from Asia. I experienced racism from high school, collage, and the work place. I understand Rev. Wright's comments may be offensive to some body. But at least he speaks the truth. Unless you experience the hatred, you will never know how it feels.

Imagine! Pres. Obama standing in front of the world bringing people together with his inspirational rhetoric.

Imagine! President-elect Obama's face on the front page pf every newspaper in the world - no word needed!

JanetP please, please, tell us who said that they did not like you? Tell us that quote!!

Posted by: jerome | March 20, 2008 11:20 AM

I will disregard the mockery of your question and answer it as though it had dignity. I am a middle-aged white woman; not white because I was given a choice of that color, but white by accident of birth. I have the good fortune to be well-educated and financially advantaged. Apparently, I live in a sheltered part of the country. It is not a perfect community, but it is one in which the black people are my friends and neighbors.

My church of a little less than 400 parishioners is roughly 40% White, 30% Black 20% Hispanic, and a smattering of Asian and other ethnicities. We truly LOVE one another. We take communion together, visit the sick together, hold bake sales together, work for Habitat for Humanity, and do a plethora of other things together.

Likewise I belong to a health club that is about 50% black, 40% white and probably 10% of other races. Because I am their senior the jocks in the club, of all races, show great deference and respect toward me. Each one makes a special point to greet me every day. When someone forgets and leaves heavy weights on the equipment they rush to take it off for me. Yesterday it was raining when I left the club and I didn't have an umbrella. One of the black members borrowed an umbrella, escorted me to my car and returned the umbrella to its owner. These people are my friends and I am their friend. I helped the daughter of one write her term paper. Two of them came over and helped my husband move a heavy piece of furniture.

It is within this context that I watched those horrible tapes of Rev. Wright screaming and blaming every wrong on the white race and the American Government. It does not shock me that there could be a racist minister. But it did shock me that this kind of speech would be tolerated in ANY church. And it did shock me that thousands of people in the church were cheering his hateful speech. They were pumping their fists approvingly. After a particularly hateful point they would rise from their seats to applaud Rev. Wright. Some even left their seats in the middle of the sermon to pat him on the back. Yes, this was shocking to me, and as well VERY SCARY.

I cannot believe that those parishioners are not affected by this type of hateful speech that is delivered in such an emotional way; especially the young people. This is the way the children in the madrasas of Islamist extremists are programmed from childhood to hate Americans. These are the young people who are willing to strap on a bomb and explode themselves to kill Americans. I believe that Rev. Wright is robbing the children of their innocence and their natural inclination to love others. I also believe that he is setting them up to be suspicious and intolerant of the white people they encounter.

I suppose I cannot do this issue justice in the space allotted on a discussion board, but I write in earnest and I do hope you will receive my response in the same spirit. And no, I will never feel comfortable enough to visit Chicago.

I am a conservative, but do not agree with all conservatives. I often do not agree with Newt Gingrich. But, in his interview on Fox, his comment that Reverend Wright's comments are reflective of an extreme liberal church and political posture rings true. On Sean and Alan's show, the Reverend clearly enunciated the point that he was an acolyte of liberation theology as born in Central America (I believe by liberal Catholic priests). For the reverend, I am sure there is a strong racial component to his politics, but it is liberal....America (USA) is bad politics that appears to be center stage, by Reverend Wright's clear declaration. It is brilliant for Obama to try to masquerade this extremism as a race issue. Translated...you cannot question race issues...only one side is aggrieved in this situation. Obama MIGHT not have heard or heard of all of those comments, but the rock basement of the reverend's views surely has not escaped Obama. I do not think Obama is a clueless man. The extreme "Libs" have been fighting for control of the party and the nation. The call for change that resonates strongly in this nation, just as it did when Clinton was elected may cause people to suspend analytical judgment as many did when Clinton was elected and elect Obama, despite the general population not being apostles of liberal politics and hate America rhetoric. This battle is not in the primary at this point. It is about the general election and a war of words to obscure real roots (on both sides). In eight months we will know who wins the battle wits.

Apparently I missed something major in all those history/government classes I took in school. Since when does RACE have anything to do with a candidate's ability to be our president? Maybe I missed the memo that told us we were voting to stop segregation this election, and not to worry about all those other pesky GLOBAL responsibilities and issues that our next president will have to address. Shouldn't we be more focused on experience and the candidates' stances on the issues that EVERY person in this country faces, regardless of race? And can you honestly say that sexism is any less of an issue than racism? If the media is so determined to focus on the reality of racism then where's the EQUAL time for sexism? Last time I checked we had to fight for our rights too.

ozziev-

Rest assured, Hillary is NOT an Indian. Although if it meant getting a few more votes, she'd say she was.

Goooood...Goooood
They fight like jackals amongst themselves! This much better than I planned. Now where is that lunatic henchman of mine? NADER!! Go out show your self to the media! It is time to stir this kettle some more... Haaaaa Haaaaa heeeee heeee Heeeeeeeeee!!!

What I found hilarious about Rev. Wright's rhetoric was that he pointed out that Barack was raised in a single-parent household.
Right. By a white mother. And supported by his white grandparents.
And why? Because his black father walked out on him when he was 2! NONE of this information was mentioned. I wonder why.

And does Rev. Wright personally know Hillary Clinton's entire heritage? Does he know for a fact that she doesn't have some strong Irish or Italian roots? If she does, it's entirely possible that they came over as third-class passengers on a ship where they weren't even listed by name but counted among the cattle. This is the case with some of my own ancestors. So maybe she does know something about being categorized as a non-person.

And does he know whether or not Hillary has American Indian bloodlines? I do. And everyone seems to forget about these folks. As abhorrent as slavery may be, the Indians have never had an emancipation proclamation yet. Kill them, edge them out, give 'em smallpox, take their land. And get 'em drunk. Keep 'em that way. When they crawl out of the pit and start to make progress, challenge their rights to own gambling boats.

Blacks are not alone in having a long-standing struggle against the white establishment. It's certainly Rev. Wright's right to speak his mind. It's just sad that he chooses to use that right the way that he does, especially when his ACTIONS are so different. (His ministry is known for caring for the sick, the poor, a whole lot of GOOD).

But whether you call it racism, bigotry, prejudice, bias, mysogeny, discrimination, or any one of a 1,000 other things, hate is still hate. And no matter who you target it with (white vs. black, man vs. woman, Catholic vs. Protestantvs. Jew vs. Muslim, heterosexual vs. homosexual -- insert battle of your choice), it's still hate. You can certainly motivate people in healthier, more positive ways -- without being weak.

There will never be justice or equality for anyone until people on BOTH sides stop painting entire races with the same broad brush.

LatiNobo-
You sound as angry as Rev. Wright. Obama's intent is to try to bridge to generational differences on race and by understanding them, rise above. You've missed his point. If no candidate is representing the Hispanics, you should consider running in a local election and make a difference the same as Obama has done.

Obama does NOT represent the whole of America. His deep suspicion of and caustic bitterness for White America is not what America wants. Today, we the Hispanics represent the largest racial minority in America. And he mentioned us only 3 times in his "race" speech. He is also trying his best to disenfranchise the old and the Hispanics of Florida. His nomination is the surest sign of defeat for the democratic party.

Imagine if Obama brings this vitriol into the White House by inviting Wright and his other uncles from Chicago!

Unlike most republicans, Barack Obama demonstrated that loyalty means something. I would hate for the media to put together a two minute greatest hits clip of all the issues I've ranted about over the past twenty years where I was wrong. Some of Rev. Wright's statements were wrong and Obama stated as such. We can't all be responsible for what others say. I disagree with my pastor a lot, but I happen to agree with him on most issues. Can you say you don't believe America is run by "rich white men" ? Hold Obama responsible for what he says, not what someone else said when he may or may not have been present.

There is an incredible amount of dislike/hatred of Clinton among the Obama supporters.

This surprises me. Is Hillary ambitious? Yes. Does she (and her husband) have "warts"? Yes.

That said, she has dedicated her life towards Democratic causes, especially child welfare, health care, and the working poor.

She has used her celebrity to raise money for and to help elect dozens of Democratic
leaders.

She has been an EXEMPLARY Senator for NY (spoken as a NYer), rolling up her sleeves and delving into minutiae to solve issues on behalf of both Democratic AND Republican constituents.

She has demonstrated an unbelievable level of grace and calm in the face of painful and globally-broadcast bad behavior (yes, by Bill, but I am talking about the right-wing media).

She has reached across the aisle, swallowing her pride, to work with Republicans who were awful to her, so that she could get Democratic legislation passed.

So Obama supporters, what gives? Does your deep emotional attachment to your candidate require you to lose all reason and ability to see another perspective??

I remember a story from a long time ago about a person who discovered a dead mouse in their soft drink bottle just as they were about to drink. The question ask was at what point along the neck of the bottle did their feelings turn from shock and disgust to elation at the money they could make by suing the soft drink company.
The responses from some here remind me of that story. Forty years after the Kerner commission report described two Americas moving rapidly apart, it is striking that so many white Americans find it shocking to find out that many black Americans are angry. But more distressing, is the attempt by some to use the issues exposed by the out of context snippets of Rev. Wright's sermons and the eloquence of Senator Obama to serve their own petty purposes and campaigns.
We have an opportunity now to begin a dialog about racism and its impact on our society that has been put off for too many years; and an opportunity to move away from divisions that prevent us from addressing real problems of healthcare, war, a crumbling economy, and climate change. But to do so that dialog must be honest and open and deal with real ideas and issues rather than ad hominem attacks.

I find it interesting and somewhat disturbing that in all the discourse regarding Barak Obama's speech and Pastor Wright's sermons, there is little or no comment regarding the comparisons Reverend Wright made between Hillary's experience as a woman and Barack Obama's experience as a black man. While a black man may be unable to flag a taxi, a woman has a good chance of being raped in her lifetime while walking alone down a street, especially at night. There also is always the possibility of physical abuse in the home. This is in addition to work place and education discrimination. I would also add that contrary to Reverend Wright's point about Hillary having never known what it was like to have ancestors who were slaves, there are women who are still being sold into the sex slave trade. Prostitution is not that dissimilar. In many cultures, throughout history, women have also been treated much as chattel

In Senator Obama's questioning of Hillary's experience as First Lady, he questions the value of every working woman/wife's contribution to the home and to society. Perhaps that is why he lags in female voting/polls behind Hillary. While he may have empathy for the black experience, I have seen no empathy for women's experience. I would love to see this subject added to the discourse.

From Jason Linkins at HuffPo:

"Well, I don't think this is going to shock anyone: CNN's Glenn Beck was not a fan of Barack Obama's speech on race. Not enough repudiatin' of ol' Jeremiah Wright, I'm afraid! True, Obama may have re-condemned Wright's remarks, called Wright's statement and attitudes a "profound mistake," said he "absolutely" disagreed with them, and urged the black community to move past their grievances and "take full responsibility for their own lives," but ask yourself: Did Obama burn Wright in effigy? Did he toilet paper Wright's house? Did he annul his marriage and unbaptize his daughters? Well, then: how can you take his rejection of Wright seriously, when it could have been much, much harder?"

Well put!

I can't believe a so called "Christian preacher" would call it a damnable sin to bomb poor people in other countries!!!

How could an American preacher suggest that the Govt. had intentionally given a disease to it's own black citizens? and then act all mad about it, shoutin' and movin around???

(Here Rev. Wright is way off, it wasn't AIDS, it was syphillys.)

Plus all the past presidents weren't rich white men, Franklin was broke!

I hope you folks in Pennsylvania know good ol' race baitin' hate mongerin' un-patriotickin' when you see it. I would challenge all the critics to find one instance where Barack Obama has made a racist comment, or where he has urged people to Hate, or worse, shown disloyalty to this country. Any Pol can put on a lapel pin, then sell you down the river. Forget for a minute he's half Black, listen to what he is saying. If you want details he's got position papers to read. Don't blow this opportunity for our country on the basis of old hate. Not this time.

real history--

So are you ready to trade skin color with a black man?

My wife and I live and work in rural New Mexico, and had heard about a 'speech' by Barack Obama. Of course, there were only 15 second clips on the radio and TV followed by experts telling us what the speech meant. As people who need to make up our own minds, we finally found the full speech on the internet.

I believe that this speech was necessary, difficult, risky, and courageous. He tried to answer tough questions, give a rationale for his decisions, describe a problem and course of action for our nation, and ask for a commitment from all people in support of a common cause. His request for personal responsibility from each of us, regardless of race or gender, sounded almost Republican but was a refreshing contrast with George Bush telling us all 'to go shopping' after 9/11.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have defined intelligence as the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time. Mr. Obama appears to share this ability with great leaders. For example, he listens to the social and spiritual activism, anger, and frustration of his friend Mr. Wright, then integrates the best of that along with other points of view to create something new, different, and better. Although some say that Mr. Obama must be hateful, nasty, and racist from listening to his pastor for 20 years - I see no evidence whatsoever of that, have any of you?

All of these things - this is what I expect in a president. If this is any indication of the way he would conduct his presidency, then I say he has passed the 'commander-in-chief threshold'.

I wonder how much blacks even know about their own history, like how many blacks were slave owners:

http://americancivilwar.com/authors/black_slaveowners.htm

"According to federal census reports, on June 1, 1860 there were nearly 4.5 million Negroes in the United States, with fewer than four million of them living in the southern slaveholding states. Of the blacks residing in the South, 261,988 were not slaves. Of this number, 10,689 lived in New Orleans. The country's leading African American historian, Duke University professor John Hope Franklin, records that in New Orleans over 3,000 free Negroes owned slaves, or 28 percent of the free Negroes in that city.

To return to the census figures quoted above, this 28 percent is certainly impressive when compared to less than 1.4 percent of all American whites and less than 4.8 percent of southern whites. The statistics show that, when free, blacks disproportionately became slave masters."

Or the fact that Irish, Italian, Asian and many other races were slaves in America as well:

http://www.amazon.com/They-Were-White-Slaves-Enslavement/dp/0929903056

-White slavery and white slave trade in colonial America. These whites were treated as more expendable then the African slaves because the slave ships had to go out of their way to pick up Africans.

-"Redneck," because whites had to work out in the fields in the sun so their skin would get tanned and burned.

-"Hillbilly," because when they were freed or escaped, the slaves had nowhere to live except in remote places in the backwoods and especially APPALACIA.

America has an ugly history (just ask Native Americans) and if we continue to dwell on it and use it as a crutch the future won't be any better.

I think the white folk here would have a different opinion if they had been on the OTHER side of the water cannon during the civil rights era.

If we can't embrace Obama's attempt to bring us together, there's no hope for racial reconciliation in America. It's amazing how the same people who denounce Obama's pastor are spewing hatred ten-fold.

If any of you can do better than Obama, why don't you schedule a press conference.

For the first time I'm beginning to understand that maybe some of us would rather remain a racist.

That such a reasoned and profound speech should elicit the level of hate so palpable in the negative comments above only serves to prove Senator Obama's case.

Only an idiot would think that someone as smart as Obama would follow Wright for 20 years if he didn't agree with him.

Obama speach was only given when his had was forced, it's been sitting on a shelf for a moment like this.
The man can give a sermon no doubt, but
look into the character of the man and you will see a true, polititian. He joined the church for political gain, now he has trouble defending himself.
What really bothers me is that he can throw his poor white grandmother under the bus in front of the world but still defend his pastor.
For those who say Rev Wrights word were taken out of contents , what contents would you put those words?
He lied Friday about Know of Rev Wright sermons and in his speach he then says he knew of them and sat threw many.
So many people are trying to crown him as the next King but please take a minute and look closely at what the man really is.
WAKE UP AMERICA or you will have an
OBAMA-WRIGHT Ticket in 08.

Obama missed a huge opportunity with this speech to show leadership on race. Instead of doing that, he made excuses for Wright,for the people who attend that church and for black racism. If you want to represent the US to the world and if you want to represent and be the leader of ALL americans then you cannot associate with someone who spews hate. As a private citizen that is Obama's right. But it is totally inappropriate for a candidate for president. If Obama cannot understand the difference then he is not qualified to be president.

For all of you who are disparaging Barack Obama's speech because it was "just words", remember this:

In the beginning there was the Word. - John 1:1

Our words have immense power, and even more so do God's words. And I heard God's words being spoken on Tuesday.

Whether or not you agree with the things that Barack Obama stands for, whether you love him or hate him, whether you trust him or fear him, whether you will vote for him for President or not, listen to his words. Divorce the words from the man -- a man no less flawed than any other man or woman.

Shoot the messenger if you wish, but do not reject the message.

Jesus walked with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners. He did not make a self-righteous show of denouncing them. He did not turn his back on them. He loved them, and He did so at the same time that He opposed their sinful deeds.

Sometimes God uses people and takes advantages of moments in history to speak to all of us. I believe that Tuesday was another time that He did so.

Thank you, Dear Lord, and thank you, Barack Obama, for letting Him speak through you.

I think that Mr. Clinton was right, if we want the first civilized general presidential campaign in the recent history, campaign which any normal person can look upon without revulsion, campaign of substance without any nonsense like race card playing, swift boating, moveon.orging - we should have campaign between H. Clinton vs. J. McCain. They have clearly different vision for our future, but the respect which both candidates have for each other preclude them to resort to any of questionable tactics and lack of support of them from the fringes of both parties will tone the ugly passions down. The race issue which still exist in our society is no priority now for any group and we made actually big progress in this. Mr. Obama candidacy on the other hand just unnecessary inflamed the issue and divide us on healing scars. I am not saying that any black candidate will cause this. This is specifically Mr. Obama problem. His lack of experience was substituted with above average politician rhetoric skills initially and race card playing later. I do not think that Mr. Powell for instance will have this problem at all.

This was not the usual one word profane oath that so many Americans so casually throw out in their everyday speech. This man was actually making a religious oath calling on God to damn America. Some white churches are doing the same thing or warning that it is going to happen if we continue on the same path. I happen believe that we Americans are damning ourselves with our own stupidity.

For you condemners, Wright is guaranteed Freedom of Speech by the US Constitution and the comments in question are taken out of context, why Obama is suffering for it is unacceptable. Hatred spews from the pulpits in many churches in this country - both white and black and no one takes exception to this, except the 200 million Americans who sleep in on Sunday. This is a true public lynching!

I'm disgusted at both sides: the paranoid, ignorant black folks who subscribe to crap like the government created AIDS to kill black folks; and the paranoid, ignorant white folks who think all this is shocking and new and that these people are the enemy. You're all getting whipped into a frenzy over BS... and you all disappoint me.

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

If Obama were a true visionary he would not be so involved with the hate mongers of the past. Actions speak louder than words. It has been said he talks to Al Sharpton at least 3 times a day and surrounds himself with people like Rev Meeks and Rev Wright and attends a militant black church and then he wonders what all the fuss is about??? This is a man who has based his campaign on change? The only thing he is going to change are the chances for the Democrats to win back the White House.

WOW, Do you really understand where we are today? People are so scared of change it's like looking thru a time machine. So much hate for someone. America is the last great nation and like all others before will be lost. It's our own fault because we enjoy these feelings. As former Marine I went thru hell to protect this nation and belived that It was worth my life. I served with klan members, red necks, black miltiants just about every hater at one time. Yet when the bullets started flying and people dying and all you had was the guy next to you black or white you worked togeather to stay alive. Maybe it's going to take our nation being invaded for folks to stop this madness and learn to respect each other. America will have to learn to adjust from it's past because it's future depends on people of all colors. Our way of life is slowly slipping away because we the people allowed it. We've allowed ourselves to be distracted and seperated. Know matter who's President it's still going to take people working togeather to get something done. Then who your going to hate no one but yourself.

We do need to move the discussion to a higher level on race in America. But we need to do it with a leader who doesn't say one thing on Friday night (if I had heard such things in the pew I would have left) and something else on Tuesday (I have known about his views and do not support them, but I kept going to the churhc for 20 years). Truth telling has to be first in any reasoned discussion.

Where is all this hate coming from? I don't recall the Rev. even saying the word hate or hating anyone. The word hate started from the news media. PEOPLE THIS IS HOW THE WAR THAT WE ARE IN TODAY GOT STARTED. MISS INFORMATION AND BELEAVING EVERYTHING THAT IS FEED TO YOU BY THE SOME OLD WASHINGTON SPIN. Some are saying why didn't Obama just get up and leave the church when he heard the hate coming from Rev. Wright. Obama was not in the church at the time. If he was the MEDIA would have posted it all over the TV.

You want to talk about a lair, what about Bill Clinton lying to all America; (I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN). This was the president of the USA, and it's not about him have sex, it's about lying about it. Did MRS. Clinton leave him, or diown him? Come on people we have people coming home from the war just to commit SUICIDE. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. WE NEED CHANGE!!!

A reminder, when MLK was in jail, Nixon bailed him out in person. JFK made a phone call and let him sit.
MLK's anger, understated as it was, was justified. The same cannot be said of Wright 40 years later.
All this goes to prove, that Rodney King was right when he asked "Can't we all just get along?"
Apparently, we can't. Which is good, People should not judge based on the shade of 1/4 of 1 chromosome.
I was brought up color blind as a kid, I had assumed Obama was too. I guess that illusion is shattered.
It is possible to walk out during a sermon when you don't aggree with the message. I have left my church on 3 occasions, people may have wondered why, but I didn't care. The good Lord gave me common sense and I use it.
Remember there are 3 ways to vote in this country:
1. Election Booth
2. By your feet
3. With your $$$$$

Is it the lack of critical thinking skills that allow people to view critical current events as reflections in a rear view mirror? Why it is there no one appears to be questioning the influence on Candidate Obama of Reverand Wright theo-political beliefs? How much of Obama's far left thinking should be attributed to a radical black agenda rather than a radical leftist agenda? Shouldn't someone who identifies himself as a uniter be more moderate in their perspectives? More specifically, how does someone who logically equates a powerful black minister entertaining his congregation with racist hate speach with a simple elderly country white woman sharing her personal fears get away with telling everyone he will represent the whole country equally and fairly and get away with it? It is possible that, as stress reduces IQ, President George Bush has so stressed the country that the electorate is capable of making a very stupid decision in the next election. The stupid decision would be electing Barak Obama to office without knowing who he really is. We know who Hillary Clinton is. We know who John McCain is. It seems at this moment that we are capable of electing someone President simply because we don't know who they are. That is just plain stupid. We need to be doing a better job listening to what our candidates are saying - not just hearing what we want them to be saying. Doing that is not critical thinking - it is self-deception.

A reminder, when MLK was in jail, Nixon bailed him out in person. JFK made a phone call and let him sit.
MLK's anger, understated as it was, was justified. The same cannot be said of Wright 40 years later.
All this goes to prove, that Rodney King was right when he asked "Can't we all just get along?"
Apparently, we can't. Which is good, People should not judge based on the shade of 1/4 of 1 chromosome.
I was brought up color blind as a kid, I had assumed Obama was too.

