Obama "would have left" if Wright had stayed?

[susankh4]

This story just keeps changing. Doesn't it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080328/ap_on_el_pr/obama_wright

"Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying at the church," Obama said Thursday during a taping of the ABC talk show, "The View." The interview will be broadcast Friday.

[madaboutharry]

1. I do think you need to look at the deeper

context of this comment. Is he talking about the fact that he is now firmly on the national stage and that his associations take on a whole different meaning than when he was a state senator? These are the realities of public life. When you are obscure and not well known, it may not be that big a deal if your pastor goes off the rails once in awhile. The part of the story that has changed is the fact that Obama is no longer obscure and unknown. There are many aspects of Rev. Wright that are good and there was a community in that church that the Obama's had bonded with over the years. There are many reasons people find it difficult to leave a congregation. I understand what Obama is saying here and I don't think it means that there is "a changing story."

[susankh4]

2. Excellent point.

And I hope the majority of the voting public can grasp it.

[cornermouse]

3. He did know that running for president was going to put

him on the national stage, didn't he? He does realize that they have only just begun to interview everyone he has ever known and scrutinize everything he has ever done, said, or acted upon with a microscope, doesn't he?

[susankh4]

8. What astounds me about this is...

that his early supporters (ie. Kennedy and Kerry) did not look into this kind of thing.

What were they thinking?

[orangerevolution]

4. It is what you do when people are not watching

that determines your character.

[Loisenman]

7. Reverend White is Obama's shadow side?

I fear that 0bama's former Reverend expresses Obama's shadow side. I hope it's not true, but it is the best way I can put the facts together. You don't stay with clergy whose views are antithetical to yours unless they resonate with a deeper part of your psyche. This is the only way to make sense out of the story for me. I don't condemn Obama for this, but fear him and what he might unleash.

[noel711]

13. Well, Lois, if your statement is true...

then all of my congregants are little robots that salute
everything I say when I preach or I write.

But they aren't... everyone in a church doesn't agree
with everything all the time, the way everyone in a family
doesn't agree with everything all the time.

The point is that people are committed to the same
objectives... not the same viewpoint always.

I really wonder if people who are questioning Obama's
church committment understand what church membership means?

Church membership means we are walking together in faith,
not in total agreement.

[latisha]

50. The problem with that...

is that Obama was also a close personal friend of this man. Wright's personality is too all encompassing to be left behind at the church door and most Americans are smart enough to realize that and they know that Obama knew what was really in this man's heart too. And that's the problem and why Obama won't get elected in the GE.

[ihavenobias]

14. Oh my God...please, PLEASE tell me that's just a bad joke

This whole race has become ridiculous (as have these embarrassing and destructive comments).

Look, it's over. Like it or not, Obama is the nominee. Spend a little time getting angry about it to get it out of your system and stop trying to find ways to help McCain win. If not, you'll continue to grow (irrational and insane) dislike for Obama for nonsensical reasons like this.

Thanks.

NOTE: There are reasons to not think Obama or Hillary are perfect, because, well, neither one of them are. But this is not at the early primary stage. We are WAY too late in the game for this bullshit. I know, it sucks, your preferred candidate is incredibly unlikely to win. The only thing that *should* suck more for you is if McCain wins. And the longer you drag this out, the more likely that is to happen.

[roseBudd]

15. "but fear him and what he might unleash" I don't fear a Catholic population boom because the Pope

says no to birth control

[Skittles]

44. but the pope ain't no scary black man, rosebud

:o

I mean, that's really it, isn't it. :(

[Skittles]

42. it is amazing, isn't it

how many people fail to understand OBAMA IS A POLITICIAN

[latisha]

45. Oh Pleezeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Obama choose Wright because he recognized a fellow travelor.

[SteinbachMB]

5. Obama is really

...asking for trouble if he does not distance himself further from Wright. Problem is, he can't make another speech about him. The more they dig up from Wright's past, the more Obama will have to explain.

[roseBudd]

16. Where is your profile icon?

[SteinbachMB]

37. Profile Icon

I wasn't sure how that was going to work so I decided to take a pass, for now.

