How much do Obama’s pastor’s comments matter? There are pundits now convinced that the Pastor Wright YouTubes have rendered Barack Obama unelectable. Some initial polling suggests the Wright controversy may indeed influence voters. Others believe the controversy has been rightly handled or mostly amounts to a distraction and will have little effect on the election.
Some issues on the table: (1) Was Obama lying when he said recently that he wasn’t aware of the nature of Pastor Wright’s comments and/or was he lying earlier in characterizing his relationship with Wright as “deep”? Could the relationship be both deep and unwitting? (2) Would perceptions that Obama is lying in either case— in the matter of the true beliefs of his pastor— significantly affect perceptions among Americans of Obama’s character and his fitness to be president? (3) Are there a significant number of voters disposed to vote for Obama who have now taken enough offense at Pastor Wright’s comments and Obama’s reaction to them to not vote for Obama in the general election… to either not vote or to vote for McCain instead? (4) Does Obama’s relationship to Pastor Wright and Wright’s church, Trinity United, significantly undercut the legitimacy of Obama’s appeals to a post-racial America? (5) Are Pastor Wright’s comments racist and, if so, should they be subject to the same scorn by Obama supporters as have been the witless comments made and repeated by the Clinton campaign’s Geraldine Ferraro?
We have our opinions. We know it’s spring break and all, but do you readers have opinions about any of this?
Tags: jeremiah wright, racism, trinity united
Don’t we have a bit of a double standard here? Obama is expected to denounce his pastor’s statements, while it’s OK for Bush & McCain to support the most rabidly conservative religious leaders.
[...] looks like we have a bit of a double standard for candidates religious connections. People are up in arms over the statements by Pastor Wright of Obama’s church, yet they find nothing wrong with [...]
Man this is not a real thing, except if it goes willie horton and people use it to paint obama as a “real actual black man” and middle america really thinks they’d rather just continue with the republicans rather than roll the dice with a homey cuz he might waste all his time trying to pass reparations legislation and hunting down neonazis and throwing open the prison doors. Some people are that stupid but the number of folks supporting obama says to me it’s not enough.
Some issues on the table: (1) Was Obama lying when he said recently that he wasn’t aware of the nature of Pastor Wright’s comments and/or was he lying earlier in characterizing his relationship with Wright as “deep”? Could the relationship be both deep and unwitting?
Yes, it could be deep in a sense that Obama connected with the liberation theology he was teaching. To take the oppressors religion, turn it on its ear and use the same text to empower can be utterly transformative, especially for some African-Americans who struggle with an inherited religion intended to inspire them only to submissiveness.
At the same time Obama was also trying to distance himself from statements that mainstream America would consider provocative.
Black Americans have always been the conscience of America, quick to point out the hypocrisies, that most mainstream Americans do not see or do not choose to see.
(2) Would perceptions that Obama is lying in either case— in the matter of the true beliefs of his pastor— significantly affect perceptions among Americans of Obama’s character and his fitness to be president?
Well of course. Stereotypically Black people always lie, and so do politicians. This would be an easy reach for people who are not quite ready to elect a Black man to the highest office of the land. The Fox pundits repeatedly loudly and often that Barack is “just another politician.”
(3) Are there a significant number of voters disposed to vote for Obama who have now taken enough offense at Pastor Wright’s comments and Obama’s reaction to them to not vote for Obama in the general election… to either not vote or to vote for McCain instead?
I’m sure there are.
(4) Does Obama’s relationship to Pastor Wright and Wright’s church, Trinity United, significantly undercut the legitimacy of Obama’s appeals to a post-racial America?
It has the potential to. Listening to Wright’s sermon’s out of context make him sound angry (another common stereotype about black people) however the cadence and speech and tonal pattern is typical of African-American preachers. Again, I must point out that there were a number of things espoused by Wright that were true. Malcolm X was silenced by the Nation of Islam for the “chickens have come home to roost” comment after the JFK assassination, there was truth in the statement then and there is truth in the statement now. Does a post-racial America mean a marginalized group must remain silent in order to be perceived as patriotic?
(5) Are Pastor Wright’s comments racist and, if so, should they be subject to the same scorn by Obama supporters as have been the witless comments made and repeated by the Clinton campaign’s Geraldine Ferraro?
I haven’t heard all of Wright’s comments. From what I heard, some of them be construed as such to a particular segment of the society. Liberation theology is important in this argument as it is the basis of what Wright teaches. From what I heard, he isn’t calling on Black folk to arm themselves and go kill Whitey. Nor is he calling for the demise of a religion such as McCain’s “spiritual advisor.”
Geraldine Ferraro’s comments were demeaning and condescending and deserve no comparison.