I can understand why he stayed so long in that church - to further his POLITICAL aspirations people. He is a POLILTICIAN and one of the slickest I have seen. Barack Obama cares about Barack Obama and being the first black President. He has lied, he has consorted with extremists and crooks and used the black people of Chicago for his own gain. Hey, he went to Harvard, makes how much a year, was educated outside of this country etc etc so how can he even relate to poor inner city blacks? Give me a break.

America At A Crossroad

We as a nation can stay glued to Rev. Wright's hateful diatribe, condemn Obama, but where does that leave us a a people? The venom that is infecting the body politics and race relations such as it is will have a lasting and damaging consequence. We are all too quick with the knives, cutting each other up. Yet we live in the same house but it is a disfunctional house. We have to look silly to the rest of the world. There has been little mention of the economy, both white, black and other races are suffering equally. We are in a war that seems to have no end, but the public discourse seems to be on damaging Obama beyond repair. If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, I can assure you that a sizeable part of the electorate will be missing. If Obama wins, the same can be said. Thanks for setting the democrats up, where we are now in a no win situation. Now people we are stuck with an old affiable white guy with no new ideas other than to continue the failed policies of the last inept President.His cheif concern seems to be foriegn policy. Good luck America. When you look back on this issue four years from now, we will be in a bigger ditch with racial tension flowing over, and our status in the wold sinking even lower if that is possible. We the nuerotic divided states of America will only have ourselves to blame. Everything in America stinks of tribalism and racism. We would rather argue over racism than to wonder where the next job or mortgage payment is coming from. Sad.

Amy,
Obama DID write his own speech. He did not have others write it for him. That's what makes so refreshingly significant. Can you remember when ANY politician made profound public statements that weren't written and vetted by someone else?

Also, do you remember Pat Robertson advocating the assassination of Hugo Chavez? Did the 700 Club of "Christians" disown this proposed violation of a fundamental Christian Commandment. Did they shut down his show? Was he "thrown under the bus" for his numerous gaffes by those who now attempt to apply that standard to others? Is Obama the only candidate that can be associated with a controversial minister? In fact, some have even sought endorsements from controversial figures.

I believe that our experiences and exposures, both good and bad, shape our character. Being exposed to extremes does not make one an extremist. For many, contemplation of even raucous controversy allows allows a cognitive analysis of a broader range of human thought and emotion. It avoids and over comes the simplistic yet comfortable "you are with us or against us" mentality. Expressed bitterness may even stir and call one to positive community action to remedy perceived ills and foster a common good.

We do know that Obama simultaneously worked as a community organizer during his membership and "exposure" to this ministry. We also know that following this introduction to his Christianity, he then made a fateful decision to attend law school. This in order to better serve not denigrate his community. Those actions have embarked him on the uplifting trajectory that he finds himself now.

A large proportion of Americans have enjoyed the full bounty of inclusion and bounty that the United States has offered. Yet it is undeniable that in our history, many others were prevented from sharing in the opportunity. The frustrations of those excluded groups will no doubt find expressions in many ways. Some voices will make those who have benefited consciously or subconsciously from the status quo of undeniable advantage, feel uncomfortable.

Yet we can't afford to be distracted by this unproductive media barrage. It is just like those other media frenzies that we care little for. Ana Nicole to Britney Spears sell and drive ratings but do little to enhance our lives and address our needs. If you don't feel that Obama is your candidate, that's fine, but please step back and "see the forest" for what it is. Other's are trying to put "the trees" in the way of your and our larger collective common sense.

The fact that slavery, bigotry, racism, poverty have shaped our history is irrefutable. There will continue to be an entire range of expressions that are manifest to that experience. Some will be fiery, some will be elegant and nuanced. It does not mean that the implications aren't real. The fact is that this Christian nation accepted the inequality slavery for centuries before a then fiery and unconventional minister awakened our consciousness. In retrospect, many were extremely uncomfortable with Martin's sermons. Some tried to maintain our apartheid through violence and terrorism. Nevertheless, we were able to move forward and are trying to do so today. The fact is that, as Obama so aptly pointed out, we are still trying to "build a more perfect union".

Importantly, I believe that one of Jesus' more profound biblical imperatives asks us to consider "who is without sin". Go back on Sunday and pray. Remember and imagine what heresy that noble thought was in its day! It was heretic enough to warrant his execution and give rise to a powerful religious force.

Are we to look forward in a manner that bespeaks that Christian ideal? Or, are we to stay stagnant and knowingly ignorant? Will we again seek refuge and comfort in divisiveness and cling to an unbalanced and imperfect past? I say, LET US MOVE FORWARD!

America At A Crossroad

We as a nation can stay glued to Rev. Wright's hateful diatribe, condemn Obama, but where does that leave us a a people? The venom that is infecting the body politics and race relations such as it is will have a lasting and damaging consequence. We are all too quick with the knives, cutting each other up. Yet we live in the same house but it is a disfunctional house. We have to look silly to the rest of the world. There has been little mention of the economy, both white, black and other races are suffering equally. We are in a war that seems to have no end, but the public discourse seems to be on damaging Obama beyond repair. If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, I can assure you that a sizeable part of the electorate will be missing. If Obama wins, the same can be said. Thanks for setting the democrats up, where we are now in a no win situation. Now people we are stuck with an old affiable white guy with no new ideas other than to continue the failed policies of the last inept President.His cheif concern seems to be foriegn policy. Good luck America. When you look back on this issue four years from now, we will be in a bigger ditch with racial tension flowing over, and our status in the wold sinking even lower if that is possible. We the nuerotic divided states of America will only have ourselves to blame. Everything in America stinks of tribalism and racism. We would rather argue over racism than to wonder where the next job or mortgage payment is coming from. Sad.

a PRESIDENT SHOULD BE INTELLECTUAL AND SHOULD HAVE MINIMUM IQ SO HE DOES NOT TAKE MISTEP AND MAKE A MOCEKRY OF US

Lately, I've found most claims of racism to be hypocritical and self-serving.

Most injustices done to African-Americans today, are done by other African-Americans. This includes African-American men discriminating against African-American women.

The double-standards are striking.

I've had enough.

I'm sick and tired of small-minded accusations of racism restricting my own personal preferences, preferences we all still have a right to.

Let's not confuse personal choice with discrimination.

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

Poor Michelle Obama, now she cannot be proud of her country because we do not like the company her family keeps. Shame on Us!

As a white Green who spent 29 years growing up on the North Side of Chicago, who has since moved West to one of those supposed Red states, the thing I like best about all of this is that we are finally bringing out into the open topics that have been shunned or ignored for most of my lifetime.

What Rev. Wright says rings true to me. Yes, that is what I said. I can understand, from the outside, what has lead to his demeanor. When I look at the entire context, I can see how the same man inspired Audacity of Hope, and also can have unabashed anger at the GOVERNMENT of the USA for what has been done.

I mean, if an American Indian who was running for office (now wouldn't THAT be a spectacle) brought up the fact that our GOVERNMENT effectively practiced premeditated genocide for more than 100 years against his/her ancestors, and perhaps related that to other known historical villains who did the same, would we deny that individual the latitude to express their anger and grief?

From my point of view, Obama has handled this nearly perfectly. We can question his timing, judge his relationships, and even call into question his motives.

But, as much as "faith" has been shoved down our throats by the current administration, real faith comes to play now. What we really believe comes out into the open.

If you really believe that Rev. Wright is fomenting black anger, and that you would have something to fear walking down 95th Street in Chicago, then I simply challenge you to do exactly that. I did for 4 years, working on replacing windows in schools in that exact area - windows in buildings that had been neglected for 40 years by a bigoted-if-not-racist government.

What I learned being a white person in all-black neighborhoods was that WE ARE ALL THE SAME.

And, I BELIEVE that is what we heard from Obama on Tuesday. Among us, on all sides of the debate, are people who hate based upon what they see on the surface. That is the old way, the way that leads to the problems we have all witnessed and endured.

I BELIEVE in what Obama said, and I support what he is trying to do. I hope with all my heart he succeeds in spite of those who will do everything in their power to stop it.

I BELIEVE because it is not about him. It does not start or stop with his election. This is a movement, not just a candidacy. The solution is not Obama in the Oval Office - it is just something that makes real change on these issues more likely.

For those that spew hatred, tell lies, and find every way possible to find something negative in Obama, thank you. For years, we have been told that we are imagining this attitude among our peers. At least it is now out in the open - and prolific via the Internet.

The question is whether our generation really does have what it takes to heal this rift.

I BELIEVE we do. And, so does Obama.

The bottom line is that none of the Clinton or McCain partisans have been able to explain why the Wright controversy should reflect poorly on Obama. A good-faith consideration of his speech should remove any small doubts from a reasonable person.

Obama admired Wright for his activism in spite of his flaws. No one can seriously dispute MLK was a deeply flawed person, too, but today we remember him for his admirable qualities.

I just can't imagine people are so blinded by this man! It's so obvious the man have poor judgement, and he just making us all stupid taking advantage of his color to sympatize with him...wake up America before it's too late.

Quote:They are not fooling the majority of we Canadians,"
Unquote.
Martha Davidson GIVE IT UP!
Americans did not riot during WWII
That would have been the Canadians.
Its sad that none of you can admit this is an issue. This is beyond PC. The Pastor is obviously uneducated or stupid to suggest that the USA created the AIDS virus. And it appears that Pastor doesn't like white people or Jews. If this person's skin were white he would be a racist.
Therefore, the Pastor is a racist and it's sad that this is who Obama choose to be his "spiritual advisor". But then again, I don't think Obama choose the Pastor, I think his wife did. To bad, because she was just beginning to believe that that America wasn't mean.
What a waste! We are loosing children to this racial/hate speech. They are being taught by their Pastors that this country doesn't want them, because Whitey runs America. And instead of being proud that SLAVERY ENDED HERE (BUT STILL GOING ON IN SUDAN).
Does it occur to no one that the population of black men in jail is in direct relation to the hate speech they have heard all their lives. How easy is the choice then, when you are taught to believe you will never be anything because the country is racist.
Its such a waste, but Obama shouldn't have tossed grandma under the bus, cause thats just cold.

Quote:They are not fooling the majority of we Canadians,"
Unquote.
Martha Davidson GIVE IT UP!
Americans did not riot during WWII
That would have been the Canadians.
Its sad that none of you can admit this is an issue. This is beyond PC. The Pastor is obviously uneducated or stupid to suggest that the USA created the AIDS virus. And it appears that Pastor doesn't like white people or Jews. If this person's skin were white he would be a racist.
Therefore, the Pastor is a racist and it's sad that this is who Obama choose to be his "spiritual advisor". But then again, I don't think Obama choose the Pastor, I think his wife did. To bad, because she was just beginning to believe that that America wasn't mean.
What a waste! We are loosing children to this racial/hate speech. They are being taught by their Pastors that this country doesn't want them, because Whitey runs America. And instead of being proud that SLAVERY ENDED HERE (BUT STILL GOING ON IN SUDAN).
Does it occur to no one that the population of black men in jail is in direct relation to the hate speech they have heard all their lives. How easy is the choice then, when you are taught to believe you will never be anything because the country is racist.
Its such a waste, but Obama shouldn't have tossed grandma under the bus, cause thats just cold.

Quote:They are not fooling the majority of we Canadians,"
Unquote.
Martha Davidson GIVE IT UP!
Americans did not riot during WWII
That would have been the Canadians.
Its sad that none of you can admit this is an issue. This is beyond PC. The Pastor is obviously uneducated or stupid to suggest that the USA created the AIDS virus. And it appears that Pastor doesn't like white people or Jews. If this person's skin were white he would be a racist.
Therefore, the Pastor is a racist and it's sad that this is who Obama choose to be his "spiritual advisor". But then again, I don't think Obama choose the Pastor, I think his wife did. To bad, because she was just beginning to believe that that America wasn't mean.
What a waste! We are loosing children to this racial/hate speech. They are being taught by their Pastors that this country doesn't want them, because Whitey runs America. And instead of being proud that SLAVERY ENDED HERE (BUT STILL GOING ON IN SUDAN).
Does it occur to no one that the population of black men in jail is in direct relation to the hate speech they have heard all their lives. How easy is the choice then, when you are taught to believe you will never be anything because the country is racist.
Its such a waste, but Obama shouldn't have tossed grandma under the bus, cause thats just cold.

I liked what Obama had to say about race in America. I was especially moved by his remarks on healing and moving forward *together*, as Americans.

All I see Hillary doing is playing the odds and angling for the nomination, by any means necessary, same old same old.

Nothing will give the Republican party new life like a Clinton candidacy, have the Democrats figured this out yet?

I'm a lifelong Democrat, and I might have to vote for John McCain if she gets nominated, holding my nose and pulling the lever.

I can't understand why Obama never addressed these statements made by his pastors earlier. If he was hoping no one would question it then he was being deceitful.

Even when he knew about the pastor why was the pastor providing spiritual guidance in the campaign?

This definitely shows Obama lacks judgement of character. Also, how is this church different from those "Madrasas" in Pakistan/Iraq who propagate hate speeches? Why would someone associate with a person like that pastor? Doesn't that show that personal relations matter more to Obama than this Nation?

His speech was all a tactic to get over this pastor issue without explaining why the pastor was part of his campaign when he knew about the pastor's views.

I was supporting Obama earlier but now I believe Clinton was right that Obama is all hot air with no substance.

I read BHO's lame speech before I heard Obama the orator deliver it. He appears to me to be playing the race card for all it's worth. His argument is that he's disadvantaged as a candidate by reason of his blackness; factoring in such a fact is pure bigotry on the part of whites, but on his part it's intelligent realism. His dream scheme is to cure whites of our bigotry by infiltrating the US government at the highest level as a closet Muslim and "unifying" everybody on earth, such are his god-giving gifts. Wake up, guilt-ridden idealists! You're being gulled by a gifted orator. So far, Barack Hussein Obama appears to have no Hitler-like will to power. Instead, he's humbly but shrewdly counting on his sob story of being black to con you into voting for him. Clearly, he's an ardent supporter of affirmative action. Being editor of the Harvard Law Review is impressive. I wonder if he won this coveted prize by the same tactics - i.e., I'm more entitled than others because I'm black?

I found Barack's speech to be the most motivating and moving thing I've seen from a candidate in my entire 22 years. It's no surprise to me that conservative America is getting it's mud-slinging machine into high gear--it has less to do with Rev. Wright, and more to do with Obama's delegate count.

If you watch and listen to his speech, he addresses the issues being thrown at him head-on. Obama's campaign is built on uniting viewpoints and political positions that traditionally conflict. I don't agree with Rev. Wright's perspective, but that does not mean it's invalid.

Slavery ended over 150 years ago, but its repercussions are still present, in the form of socioeconomic disparity. Jim Crow laws prevented several past generations of blacks and other minorities from making fair wages, and accumulating wealth that they could pass on to their children and grandchildren. Segregation in public schools, more than 50 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, is still not entirely remedied, and so many blacks and other minorities still do not have equal access to a decent education.

Until these problems can be solved in whole, or even in significant portion, there will be people that share Rev. Wright's perspective. Obama clearly does not agree with this man, and has earnestly repudiated his comments in public. Obama's campaign is built on the notion that people of different perspectives can still be friends, can still share common goals, can still produce meaningful change, even if not agreeing on many things. I personally found George W. Bush's refusal to repudiate Jerry Falwell's and Pat Robertson's numerous inflammatory remarks to be a much grosser offense than all this.

Also, Obama's full speech, and transcript:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/a_more_perfect_union.html

you clinton supporters are very narrow minded. you probably are not very happy people... infact, i'd say you are the hell on earth i've feared. So what if a pastor says damn america... listening to the hatered spewed forth makes me feel like this country isn't so 'great' . Why do you identify with Clinton? i'll never understand your hatred since it's that very hatred you hold onto that makes your life so miserable.... NOT POLITICIANS.

The pastor was mad at america because he cares CARES CARES what the f is wrong witih caring about this country and getting agry when 'we the people' MISS THE POINT .... the point is that TERRORISM BREEDS TERRORISM
ANGER BREEDS ANGER~
that is the point the pastor was making... if you don't get it then i would guess you are still on your own path of awarness hopefully your egos will let their grip from you and you'll be happy... but no LEADER WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY that is your responsiblity...

for a christian nation i never would imagine such un-loving un-compassionate people...

it's US or THEM but really it's WE...

think about it.

I guess I've hung out with Black people too much (although nominally sort of White). I didn't find anything in Wright's rantings particularly unusual or disturbing. Yes, a good many Black people hate White people, just as you might expect. Senator Obama seems to be trying to offer a way out of the pit for all persuasions, which I agree is a long shot. I guess that's where the hope comes in. Of course Wright has "blackified" Obama far beyond anything the Clintons and their tired henchpeople could have hoped for, but I must say the man has game. Maybe he'll evade the zombie squad and score.

you clinton supporters are very narrow minded. you probably are not very happy people... infact, i'd say you are the hell on earth i've feared. So what if a pastor says damn america... listening to the hatered spewed forth makes me feel like this country isn't so 'great' . Why do you identify with Clinton? i'll never understand your hatred since it's that very hatred you hold onto that makes your life so miserable.... NOT POLITICIANS.

The pastor was mad at america because he cares CARES CARES what the f is wrong witih caring about this country and getting agry when 'we the people' MISS THE POINT .... the point is that TERRORISM BREEDS TERRORISM
ANGER BREEDS ANGER~
that is the point the pastor was making... if you don't get it then i would guess you are still on your own path of awarness hopefully your egos will let their grip from you and you'll be happy... but no LEADER WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY that is your responsiblity...

for a christian nation i never would imagine such un-loving un-compassionate people...

it's US or THEM but really it's WE...

think about it.

you clinton supporters are very narrow minded. you probably are not very happy people... infact, i'd say you are the hell on earth i've feared. So what if a pastor says damn america... listening to the hatered spewed forth makes me feel like this country isn't so 'great' . Why do you identify with Clinton? i'll never understand your hatred since it's that very hatred you hold onto that makes your life so miserable.... NOT POLITICIANS.

The pastor was mad at america because he cares CARES CARES what the f is wrong witih caring about this country and getting agry when 'we the people' MISS THE POINT .... the point is that TERRORISM BREEDS TERRORISM
ANGER BREEDS ANGER~
that is the point the pastor was making... if you don't get it then i would guess you are still on your own path of awarness hopefully your egos will let their grip from you and you'll be happy... but no LEADER WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY that is your responsiblity...

for a christian nation i never would imagine such un-loving un-compassionate people...

it's US or THEM but really it's WE...

think about it.

Ask why Hillary did not leave Bill after so many years of cheating. She should have got up and left. What kept her? The answer is simple. She had a lot to lose by leaving Bill. This is the love of power over the principles.

Now ask why Obama did not trash his pastor in his speech. He has a lot to lose, but he didn't do it.

You'd be the judge, but character matters.

I never voted for democrats. The big government and their economic policies scare me, but Obama, has a mysterious unifying voice, a transcending one. It amazes me that I'd want to vote for him even though I thought I'd never vote for a democrat.

Wow, the forum posts that the WashPo can dig up are of even lower general quality than I'm used to.

Everyone who has been "convinced" by Wright's words that Obama shouldn't be Prez, question:

Do you think that being a member of a church means that you embrace, support, and agree with EVERY SINGLE THING a preaching minister says in any given sermon?

I just can't understand how anyone intelligent enough to operate a computer believes that they know all about Wright's feelings, beliefs, and attitudes on the basis of a couple 2 minute YouTube clips.

Are people really that easily manipulated by the media? I had doubted it, but it sure does appear that many posters believe that 5 minutes of preaching out of a 40 year career "define" the guy.

Idiotic.

If you have a problem with Obama denouncing his pastor, when will you denounce white slave masters who founded this country?

Obama only gave that race speech because he lied in the first place. Therefore I am not buy into his new hand of RACE CARD.

I don't hold much animosity for the white people who raised me and if my white grandmother at one point had a racial incident (eventhough her daughter married to black men, ummm) well I'd of not dragged her threw the mud.

It's tragic how everyone is missing the SEXISM abounding...and only focusing on "The Black Candidate"...yes, his free ride is over.

My black butt would never vote for his black butt. And it IS his BUTT that has been speaking.

The FAR LEFT WING is now JUST LIKE and perhaps WORSE then the FAR RIGHT WING.

How about we try to help David Patterson who is being brutally attacked? How about we pay attention to what the Far Right scum is trying to do in NYC?

Or shoudl we just play more race cards?
Maybe David Patterson should play the BLIND CARD, the DISABILITY CARD?

Screw Obama, he's no great man. He's a weak and spineless all talk no action blow hardy know nothing.

My biggest concern about Obama from the start was that he was too "green". He has never gone through the national vetting machine to run on a national level. With a lack of clear understanding of who he is, we have to look at who he surrounds himself with to try to put that portrait together ourselves. I believe that he is the right person to be president in the future, but not this time around. I think this is his vetting moment. He will come out of this stronger, and I think a better candidate for President in the next cycle, but not now.

When Sen. Obama first surfaced as a candidate many months ago, the first thing I did was go to his church's website to find out what kind of church he attended. What I saw on that website appalled me. I told my family that this was a huge problem for him, and I was right. Most whites have never seen or experienced the face of black racism, but I have been on the receiving end many times. I was disappointed that he sat in those pews for 20 years.

As of right now, his campaign is sinking big time. If he is the nominee, then the election is John McCain's too loose. The same goes for Hillary. Either candidate is a bad choice for them, and they know it. The democrats have given the republicans an early Christmas present. Thank you!

"On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we've heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.

As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.

Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way "

What more does the man have to say? Has anyone listened to this speech?

If you have a problem with Obama denouncing his pastor, when will you denounce white slave masters?

I find it hard to believe that the religious right, with their rabid opposition to gays, abortion rights, and liberals (people who believe in liberty ;) have never engaged in hate speech and have never said an unkind word in sermons. I know for a fact that conservative talk show hosts and columnists are pretty impolite.

Why is the political and religious right not being held to the same standards and in the same spotlight as Barack Obama and his church?

Ok, this Wright stuff is disturbing, very. But the bigger problem I have for Mr. Obama is his pattern of saying one thing and then distancing himself from those words when the opposite is revealed at a later date. That is called "spin", people. We have a need and right to know Senator Obama (and all the candidates) from every angle and what he believes when he talks of equality and a "vision" for America. To say that Clinton +/or Obama is at fault for the direction the Democratic campaign has headed, is ludicrous and short-sighted. America is a melting pot of races, genders, culture, etc. and we each have a personal interest in seeing "ourselves" in our President. With that connection comes passion and emotional investment. However, it also must be tempered with information about the candidates (good and bad, without negative "label" attached to said information) so that we can make informed choices, rather than only emotionally-driven ones. To Americans: try to take off the blinders of opinion polls, media spin, mud and excitement and remember what this race is really about: Hiring someone to do the toughest and,arguably, most important job on the planet. Being President of the US isn't about speeches, promises and what-if's - it is about who you believe will get up, everyday, and work their butt off for every hardworking American, because they have a track record of that already. That person is Senator Clinton. She has worked hard and diligently for all Americans, and spent years building strong relationships because she has a passionate vision of what America can be, not just because she's running for President. Vetted, intelligent, tested and hardworking. Senator Clinton is the right choice for me in '08

Senator Obama says that he wants to be the President who transcends bigotry and hatred. However, he continues to belong to an organization that gave a lifetime achievement award to a man (Louis Farrakhan) who openly and publicly refers to Jews as "bloodsuckers." Mr. Obama seems to have no problem honoring people who hate Jews.

If one scandal or issue is all it takes to sink a candidate then what about Clinton, Bush and Cheney?

Its more the glee and desperation of people opposed to the Obama presidency that this is the size of issue it is because they haven't had anything to get their teeth into so far. Yes he remained in church for political and social expediency and yes this kind of stuff is not uncommon in black churches.

As much as his opponents would like to keep this issue alive its going to pass. At the end of the day its obvious that that its an issue over a 30 second video clip and thats it!

Hillary Clinton can't win the nomination and chances of Obama losing it are looking less and less specially after his speech seems to have gone down well.

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

American people are stupid as rocks if they don't understand the danger they are in because of BUSH,the moron and traitor. You stupid ignorant people making an issue out of nothing and not seeing that Obama is the only one who can lead this country after BUSH the moron and traitor is finally gone. Do you really think an old man like McCain can do anything positive. YOU STUPID AND SHALLOW AMERICAN.

Ask Yourself:

Is this issue more important than our sinking dollar you moron Americans.

Is this issue more important than the coming social security meltdown you moron stupid shallow Americans.

Is this issue more important than our jobs, benefits and security going to China you stupid Americans.

On and on the real issues are ignored because of petty stupid people.

America will get what she deserves and that is a hateful 3ed world country. Enjoy why you can you stupid Americans.

I am sooo sick of the Rev. Wright snippets!!! IF you are old enough, TRY to remember the absolute worst things YOU'VE said. Now imagine them in video snippets played over and over and over again. Would expect your friends of 20 years to disavow, and disown you? Be honest. Now imagine that you have a friend running for office, and your images are played over and over , and over again. Is that a fair ,or further than a country mile, assessment of your character?

The media does not delve any further into Rev. Wrights character, accomplishments, or church, other than these snippets. Wake up people!

Do you really think that Rev. Wright could build and carry a congregation of 8,000 over 30 years, if he was only as the media has portrayed him?

Here is an opportunity for you to investigate for your selves. Just maybe you could gain some understanding of something out of your comfort zone. All you have to do is go to the Church web site. You could start a dialogue, and give THEM some insight out their comfort zone as well.

ABC news and Fox news are the WORST offenders. Cnn runs a vey close third. The best political team my patootie. They should be called shock and awe, the way they run their screens

I don't understand how they get away with this.
They are not fooling the majority of we Canadians, or other countries overseas.
In fact, they come off as clowns of their created media circus.

If these so called reporters do not understand what Obama could get out of a preacher like Rev. Wright, they have never done their job on race relations. They CERTAINLY aren't doing it now. Where is the investigation? Have they EVER set foot in a black church?

It's much easier to sit on their collective rear ends, play clips, and have their so called pundits yell and holler about it. "if MY preacher said that I'D walk out!"

This repeated rolling over of these sound bites is nothing short of brainwashing, and the media knows it. America enjoys being controlled by the media, America it seems , wishes to remain racist and bigoted to the bitter end. The world IS watching, and to use the words of Rev Wright " the chickens will come home to roost in Americas

dondistef: Got this from Huffington Post; I'm sure you will like it.
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Hillary's Nasty Pastorate
Posted March 19, 2008 | 01:11 PM (EST)

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Read More: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Barbara Ehrenreich, Christian Conservatives, Fellowship, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Religion, Jeremiah Wright, Jeremiah Wright Barack Obama, Prayer Breakfast, Religion And Politics, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, The Family, Breaking Politics News

Buzz up!

There's a reason why Hillary Clinton has remained relatively silent during the flap over intemperate remarks by Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. When it comes to unsavory religious affiliations, she's a lot more vulnerable than Obama.

You can find all about it in a widely under-read article in the September 2007 issue of Mother Jones, in which Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet reported that "through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive Capitol Hill group known as the "Fellowship," aka The Family. But it won't be a secret much longer. Jeff Sharlet's shocking exposé, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power will be published in May.

Sean Hannity has called Obama's church a "cult," but that term applies far more aptly to Clinton's "Family," which is organized into "cells" -- their term -- and operates sex-segregated group homes for young people in northern Virginia. In 2002, writer Jeff Sharlet joined the Family's home for young men, foreswearing sex, drugs, and alcohol, and participating in endless discussions of Jesus and power. He wasn't undercover; he used his own name and admitted to being a writer. But he wasn't completely out of danger either. When he went outdoors one night to make a cell phone call, he was followed. He still gets calls from Family associates asking him to meet them in diners -- alone.

The Family's most visible activity is its blandly innocuous National Prayer Breakfast, held every February in Washington. But almost all its real work goes on behind the scenes -- knitting together international networks of rightwing leaders, most of them ostensibly Christian. In the 1940s, The Family reached out to former and not-so-former Nazis, and its fascination with that exemplary leader, Adolph Hitler, has continued, along with ties to a whole bestiary of murderous thugs. As Sharlet reported in Harper's in 2003:

During the 1960s the Family forged relationships between the U.S. government and some of the most anti-Communist (and dictatorial) elements within Africa's postcolonial leadership. The Brazilian dictator General Costa e Silva, with Family support, was overseeing regular fellowship groups for Latin American leaders, while, in Indonesia, General Suharto (whose tally of several hundred thousand "Communists" killed marks him as one of the century's most murderous dictators) was presiding over a group of fifty Indonesian legislators. During the Reagan Administration the Family helped build friendships between the U.S. government and men such as Salvadoran general Carlos Eugenios Vides Casanova, convicted by a Florida jury of the torture of thousands, and Honduran general Gustavo Alvarez Martinez, himself an evangelical minister, who was linked to both the CIA and death squads before his own demise.

At the heart of the Family's American branch is a collection of powerful rightwing politicos, who include, or have included, Sam Brownback, Ed Meese, John Ashcroft, James Inhofe, and Rick Santorum. They get to use the Family's spacious estate on the Potomac, the Cedars, which is maintained by young men in Family group homes and where meals are served by the Family's young women's group. And, at the Family's frequent prayer gatherings, they get powerful jolts of spiritual refreshment, tailored to the already-powerful.

Clinton fell in with the Family in 1993, when she joined a Bible study group composed of wives of conservative leaders like Jack Kemp and James Baker. When she ascended to the senate, she was promoted to what Sharlet calls the Family's "most elite cell," the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, which included, until his downfall, Virginia's notoriously racist Senator George Allen. This has not been a casual connection for Clinton. She has written of Doug Coe, the Family's publicity-averse leader, that he is "a unique presence in Washington: a genuinely loving spiritual mentor and guide to anyone, regardless of party or faith, who wants to deepen his or her relationship with God."

Furthermore, the Family takes credit for some of Clinton's rightward legislative tendencies, including her support for a law guaranteeing "religious freedom" in the workplace, such as for pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions and police officers who refuse to guard abortion clinics.

What drew Clinton into the sinister heart of the international right? Maybe it was just a phase in her tormented search for identity, marked by ever-changing hairstyles and names: Hillary Rodham, Mrs. Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and now Hillary Clinton. She reached out to many potential spiritual mentors during her White House days, including new age guru Marianne Williamson and the liberal Rabbi Michael Lerner. But it was the Family association that stuck.

Sharlet generously attributes Clinton's involvement to the underappreciated depth of her religiosity, but he himself struggles to define the Family's theological underpinnings. The Family avoids the word Christian but worship Jesus, though not the Jesus who promised the earth to the "meek." They believe that, in mass societies, it's only the elites who matter, the political leaders who can build God's "dominion" on earth. Insofar as the Family has a consistent philosophy, it's all about power -- cultivating it, building it, and networking it together into ever-stronger units, or "cells." "We work with power where we can," Doug Coe has said, and "build new power where we can't."

Obama has given a beautiful speech on race and his affiliation with the Trinity Unity Church of Christ. Now it's up to Clinton to explain -- or, better yet, renounce -- her longstanding connection with the fascist-leaning Family.

An editorial by a zebra concerning Obama's "race speech"

http://animalinternet.com/animatorial/view/obamas_race_speech_this_zebras_thoughts/

I am not going to suggest myself whether you should vote for Obama or not. I feel it is my duty to empower you to take an informed decision. It does not matter to me who you vote for, as long as you give thorough consideration.

1. Here is the simple question to ask:

* Will you vote for, say, "Bill Clinton" (a white male) if he attended a church or congregation for 20 years where Anti-Americanism and Racism (hatred towards "non-whites") is preached!!

Everyone can easily guess that if such a white male stood up for election, then every Politician (and every person) in this country would be "condemning" such a person and asking him to step down.

2. Obama distanced himself from the specific comments made by Rev.Wright, however, he also tried to justify such behavior (that Rev. Wright assumed the things are static, but we are actually moving on). He also says, Rev. Wright is like family.

Ask yourself -

Can you justify not taking ANY ACTION, if your family member is going and preaching to everyone in his community about hatred and anti-americanism.

If someone is like family to you, and you do not agree with that person, then you should fight all your way to either change that person, or disown him/her. It is the characteristic of a good leader to question the status-quo.

In this case, Obama appeared to have accepted Rev.Wright as he was, and did not question him for preaching "divisive" and "hate filled" sermons.

3. Based on the speach, lot of people say that we cannot blame Obama for the views expressed by someone else. We can't hold Obama responsible for every comment made by people around him.

Well..that is true in a general sense. However, we cannot conclude the same if Obama associates with such person for 20 years, and considers him as the mentor. Obama quotes Rev. Wright extensively in his books, and the title of one of the books is based on Rev.Wright's speaches.

Here is the question you should ask yourself:

- Assume that you know someone for 20 years, and you attend his speeches regularly, and you do research on his work to "guide" you in your life. Would you not know what that person really stands for, and what he preaches or believes in?

It is hard to believe that Obama did not already know such anti-american comments are being made in the congregation. If he did not know, then we need to ask the basic question - is Obama a good listener?

A good president needs to gather and analyze information from various sources, including the ones that are NOT DIRECTLY told to him/her.

In this case, it seems clear that Obama either did not bother to "listen" or he simply "ignored" such behavior. Both characteristics do not bode well for America. As a President, he should be smart enough to LISTEN (and READ between the lines) and he should NOT IGNORE the warning signs till it is TOO LATE.

3. From what I heard from Obama, he is a smart and educated man. He clearly knows that logic and common sence does not support him in the hour of crisis for him. He cannot justify to himself what has happened. He is very much worried about it today. As smart as he is, he is doing damage control to the extent possible, by trying to take the issue away from him, to a larger issue of Racism in this country.
Yes, he gave a great speech in bringing the issue of Race in this country to the forefront.

As yourself -

Are we trying to solve the Racism problem in this country with the current elections?

Racism is a much larger issue, that cannot be solved just by one presidential election. The current issue is about whether Obama is the right person to become the President of USA or not. Does he have a good judgement to lead this country? Will he represent and lead ALL AMERICANS and, in his words, ALL PEOPLE of this world?

4. Everyone keeps re-iterating that Obama gave an excellent speech on the issue of Race. A lot of people now say that since he gave an excellent speech, we need to exonerate him and move on.

Ask yourself - can you judge a person only by his speach or by his actions?

Everyone knows - Politicians are trained to give Speaches. To ordinary people like us, it appears "out of this world" that someone can talk so eloquently and discuss all the ideas in such a convincing manner. But, remember - there is a major industry out there, who are trained and experienced in writing excellent speaches and they train these politicians every day and every minute on what works and what does not work. All the major candidates have multi-million dollars in their campaign bank accounts. With that kind of money, they can hire the best talent that is available in this world, get trained and deliver an excellent speech.

Given the above - do you believe in a great speech given to stop a political fallout or do you believe the actions a person over a period of last 20 years?

DOES THE MEDIA 'REALLY' THINK THE PUBLIC HAVE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS?....THE PUBLIC WILL PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS!

YOU MUST NOT KNOW ABOUT U.S....WE HAVE PHDs,MASTERs,BACHELORs DEGREES...WE ""EARNED"" OUR DEGREES, YOUR PARENT$ ""BOUGHT"" YOUR$..IT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE DENSE IN METHODOLOGY....STOP THE DRAMA, YOUR GAMES AIN'T WORKING NOWWWWWWWW!

YOU DO NOT THINK FOR US AND YOU CAN NOT SPEAK FOR US....THIS IS OLD-D-D GAMES, ASK HILLARY!

YOU ALL ARE TERRORIZING YOURSELVES.......
EVIL, ANGRY & BI-POLAR PEOPLE....THROW THE MEDICATION AWAY...THIS IS THE REAL WORLD...

WE,THE PEOPLE OF THE "UNITED" STATES...KNOWS THAT:
THIS LAND IS 'YOUR' LAND, THIS LAND IS 'MY' LAND, FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE REDWOOD FOREST.....

MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDPARENTS USE THEIR BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS FOR MEEEEEEEEEEE TO VOTE FOR OBAMA(or McCain)!!!!

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

Black Hippy Chick

Your comments are disturbing. "Oh Yeah, we have been living together just fine since the beginning of this country". "Oh no one had to fight, scarifice and die for some shred of equality in our society". Maybe try researching the history of the Americas or the Civil Rights movement. Obama tackled a specific subject, one that is long overdue for discussion.

People, don't be deluded. Obama is desperately trying to save his butt! He has lied consistently, yes, he has; he's flip floped, yes, he has. And this BS about the pastor is proving further he is just another politician playing games to win. Sickening.

william scott,

Why did he only address this "complex issue" days after Wrights comments hit the mainstream media?

It's called C.Y.A. and politics as usual.

If he had given this speech BEFORE I'd have had much more respect and maybe even believed what he was saying (i don't believe much of what comes out of any politicians mouth)

BUT

He didn't. Political posteuring 101...

"Does anyone ever wonder why the educated tend to support BO and the less educated HRC?"

Because the educated tend to have more money and can therefore afford to take a bigger leap of faith on a candidate who was in the U.S. Senate barely a year before he started running for President?

"I was appalled to hear the "damn America" quote, but the rest is the truth. One only has to follow politics to know he didn't put out a lie. We need to change as a nation and look for the truth. The truth will make us all free."

And the truth is that America started the AIDS virus to kill black people? If that is a "truth" that Obama accepts and does not challenge, then I question his judgment and policy-making ability.

YOU CAN RUN THIS FOR 365 DAYS, WE,THE PEOPLE WILL NOT LET YOU 'STEAL' THIS ELECTION....OBAMA, CHOOSE YUR RUNNING MATE

PEOPLE GET READY!!!! THEY ARE SHOOTING THEIR REGULAR....

BARACK OBAMA OR JOHN McCAIN....?DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLIC?

HOW GOOD IS YOUR GAME? AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW!!!WE WILL NOT PLAY WITH THIS ELECTION....KEEP ON REPORTING....

YOU WANT POTATOES ON YOUR DINNER PLATE...WHO'S COOKING THEM?????

The first thing we need to do is elect a Congress that remembers that it is comprised of public servants who are supposed to serve the will of the people not Presidential servants serving a tyrant and corporate interests. Americans have made it very clear that they want an end put to illegal immigration. Congress and the Senate continue to try to find an end around to their constituents' demands on this issue.

The Labor Department reports job losses in the thousands, more states are reporting record unemployment, and the economy continues to slow. While we are distracted by sex scandals, sermons, and forced to argue over whether white can be changed to black or black can be changed to white, the U.S. House of Representatives responds by considering legislation to import more foreign workers, flooding the labor pool.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) has introduced the Innovation Employment Act (H.R. 5630), which would DOUBLE the current H-1B visa cap to 130,000 per fiscal year. H.R. 5630 would further raise the cap to 180,000 beginning in 2010 if the 130,000 cap is reached during the 2009 fiscal year.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has introduced the Strengthening United States Technology and Innovation Act (H.R. 5642), which would TRIPLE the current H-1B visa cap to 195,000 in 2008 and 2009.

These workers will serve corporate greed by working for less money and force more Americans into the unemployment lines. The money they earn will end up outside of the U.S. economy. In other words, they will accomplish the same thing that failing to enforce immigration laws has.

Please write, call, fax , or email your Congressional Representatives and let them know that this is not acceptable.

Dear Downix,

I see no double standard. Media and Politicians alike have reprimanded Robertson and Falwell following stupid remarks they gave after September 11, Ariel Sharon's heart attack, and the Dover public school trial. I remember a lot of media coverage claiming hypocrisy when McCain gave the commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University a few years back. The real difference is that none of these politicians sat in Jerry or Pat's congregation every Sunday for 20 years.

I think John is right, what Freddy says really does hit home for me as well. Questioning Obama as a candidate has nothing to do with his race, but everything to do with who he is and what he stands for. Even if the answers come from outside sources, rather then the candidate himself.

How nice it is to see the US tearing itself apart about this issue. The level of mature political debate is non existant. Why is anyone worried about someone Obama knows saying something apparently "not nice", when Bush the Son has slaughtered hundreds and thousands of people? Where is your debate about what to do with him after his failed tenure is over? Got your priorities a bit askew?

McCain "misspoke" two days in a row. Does a candidate need to know everything? I do think that Bush knows too little, and has no interest in learning, but we should not mince over such a relatively small thing. McCain is an intelligent man and such a small thing would not be as serious as it would with Bush. We now have three good candidates from which to choose. After these past 8 years, we should be glad for that.

I am an African American woman who is in her thirties and whatever common expereince Barack Obama was talking about that caused these types of words to come from Jerimiah Wright's mouth I do not understand. I admit that at first I thought it was a great speech but the more I thought about it the more I thought Obama is not speaking for me. When Obama said I can no longer abandon Wright as he could abandon black people this hit a very discordant sound in my mind. The majority of Black people are not thinking about how they hate rich white people, they are thinking what the majority of Americans are thinking; How am I going to pay my bills? Can i even visit New York or Washington D.C. without some bomb or airplane killing me? Can I even afford to drive to pleasurable activities or must I stay home? Are things going to really change or is voting for a new president just going to bring more of the same? The majority of black people are not thinking the things Obama is saying that they are thinking. I find it personally tragic that the black community is allowing a man raised by white people to define what black people are all about, it is doubly tragic that the man defining us decided to place himself in Chicago when he decided to find his identity. Trust me every black person that I've ever met from the city of Chicago has been extremely argumentative and pretty racist against whites and rich people of any race. It's like putting certain whites from certain burroughs on the East Coast and allowing them to define what white is. If we were to judge all caucasions by these people we would think that white people were a pretty crazy group of people. I say this to say Barack Obama does not define me, and Chicago Blacks definitely don't define me. As An African American I am not about to sit here and allow Barack Obama put the group of people I belong to on the terrorism or watch list for most likely to commit crimes against the U.S. I'm not like Wright and neither are the majority of Black people I know from all backgrounds and I resent Barack Obama trying to define who my group is when he obviously has not even defined who he really is. Honestly between Grandma Obama and Pastor Wright, what I think Obama needs is a good good psychologist. He obvioulsy gravitates towards outrageous behaviour. http://blackhippychick.wordpress.com

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

VApolitics said, "...Oddly, I think Obama's message may come across better in South where people white and black are still likely to have a family tie to someone who has at one time expressed racial views."
Unbelievable. I am so sick and tired of people assuming that the South is the only place where racial prejudice exists. I know many "yankees" whose views on race are much more extreme that anything I have experienced in the South. Yes, we are guilty, but so are you.

All Obama had to was simply denounce the unpatriotic remarks from the Rev. Wright and or asked him to apologize to his congregation and the American people at the time the Rev made the negative remarks. But no he cleverly waited for primaries to complete anf then comes up with a speech to talk about histories of racial divide. I believe
Obama somehow tried to link his lack of judgment in distancing himself from the Rev Wright and racial divide. Man its not about racial divide its about why you stood
and listened to a bitter man spewing hatred.

All Obama had to do is stand on his own two feet because his endeavor is much larger than the Rev Wright negative view points will ever be without telling some convoluted story of race division. A calculated mistake Big-time.

This entire episode is bringing Obama ability/judgment into serious question and I agree with other comments he in affect is loosing because he is hanging on to the apron strings of the egotistical Rev. Wright. The Rev needs to publically apologize to the American people for the negative things he said about our Nation if he is any kind of a man, and leave his pulpit. Wrong is wrong no matter how you look at it.

God Bless America

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

All Obama had to was simply denounce the unpatriotic remarks from the Rev. Wright and or asked him to apologize to his congregation and the American people at the time the Rev made the negative remarks. But no he cleverly waited for primaries to complete anf then comes up with a speech to talk about histories of racial divide. I believe
Obama somehow tried to link his lack of judgment in distancing himself from the Rev Wright and racial divide. Man its not about racial divide its about why you stood
and listened to a bitter man spewing hatred.

All Obama had to do is stand on his own two feet because his endeavor is much larger than the Rev Wright negative view points will ever be without telling some convoluted story of race division. A calculated mistake Big-time.

This entire episode is bringing Obama ability/judgment into serious question and I agree with other comments he in affect is loosing because he is hanging on to the apron strings of the egotistical Rev. Wright. The Rev needs to publically apologize to the American people for the negative things he said about our Nation if he is any kind of a man, and leave his pulpit. Wrong is wrong no matter how you look at it.

God Bless America

downix,

Again with the spin and deflect.

Last I checked, this article was about Obama and his pastor, not ANY of the people you mentioned, maybe that is why I'm not talking about them?

Like I said in my last post, I find those people and their supporters just as ignorant and hateful as Wright and his supporters.

What you fail to refute and continue to spin and defelct away from is the fact that Wrihgt and his supporters ARE ignorant and hateful.

If the pastor of my church were to damn America, blame 9/11 on the goverment (a subject I have researched vigorously) or say any of the things Wright had said, I would have gotten up and left church no sooner then the words were uttered.

To do anything less would mean I not only believe what he is saying but that I support it as well.

I'm guessing this is why you keep spinning and deflecting to other people and their pastors. Your common sense tells you what I'm saying is true, but something else inside you just won't let you admit it.

I just hope that one day you find what that thing is.

I am white, I am middle-class, middle-aged, and politically conservative. But, in my nearly 65 years of life, I don't think I've ever heard a more articulate, reasoned, and rational discourse on the nature and history of the issues of race in America. I believe Senator Obama's speech is the most honest and courageous speech I've ever heard any aspirant to public office utter. Many of us like to think that 200 years of racial inequality was suddenly fixed by Brown v. Board of Education. It's so convenient to think we have overcome race as an issue by the stroke of a pen. Many of us seem to think we have no further responsibility in leveling the playing field. Everything's fixed now, you say. Blacks are only using racial prejudice as an excuse to explain their own laziness, their own failures, their own lack of will. You say black people are no longer justified in feeling rage, feeling disenfranchisement. Try selling that story to the family of Medgar Evers, the black children who were burned to death in their own church, or the black man who was dragged to death behind a pickup truck. Folks, it ain't just ain't so!! Everyday in my work place, I hear derogatory racial comments about blacks, about hispanics, about white Americans who are poor, out of work, on welfare. Are there some people in the black community who take the easy way out, and blame racial inequality as the source of all their woes? Who act as victims to explain their lack of success in a very tough environment? Of course there are--just as there are some whites and hispanics who do the same. But, I have also seen so many in all these communities rise above their beginnings by dint of hard work, perseverance, and that quinessentially American characteristic of refusal to accept anything less than the best of themselves. It may have been far harder for them to overcome the obstacles of race prejudice, pigeonholing according to stereotypical cultural views of our minority races in this country, but, by the grace of sacrifice, fiercely hard work, and the deep belief in the fundamental honesty and integrity of our American People, led by values set forth in our Constitution, and exemplified by so many great Americans before them, they have overcome the odds, and succeeded. Pundits and cynics may question Senator Obama's experience and motives, but for myself, I will pay far more attention to his honesty, his courage, his willingness to address this complex issue, and by doing so, sound a clarion call to arms in order to defeat the evils of prejudice, bigotry, and hate with a new message of hope, understanding, and tolerance.

Among my family and close friends I was the only supporter of Obama. Now, I admit I was blinded by his charm and intelligence. All of this changed as of Sunday. I now realize that Obama is empty. His words have no meaning, his intelligence is fake. How could he stay in the vicinity of Rev. Wright for so long without confronting the Rev. for his hateful remarks. Now, I doubt that Obama can confront any difficult situation. I was seriously considering voting for Obama in November. It is not too late for the Democratic party to count on my vote. But, first the superdelagates will have to move Obama out of sight. It has become a nightmare for me to think of Obama as our next president!

To try and say, in effect, that by dumping Obama we are dumping the legit goals of racial harmony is to play right into "the great speechmaker's hands." Our most noble goals and ideals will endure long after any single candidate has come and gone. Racial harmony comes from one on one action ... it's a choice of individual hearts and sound minds. Thinking that we need Obama to achieve this is dangerous and it gets us off the hook for something that should be on our daily agenda. Obama's unwillingness to cut ties with Pastor Wright and the Pastor's hand-clapping congregation is unacceptable in a President or in a moral leader. Obama should not have his cake and eat it, particularly on this of all issues. I refuse to be manipulated by an ambitious young man with a "historic" candidacy who can't seem to tear himself away from a very troubled "spiritual advisor." Enough. Obama is taking the Democratic party down a very troubling road. Enough.

Is it fair to expect the injured to ignore the injurer, or to not suffer from the effects of the injury? Black people need to pull themselves up, true, but after their ordeal in America, if you truly know what that experience has been, are they supposed to spring to their feet? Might there be some residual anger that would express itself through an angry sermon. How is black anger the same as hate mongering? He has some major facts to prove (Government and AIDS), but after all that blacks have been through, they would not be surprised if the govt. did unleash AIDS on the population. I think that some people want black people to just get over it, and they should, but it seems that blacks have a sort of group-neurosis or post traumatic stress disorder brought on by their experience. One thing is for sure, this is not a simple matter.

All this anger over Obama's lack of condemnation of Wright years ago missed the entire point of his speech. He can no more disown Wright than disown the BLACK COMMUNITY. (His own words) To think this is the approach so many see as the right path obviously do not care to listen to the racial and social issues we have in our country. I praise Obama for not succumbing to a politically safe path of leaving the thoughts of inner city communities behind. Instead he lived with and listened to the issues in his community and worked as a Lawyer to help this community. Anytime you condemn people's words that reflect their troubles you are ignoring an intelligent debate on what can be done to fix the problem. After this speech it would seem to me that any person with a good heart would embrace Obama and work with him to fix all the problems we have, problems that affect all races, religions, and social groups. Similarly, condemning foreign countries before debating how the world can work together to help the people of that country just leads to more genocide. Bombing Somalia, because we don't like their regime, doesn't bring water and food to the people and will breed more hatred of America, and thereby produce more terrorists.

I've been appreciative of Obama's "high road" campaign as opposed to HRC's. But yesterday he Hillary-ized his campaign, reverting to stinky tactics to try to shift focus. He said that John McCain didn't know the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, based on a speech McCain made where he mis-spoke, then corrected himself. Obama knows full well McCain only mis-spoke, that McCain is well-versed in the differences and nuances of various Islamic factions in the Mideast. Obama seems in great peril of losing his perceived standing as "above the fray." He is being seen--no, he is acting as someone who is just another manipulative politician. I'm afraid it's all over now, baby blue.

The reverend's rights:

The Reverend has the right to stand up in front of his church and curse the US, accuse it of genocide, and blame it for 9/11. It's called freedom of speech. He has the right to do it in his church. It's called freedom of religion.

Barak Obama has the right to sit in this church and listen to these rants; he too enjoys freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Senator Obama's Rights

Barak Obama has the right to run for president; he is very smart - President of Harvard Law Review smart.
He has the right to ask for our votes - it goes with the right to run for president.

Now for my rights:
I have the right to call the reverend a vicious hatemonger.
I have the right to call Obama an enabler of hatemongers and bigots.
I have the right to vote for someone who is not afraid to speak out, not only when he's running for president, but when he's building his base in the ghetto.

I am so saddened to read what seems a significant portion of these comments. The ones that characterize Sen. Obama as a "...wolf in sheep's clothing... or "...only a media creation." Have we become so cynical a nation? Is the opportunity for hope lost along with our innocence? Has charity flown from our psyches? And, unfortunately, the mainstream media seems to focus on the "horse race" and seems to play into the fears of "We, the people..." fears that, all to sadly, candidates and their surrogates use for promotion.

Where are the columns that discuss the positions the candidates have staked out as a basis for the candidacy? Where are the journalists who challenge the candidate's recitation of "the facts?" Where are the columnists who are bringing together the commentary of the experts in a field that will undoubted both support and challenge a candidate's perspective?

Sen. Obama's pastor does not matter! Senator Clinton's presence in the White House on any specific day does not matter! Sen. McCain's honorable past service to the United States as a U.S. Navy pilot does not matter!

In my humble opinion what matters is how do these individuals propose that we together solve the challenges we face: Iraq, the economy, Afganistan, relations with the countries and people with whom we share the planet, climate change, etc. - there are so many!!!

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Ask no less of every candidate for office.

White racism and Black racism is different folks. One only has to see from one to the other perspective to notice that it is a difference in who is the oppressor and the oppressed. Oppressing racism seeks in the least, the continued level of dominance or even greater power. Oppressed racism is a form of resilience and courage to speak out to the oppressor. Very different! Rev. Wright is a spiritual leader, his job is to increase the level of resiliency in a church that has a populace still affected by White Racism today. If he senses that his people are falling into a deeper level of depression, he will use words to wake them up and move them into positive action. He never told them, "so today, do whatever you can to hurt a white person. Rob a bank, steal their purses and bring your spoils back next week so we can give them to the Black poor". You must understand that a leader can be more effective by sinking down to the private rhetoric of the listener to gain their attention to guide the listener's belief system to a more resilient level. As a psychological counselor, I am able to develop rapport and more importantly, respect as a leader when I can share in my client's belief system. I use the words and scripts I they use and then begin adding new scripts in our conversation to lead them away from their destructive belief system. In other words, be careful in your judgement of someone who truly has the reputation to positively grow others. Rev. Wright's church grew substancially during his tenure and his church performs Christian ministry in the community. Are we intimate with Rev. Wright's approach? How can he then be condemned? Listening to the comments here makes me think of all of you as Pharisees and the like. Obama did well in his speech, he covered about as much as he could and should also not be condemned about what he left out. He demonstrated that he is courageous enough to face a very convaluted subject head-on. Good job Barak!

There are no simple answers or words to solve a problem that is world wide. Why is it that Africans where evere they are hate everyone including tmeselves. It is time to take a look at the global problem and stop just pretending it is because of slavery where ever it was. A large number of Africans are still tribal by birth and do not understand that all people are equal if given a chance. There is no place that they are free of violance or hate. These are not my views but the world news I see every night from around the world. So Mr. Obama and Mr. Wright tell me please why it is you have no tolerance of others not like you. The world has a right to know what it is that drives such vile hatered of all other races.

A person tired of watching children die!

I have nothing to say but to repeat this comment, I think that Freddy defined in a very good manner what is happening in this election, with this "candidate", his campaign and his supporters.

"If the only characteristics necessary for our President were Charisma and Speech making, then hands down the best person for the job is Obama. Oh but wait, perhaps we would like something a little more? I love the fact that if you question Obama then you are obviously uneducated and uncomprehending. Uh oh, I have used big words, perhaps I am not uneducated. Well then, I must be a racist and a bigot. Who else would question Obama's legitimacy? No real thinking person who isn't a racist. (Because with Obama's candidacy you are simply required to accept his legitimacy, rather then question his abilities and make up of character).
If a candidate is not willing to answer to questions regarding their candidacy, then they have no business running for office (no matter what color their skin is).

Posted by: Freddy | March 20, 2008 12:47 PM
"

you people are so lame -- and out of touch.

first, Obama already addressed this stupid comparison of a black Pastor's speech comparible to a KKK rally (check the ABC news interview he did on 3/18)

as Roseanne barr says: all churches are vile and have become Poltical Action Committees telling people how to vote.

Barr also says on her blog that Rev Wright reminds her of every Rabbi she has ever seen - who invokes the Holocaust and calls for arms for Israel to keep the Arabs killed...and the checks from the flock coming in.

What a retarded national conversation this is - are you voting for Rev. Wright, or are you voting for Obama? I think it's pretty clear that they're not one in the same. If we're going to cast our votes based on guilt by association, I don't think Clinton is really the right candidate for the Democrats, and McCain is certainly not the right candidate for the Republicans.

For my part, I'm done with the Clinton/Bush years, and would like to see something different in Washington. The only candidate left that is even marginally different than what we've had for almost 20 years is a black man... and an American. Good enough for me.

Charlene, definitely watch the feet as you suggest. And see if you can find, within any of the tracks he has left through years of public service and public advocacy, any evidence to justify your fears. I challenge everyone to do the same.

double standard,

Why should I do more to refute when you have as of yet not put forth something of merit to refute?

The clintons have been a supporter of such since Bill Clinton went to a Graham revival in 1959, that has been long established. That is, what, 39 years now?

You fail in your arguement, so you attack the methodology rather than the arguement itself. The United Church of God, which is the one from Pilgrim times, is what Barrak attended for 20 years. Why do you not attack other public figures from this church, such as Dean Koontz, Bob Graham, Howard Dean, Judd Gregg?

I grew up in a time of torment and hatred as a student in the North Little Rock school desegregation. I was fortunate to have a family and supporters that taught me to love everyone irregardless of something as silly as the color of one's skin. I stood up to ignorance and bigotry and was even physically beaten by other students for those beliefs. I still did not turn a blind eye and claim that I couldn't stand up for my belief as Obama has chosen to do. I suspect that his tolerance for hatred of America in general comes for a fear of being "beaten" within his own community.
We all make personal choices in our lives and we must live with both the choices and consequences. Obama CHOSE to bring his family into a religous organization that taught hatred---not love. He CHOSE to remain with that organization and teach his own children the same hatred. Now, he thinks and truly believes that he will solve the problems of this country???? How does he plan to stand up to anyone and their "beliefs"? Obama clearly acted and demonstrated his support for Reverand Wright by refusing to walk out of a church on that fateful Sunday. Were his children present to hear the hatred? What of his wife? Does she not have the courage to stand up to her husband and teach her children love and respect for all????? We do not need this family in a position of "the FIRST family".

I took no personal offense at what the Rev. Wright said. I do not doubt that he does love America, but he loves the America we could be, not the America we have been in the past. What he said may have been a bit strong, but I defend his right, or anyones right to express their oppinion. As for the 911 comment, it holds more truth than you will find crossing the lips of our nations leaders. Just so you know, I am a Vietnam Infantry Vet and I am white. We talk about freedom in the country and at the same time demonstrate our distast for it by sensoring and marginalizing views that are different from our own. Although I am not an Obama supporter, I was impressed by the fact he did not try to throw Rev. Wright under the bus so to speak. All things considered, I think I will vote Libertarian this year.

What a truly worthless article. We all know where to find the unfiltered rants of the web's anonymous masses, and we know that most of what's found in the long lists of comments is tripe. Funny that you see fit to copy and paste it and sell it as respectable news. I wish I had your job.

My grandfather always said "Do not listen to words, but watch the feet" Obama's words are beautiful, moving, and well delivered. Now let us examine one aspect of his actions. Over twenty years supporting a church and a man who at times condemned our nation and "white people". The same man who was Obama's mentor and advisor. And with one speech I am expected now to believe that although Barack was deeply entrenched within that church with that man, he did not uphold any of its values.

So let's review shall we? Should I listen to the words, or watch the feet?

AMERICA this is your chance to heal your deepest wounds. We decry Sunni and Shiate tensions in IRAQ, but we gloss over and dress up our deepest national wounds at home. If we think OBAMA's MUST be held responsible for the opinion(s) of his former pastor, then most americans by that standard will be responsible for the sins of their parents, siblings, spouses, mentors, teachers, friends, etc. By that same token, Hillary will be held respnsible for the sins of Bill Clinton because she never called him out, or divoced him or denounced him, or rejected him as we now demand of OBAMA. By that token, John Macain will be held responsible for all the obviously harsh pronouncements from evangelical pastors across the US. I see a deep seated hypocrisy in many of our reactions as I read and hear. We simply are looking for excuses not to support a man we all agree has shown ernomous courage, decency and quality in his politics. Tomorrow, OBAMA will be blamed for the political mayhem in Kenya, the religious tension in Indonesia, and everything wrong everywhere where he could be remotely associated with. But the question is WHY??? Is it because we are looking for a political saint? Someone without stain and blemish, and once we think we cannot find him, we decide to go back to the old and the comfortable albeit detestable ways of washington. If OBAMA loses the democratic nomination, it will be because democrats are too tepid and weak with the truth. This golden opportunity will not come a second time in a long long time.

Why Obama failed in Philadelphia:

Mr. Obama's speech, in spite of its eloquent passages expressing his hope for better racial relations in America, is a mastery example of literary subterfuge, the broadening of the scenery whereby an object of inquiry becomes lost in the background, or more bluntly, the escaping of a slippery fish from a pond into a lake to hide better.

His speech is essentially a sophisticated lawyerly defense of Rev Wright's sin on the basis of self-defense. While Mr. Obama's understanding on the root causes of America's racial problems is quite apt, he attempts to portray that it is Rev Wright's racial circumstance, and it alone, that had led Rev Wright, with the inevitability of the fixed trajectory of a massive asteroid hurtling toward Earth, to castigate America and its other race with repulsive profanities. Thus, by Mr. Obama account, Rev Wright is a victim of the circumstance that he couldn't have avoided.

Mr. Obama states: "The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static . . . ," an apt analysis in view of his campaign slogan of "change" that will surely move the country out of the "static" stalemate under his leadership, but the truth is sadder and more personal.

Rev Wright, in spite of Mr. Obama's defense, is not a victim of his circumstance, the circumstance of his race, but of his own hubris, of his own failure to keep hope and faith in what is good in America and other fellow race. While racism still remains in American society, America does not espouse racism as a creed, and while racism still lingers among some white, not all white are racist. The sin of Rev Wright is that he lost his faith and hope in America.

And Mr. Obama's profound mistake in his defense is that Mr. Obama still sees America and its white race from the identity of an angry black intellectual who assiduously, in spite of his bi-racial background and unlike many bi-racial people who refuse to identify themselves with a race, cultivated his black identity at the exclusion of his white heritage, which he laboriously exorcised out of his soul, as his 1995 autobiography testifies.

His line: "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community," clearly indicates where his loyalty still lies, to his intellectually cultivated vision of the unified black community, the community that men like Rev Wright mistakenly and pretentiously claim its leadership. But black community, like the white, are far more diverse, far less united except under the common American value espoused in our Constitution and the sense of patriotism for the land where our families and friends live, of which Rev Wright so flagrantly savaged.

For many black, Mr. Obama's mention of Rev Wright and the black community in the same vein in his own defense grossly misrepresents the entire black community. Indeed, to them Rev Wright represents the past, the past that black community must depart, as much as the white community must from its lingering racism. And Mr. Obama's defense of Rev Wright harks back to that unfortunate past, just as his conscious attempt to identify himself as a wholly black person (perhaps until his presidential bid) by abandoning his white heritage harks back to the unfortunate divisions of races precipitated by each individual's conscious attempt at finding racial identity.

The unfortunate truth of his speech is that he, while acknowledging the damaging nature of Rev Wright's pronouncements to America's racial relations, failed to address, worse, to understand the obvious fact that Mr. Obama's unflagging support of Rev Wright (that he is like Mr. Obama's family member, that he cannot be disowned) has done further damages to racial relations and will continue to do so.

This is the sin of Barack Obama: he stood there by Rev Wright while the Reverend was caught up in his pride as a stirring preacher, a vainglorious social critic, spewing out his tirade decrying of the injustice of the whole nation, of an entire race, and he said nothing, did nothing, and to this day Mr. Obama still stands by Rev Wright and does nothing, notwithstanding his speech, except to keep his faith in the Reverend.

It is an admirable act of friendship fitting as a private citizen, but it is an act unbecoming of a US president, for he must stand, not by his friend who failed his hope and faith in America, but by his country and all its people. This, in spite of his rhetorical eloquence, he failed, no, refused to do. His speech did neither heal America's racial problems nor of his own; indeed, he has become, to many Americans, a part of the America's racial problems, not the solution as he pretends. Mr. Obama, unwittingly, has become a racially divisive man, the Democrat's November Bogeyman.

http://the-unreadiness-of-barack-obama.blogspot.com

Why are so many people alarmed that black people have issues with America? That it would be expressed at the black church. America has strangled black people for hundreds of years, but Americans are shocked at black anger. Some Americans are tired of hearing about racial injustice, but continue to participate in, and perpetuate racism. Go figure.

As a foreign observer, I can only state the obvious: change is difficult and the posters here appear torn between the need for it and the comfort of the known.

As for Pastor Wright, what are his other stances and deeds? I cannot not judge someone on a single issue -- however a failing.

I also appreciate the comments from a few posters about their friends: they are not perfect... neither are mine

At least Jeremiah Wright was an honest, straightforward hatemonger - no 'ifs' or 'buts' about his statements. Look out for his successor pastor, who was interviewed yesterday on NPR. Such sophistry, such double-talk and Black Studies jargon in trying to defend Wright's indefensible bigotry and loss of touch with reality! The guy should've been born in the Middle Ages. He might've managed to put the proverbial camel thru the eye of a needle after all.

US foriegn policy does feed terrorism, There is racism inherent in US domestic policy, and there are racists in public office. To deny that these are truths is ignorant at best. That the words Wright chose to express these truths offend some people has nothing to do with who Obama is. Obama's speech was great.
All this reactionary hub-bub over Wright only fans the flames of divisiveness. I am not a big Obama fan, but this whole event has increased my respect for him.

So it was only after a reporter stepped forward to say that Obama not only was present when such racist filth was shouted from the pulpit, but nodding in agreement, that Obama is forced to admit he really was there.

Sorry, we've heard enough of your lies to allow you near the White House.

The anti-Obama people on this blog will not be won over no matter what he says or does. They weren't going to vote for him before because he was a Muslim but now because he's a bad Christian. I find it hilarious that those who liked to emphasize his last name to exploit anti-Muslim sentiment and loved to lie pabout his "Islamic-terrorist connections" now want to paint themselves as champions of civil rights.

To those who expect Obama to denounce not only the words but also the pastor, look into your own lives and your own family for the people you would also be expected to disown. Obama's speech spoke to me in many ways. I am a white woman of Irish-German descent with a husband and children of Irish, German, African and Japanese ethnic backgrounds. Differences in race and culture have always been a topic in my home; we encourage diversity and tolerance and are proud to be Americans. I grew up and still live in a predominantly conservative Republican county. Although I was raised in a progressive home, my extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents) are predominantly conservative Republicans. My grandparents moved here several decades ago from the south. I was taught to value my Irish-German and Appalachian heritage, and I always will. My grandparents and extended family are good people, not people I would consider racist, and they have never encouraged discrimination. BUT behind closed doors, it wasn't uncommon to hear a "black joke", and it was with them that I first heard the words porch monkey, watermelon and n*****. If someone had a camera and the videos had been posted on Youtube, my family would be demonized right now.

A couple of weeks ago a white coworker made a black joke in front of me, and when he looked at me and remembered the faces of my children his face turned red and he had to stammer out an excuse. I have not treated him differently, but he has since tried to avoid me because he feels shame. Until blacks and whites are able to discuss things openly with each other, not hiding behind each other's races and without fear of being demonized, the problems we are having will continue to exist. This is a person I would consider a friend, someone that I know as a Christian believes in equality but who also grew up like I did where using terms and jokes like that was not to be taken seriously, but could only be said among other whites. Although I too have been ashamed of some of the things my family and friends have said, and in every way I discourage their talk, I love them. I understand them, and I know they are not racist people. This is a lesson I have had to learn to balance ever since I was told that my extended family would probably not accept my life choices and that I should not try to push the issue, just understand the time and place that has contributed to their views only to be surprised when they fell in love with my children (and it surprised them a little too). My husband and I have learned many lessons from each other and our families (he too has some family members that had a lot of trouble accepting me), one of which being that a person is not defined by one speech or by one action but by their actions and experiences and contributions over a lifetime.

The other day I was eating in a restaurant and, not quietly, my father used the word "colored" to refer to a black person. Needless to say, I didn't disown him. I simply laughed and corrected him. The race issue is not black and white anymore. It is not about the klansmen vs. the civil rights worker. It is mostly gray and I can find the wonderful qualities of my grandparents who were raised in another time as much as I can find joy and hope in the faces of my little children. After watching Obama's speech, I decided that I supported him even more for president, but a calmness also came to me after seeing this race get so nasty in the last few weeks. I realized that even if he is not elected president, I have hope for America that the Barack Obamas of the world exist and they will continue to make a difference with their leadership in our country regardless.

On a side note, regardless of who you root for, I am worried about the general election. I support Obama, but would proudly vote for Hillary because she too mirrors more of my concerns more than McCain. To vote for McCain is to vote for a third term of Bush, and that would be devastating to our country. Unfortunately, a lot of dems are so passionately caught up in this they are not so willing to vote for the other candidate if they get the nomination, on both sides. This problem, and the attacks that have risen since before OH and TX will tear both of our candidates apart and McCain is the only one to gain from that. I hope, for the greater benefit of our country, that we can come together to support the candidate the most closely mirrors our beliefs no matter how disappointing it is. If you truly vote based on the issues no one that supports Hillary should vote for McCain if Obama gets the nom, and vice versa (and I'm not a big advocate of any politician, but at least the dems are bringing SOMETHING to the table as opposed to other side which just wants to continue on the same path).

As always, most Americans fail to see what the real problem is? Most Americans are naive enough to think that when Osama Bin Laden is killed, the war on terrorism would be over. You are dead wrong. There would be many Bin Ladens in future. Address the real problem. Find out the reasons for why part of your people do not feel the same way about America. That is the one you should concentrate on. The simple truth is majority DOES NOT like a black president. No need for any more hair-splitting arguments, period.

Anyway, we should thank those white voters who are brave enough to see the reality.

There is one thing that both Obama and Clinton have in common: they are both human and flawed, and perhaps deeply so. Clinton's flaws are numerous and difficult. Obama's flaws are now also becoming more apparent. He ran for president after not even one term in the senate because he does not have a track record and therefore is able to be an EVERYPERSON candidate; we can project onto his candidacy our hopes of a better future, be they founded on reality or not.

Perhaps that is why there is such religious fervor and romanticism that surrounds his campaign. It is like the early stages of falling in love, mythic, wonderful, and simply addictive. Well, I guess the fall-out had to start at some point.

I don't love Hillary, I don't think I love Barack, I really did love Al Gore though.

Obama's speech was just that--a speech. Like Martin Luther King, I look forward to the day when people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. So far, all Obama has been is pretty words without actions. I am not dismissing his candidacy because of the color of his skin, but because of his lack of character. Rev. Wright, by his demonizing of "white" America, is fostering continued racism. Obama should have called him on that issue. I am also a member of a UCC church and if a preacher gave a sermon like that, he or I would be out of that church by the following Sunday.

Quite honestly Obama spoke about his relationship with his pastor and his concern over statements that his pastor made back in the Ohio debate. No one paid attention at that time. He stated that he had conversations with his pastor and contemplated what should be done and since his pastor was retiring, he felt that the need to leave the church was no longer required. Obama takes the time to get to know people, both the good and the bad. That is called relationship. There are many people that willingly walk out on relationships once troubling issues arise. However, it takes good judgement and balance to weigh a relationship that is overall good vs that which is outright poor. I am so excited that people that I am in a relationship with have not thrown me under the bus when I act out of character. I definitely know that people that I am not in a relationship with will not only throw me under the bus and drive over me several times. Obama used good judgement and gave us a challenge to do the same.

Dont compare selected remarks from a minister's sermon and create a KKK organization of this church. There is racism - racism black, racism white all over this country. Unfortunately white racism against blacks has more power- more money and terrible consequences... I say again- wake up citizens- Dont let entertainers and merchants of the status quo cover the real problem with coments about how they are manifest in our - one nation under God.

JanetP wrote "If this had been a white clergy spewing that hatred about blacks the candidate would have to withdraw from the race."

Right, just like Bush was forced to withdraw after the endorsement of racist, sexist, homophobic hate-mongers like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and John Hagee

To AJ and the other posters so concerned about Wright's "hateful" influence on Obama: please point me to one reference, from Obama's books or otherwise, that demonstrate any of the hateful or racist opinions you are so concerned about. Link them here so we can all see them. It would be hugely educational.

If the only characteristics necessary for our President were Charisma and Speech making, then hands down the best person for the job is Obama. Oh but wait, perhaps we would like something a little more? I love the fact that if you question Obama then you are obviously uneducated and uncomprehending. Uh oh, I have used big words, perhaps I am not uneducated. Well then, I must be a racist and a bigot. Who else would question Obama's legitimacy? No real thinking person who isn't a racist. (Because with Obama's candidacy you are simply required to accept his legitimacy, rather then question his abilities and make up of character).
If a candidate is not willing to answer to questions regarding their candidacy, then they have no business running for office (no matter what color their skin is).

It's interesting that the people from the inventors of racism in this country get so riled up when they perceive a non-white person as being a "racist." Yet in comparison they hardly make a sound when one of the own displays racism. They certainly don't get mad like they are with Obama.

Obama loves his country,is a strong and inspirational leader, is not a racist, is the most intelligent person to run for this office in a long time, and is not responsible for the words that come out of Rev Wright's mouth, or anyone's mouth, but his own.

If you come across any clips of him being racist or know of anyone who can truthfully testify he's seen Obama behave in a racist way, then show me the clip. Otherwise, please shut up and move on.

McCain or Clinton = more of the same.

Let's all move on.

Amy, go ahead, crucify McCain for his bad associations...we're waiting...or are you only ready to bash the black man for his associations? Obama has a rich history of altruism...what have you done lately other than bash a black man?

downix,

In typical internet debate fashion you choose to spin and deflect instead of refuting what I was saying. Usually a good indiactor that you have no retort.

As far as I know, none of the candidates have attended and monetarily supported any of their churches for 20 years, have they? (really I'd like to know) Even if so, what is your point? I would hold McCain of Hillary to the same standard if they have.

In my opinion they (the people you listed)are just as guilty as Wright for some of the things I've heard them quoted as saying. Fortunately, I wouldn't listen to them if you paid me.

Just like the church that protested at my friend who died in Iraq's funeral, pure and utter ignorance and hatred.

Ignorance is ignorance and hatred is hatred, regardless of the color of skin or reasons the orator feels that way. Its too bad you can't seem to see it that way, "blame whitey"....

It is beyond belief that a 37 minute speech will wipe out 20 years of saying AMEN to pastor Wright.

In context - we now know the premise behind his wife's only now feeling proud to be an American!

It is insulting to hear Obama say that he was unaware of Wright's racism! It is an insult for Obama to suggest that this occurs in every church in America!

I found it insulting that Obama used the word "controversial" to describe Wright's diatribes.

It's like Hamas has had controversial things to say about Jews!

Wright was not just Obama's pastor, he is hugely influential on Obama. Wright helped with Obama's book. Wright was also deeply involved with Obama's campaign until Friday. Obama even notes that he has a depp friendship with Wright. And we aren't supposed to be concerned? It is like a white man being a friend of a known KKK member, would that person ever be a viable candidate for President?

Just to show how out of touch the races in America are with each other, white people seem to be shocked, SHOCKED at the professed veiws of Rev. Wright, views that have been held in the black community (at least the one in Southeast Queens with which I'm familiar) for at least the past 25 years. What the whites consider crackpot theories have been unchallenged gospel to their black countrymen for a long time--see early speeches by Rev. Al Sharpton if you don't believe me. As we learned with Nazi Germany, people who feel disenfranchised for any reason will sieze upon a scapegoat for their ills, no matter how illogical. THAT is human nature, not a tendency to racism as one commenter above suggests (watch pre-schoolers interact if you want to know about "human nature"). When I attended a mostly-black college, my classmates were convinced there was a cabal of white students who circulated "A" papers among themselves & somehow got the answers for all the tests, which they shared only with each other. As one of the very few white students on campus, I knew this wasn't true; the whites all had different majors & most of us barely knew each other, having closer ties with our actual classmates. My protests fell on deaf ears; my classmates were more comfortable believing such a conspiracy, which excluded them on racial lines, existed. People have "comfort" zones, no matter how miserable, that they can't be dragged out of. That as well is human nature.

Yesterday morning, I heard Miss Jones, a hip-hop radio host in NYC, use Sen. Obama's speech to again chew over the canard that "certain people" were warned away from the WTC on 9/11. While I was rolling my eyes in my car, I knew my former classmates were nodding to each other in agreement in theirs. This is our challenge; although Sen. Obama is widely admired on both sides of the color line, it doesn't look like anyone's ready to play nice just on his say-so. A lot of things are going to have to change before we all can feel we're living in the same country together.

Beware of wolves in sheep clothing, we are watching him unfold. These people are no better than the idiots from the KKK in the 50,s and 60,s. I am from the south and still live here and love it. There will always be people like Mr. Wright and Obama. We must rise above these people and live in a way that will be pleasing to God. These people are not of God and will reap theirs when they meet him.
We must use our own good sense and wipe these people out of our presence.
Blacks and Whites alike do not need these career bigots and the sooner that they are gone the better this country will be.

What I find amazing here is the lack of full thought about the situation as a whole. Obama is being crucified over this relationship; it has been discussed in every major news outlet and is getting international attention for its race issues.

Now, lets take a counter view. John Hagee is an televangelist who works out of San Antonio Texas. His church has 17,000 attendees and he has a radio and T.V. ministry that reaches hundreds of thousands. His ministry is full of hate, vitriol and awful messages about Catholics and other religions. He supports Israel, but only because he feels it is an essential component of the Apocalypse; the final destruction of Israel is a key component to the end of times.

John Hagee has a lot of money, and as such, when he came out in support of John McCain, it isn't surprising that John met with him, on air, and thanked him for his support saying that his views were in line with Mr. Hagee's. When he was called on this, he recanted this position and repudiated his relationship with Mr. Hagee. The national news coverage of this sequence of events... nill.

Is the coverage of Obama equivalent to the coverage of McCain in terms of these events? Obviously not. Now I'm not going to say that this difference is due to racism, but I will say that Obama's response seemed, at least to me, to be more mature, introspective, and what I would want and expect of a national leader. I do however, think we need to look at our collective response to this issue, and ask ourselves, are we being fair in our judgments?

I hope Hillary will now give a speech which addresses the gender issue. Blacks were given the right to vote before women.

A man seeking the highest office in the world goes on TV to explain his twenty-year relationship to a mentor/best friend who uses public hate speech regularly (condemning the U.S.A.), and is greeted with kudos and laurels as a magnificent orator.
Although he never apologizes and mentions how white folks really should understand his "old uncle", he is lauded while some journalists apologize to him. Good God!

The fact is that Christian society has a need for messiah figures. When things get rough we need to look to a Martin Luther, a Queen Elizabeth, or an Adolph Hitler.
Things are bad in the states. One of the worst leaders the "free world" has ever known has been reigning over the greatest war machine the world has ever known. Globally it's been a catastophic 7 years and counting. Now we need a messiah, but apparently the American messiahs are only skin deep. Shall we elect a black man or a white woman? Because certainly that will solve the problem! Let's not actually question the status quo, let's not wonder why our leaders come from Harvard, Yale, or Georgetown, let's not insist that we no longer spend more money on weapons than the rest of the world combined.... No, let's just elect a biped with black skin or a biped with a vagina and well... that ought'a do it.
From Istanbul with love.

For me, Obama's speech was like listening to Bush speak! I can never truly get what President Bush is trying to convey, even though he has access to many speech coaches. It's pretty much the same with Obama. I miss the message since he takes so long to deliver it. Its sort of like our local weather people. Obama should have immediately beat down the furor over the Rev.'s comments, instead of trying to create a pivotal moment in the campaign. I understand that he has come a long way since his initial association with his church and I wouldn't want him to change that for me or anyone else. However, Obama is a lawyer and he is running for President of the United States. I don't believe for one second that he is perfect, but sometimes you just need to be decisive and to the point. That IS a quality I want to see in our President. Of course the race for President will get nasty, but that is the nature of the beast. Currently, he is not in a position to create 'change,' so now he has to get with the program to win the race. Once a runner crosses the line, he usually is sweaty and dirty.

As i look at this political race, the one thing I find interesting is that the media, opponents, other parties, etc, will use all they can to try and destroy a persons reputation. Obama is being criticized and condemned for something his pastor said. Just because the pastor made a comment doesn't mean he supports what he says.
You tell me how many times everyone who has responded to this subject and attends church, has heard a statement from their pastor, father, priest that they have agreed or disagreed with. You can't mix politics and religion at all but because there's nothing in his past that's considered damaging, they use this to try and destroy his accoutability. I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary had something to do with the whole thing; and if it was the republicans, they fear the challenge they'll have in defeating Obama.

My point is that if you're going to look as far as the opponents pastor, look at all their pastor, I'm sure things were said that was not ageed to. Unless you've been through the struggle and still going through the struggle in a country that still treats you unfairly and unjustly, don't hate on a pastor that simply informs his congregation that racial is still alive and well today when you treat those who come in this country barely knowing english with the utmost respect especially since we helped build this country in slavery as well as inventions that aren't really reconized.
What is America afraid of, the possibility that a black intelligent man might get in office and do a good job? You tell me.

This comment thread is so full of straw men that we might want to think about capitalizing on the situation to grow some corn.

Why does anyone believe that there actually should be a religious test for public office?

What if such a test violated the Constitution of the nation?

What then?

The actual quality of Barack Obama's speech last Tuesday showed him to be a man of stature and intellgience, head and shoulders higher in integrity, strength and articulate vision than either Hillary or John. This clear difference in quality is evident in the clarity of his speech, the care of his thought, and the courage with which he held his own position while refusing to be buffalo'd into a tap-dance by the frenetic arm-waving histrionics of the media and his somewhat fanatic detractors.

It is not about adulation; people support the man because of something much simpler: recognition. They recognize intelligence, they recognize principle, and they recognize their own deep inner hunger for a saner dialogue. They see these things in themselves, when they are thinking clearly and calmly, and they see them in Barack.

As such he is constantly demonstrating the most important quality you could desire in a president: the ability to lead toward an uncompromising vision of a better nation.

This is the ability George Bush pretended to have when he asserted he was a "uniter" who "knew how to lead"; subscribing to that pretense led us into chaos and the hottest division between groups and families in this nation since the Civil War. But Bush never demonstrated either capability. Instead, he demonstrated the ability to manipulate and coerce.

Obama has demonstrated the genuine article, over and over again.

Send this man to the White House and let him work.

Where do these people come from? I don't care one bit what his pastor said (several years ago I might add).
Some people seem to be on a witch hunt. let's face it, anyone who is paying attention has been upset or embarrassed about what this country has done.
Thomas Jefferson said that the greatest form of patriotism is dissent....
Let's judge Obama for what he has said and done.

Obama is under a fierce attack right now, but I have confidence that he'll weather it out and win the Dem. nomination.

IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT, UNBIASED VIEW OF EVENTS IN THE NEWS, VISIT THE NEWSBREAK TIMES, WHICH IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER RUN ENTIRELY BY TEENAGERS.

www.newsbreaktimes.com

As i look at this political race, the one thing I find interesting is that the media, opponents, other parties, etc, will use all they can to try and destroy a persons reputation. Obama is being criticized and condemned for something his pastor said. Just because the pastor made a comment doesn't mean he supports what he says.
You tell me how many times everyone who has responded to this subject and attends church, has heard a statement from their pastor, father, priest that they have agreed or disagreed with. You can't mix politics and religion at all but because there's nothing in his past that's considered damaging, they use this to try and destroy his accoutability. I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary had something to do with the whole thing; and if it was the republicans, they fear the challenge they'll have in defeating Obama.

My point is that if you're going to look as far as the opponents pastor, look at all their pastor, I'm sure things were said that was not ageed to. Unless you've been through the struggle and still going through the struggle in a country that still treats you unfairly and unjustly, don't hate on a pastor that simply informs his congregation that racial is still alive and well today when you treat those who come in this country barely knowing english with the utmost respect especially since we helped build this country in slavery as well as inventions that aren't really reconized.
What is America afraid of, the possibility that a black intelligent man might get in office and do a good job? You tell me.

Although Rev Wright may not of delivered his sermon in a politically correct fashion I did not think what he had to say was racist nor wrong. Yes, America is run by RICH WHITE FOLKS. It's just that all the middle class whites dont want to acknowledge this fact just like they want to pretend the war in Iraq will just go away... whats racist is that America IS RUN BY RICH WHITE FOLKS. The racism of this country is now coming out....

Regards,

FROM A WHITE MIDDLE CLASS AMERICAN.

It's called a play on logic. Obama's attempt is to confuse people and get them to agree with him on overriding theme (it's time to be open and honest about race relations) and, therefore, tacitly and inadvertently approve of and forget about the very reason of what brought us all there in the first place (his questionable and close relationship with Wright.) You know what that technique is called? Political spin. You know who uses it? Politicians.

I think Obama's main appeal is based on the utter disgust of Bush and what has occurred under his watch. The pendulum has swung so far to the negative that Obama looks like a savior, mostly because of his ability to make passionate and moving speeches.
The same collective emotional hysteria that garnered Bush a 76 percent favorability rating post 911 is the same type of collective hysteria that has propelled Obama into this near 'superhero' status.
The rational choice is Clinton, plain and simple. She has experience where it is needed most. She has been the victim of and has been battling the Republican machine ever since Bill Clinton was elected. Nobody can say otherwise unless you just weren't paying attention. Her senate record speaks for itself. She knows how to get things done in our government.

Obama, in similiar fashion to JFK, is eloquent and apparently makes people feel really good. Again, I say this is because Bush has managed to bring a negative pawl over the entire country. However, JFK had a problem with actually getting things done. Of course, his presidency ended before we could really find out but that is another subject to discuss.

The next 8 years are crucial for the United States. We either put someone in the White House with true experience or someone that gives great speeches.

Iraq is not going away. Obama says he will withdraw troops rapidly if elected president. This will result in straight up genocide. Why would any coalition force stick around if the U.S. is gone?

When Bush said he was a uniter he had no idea that he would unite the nation against him and his policies. We are stuck in Iraq (remember Kerry being ridiculed for that remark? turns out it's true) with no visible method of leaving Iraq without making the situation worse.

If we learn anything from the last seven years, it is to not let emotion run the show. How did Bush become elected twice? How did that happen? The same type of thinking is going to put an unqualified person in the White House yet again. If you rationally and objectively look at all the issues then Clinton is the best choice. She has the power/people behind her that is needed to get something done.
I would like to see Clinton for at least 4 years, 8 if she does a good job, followed by Obama.
That would be the smartest method do quash the Republican hold on our goverment.

I think Obama's main appeal is based on the utter disgust of Bush and what has occurred under his watch. The pendulum has swung so far to the negative that Obama looks like a savior, mostly because of his ability to make passionate and moving speeches.
The same collective emotional hysteria that garnered Bush a 76 percent favorability rating post 911 is the same type of collective hysteria that has propelled Obama into this near 'superhero' status.
The rational choice is Clinton, plain and simple. She has experience where it is needed most. She has been the victim of and has been battling the Republican machine ever since Bill Clinton was elected. Nobody can say otherwise unless you just weren't paying attention. Her senate record speaks for itself. She knows how to get things done in our government.

Obama, in similiar fashion to JFK, is eloquent and apparently makes people feel really good. Again, I say this is because Bush has managed to bring a negative pawl over the entire country. However, JFK had a problem with actually getting things done. Of course, his presidency ended before we could really find out but that is another subject to discuss.

The next 8 years are crucial for the United States. We either put someone in the White House with true experience or someone that gives great speeches.

Iraq is not going away. Obama says he will withdraw troops rapidly if elected president. This will result in straight up genocide. Why would any coalition force stick around if the U.S. is gone?

When Bush said he was a uniter he had no idea that he would unite the nation against him and his policies. We are stuck in Iraq (remember Kerry being ridiculed for that remark? turns out it's true) with no visible method of leaving Iraq without making the situation worse.

If we learn anything from the last seven years, it is to not let emotion run the show. How did Bush become elected twice? How did that happen? The same type of thinking is going to put an unqualified person in the White House yet again. If you rationally and objectively look at all the issues then Clinton is the best choice. She has the power/people behind her that is needed to get something done.
I would like to see Clinton for at least 4 years, 8 if she does a good job, followed by Obama.
That would be the smartest method do quash the Republican hold on our goverment.

I'm so sick of this country's obsession with drama and scandals... we need a president who is intelligent and has sound policies and knows solve problems. Obama's speech indicated to me that he is focused on solving America's problems and that he wants the American people to know where he stands. I think it was a very brave and heartfelt speech, and one that was certain to make some Americans uncomfortable. But Obama was truthful. I would think after the last 8 yrs of a disasterous Bush presidency, the people of this country would be focused on solving America's problems rather than the latest scandal to be broadcast on Fox News. If we continue to be more interested in the sex lives, etc, of our politicians than how they vote then we deserve what we get, which will be more of what we have now... a poor economy and poor job prospects for our children and a government that will continue to work for the powerful and advantaged while forgetting about the middle-class and poor Americans. I think Hillary would be a competent President, but her insistence that the only states that matter are those that she has won clearly demonstrates that her thinking about the role of government is the same old elitist view. Obama wants to get Americans involved. This is how a representative democracy is supposed to work. I think it's our fault if we'd rather keep a politician in office because we are comfortable with them even though they don't vote in our interest than to try something new. That got us 4 more years of Bush.

One of the oldest admonitions I remember is..."Believe what you see, not what I say." Obama is saying..."Do as I say, not as I do." Which of these expressions should a future president be saying to you?

But farfalle44 wrote, "Given his latest screw-ups, the question should be asked, does Obama even KNOW how to tell the truth? Does he have something against legitimate questions being asked of him, and just flat out refusing to answer them? I've never seen a candidate get away with what he has been getting away with by way of non-responsive answers and empty rhetoric my whole life!"

And you haven't been watching the man currently in the president's position for the past 8 years do the same and worse?

There is a very real difference here. Obama at least comes across as genuine. He doesn't skate around the questions like the above poster is trying to state. Sure, there are some that he has been extra careful with but he hasn't blatantly misdirected or deflected the questions like our current prestigious leader.

Can we trade Obama and Hillary for Edwards and Biden? We have two candidates with heavy baggage. Doesn't bode well fof the future.

Can we trade Obama and Hillary for Edwards and Biden? We have two candidates with heavy baggage. Doesn't bode well fof the future.

Can we trade Obama and Hillary for Edwards and Biden? We have two candidates with heavy baggage. Doesn't bode well fof the future.

Jessica wrote "I cannot imagine the media uproar had Hilary been involved for over 20 years with an advisor who denounces the United States and a section of its populace. Her candidacy would be over, period. So is it ok for Obama simply because he is a man of color?"