[latisha]

46. Wait and see how the right uses their relationship

If you think the swiftboating of Kerry was bad, wait and see what they do to Obama. I can just picture it now - Michelle Obama putting her foot in her mouth, then Wright screaching, then finally Hitler screaming, with the caption - Is their prejudice any different from his (Hitler)? There's no way Obama's going to win in the GE against that.

[soundguy]

6. It's The Judgment Stupid

All Obama has to run on is his "judgment." Yet time and time again his judgment show him to be deeply flawed and unfit for the job he seeks. Please Obama drop out already and let the party heal.

[susankh4]

9. The latest news... about some of the letters published in TUCC's "pastor's pages"

is absolutely incredible!

Did Mr. Obama think his willingness to keep silent on them would not be scrutinized if he ran for president?

We, as a party, are now deep in a quagmire of indiscretions. Again, I am angry with our party elders for not being more judicious in their vetting of a presidential candidate.

[acmavm]

10. Yeah right, Woulda, coulda, shoulda. If, but, and maybe.

He's just sooooo honest and decisive.

And he lives in a might fine house too.

He and Hils are two of a kind.

[TankLV]

11. Obama just keeps digging and digging - sounds more like bush* every day...!!!

This story WON'T be going away any time soon - no matter what the obamabots WISH...

America is DISGUSTED with obama...

[ljm2002]

12. What's really aggravating...

...is that any Republic in the same situation would not distance himself automatically, and would never repudiate someone he had been so close to. Like McSame who doesn't have to reject the racist ravings of some of his biggest religious-right reverend supporters...

...and when Obama does what is required, which is distancing himself, he comes off as weak and wavering. His choice of phrasing, of course, did not help at all -- using phrases like "would have left" "if he had stayed" -- no getting around it, weasel words like that do not address anything and would have been better left unsaid.

Man oh man, what I wouldn't do to have a candidate who could deal with this shit.

[susankh4]

18. The O'Reilly show is at it today....

implying that "certain mosques breed home grown terror when moderate muslim citizens don't take a stand against hate speech."

I could hear it between the lines.... "Why didn't Mr. Obama take a stand in his church?" and "Doesn't he realize this is how terrorism starts?"

The essential message was is this: there are some whack jobs wandering around who will listen to anti-American hate speech and then go off the deep end. You never know who they are. But when one of them stumbles into a radical mosque (or church) beware! Next thing you know they are flying planes into buildings.

[OhioChick]

19. Why do you watch

"The O'Reilly show?"

:dunce:

[susankh4]

20. I don't.

I never watch TV.

I have XM radio and I rotate through the talk shows to see who is saying what. About twice a day. It's very educational.

[OhioChick]

21. So......

You "listen" to O'Reilly?

[susankh4]

23. I listen to all the talkers... now and again... left and right.

It is like taking the temperature of the nation. Very informative.

[OhioChick]

25. To each his own, I guess

I wouldn't waste my time listening to whack jobs on the right, though.

[susankh4]

27. Well, the problem is...

nut jobs on the right... and on the left... get to vote.

So, it pays to know what they are thinking and saying, if you want to win.

[OhioChick]

31. Who do you consider to be

"nut jobs" on the left?

[susankh4]

33. Lately there are quite a few....

Randi and Keith have both jumped the shark of late, IMO.

Lionel has always been a bit of a nut.

Ed Schulz waxes and wanes.

[OhioChick]

35. I happen to like Keith....

one cannot get upset with someone thye've always liked due to the fact that they're not in agreement on certain issues. Everyone will not always agree on everything...

[susankh4]

39. I know. I feel that way about Randi too.

I know she'll come back on board once we have a nominee. And, if that nominated team has Clinton on it... she'll love the Clintons just as much as she always did.

[susankh4]

24. I also read D.U.

which represents a very small segment of the American population.

[OhioChick]

26. Makes sense if you're a Dem. nt

[susankh4]

28. Yeah, but I don't learn much here....

cuz most of you think the way I do. Or the way my family does.

[OhioChick]

29. I learn quite a bit here from fellow DU'ers....

and I come from a die hard Dem family. Why continue to come if you don't learn much here? :shrug:

[susankh4]

30. It's fun to hang out with the home team now and again.

[OhioChick]

32. No offense...

but how can you rack up over 1400 posts in less than two months of joining? Especially given the fact that you say nothing much can be learned here?

[susankh4]

34. It's fun.

And I enjoy it... now that business is s/w slow.