I agree. This would be unacceptable if Hilary had the same issue occuring. Remeber that you may never question Obama, or you are a racist or ignorant or both! Apparently race is playing an issue, and Obama has used it since the beggning. Remember the begginig? Obama's rhetoric was "I know what I said, but that isnt what I meant" which has now become "I didnt, well maybe I did, but I never bought into it". This is Presidential material? Hardly.

Where can an African American go to deconstruct the racist American experience? It seems church is not even a safe haven...
Be careful citizens, a divided racial society is destroying our 'one nation under God.' Especially when this is a class struggle disguised as a race struggle. Rev. Wright is a finger pointing at this problem -Get your eye off his finger and onto the problem! Dont let corp media and entertainers describe this problem- Just look at it.

One of the oldest admonitions I remember is..."Believe what you see not what I say." Obama is saying..."Do as I say not as I do." Which of these expressions should a future president be saying to you?

Barak Obama must NOT be elected. It has NOTHING to do with his skin color, it has to do with credibility. The pastor at my church NEVER made racist comments, instead he constantly preaches love, forgiveness, acceptance of all god's creations. I found a pastor that is a good man, how come Obama couldn't do the same? Also, why hasn't anyone jumped all over his wife and her no-show jobs, or Obama's association with an imprisoned felon

Obama LIED. Period. On Friday he clearly made the statement that he was not there and when pushed, he clearly said that he would have LEFT the church had he known about it. Then in his Speech on Tuesday, he ADMITTED that he was there in the phew when such hateful comments was made. Now he says that it's America fault that made Wright what he his and he cannot disown him. What poor Judgement!!! Obama will "Change" the country from moving away from progressing to heal and Obama by not disowning J Wright will encourage more hateful sermon by saying, it is all right to let your children( future generations) be subjected to such preeching and brainwashing by wrongly and falsely accusing all Whites/government of being hate mongers and racist. How can Obama say that he can move us forward, when his Pastor views are stuck in the 60's and he agrees with them. Obama will take us backward as he even got endorsed by the Black Phanthers. Obama should infact apologise, resign and not play the Race issue to his advantage. What shame.

Obama's speech is one of the coldest political exploitation I have ever heard: attacking his own grandmother by comparing her private fear of black men to his pastor (Wright)'s public anti-american, racism vitriol. This guy would say anything to get ahead.

It's sad and ironic that Obama has been brought down by a black person - a minister no less. Obama might well have been our next president. I doubt it now.

Interesting that with all the white support he's had and needed to win, it only took one black man to possibly change the course of history.

It's odd and ironic that this discourse about race started as the result of what a black person said.

What a pity. What a shame.

Obama was elected into office in 1996.

Hillary has only held an elected position since 2000.

Who has more experience??!!? Way to swallow the HRC campaign's crap.

And, for those of you using the word, a bigot is "a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion." Be careful how you use that in reference to Rev. Wright, while not accepting his views.

Does anyone here care about the war? the failing economy? the loss of our civil liberties? global warming? political corruption?

You know a person by the company he/she keeps. Obama has kept this anti-American, racist for 20 years as his pastor and "inspirational mentor" (Obama's own word)

I an dissapointed to have caught Obama in a lie. I thought he had integrity, now know him as the mealy mouthed equivocator he has become.

If we were all called to account for what even our FRIENDS, let alone fellow church members, have said, then you can bet that they'd still be looking for the remains of the last couple posters.

"For all the wonderful rhetoric and tantalizing promise of Obama and his speech, there's not much that is actually new here. Obama's speech was largely a restatement of Jeremiah Wright's indictment of America, delivered in University of Chicago parlance instead of South Side Chicago diatribe".

Obama attempted to explain Wright's anger as typical of the civil rights generation, with its "memories of humiliation and doubt and fear." But Wright's problem is exactly the opposite: He ignored the message of Martin Luther King Jr. and introduced a new generation to the politics of hatred.

Obama's speech did little to address his strange tolerance for the anti-Americanism of his spiritual mentor

I agree with the NY Times editorial yesterday that concluded that Mr. Obama had tried to riese the discussion related to this topic to a higher plane. I would be delighted to see the rest of the nation take on these issues with as much personal introspection, honesty, thoughtfulness and forthrightness as has been shown by this candidate in a time in which he is under pressure to cave to the opinions of those who are not any of these things. Unfortunately, it seems that there are plenty of folks determined to drag the discussion back down one or two planes themselves. More shame on them! I will definitely be voting for Mr. Obama in November if the Good Lord will put him on the ballot for me to do so.

The cat is out of the bag, and we are now seeing the real soul of Obama being revealed by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright who, by the way, would have likely ended up in the Obama cabinet at the White House were Obama to be elected.

Dear 21,

And where are your similar comments against Fallwell and Robertson?

Dear Mike,

Well said, so where is your comments on forums regarding Rev Robertson, Graham and Fallwell, hrm?

Obama's pastor and mentor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright is a man who less than a week after 9/11 gave a sermon that sadistically rejoiced how America's chickens had come home to roost. Five days earlier, Americans (of all colors, incidentally) had leapt from the World Trade Center to escape the flames. And this is the Wright context!

Post's Nov. 3, 2008 headline,

"Democrats self-destruct, McCain Wins!"

So tired of posters claiming Obama is unpatriotic.

Actually listen to his speech first, will you?

At least no one is raving about him being Muslim anymore. Just that one Clinton supporter who rants about Obama being Indian and therefore not trustworthy.

Sen. Obama's speech was balanced, reasoned, and truthful. He is quite right to object to racially charged statements, but without condemning the speakers. We can't possibly have reconciliation unless we are able to consider and confront the viewpoints of others calmly, even when we know those viewpoints are wrong-headed and hurtful.

double standard,

Well, where's the Media outcry and constant repeating of quotes from the Rev Graham, robertson, Fallwell?

I see no backlash, a double standard indeed.

I find it hard to understand why the discussion is not focused more on the blatantly racist nature of the remarks and why blacks seem to think this is perfectly
acceptable. It isn't.

America has taken very big steps in making sure that equality is achieved. Acting like white people have done nothing at all, and in fact continue to be as racist as the segregation days, is simply ridiculous.

In fact, I would venture to say that all of this "anger" at whites is simply a vestige of the past that some blacks are desperately holding on to because it gives them a voice and a power that they do not have without it.

Ultimately, the sins of the past must be forgiven if people like Wright truly desire equality in this country.

Dave Hoyman,

You mean like how the Clintons embraced anti-semite Rev Graham?

Barack Obama's speech was amazing, mesmerizing, and historical. Indeed, it did tackle an issue in very blunt, honest terms. No doubt, Obama was speaking from his heart. Undeniably, race is an issue worthy of our attention. It requires a strong and robust dialogue. And the time for that dialogue is long overdue. Nobody denies that Obama seized a moment and brought many of us to tears.

The problem is that in seizing that moment, Barack Obama twisted logic and pulled off a very clever bait and switch. In short, Barack Obama acted like a politician. Nothing wrong with that but for the fact that Obama's whole political narrative (his "story") sold to the American electorate is antithetic to such behavior.

Yes, ironically, Obama's refreshingly open, candid speech on race actually served another entirely different purpose: that of a smokescreen to distract the American public from the core of his current dilemma -- his long, deep, and formative relationship with an extremely divisive figure named Reverend Wright.

Conveniently, Obama has taken something that is an absolute and undeniable truth (race relations are a problem in America) and attached it to something that is flawed and wrong (Wright's hate speech). It's called a play on logic. His attempt is to confuse people and get them to agree with him on overriding theme (it's time to be open and honest about race relations) and, therefore, tacitly and inadvertently approve of and forget about the very reason of what brought us all there in the first place (his questionable and close relationship with Wright.) You know what that technique is called? Political spin. You know who uses it? Politicians.

I just wonder what the liberal media's response would be if Huckabee as minister or even Mc Cain's minister had some of the following quotes:

"Black people sell crack to whites in hopes that they overdose and die"

"Black people flew planes into the trade centers because they were full of rich white folk"

"Damn Africa for sending us these murderous blacks, damn Africa, damn Africa"

These are basically the racial opposite of what Wright said and if any white man or woman had uttered these words I can only imagine the backlash.

Imus-whom I despise-jokingly called black baskteball players nappy headed hoes and he was made out to be the next hitler.

The double standard in this country is utterly ridiculous.

The white man isn't keeping anybody down. The ghetto mentality and people like Wright, Sharpton and Jackson who spread lies, hate and fear to keep a people subjagated for nothing more then money and power are the ones holding the black communtiy back.

Bill Cosby has some great things to say about this subject and I find it sad so many blacks refuse to listen to or even acknowledge what he is saying.

Where is all the uproar and fury over Rev. Hagee's hateful remarks concerning Catholicism? Or his support of a war with Iran? This is a man John McCain calls a supporter, and refuses to repudiate. A man who uses his church as a cash cow :
> A man who lives in a 5,000 sq.ft+ mansion in Texas.
Is it because he's white and Republican that we all ignore his rhetoric? It is just as hate-filled as Rev.Wright's and should be treated equally.

Obama represents something that has been missing in American politics for a long time, a great oratory tradition. Sen. Clinton and many of his detractors like to talk of his "nice words," or even "empty rhetoric," but it is exactly what represents a great leader, his words. All of the greatest leaders in history were able to move people with their words. Words spur people into action, stimulate thought, facilitate discussion, and most importantly get people involved and give them purpose and just cause.

The powers that be in Washington over the past 40-50 years have been deliberately trying to lull the people into apathy with their lack of words and lack of inspiration so that they could continue to pull the wool over the masses and serve the corporate interests and their own pocketbooks and agendas. An apathetic electorate is a politicians wet dream.

As a former McCain supporter I say way to go Obama! At the very least he will serve to wake-up the electorate, stir things up and maybe get the people involved in this government that was created of the people, by the people and for the people.

"Partisan politics will be the downfall of our great democracy." - George Washington

I love to read the rhetoric of those self-righteous home-brewed political commentators. They cry, "Stop the hate, stop the hate. We live in the equal society. I personally am blameless for any racism." And I say to them, let the innocent of that ever pervasive sin of racism cast the first stone at Obama. Unfortunately, all I see are flying bricks, whilst the assailants hide their eyes.

It is all fine and dandy to say "cant we all just get along". Where was the courage to standup and say this to Jeremiah Wright when he was spewing his hate? NO NO NO Barak, you have

NO JUDGEMENT
NO LEADERSHIP

Please no more snakeoil salemanships

Shame on you for supporting a racist, hate moger with money and time for more then 20 YEARS !!!! Wow, talk about being blind and deaf and dumb !!!

Questioner fails to recognize that John McCain has not only attended the sermons of racist whites and hate mongering pastors, but has gone out of his way to embrace them, to endorse them,to seek their endorsement and support. Most of the people who are posting comments on this page have not bothered to listen to Obama's speech all the way through. At best they have depended on te snippets that the networks are pulling out of context. Many of them work for the GOP. I'm an independent who has had some doubts about Obama in the past, but this entire controversy and his eloquent discussion of race has convinced me that maybe I should give him my support. What an intelligent young man!

To Ann in NC: although I am young enough to be your granddaughter, your story is very familiar to me from my own family's histories and what I know of the legacies of life in the South. I think that many of us "white people down here" might be less surprised or offended by the words of Revered Wright than folks in other parts of the country because we, too, have seen what he is talking about. And I think Obama got it exactly right when he said, in essence, that the legacy of racism is still being used to keep us apart because it is in the financial and political advantage of a small group of people to play that game. Again, I think those of us who have seen this "us against them" game played so overtly are maybe more ready to acknowledge that it's still happening - and to express our profound desire to change the rules.

I'm reminded of the song Bob Dylan wrote in response to Medgar Evers's assassination, "Only a Pawn in Their Game." That's what the Wright controversy feels like to me, right now. Wright's "incendiary" statements are getting played to work up a bunch of people and take the focus off the real issues of war, a collapsing economy, the healthcare crisis, etc. Do we even realize that we're pawns?

That was an amazing speech that hit on all sides of the race issue. Rev. Wright is not making hate speech. He's only speaking what the black community has endured for many years. I grew up in a an all white charismatic church and they preached about the same things. If you lived in mostly poverished neighborhoods, you may view it differently. As a caucasion growing up in the South, there was a lot of racism. Obama is truly an inspirational person to bridge that gap and hopefully deal with the issues that hit both black and whites. I just can't comprehend the stupidity that these people are showing that denounce Obama. We finally have a chance to get fresh ideas in Washington and people are either too stupid or too afraid to allow that to happen. This country has grown into a fascist nation and we need to get rid of the people that have allowed that to happen over the past couple of decades.

Bottom Line,

When America is a 51% combination of black voters, whites who despise their white dads, dope heads, enlightened and divine professors, and in general, "bend me over and ream my cowardly backside liberals", then, and only then, will a smokescreen candidate like Mr. Obama have a chance at the highest office in America. You guys better get off the ganja, and start procreating real fast here...

I thought Obama's speech was clear, fair and an important contribution to America's endless racial debate. I think his pastor is a forgivable crazy old guy who is just like everybody's embarrassing uncle. We forgive our old Uncles, so let's cut someone else's uncle some slack.

In my mind, the bottom line is not the speech, nor the various offensive sermons, but the capital the Clintons are making out of it all. It's clear to me that the Clintons are sleazy (that's white house experience you can't take to the bank!) and totally without political principle. And its equally clear, that Obama is neither.

We need change, and this time around, let's hope the Democrats don't produce an unelectable candidate, which the Republicans (and I) are convinced is that two headed monster, Billary.

I sure am hearing a lot of
"Pots calling the kettle black".
Look in the mirror.

As a 50 year old American man it never ceases to amaze me how short the memories of the American people are. If for 20 years all of rev. Wright's sermons had the tone that we've been shown, YouTube would have been overflowing with them over a year ago. The unfortunate fact for all of us is that many of the rev. Wright's statements concerning race and the treatment of African Americans are rooted in truth. We can continue to be in denial and try to ignore it, hide from it and condemn the messenger but it doesn't make the root of them any less factual. Let's face it, we for once in a long time have a candidate that calls on each of us to face our faults. To rise above them and to do better as a country in our interactions with each other and the world. Not to be weak and afraid. To be inspired as a country to work together to achieve the greatness that we have the potential to achieve. Isn't that what leadership is. Sen. Obama is the kind of leader we need at this time in our history.

When I was growing up, I didn't always agree with my parents; I didn't always agree with my teachers; I didn't always agree with other people in my life with whom I was close. But I did not forsake them. I was able to see those people as a whole and accept them for all the wonderfulness they were, despite the our disagreements. Why should Obama forsake his pastor now, in the face of scrutiny by people who want to see him fail and who refuse to look at the bigger picture? They are taking a very minute sampling of the Reverend's sermons and completely blowing it out of context. I have been an Obama supporter from the beginning and after hearing his speech, my position is now entrenched. I believe Senator Obama is a man of integrity who made a very wise decision to take the stand he did. I believe in his platform and trust him. I would not have felt the same way had he denounced Rev. Wright. I believe Obama is a man of emotional strength and honor and I am praying he becomes our president!

What bothers me the most is that he has chosen to let his daughters sit and hear this vitriol week after week. As a parent, I would have run to another church by the third sermon of this type. I am proud of this country, and proud of being an American. It has given my immigrant family nothing but opportunity and freedom.

I find it odd that people make claims that Obama is the media darling given the last few weeks. Obama is not "getting a free pass" from the media, or anybody else, for that matter.

The concerted effort of the powers that be (Clintonistas, McCain and the repubs, and the organized media) illustrate that they have a mutual interest in assuring that Barack Obama is NOT given the opportunity be our commander in chief. This guy threatens to disrupt the disgusting power orgy that these people have held at the expense of the American taxpaying populous for far too long.

I have never been more impressed with a politician than after Barack's defining moment in the Philadelphia race relations speech. Who else, in the face of such overwhelming opposition, would be capable of standing before the world and expressing himself in such a vulnerable state. He turned the aggression and divisive cynicism directed at him into an opportunity to discuss the greater picture, the root of the problem which allows these distractions, and to personally assure us that he will always meet these types of aggressive advances with a spirit of Hope and optimism. He will not be forced to play their dirty game.

In the face of overwhelming odds, Obama is capable of standing alone in front a podium and declaring that we no longer have to be forced into a corner and made to play a game based on the rules of our aggressor's choosing. This indicates integrity and leadership. This is precisely why this man in qualified to be our next commander and chief. And that is exactly why we should vote for him.

This country doesn't need more talk of change. We need a legitimate change guided by a man of integrity and hope that can help to bring about the manifestation of the deep seeded yearnings of common Americans who only want a strong, safe, and good America for their children to grow up in.

I keep hearing how actions speak louder than words.
Bush sure couldn't speak words.
His actions certainly speak louder than his words.
He is a total failure.
Let's get behind someone who can put a complete thought together and express it intelligently this time.

It's simple: Just imagine your reaction if you were to find out Hillary Clinton belonged to a church for 20 years that preached anti-Semitism and hatred of blacks? How would the country react to that? Are we not allowed to criticize Barack BECAUSE he is black? Apparently not, or Geraldine would still have her job.

Why isn't anyone raising questions about the hate filled statements of pastors John McCain has embraced. Why aren't we seeing over and over again the footage of Jerry Falwell's hate mongering speech following 9/11 that blamed the attacks on the United States or of McCain's subsequent embrace of Falwell? Why? Because this is a phony issue cooked up by the right wing because they couldn't criticize Obama's policies directly (they are too popular). Will the American people fall for this demagoguery or rise above it and recognize it for what it really is? Only time will tell. Senator Obama has given us an eloquent path away from the hate mongers. We now face the responsibility of rising to the occassion.

I stand outside of this debate in some measure, since I'm a Republican--but think if the Republican presidential candidate went to a church where Tom Metzger (KKK) was president. He would NEVER be elected. Racism is racism, whereever it arises. We must learn to see people as people, not as "colors;" it's clear that Rev. Wright doesn't do this; it's difficult to know what Senator Obama really thinks, given his history. And that, in itself, is truly saddening. We ought to know what people really think when we elect them. It would help a great deal in our choices. I propose a lie-detector be installed on every candidate for office, and connected to a huge red light and buzzer whenever he speaks...that way, we'll know when he's telling his true thoughts.

I find a lot of the posts here ebcouraging. Expressing a willingness to face up to history and recognize that no matter what part we play today, we are playing it from the cards that were dealt us by our ancestors. If you're willing to embrace the words of the founding fathers, you need to be willing to embrace all of them to understand how fundamentally racist this society has been throughout it's history and how only comparatively recently that has begun to change. Reverend Wright should not be censured for his words - they come from real experience with us white people. You who think Obama is just spouting words with no meaning, no significance are probably beyond influencing, but Obama's words addressed and recognized a real and palpable experience for many people of all colors in this country. Rev. Wright's expressed the experience of many people who are not white. We had better listen, or we're going to ignorantly stumble into the same mistakes generations of our forebearers have made over and over again.

Try and think about something besides your own experience here. We do not all grow up the same.

cfc

In the spirit of Martin Luthur King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Barack Hussein Obama fields the "Half-a-Negro is Better than One" diatribe.....

Most Americans believe racism is on the decline and no longer the most important issue in American politics. Obama's greatest appeal to whites was the hope his candidacy marked the end of racism.

Now we learn he raised his kids in a church preaching hate speech. He tolerated and accepted hate speech for 20 years. He lied about knowing of Rev. Wright's views until he was caught then he equates them with his loving grandmother's private fears.

If he were presidential material, he would have rejected Wright with the same vehemence as David Duke. Instead he has shown that he thinks white racism is intolerable but black racism is understandable.

Just think of all the children that are subjected to that hate on a weekly basis in that church and it''s easy to see how racism begins.
How much money has he donated to them over the years... will anyone even bother to find out??

If it takes him 20 years to figure out his pastor is a bigot ...how can we trust his judgement on anything.

Too bad his speech did not denounce the pastor. Saying "I can no more disown him then disown black america"...what???

I wish someone would ask Obama if he believes "white america" put Aids in the black community!

Obama does think you can fix everything with a speech.
Now we can see why Obama's wife calls Americans "sloths" and says we are all "mean".

He should never be President of a country they apparently have so much disdain for.
If he didn't pick up something from his insipid preacher over 20 years of going to that church it is apparent his wife did.

To bad we had the media pushing their own agenda for so long and only now are we finding this out.
The democrats will never win the white house back now.

Blah Blah ...Hope.. (hate)... Blah Blah... Change.. (same old thing)... Blah Blah ... Hope and Change..( just another politician)... Blah!

It seems to me that had Obama and the preacher been white, Obama's run would now be over. That Obama is still in the race speaks of the double-standard around racial dialogue in this country. It seems fair to me that Obama's feet are being held to the fire.
I happen to agree with many or Rev. Wright's statements about America's foreign policy but blanket statements about a race should not be tolerated. For decades Black-Americans have been able to speak freely about race while whites have been crucified for fairly innocuous gaffes. We can not erase slavery by maintaining a perpetual reparation system sweetly named "multiculturalism." And a racial "dialogue" is not putting every racial misdeed by whites under a microscope while wholly ignoring the enormous amount of hate-crime violence inflicted by blacks upon whites.

Putting aside the bigotry shown by his Reverend, Obama has been caught in a lie. He first claimed he never heard that kind of rhetoric from his pastor. Then with his "race" speech he claimed he had heard it but does not agree with it. It makes me now wonder what else he may have lied about when it was convenient or it would benefit him. Obviously if he sat in church and listened to the hate of his pastor, only choosing to distance himself when he ran for president leads me to ask several questions. The biggest is "what are Obama's real motivations, since he condone such obvious bigotry?"

What interests me is the fact that still the media have the kid gloves on to give Obama the soft treatment. I cannot imagine the media uproar had Hilary been involved for over 20 years with an advisor who denounces the United States and a section of its populace. Her candidacy would be over, period. So is it ok for Obama simply because he is a man of color?

The fact is, the media is obsessed with Obama's "eloquence" as opposed to his substance. They're also POd that they got it wrong and now want to prove to us how "right" they were about their man Obama. This goes way beyond "race" and they, Obama and his core supporters are gonna blame it ALL on "race".

But America is seeing through the media's obsession and deciding for themselves. We're getting sick of all the pundits holding up score cards as if this were an Olympic skating event and trying to convince us Obama's still a 9.8 .

"It is amazing to read the comments of Obama fans. You sound like reverse nazi brain washed hope angels."

Wow! You are so right! - We have been listening to George W, Dick and Don, and Rush, Mike (the Penguin) Levin and all the rest of the Nazi propoganda machine for years. Whew - Thanks! Nice to wake up and smell the propaganda.

Go Obama!!!

its the enviroment, stupids.....earth first...........all ways.....

"A speech is just a speech. A speech he didnt even write...." -Amy

Uh, Amy, do you read the news?

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1723990,00.html?imw=Y

"Obama went home to Chicago that night, and after his wife and two daughters were asleep, he started composing."

Amy, what did he start composing? Surely, it was his own speech. The speech he gave out of his own convictions.

I'm so tired of the two-faced Christian hypocrites in this country. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell ("America's Preacher") can spew hate and vile all over us and we just take it. Where's the uproar over McCain--who himself condemned Falwell and Robertson and now says he openly embraces them and their beliefs? Where's the uproar in all of the churches all across this country when pastors, priests, and rabbis say or do things that are contradictory to their own faith? Seriously, how many Catholics are still loyal to the very bishops who not only conspired to keep the sex abuse secret but actively participated in allowing it to happen??

Come on. What would Jesus do? "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." So, let loose the stones of condemnation!! It's the American Way.

www.cafepress.com/wetnoodle

Interesting posts on this blog.

1. Why not criticize Hillary for staying with Bill when he got his Lewinsky job as we criticize Obama for not disassociating with Rev. Wright.
Answer: Bill didn't goddam America.

2. Why didn't Falwell get the same treatment when he blamed 9/11 on gay marriage and abortion?
Answer: Falwell did get the same treatment, he was roundly and rightly criticized and all who went to him for political support avoided him and his comments like the plague.

3. What about Mitt Romney and his association with the LDS Church with its institutionalized racism?
Answer: Mitt Romney is out of the race with questions about his religion, particularly in the Southern primaries having worked against him.

The bottom line on this, which will not be answered until Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina vote is whether or not this incident has taken away the huge advantage that Obama enjoyed before the incident with regard to electability.

The Republicans have always known how to go after Clinton and she is ready for their known angles of attack. But still she would go into a general election with 47% of the people not wanting her as President or anything else.

Obama has enjoyed low negatives up to the Wright incident so that he could make the case, and rightly so, that he could attract crossover Republicans and Independents into the Democratic column while attracting most all of the Democratic vote that Hillary Clinton has been getting.

This has been huge with the Super Delegates who are looking at not just the Presidential race, but the House and Senate Races, the State Houses and down to the Courthouses for the Democratic Party to do well up and down the ticket.

With Obama at the top of the ticket, this has been possible as he held the promise to bring out more Democratic Voters than ever while the Republicans have been disheartened that a "true conservative" will not be leading them in the Fall. The Evangelicals, the footsoldiers of the Republican Party are not energized by McCain.

The Wright Incident may have changed this calculus. Obama may now be radioactive. His presence on the ticket in the Fall could create an opening for the Republicans to label Democrats as the "Hate America First" Party, or the goddnam America not God Bless America Party.

Such a thing would take what should be an easy Democratic year and turn it Republican for the least likely Republican nominee.

I think this nomination is in the hands of the voters in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina. They will give the verdict and it will be up to the SuperDelegates to either read the verdict and comply with it or not.

And how appropriate. JFK actually passed his Catholic test not with the Houston Speech before the Southern Baptists, but by his West Virginia Primary win over Hubert Humphrey.

RFK, in 1968, proved that he could be a candidate to win cross over conservative votes with his win in the Indiana Primary of 1968.

Now, in 2008, these same Primaries are in the line up and again the Party must look to those voters to determine the viability of the Obama Candidacy.

To the lady who was rescued: there are evil black men,(a foster child of ours was raped by two black soldiers, now in prison. She was raped her so violently they broke her back),evil white men (look at the Kennedy boys and Ted Bundy),and evil asian men (look at Japan on their inept laws on child porn).
I was kicked out of a fundamentalist church similar to Obama's. Everybody else was going to hell except us, and we weren't for sure about some of us. After 5yrs of listening to the same brainwashing, I challenged the peacher and his elders teachings because I realized they weren't consistent with the Bible. The elder when asked about it dismissed the comments from the preacher saying, "But he's from the Sounth".
As one person put it if Obama can't stand up against his preacher and his evil racist stance how do we think he can stand
against world leaders when needed. If he did not stand up against these racist sermons he either excepts and agrees with them and is a racist or he is one Weak Willie with no spine.

I am so excited by what Obama's candidacy has brought to our election process! I have never seen this many people really engaging in and giving serious thought to the election of a president.

Early in the race, I was deeply undecided. I heard Obama speak in my town and was blown away by the crowd he drew. I tried to go hear Hillary speak, but there was no room at the much smaller venue she chose. Obama's speech was good, but I left feeling much like the woman sitting in front of me, who said to her husband as they left, "Well, he can talk. But what can he actually do?"

After reading over and over again about the known involvement of the Clinton campaign in drumming up the crazy anti free speech, supposedly patriotic nonesense around Rev. Wright, I am thoroughly disgusted with her campaign tactics.

I am glad to see other people writing here about agreeing with Wright. I don't agree with everything he has said nor his inflammatory demeaner, but he isn't lying, and I am completely disgusted with every single american who acts like he is spewing a lot of untruths. I used to live in one of the most racially divided cities in the country, Tulsa, OK. There is literally a side of town for black people, one for middle income whites, one for rich whites, and one for low income whites and Native Americans (I'm not kidding, the signs posted as you cross into the "North side", which is very predominantly African American, have black writing with a white background on one side, and white writing with a black background on the other). Moving there from the incredibly diverse Houston area was shocking to me. More shocking was learning of the race riots there which left the city smoldering for days. It is such a buried part of Tulsa history I only found out about it much later, after having moved to another state.

I now live in Maine, the whitest state in the nation, where I see very similar racial divides between the large Native American population and the white majority. On the way to Maine I passed through Obama's home state of Illinois. As a well traveled young woman, I was blown away at the level of poverty I saw in several small town in southern Illinois. My mother was afraid to let me stop somewhere to use the bathroom because every building looked like it was going to give you tetnus just from walking inside. Everyone I saw there was black and appeared severly malnurished, it reminded me of the videos you see of people in South America and Africa who live in famished, war torn regions. I know from personal experience it isn't like this only in Illinois (though I have still never seen that kind of poverty anywhere else). There has been and continues to be so much injustice and ridiculous inequality, I for one am greatful that someone in this country is willing to stand up and say it out loud.

This whole situation has made me an ardent Obama supporter. (So I guess the obviously rich upper class person who so disparagingly said above that Obama supporters must be lower and middle class Americans is right. I'm glad he thinks so little of the vast majority of his country and sorry for him that Hamilton didn't get his way at the founding of the country to keep us po' folk from votin.)

Dear Amy

Was it unpatriotic for King to hold up the trials and tribulations of the african american community? Was it unpatriotic for protestors to stand against the war in Vietnam?
Was it unpatriotic for concientious objectors to say that they would not go to war against hitler?

No, I say. Patriotism is not blindly following your leadership. Patriotism is to love ones country, and to want it to be a better place. One can never fix the problems unless one can see them, can address them. Rev Wright took our problems and put them front and center, he dug up our skeletons and threw them onto the floor for us all to see.

Rev Wright unpatriotic? Never. He is a patriot that we need most of all today, one who is unafraid to tell us that the emperor has no clothes. For in all of his speeches, I found not a single factual error. Yes, even his one about HIV is true on the surface, the government spent time and money passing out information in white schools while black schools were ignored, all but guaranteeing a wider dispersion there. Weither that was through malace or neglect is irrelevent now, but it is the truth.

For me, this has always been an issue of Obama lying and using poor judgement to surround himself with people like Rev Wright. Funny how Obama gives a speech and suddenly this is an issue about racist Americans and how we need to stop the divide. Stop pointing the finger at us Obama! You screwed up. I agreed with some of his speech, but still, don't people get it? He is simply shifting the blame from himself to America as a whole by playing the race card.

Yesterday I mace a sarcastic remark "Farrakhan for VP" only to ponder what kind of Cabinet Obama would pick.
Could we expect that people like Rev. Wright to be the appointments of OBAMA.
I have no problem with Obama for Pres. but I worry about the wrest of the Gov.

As a white male in my twenties in a big city I have to admit that if I was walking down a dark street, I'd always be more wary of the young men whose skin was a color different than mine. I know that's racist and it's wrong. It's not an open racism I'm talking about but the fears that reside inside each of us that we may never mention but still affect our thoughts. But as this campaign's gone on I've felt that absurd fear decreasing and I wonder if others have too. I won't attribute it all to Obama's words but I think that the attention that has been given to race because of his campaign has made people think about their own feelings towards race. Consequently, I get the impression as I ride a train to work that everyone's just a little bit closer, a little bit more unified and I hope what I think I see is true because it would be a wonderful thing. Analagous statements can be made about women because of Hillary's campaign - because more attention is being given to gender, I pay more attention to the women around me and whether they're being treated like equals or not.

Basically I think people are inherintly conditioned to have racist tendancies. I think a lot of this is due to what we see on tv and hear in music but is also due to an innate fear of anything that differs from ourselves. Instead of being so ashamed of this difference I think we need to admit that we have these prejudices and learn how to treat others fairly and respectfully in spite of them. I believe that this idea was what Obama was getting at: that there is anger, distrust, and prejudice and that we have to move past the fears that reside inside each of us to overcome the monstrous problems facing our society. Such a step takes courage which is why I admire Obama for taking that first step to try and propel the country beyond its divisions.

In reading the comments here I clearly notice three kinds of people:

1. Rational, level-headed, educated and analytic (50%)

2. People with strong opinions, educated and cleary trying to justify thier views of the world (25%)

3. Scared, unducated and selfish(25%)

It is the third category that is America's problem. Will it have an impact in this year's elections. Yes, unfortunately thier impact is not good for Americans or America -- these people are not patriotic or American -- they want to prolong racism, division and control. They are scared that fairness, justice and freedom will somehome minimize their control over event here inside Amercia and for Israel.

I don't overly care for any of our current candidates, least of all, Obama, so I am definitely somewhat biased. That disclosed, I find it really hard to believe that the first time he heard that rhetoric was just now. I also am offended and perturbed that his speech seeks to justify Wright's words! Come on now, Wright is a delusional, Cynthia McKinney-like whack job. The US engineered HIV!? For the purpose of unleashing it on those of "color??" "Hey, look at me, I'm Barack Obama - I'm a good Christian, I go to church, I've got a Reverend as a personal advisor. Oh, he said what?? Oh, never heard him say that before. Well, you know I disagree with what he said, but heck, he said it on Sunday when all of us colored folkes are segregated into this Church and it makes us really angry."

Have Faith Brothers and Sisters! Our forefathers instituted a process of election that will see us through. The very words of Publius in Federalist Papers #68 notes the possibility of those with "Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity" and the processes to prevent their election. God Bless America!

"The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States."

The assumption of many of these commentators is that because Rev. Wright has said angry, over the top things from time to time in his pulpit, that his church must be anti-white, and anti-American. The assumption is false.

First, Wright is a minister of United Church of Christ, a mainline, predominantly white, middle-class, denomination with roots that go back to the Pilgrims. Someone truly anti-white would have nothing to do with such a denomination. Again, just because someone criticizes America does not mean they hate America. As someone said, "My country right or wrong, but when right to be kept right, and when wrong to be made right." Rev. Wright himself served his country as a marine, which certainly suggests something about his patriotism.

Second, "by their fruits you shall know them." What has been the overall effect of his preaching? Is it black separatism or race violence? No, not at all. As many black ministers have pointed out in recent days, they often express the anger of the street in their pulpits, but without the aim of encouraging hatred. Instead, they are acknowledging and respecting the feelings of their congregation and channeling it into productive activity. Andy Young (aide to Dr. King, congressman, ambassador, mayor) has talked about how he himself gave a furious sermon once, which looked terrible in the newspapers, but which persuaded some very angry young black men not to riot. Wright seems to have created a vast ministry of social service. So the analogy of a white preacher encouraging violence against blacks is completely false.

Finally, as to why Obama would not renounce Wright: Obama is saying that we must acknowledge and respect everyone's anger and fear. He wants to bring everyone, even the angriest, into dialogue. He does not walk away from anyone, even when he disagrees with the person. I found interesting that in his speech he even had a kind word for the "talk show hosts and conservative commentators" who are currently breathing fire at him. He says, as I've never heard a liberal do before (I say this as a liberal), that although they have not offered any productive solutions to racism, they have in fact "unmasked bogus claims of racism."

I find it hard to believe that Obama went to church for over twenty years, hearing this type of rhetoric and did not in some part have the same beliefs. The Rev. Wright married him, baptized his children, and act as his political and spiritual advisor.
I am sure that Wrights remarks were not the first time he has spewed such obvious bigotry.

Our country is flawed and we have had historical moments that we have hopefully learned from and will not repeat. BUT, as I look around the world, there is no place I would rather be. And putting aside the bigotry showed by the Reverend, let us just take a look at how UNPATRIOTIC the man apparently is. For our Great Nation to come together and continue to move forward we need to take a positive look at ourselves present and future. GOD BLESS AMERICA, even the Rev. Wright!

Terrorism is caused by fear. The media simply incite the fear. The pastor's comment that is aired was only the five to ten second clip of harsh words. No comment on how he concluded that particular sermon. He was not at all inciting hate. But media does like to do this, over and over an over again. Why? There is this deep seated resentment within the media people themselves. Deep deep seated. That is what Obama talked about that we need to work on. Who cannot agree with that? United States of America achieved a great things in the history. We always have looked at the past and looked at the present, and made changes for the future. If that is not what you want, you will do is vote on the basis of who you belong, and hope to go back to the good old days. It will never happen.

Rev. White dammed about Hiroshima. I am a Japanese born US Citizen. I accept the US President's decision to vaporize 200,000 of enemy civilian in a flash, instead of going to invade Japan's soil and prolong the war to no end, like what we are doing in Iraq. (None of my relatives were there, fortunately) In a time of war, decision has to be made, and it must be justified. But Rev. White is reminding you this sin. Killing innocent civilians without ANY REMORSE. And not repenting on it. That was what US Government has done, and is doing. That is what the people in the US needed to repent.

Chew on this fact. The word "WAR" does not have any positive connotation in the rest of the world. It is the worst thing that can happen. Only in this country, the President can uses this word so casually, like War against crime, War against drugs, War against poverty. It is a positive word. Good thing. right? Not a little bit. It is a killing and be killed for the agenda of governments. We need to repent this. We need to take a deep breath and try to avoid this. Even if you hate personally the bad country's leaders.

I supported this Iraq war at that time, believing that the evidences that are presented to the leaders of the country, such as Senator Clinton was overwhelming. Believing that Democrats went all the caution to examine the evidence which were not available to the ordinary citizen. Believing that they know better facts, not by the media's hype. They were the last hope in checking the evidence. But according to Mr. Obama, she did not even read the crucial document, and went on ra ra with the media hype to authorize the war. Of course diplomacy was difficult with Hussein, but the options were not exhausted at that time, except the fact that Iraq must have possessed nuclear arms. We went, and killed and we have lost our lives too. Bad aspect of war. Deaths does not seem to sink in the administration.

This war served only for the people who had agenda on. The warmongering administration and the oil industry, where Bush family has vast wealth hidden in. McCain is a good person, but those who conduct the agenda will be under him, we cannot let them continue.

When Obama first announced for President, I thought that he was to inexperienced. I looked at the other candidates and realized that they were all offering the same old solutions. Obama is certainly an imperfect candidate, but he has one attribute that makes him a better choice than the others. He offers this country a chance to move past 20 years of partisan politics and maybe we can actually solve some of the real problems we are facing.

Hillary Clinton is a very smart and capable person but if she is elected we will be right back into the divisive politics that we had with Bill Clinton and George Bush.

With McCain we will get more of the failed Bush policies.

No country, even America, will get an unlimited number of chances at solving its problems. We are at a cross roads and need to find a way to move forward.

Stop...people......if you truly believe in " GOD "....don't talk about the colors.let your hearts open to anyone. I am not Obama but in some ways ....some are true but he's pastor is too radical....too hateful but I understand the black people....I am for Hillary but if she can't make it...then I am for Obama !
lets accept the truth....we can do a better world.....HATE or Anger is never too good !

Hey guys, remember when the Republican's Swift boated John Kerry? Remember how unjust that felt, to have the candidate that most exemplified a trait (in that case, the experience to be an effective Commander-in-Chief) be torn down in favor of the guy who least displayed such qualities? Wouldn't it be awful if, four years later, we were to turn around and give one of our OWN candidates the same treatment? It would, right?

. . . Guys?

Ok lets talk about experience, George W Bush Sr. has more experience than Obama,Clinton,and McCain; would you vote for him again?

Dear jmer

Before you continue in this line of thought, please review canidates who have had similar or less political experience. See:
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt
John Kennedy
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Andrew Jackson
Chester A Arthur
Dwight Eisenhower

Now come back to me and please explain how someone with decades of public service is unprepared.

Does anyone ever wonder why the educated tend to support BO and the less educated HRC?

Does anyone ever wonder why the reverend Wright says what he says knowing the consequences? Maybe he doesn't want BO to be president.

Is America ready for a black president? Don't kid yourself.

Remember, all nations deserve their leaders, elected or otherwise.

Select wisely, your choice is sacred and has consequences.

Obama is so darn level-headed you wonder what it would take to make him lose his cool. This is a guy that is presidential in so many ways - he complements his adversaries, he's objective, solution-focused, and inspiring. He's definately who I want answering the phone at the White House. Wen Jiabao, Putin, Chavez - none of them can hold a candle to Obama. He will improve Americas image in the world on Day 1.

IF we can use Wright's comments to cast doubt on Obama, that's what we will do.

We just want to use it to our advantage.

Operation Chaos.
- Rush Limbaugh

The problem isn't that he accepted or didn't accept what his minister was saying. The problem is that first he said he never heard it, then he said he heard it but didn't pay attention, then he said well, it was like a favored family member with one problem that he could forgive. So which is it? If he can't tell the truth about this little item, exactly what can we expect when the big things come by?

Have all Boston's Roman Catholics left the Church ?? Do they condone the sodomy of children ??

Yes, people tend to fear that which they don't understand. Fear lends itself to hate, and in turn to violence. We must stop thinking that everyone has to be "just like us". The United States is not perfect nor is anyone living in it. For that matter, most of the world now thinks of us in a very negative fashion.
We are always reminded that our politicians need to reach across the aisle in order to get something done. Let's all do the same and see what we discover. If you haven't tried it, you'll be surprised how we are all the same.

Obama's speech brought tears to my eyes. Both for the pain that all Americans are feeling right now, for many different reasons. None of them more or less important than the other. But the most important tears were tears of joy. What grace and integrity. I have never been more hopeful for my country than I was when I listened to him speak. You can brush them off as just words. But those words moved me and all of those around me. Let's move into the 21st century with the
willingness to use kindness and empathy when dealing with our family members, neighbors, coworkers, countryman, and everyone else who crosses our path. I know this sounds corny, but it's whats needed in this world today. And our young people know this.

The US is not a democracy. The US is a constitutional republic.

Hard to export what you yourself don't have.

Dear bruce,

Well said, well said indeed. Deep down I think both the Romney LDS case and now the Obama case here shows an underlying fear within our society, bigger than race, bigger than the economy. it is the fear of loosing that with which we define ourselves. And many people define themselves with their faith.

The 1953 Iranian coup d'état saw the overthrow of the democratically-elected administration of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and his cabinet from power by British and American intelligence operatives working together with elements of the Iranian army. Bribing Iranian officials, news media and others with British and American funds, Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),[1] organized the covert operation aiding retired Iranian General Fazlollah Zahedi and Colonel Nassiri. The project to overthrow Iran's government was codenamed Operation Ajax (officially TP-AJAX).[2]

JanetP please, please, tell us who said that they did not like you? Tell us that quote!!

Obama still has not shown any credentials for the highest office in our country. When someone gets a job they don't usually get it because they are a good speaker. A person gets a job based on their past performances and experiences in the areas of that job. Obama has very limited experience. The fact of the matter is the speach was not that great. People just aren't use to hearing politicians speaking eloquently. People are being swayed by emotions rather than listening to the substance and using logic to realize nothing new has been said. No paradigm shifts have been made. Now we are being asked to make a choice based purely on emotion. Lest we forget that it was the emotion of fear that led many to vote for our current president. People need to ask what really are we voting for? What real qualifications are being offered for any of the candidates. Just because someone is likable or can speak well does not make them a good candidate. I want substance. I want real. I want someone who is know for getting things done not just someone who says they have all these plans but never really stop to explain what any of these great "plans" are. We can't afford another presidency filled with weak leadership, unrealistic idealism, and more political BS. That is all I have to say.

While I think that this over blown event may well sink Obama's chances and I also think this country will be the worse for it. I do hope no matter what the dialogue that he started is continued, but again I doubt it. We have become a small minded nation, we make decisions based on 10 second sound bites . We elect leaders and representatives who quickly forget they represent us, not K street. I wonder if the words of John Adams are now coming true for America: "Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide." April 15, 1814

If we fall prey to our weaknesses and prejudices again, we deserve what we get, just as we have these last 8 years.
If Obama can't find the right chord, resonate with enough people, run the 'perfect campaign', overcome the inertia of political machinery -then he can't win.

He may not be perfect enough. The specific flaws and sound-bites do not matter. It is a story as old as history.
Isn't it ironic that we voted for George Bush, a man who is so obviously flawed. He made us feel better about ourselves. Just makes one wonder.

We can tell the leftys and moderates that they now regret voting for Obama and they will probably fall for it.

Then we won't have any accountability for what this adminstration has done.

I love it when a plan comes together.

I was appalled to hear the "damn America" quote, but the rest is the truth. One only has to follow politics to know he didn't put out a lie. We need to change as a nation and look for the truth. The truth will make us all free

How the heck did this whole ball of wax get so turned around?

Why are WE to blame for what Sen. Obama's Pastor said? No! No! Don't give me all the history lesson...I DIDN'T DO IT!

That Pastor said nothing different than thousands of Preachers, Ministers, Pastors, Laypeople and anyone with two freaking eyes said the day after 9/11/01 - "Welp, we knew that one was coming eventually"...and anyone who says different is a LIAR!

WE DID bring 9/11 on ourselves...by voting for Bill Clinton who then carved up our intelligence network.

We DID bring 9/11 on ourselves through ignorance and pride.

Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.

The Democratic party is in shambles and will not recover anytime soon...and it's not because of the people...it's their self-destructive humanist ideology.

The economy is not 'in ruins'...the war in Iraq is a few mentally-challenged women with suicide vests...the biggest problem most of the posters on this forum have today is worrying about whether or not to bring a freaking umbrella when you go out.

The biggest problem with America is that it's filled with a bunch of loud, whiney, unrealisticly worried people.

I am white, my husband is naturalized American born in Japan, my son has 2 grandfathers who fought in the Pacific in WWII, 1 for the U.S., 1 for Japan, I have a Chinese sister-in-law (from the Japanese point of view worse than being white, but not quite as bad as being Korean), and a white niece who lives in Africa and is married to a Kenyan of the same tribe as Obama. If one of us had gotten up and walked out at the first offensive remark, we would not have the wonderful, interesting, loving extended family we do today. By staying and working through the issues we learned to respect and love each other. One does not change things by disengaging.

If you want perspective rather than sound bite talking points please read this article:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/19/local_clergy_say_pastors_devotion_deeds_overlooked/

The notion that there is a standard of infallibility for everyone a politician associates with is strictly a propaganda device. McCain associates with Bush, Hillery associates with Bill. Both fail to renounce the inane things that have come out of Bush & Bill's mouths, or renounce their actions which have arguably done more damage to America than any of Reverand Wright's comments. And that's despite Bill & Bush wearing flag lapel pins.

Be consistent in your standards

People, listen, this is just another "tempest in a teapot" engineered by the GOP's crafty leadership to take the public's attention from the realities of today. Many, many more things deserve our attention: the endless, irrational war in Iraq, the economic and environmental troubles in the U.S., the number of people without health care, and the biggie, which no candidate is giving its due - global climate change.

Remember, you are in a democracy; YOU HAVE THE POWER TO VOTE AND CALL AND EMAIL AND WRITE every elected representative of this government. Forget the petty stuff, don't get involved or distracted -- all elected officials are vulnerable to the will of the people, although they may want to forget that, and you can influence them to treat U.S. citizens as they deserve. If the people don't vote or ignore the real matters for the petty, easy ones, then we'll all get what we deserve, and it won't be pretty. You are not powerless -- you are powerful -- when you pay attention to the real risks this country faces and real benefits of being involved. THERE IS POWER IS NUMBERS, GET YOUR FRIENDS, CONGREGATION, COLLEAGUES TO CALL, EMAIL, WRITE, LET YOUR CONGRESSMEN KNOW THAT THE PRESENT SERIOUS ISSUES -- GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, WAR, ECONOMY, ETC. -- MUST BE TACKLED NOT IGNORED.

Try it, AND SEE HOW MUCH BETTER YOU FEEL AFTER TAKING ACTION.

Dear Amy,

He did write that, to start with. And by your words I expect to see you on the McCain forums blasting him for his continued acceptance of support from the bigots of the Christian Right now? I'll go there and wait for you, and if I don't see anything from you within, oh, the next 48 hours I know this little thing from you has nothing to do with Obama's support of Rev Wright, but everything to do with your own viewpoint against Obama himself, and are taking any opportunity such.

I'm impressed that people hold Obama to a standard they don't hold themselves to.

1) Why didn't Hillary Clinton leave Bill when he was philandering? Why did Hillary Clinton have to be arm-twisted into disassociating herself from Ferraro's stupid comments?

2) Why does McCain still associate with Jim Dobson, the bigoted founder of Focus on the Family? Pat Robertson who said 9/11 was justice for America's tolerance of homosexuality and other so-called sins?

3) At least Obama is willing to say his friends / supporters are flawed.

All I know is that Hillary is improving through all of this, as these web stats show;

Hillary vs. Barack:
The Google Factor-

http://newsusa.myfeedportal.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=57

@Amy

Exactly, stick to the REAL issue. Not the crap your quoting.

This is interesting from the perspective of a Mormon. Romney gave a speech about his religion that was basically abused by the press. I use the term abused to mean that they turned it around to try to make the LDS church look bad. They somewhat ignored the personal speech given by Romney and used it as an opportunity to bring up rumors and untruths about the church. Did anyone bring up the history of the Catholic church after Kennedy's speech?

I am not saying that the LDS church is perfect. No religion is. But let's start looking at the candidates, their history, and their lifestyles. It was wrong to put down Romney because of the history of the LDS church. It is wrong to put down Obama because of views of his religious leader.

There seems to be a misunderstanding about private conduct and public conduct. The two need not nor should not be aligned. Obama alluded to this difference when he mentioned his grandmother making comments using racial stereotypes. Did he wag his finger and say, "Knock it off, Granny!"? Would anyone? Rather he said, and I believe honestly said, he "cringe". I suspect he cringed after hearing some of Rev. Wright's inflammatory comments as well.

When a person is acting on behalf of all of us, the rules change. I doubt whether Rev. Wright would ever be invited to spend the night at the White House.

Basically, Obama's speech said he understood where the reverend was coming from. -- That the hate, sometimes paranoid, that Wright sometimes utters is the voice of the African-American community, the vestiges of past racial abuse of Blacks. An expression of bitterness and desperation. And unfortunately, promulgation of it that further infects his parishioners.

If what Obama says is true -- and I think it might be -- a serious problem is placed in my lap as an American and a voter: How then do we get beyond race politics and towards racial healing?

As a white person, I am for the first time nervous about Obama's candidacy. I do not want a racist revenge played out in the open, empowered and directed towards me with more vengeance in my daily life under an Obama presidency.

I think this is the quiet nervousness some are feeling.

The situation with Wright has brought to the fore what has been a major obstacle to racial harmony in our country. Racism by whites has been in the foreground for decades. but now, the more complicated issue of racism by blacks is for the first time brought to the fore in what I think could afford the first real opportunity in we as a country have had to call it out and address it productively. I fear though, that instead, it may prove to be the achilles heel for Obama and the black community, or a tragic turn that creates more bitterness among African-Americans.

I think it is a day of reckoning and I hope African-Americans rise to the occasion.

Wright is no wacko. He has something like two master's degrees. He is educated, complicated and capable of a range of beliefs and emotions. His church is in many respects absolutely amazing. Check out the section of its web site under the heading "ministries." This church appears to be a socio-economic powerhouse in the communuty for the good. Wright practices a form of liberation theology but it needs to be updated and rise to the occasion.

So, I think Wright has been too silent. In the wake of revelations about his sermons he has removed past sermons from the website as well as the contact info for ordering tapes of them. That was fine last week. This week, I think Wright needs to start thinking about addressing the American people. It is time. African-Americans have an appointment with destiny now, and shouldn't be late.

Operation Ajax?

You mean that we can't just blame Carter and Ford?

You mean we have to go all the way back to Eisenhower and then have to hear all the intellectuals remind us of his "Military Industrial Complex?"

Bah! I'd rather just drop more JDAMS.

We see issues as Black vs. White, when it is more complicated. Tension between descendants of slaves and more recent African immigrants has gone undiscussed. In Atlanta many jobs designated for blacks go to recent African immigrants, many of whom regard descendants of slaves with derision.

I do hope we can get past all this, and get on with the big issues: restoring US legitimacy in the global community and developing an Energy Policy. To accomplish this, I hope Obama chooses Bill Richardson as a running mate. He has worked as both ambassador to the UN as well as Energy Secretary.

Rev. Wright said Hillary did not know this and that. I say Obama does not know this either. Where did he grow up at that he felt the pain of racism? In other countries? He had an education that most African-Americans can only dream abut.

I am a white male in my 60th year, well-educated and have a good job, Christian ("do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), but not overly religious. Frankly, I am not upset or insulted by the words of Reverend Wright, which have been snipped and sniped by our sound-bite riddled media. In fact, I agree with every little bite. We'd better wake-up America, or we will reap what we have sewn.

I read a few quotes from the pastor in a Chicago paper and remember thinking "and? It's true." This is evident in pay discrepancies in which minorities receive less compensation for having the same skill sets and experience, it is evident in how neighborhoods and thus schools remain divided, it is apparent in the way law enforcement is enacted. I had a debate with a friend about how if the police made as many stops and searched as many cars in predominately white neighborhoods (as Latino, African American or people that look Middle Eastern) that they'd find just as much if not more (shall we say) contraband.
So yes, even though I knew nothing of the pastor until this I'd have to say that I'm well aware of what he was trying to say. Pretending that the big pink elephant isn't there won't make it go away. It isn't only non minorities who are the instigators in this country because it comes from all sides, every economic background and skin tone from the very subtle to the blatant. It is something that in time, hopefully the human race will outgrow, luckily many of us already have.

I would like to know why Falwells statement that 9/11 was the result of gays did not receive the same indignation that the conservatives that are now expressing against Rev. Wright. Rev Wright's sermon sites the sins of American for the attack as did Falwell. I guess its all a matter of the perception of sins.

Here's the problem with a comment-based analysis such as this one. People, wake up to the fact that these campaigns are hiring companies which are hiring people to do nothing but sit around 8 hours a day and write pro-candidate or anti-candidate comments under various names. It's called astroturfing and it's exactly what is going on here, even if most people don't realize it.

And Doug Feaver, please read this. Do not collect a "sample of the comments" and try to portray it as a legitimate averaging of public opinion. That's lazy reporting, for the reasons I gave above. Also, don't always assume that the truth always lies somewhere in the middle of what people are saying. It's up to the American public to watch Obama's speech and decide on their own what their response is and who they want to support.

As a loyal flag waving American, I would rather shove my head down deep into the white sands of Pensacola Beach and just assume that we are killing the right people and never allow my sleep pattern to be troubled by whimpering or screams of any residual suffering.

As for the $9.5 Billion to $25 Billion per month cost of the Iraq War... I just have to assume that a few people in the US are making good money off of it and that they will throw me a bone at the Car Wash one day.

A speech is just a speech. A speech he didnt even write. I can't grant the most powerful position on this planet to a man because he can give a hell of a speech. I watch action and not words. He supported this pastor for 20 years by attending his church, baptizing his children, marrying his wife. It's obvious he is in agreement with his views. Stick to the real issue.

Janet,

I don't understand what you mean when you say, "If this had been a white clergy spewing that hatred about blacks the candidate would have to withdraw from the race." I don't think that a person should have to withdraw from a race simply because they have associated with someone that you feel is of ill report. Pull your head out of the conservative papers you read and broaden your horizons. It's bigots like you that are making it difficult to unify America.

Run Toto!!! Run!!

Run Toto!!! Run!!

Reading blogposts (including mine) must be a little like reading tea leaves, only less scientific. Who knows really why someone posts? As for the Obama naysayers, are they truly independents waiting to be convinced or willing to be swayed? Or are they stealth Clintonians or McCainiacs looking to spear a competitor? For all those who say Obama's gotten a free ride from the media, will this shut them up? Probably not, because they've already picked their candidates and he's not it. This media-darling issue is just a campaign talking point. For those who wonder how Obama could maintain a 20 year relationship with a fiery pastor, the answer must be the same as for Mitt Romney (who didn't get asked the hard question about why -- as an adult -- remained obedient to his religion and never questioned Mormonism's stand against Blacks in the priesthood). I guess we'll learn with the November election (or the Democratic Convention) whether Obama's speech moved or solidified his support. For me it only strengthened my sense that he's an honest -- if imperfect -- human being. Because I'm less convinced of this in the other candidates, he's my guy.

While I think that this over blown event may well sink Obama's chances and I also think this country will be the worse for it. I do hope no matter what the dialogue that he started is continued, but again I doubt it. We have become small minded nation who become informed from 10 second sound bites and find it easier to do almost anything, but think. I wonder if the words of John Adams are now coming true: "Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide." April 15, 1814

@dondistef
Would you have dismissed Theodore Roosevelt so handily, having less political experience than Obama, but being a masterful orator? How about his younger cousin, Franklin? Do not dismiss the power of the pulpet, the power of words. Words are powerful things, they move people, they inspire people, they drive people to greatness. Do you think Kennedy assembled the rocketship to go to the moon himself from beyond the grave? His words are what drove our scientists, and our will to place that single small footprint onto another world. You say we don't need words. I say, words are exactly what we DO need. We need powerful words, skillfull words, words with the emotion and drive that will inspire greatness in each and every one of us.

Hmmm. Here it is.

The 1953 Iranian coup d'état saw the overthrow of the democratically-elected administration of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and his cabinet from power by British and American intelligence operatives working together with elements of the Iranian army. Bribing Iranian officials, news media and others with British and American funds, Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),[1] organized the covert operation aiding retired Iranian General Fazlollah Zahedi and Colonel Nassiri. The project to overthrow Iran's government was codenamed Operation Ajax (officially TP-AJAX).

dondistef, shouldn't a mother be forgiving, consequent and honest? Shouldn't a mother encourage it's children to try harder so they can achieve something higher?

I do not see this traits in HRC. And I think Obama much better lives up to this profile.

JanetP,

Your fear is the issue. As a white male, I found what Rev. White said rang essentially true. America, and affluent white males (and in your case females) out of fear, and neglect have failed the black community. He is not anti-white, or anti-American, rather anti that aspect of us that has neglected the poor, indigent, etc. that Jesus implores us to take care of; much like the Romans Jesus damned for the same reason. But more importantly, what we have done to the black community, we now do to ourselves. Under educate our children, fail to build roads, rails, and bridges. We fight an unneeded wars, while the people who attacked us are free in Pakistan due to the coddling of another dictator.

what about the separation of churh and state???

When I make the effort to look into my country's actions regarding war and propaganda, I find reason for concern.

From the Tuskeegee Experiment to Operation Ajax in which the democratically elected government of Iran was overthrown to the US Army's biological tests in SF...

J_in_Brooklyn is right... what's wrong with having a conscience?

I have been closely following your elections and I must say I was amazed by the speech of Obama. It really is a fresh sound coming from America, it sounds hopeful and realistic.

Therefore, it really pains me to see some commenters bashing rev. Wright and Obama back to a good and bad thing. Life isn't like Hollywood and has more colors then just black and white.

We can see this simplicity also in 'JanetP's comment it does not try to identify or even understand the remarks brought out by Wright it just stamps it as 'terrorizing' then continues to generalize from this.

I really hope that there are more people who do not have such simplistic viewpoints. If not, the USA is going to be in a miserable state for the next coming years.

It is amazing to read the comments of Obama fans. You sound like reverse nazi brain washed hope angels.

Barack Obama has done nothing but speak. The country is in shambles, the economy is more fragile than ever and you want to put into office an unknown with no real REAL history? You are irresponsible and probably are middle to lower class people in debt and read self help books and think obama is a new message of true believer hope so you can take the focus off yourselves and put it on another perosn like Obama. He is not anthony robbins or wayne dyer nor would we want them to be our president.

I am a republican and I am disgusted with George Bush and feel that the only way for the country to get back on track is Hillary. With a clinton in the White House we can restablish so much in the world it is staggering and if you are not aware of the Clean up the last clinton did after the last bush than you do not really know much about what you are talking about and read what you want to read and repeat that as your own opinion. The clintons can bring this country back like no other and WE KNOW THEY CAN, they have done it before and due to the times and dire need of REAL LEADERS as a republican I am voting for Hillary. I am an alfa male and detest the other alfa males that can not handle A female president.

She is a Brilliant but Tough Woman and Has what it takes to lead and the support system and cred to do the job right and have the best team around her and thensome.

THIS COUNTRY NEEDS A MOTHER! After having such and irresponsible father run rampant for 8 years. I would never put our economy safety and the lives of my children at the mercy or a man no one really knows. If Barack has any good sense and wanted to be more than a mlk wannabe he might consider being Hillary's VP to get some experience and maybe just maybe run in 2016 when the country might be 8 years more prepared and in better position to have a Barack Obama for President if ever.

Hmm. Obama has now discovered that race is a problem in this country. He make this discovery after finding himself in hot water and now abracadabra he is now bi-racial with a story to tell. That bit about the grand-mother was the worst. But he was always a media creation. MSNBC in particular adores him. Chris Matthews just drools when he speaks and Keith Obermann,well I won't go there.

Having only seen the repetitively-cycled clip of Rev. Wright's speech and not delved for further excerpts, I can only comment on that little I've heard. I was shocked that Rev. Wright claimed that Hillary Clinton could never have known, in essence, the kind of discrimination that a black man has. Apparently Rev. Wright has never in his life spoken to a human female and discovered that she, too, deals with sexist epithets and discrimination on a daily basis. And I've no doubt that Obama did not even touch on that subject in his speech. Instead Ms. Clinton will continue to be called all kinds of nasty names and stereotyped, in that typical men that men stereotype women they fear (and accordingly hate) with no comment by the press or anyone else. That Obama considers with such a hate-filled and ignorant man as one of his advisors shows a very deep crack in the smooth facade that his supporters have been idolizing.

White churches spew hatred about gays every Sunday and Wednesday. Why doesn't their congregation leave in protest?

Dear JanetP,
if you think that it's in Chicago that you have 6000 people that don't like you, then you really need to get out more. I too am in the Deep South, and down here, you have several million people, all that don't like you, all that see you as the child of those that have done everything to ensure their enslavement, first by chains, then by economy and Jim Crow laws. You're afraid of those in Chiago? I've been to black churches, the words of Rev Wright is nothing compared to the hate, the bigotry, and the outright racism coming out of the churches in the Deep South. There is nowhere in America where you will "feel safe" if those words terrify you. I'm sorry to break the bad news to you, my dear, but you are in the middle of it. This is not one isolated church in one neighborhood, it's a nation of churches, all sprewing anti-american hatred, anger at percieved injustices, voices given to silent thoughts. And here, in the Deep South, we have the biggest churches of all.... headed by such ministers as Rev. Robertson and Rev Fallwell. Yes my dear, the hate-filled churches can be white, black, green, red, yellow or blue. hatred is caused by fear, for the african americans it is fear of loosing their freedoms. For white americans it is fear of loosing their position. Fear is a powerful motivator, a powerful motivator indeed, and you are feeding it, feeding that bigotry and hatred with your fear.

It was a young man, jewish I believe, who once said "Love thy neighbor". You sit there in fear, when you should be instead standing there, shoulder to shoulder, with love and understanding. Reach out, and listen to their words, but then, answer them with compassion and understanding. You hold the key to all of this in your own hand. Never give in to your fear, for in the end, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.

The real problem is that people are so shocked by Rev. Wright's comments. That only further demonstrates the enormous work there is to be done in this country on our race relations. This isn't a black/white issue, any person with a knowledge of our history and current social conceptions should be able to admit that there is racism and cause for anger present in our government and society as a whole. To the white southern woman who posted above, the anger in Rev. Wrights's sermons should not make you afraid, it should make you acknowledge our history and inspire you to work for greater racial awareness. Wake up people, this isn't new news.

I didn't agree with my parents when I was growing up, so I moved out and created my own life. Obama should have applied that same principal if he truly didn't believe in this idiot Reverends belief. Sitting for 20 years listening to his garbage means he supported the Reverends views.

Janet,

Then you finally know how men like Rev. Wright have felt their entire lives. The difference is, in your case your fear is misplaced. As the prior poster said, if you went to his church, you'd learn that Rev. Wright and his congregation are not white-haters. You've heard a few angry remarks out of context. Look into his other sermons, like the Audacity of Hope sermon, and you'll get a better picture of the man's heart.

As Mike Huckabee has said, having grown up in the deep south, when you know what people like Rev. Wright have faced all their lives, you don't know how you would respond. You would probably be angry too. But this man also talks about not letting his anger define him, not carrying grudges, learning through Christ to love those who have hated him. You could stand to learn that lesson, and so could many of the other posters quoted above.

Obama made the mistake--perhaps--of speaking to the American people as if they were adults.

When was the last time Dubya did that?

TALKIN' DON'T MAKE THE PUMPKIN GROW!!!!

TALKIN' DON'T MAKE THE PUMPKIN GROW!!!!

Has anyone had the guts to stand up and say the good pastor is RIGHT?! We HAVE supported state terrorism! We HAVE nuked far more than the thousands who died on 9/11, and never batten an eye! And we ARE indignant, like children who have been spanked, because what we are doing abroad is coming home to us. Our chickens ARE coming home to roost. Amen, brother!

And yes, God damn America for acting like she is God and she is supreme.

If America is so great, where is our health insurance? Where is our equal access to a good education? Why are our rich so, so rich and our poor so, so poor?

Where is our humanity?

The refreshing thing about Obama is that "the how will this play in Peoria" is not what seems to motivate him. He lives a normal life with both normal and quirky and sometimes outrageous people around him and lets them be who they are, while continuing his own path. I wonder if the other candidates have ever made choices without an eye to "what the voters will think," or "how will this play on the evening news." I'm tired of the whole inbred Washington business. While he will make his own errors as President, I'm ready for his new ideas. This speech brought me over to his side.

I'm a white 62 year old woman that was born and raised in Mississippi. I also lived in Chicago for 10 years until a year ago.

I will tell you growing up in a Baptist church in a small town in Mississippi I heard things coming from the pastor that make Wright a novice. I also heard on a regular basis that if you were not Baptized as a Baptist that you would go to hell.

I was a white child in the the 50's as the KKK marched to cheers through the streets of my town.

I am not the product of my Baptist upbring or the town that cheered the KKK. I am the product of a mother that judged a person on their character and not the physical appearance.

I was seventeen years old when my dads car broke down on a rural road as I was on my way to visit my grandmother. Two white men stopped and offered to see if they could help. Once I was outside the car they pulled me off the road into some bushes and attempted to rape me. It was a black man and 2 young blacks under the age of 18 that heard my yells that saved me and took me to their home.

I judge by character and Barack Obama has my vote.

To Janet...That comment was totally over the top. I just think everyone needs to just settle down and realize that Obama is running for office, not Rev. Wright.

As a white American Man from the Deep South, I was not offended by Wright's sermons. Yes, they are hyperbole and wrong, but they represent a perception of a "system" that a lot of white america refuses to see the faults in.

You have seen/heard about 2 or 3 Sermons out of over 14000 that Rev Wright has given. From everything I've seen, his actions show that he is not a racist and his church has done lots of good works.

I also really admire Sen. Obama for not throwing his long time friend under the bus for political gain. It shows more decency than most would expect from their politicions.

I am a former member of Trinity Church. I completely understand the feelings of Senator Obama. Rev. Wright helped bring me to Jesus. His occasional outbursts of anger also somtimes made me uncomfortable.
However, I am a product of Rev Wright's time and completely understand his anger and viewpoint. It's not hate of a race of people but of some of the history which has caused so much pain in my community. As with anyone, I embrace the good and discard the bad in any speech or comment that I hear.

Ohh My God! Clinton's got some SERIOUS explaining to do, that's why she's been silent about all of this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/hillarys-nasty-pastorate_b_92361.html

Now if we could address the hatred spewed by femi-nazis, we'd be great!

To Janet,

Please go to Rev. Wright's church and find out for yourself if the people there hate you. I think you will find a loving Christian community. Check it out. You may find that you are living in a world with less fear and you may find some new friends.

If you can't make it to Chicago, go to a "black church" in your town.

As a white American Woman from the Deep South, I am terrorized by Wright's remarks. I would be scared to death to find myself in Chicago where at least 6000 people don't like me because my skin is white.

If this had been a white clergy spewing that hatred about blacks the candidate would have to withdraw from the race.

That giant sucking sound you hear is the sigh of buyer's remorse in the states that have already held elections.