[OhioChick]

36. NAFTA

screwed you too, eh?

NAFTA has bent the entire state of Ohio over a barrel....

[susankh4]

38. I am a small business person

NAFTA has not affected me much. It was a boon for my DH, who educates engineers. He drives all over the state, in fact. Providing the second half of a BS, for AD grads.

Rising gas prices affect me, tho! Most of my clients are on the East Coast. In Kennedyland where I plan to retire someday...... sigh...... soon, I hope. If the value of my home allows me to sell it and have enough to move there.

Eight years of a Dem admin... sorta like the one I experienced in the 90's... would be very good from where I sit. It would be ending just as I am retiring to my dream condo on Revere Beach.
:toast:

[latisha]

48. Can't stand the self inflated O'Reilly

and I didn't see the program - never watch him, but, I think the problem with the Wright situation is that America got the crap scared out of them watching that man screaming hatred against his fellow man. At one point Wright tells his audience that you have to stop killing each other because your going after the wrong targe. This man was actually advocating murder. How the hell does Obama distance himself from that.

Right now, it's not hurting Obama but in the GE it's going to kill him. There's no getting away from that and the cons are going to use it to massacre him.

[jgraz]

17. Poll question: Pastorgate or Snipergate?

Which is more damaging to a candidate in the general election?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5295550&mesg_id=5295550

[latisha]

47. Snipergate is nothing compared to Pastorgate

Because it just looks like Hillary was embellishing a story to enhance her credentials, which she doesn't really need to do. But Pastergate goes to the heart of where someone's heart is - and to the general public it looks like Obama's heart is in the wrong place and that he's a two-faced hypocrite.

[bemildred]

22. You know, I'm sick of this whole issue.

When did US politicians become slaves to the opinions of their religious leaders. I don't give a crap what Wright said, now or ever.

[susankh4]

40. I'm really sick of it too...

and I wish I wasn't in for another eight months of it....

[latisha]

49. But it's not going to go away and is only going to get worse

Just wait and see how dirty the cons are going to get on this one.


BTW - Is the old lady falling or what?

[susankh4]

52. She is a granny for Hill

who got in a spat with an Obama disruptor at a Hill rally. I like her more every time I see her.

[Judi Lynn]

54. Absolutely. I have ignored these threads but I had to see who has tried to keep the subject going

this late in the game.

Slimey tricks like this are ALL the Republican Party has for dealing with the American people each national election season, beyond its control of elections through dirty vote-counting.

What repulses and disgusts beyond endurance is the imbecile right-wingers who imagine they are "blending in" here and fooling everyone by assuming postures which allow them to attempt to kick the bejesus out of decent people. Racists will sell their own mother for chances like this to pretend to be sharing their civic minded opinions with Democrats while likewise ripping and shredding anyone within reach they dispise for racial reasons.

Decent people wouldn't lower themselves to living such a filthy lie. They may think they are hidden by anonymity, but they are transparent to us, and, if there is a "gawd" as they love to trumpet, that guy will have some serious times ahead for them on judgement day for abusing, defiling the common spaces they have shared in their lives with human beings.

[JTFrog]

41. Contact Dennis Kucinich and ask him where to get a little pocket copy of the Constitution.

Then read.

Then keep your Mother Fucking Religion out of my Mother Fucking Politics.


Thanks.

[GOPBasher]

43. That was always the story. I saw an interview with him on FOX

News the day the story broke and he said the same thing.

[susankh4]

51. Glad to see ya'll keeping this editorial alive!

Good discussion here.

[Apollo11]

53. "If you think Rev Wright is prejudiced, you should hear what my white grandma says sometimes."

This is a classy defense from Barack and proves that Obama understands the old magician's trick of distraction.

Remember folks, the issue here is NOT what the Reverend Wright has been preaching over the past 20 or 30 years to audiences of hundreds or thousands of church-goers including Barack and Michelle Obama and their young children.

No, the issue is whether we should be expecting Barack to denounce his white grandmother, the woman who raised him, because she once privately admitted that sometimes she experiences feelings of fear and suspicion when she is walking along the sidewalk and sees one or more black men walking towards her.

PLEASE let's not take our eye off the ball and let's remember who is the REAL racist here!

:sarcasm: