Apr 29 2008
Obama’s Response
*** Update Below ***
I just finished watching Obama’s live press conference where he responded to the Reverend Wrights’ speech yesterday. I won’t comment very much on Obama’s statements until I find the raw transcripts of what he said. As far as I can see, the harshest things he said was that he was “Outraged” at what the Reverend Wright said at the National Press Club, and he said that Wright’s speech will cause their relationship to change. I don’t think I heard him itemize any of Wright’s obscenities though. (I was wrong there. He did itemize a few of the more “controversial” Wright statements and responded to them.)
Also, upon reflection, when he said he was “outraged”, I don’t know if he said he was actually outraged at the content Wright’s speech or if he was outrage because Wright clearly lacked “concern” “for me”.
Obama also said the Reverend Wright we were treated to yesterday morning was not the Wright that he knows and remembers. Again he denied ever hearing these comments before. If I understand it correctly, didn’t Obama quote these statements or these kinds of statements from Wright in his books?
Clearly Obama is conducting damage control to stop the inevitable downward spiral of his campaign from this Wright circus. The question is: Did he succeed?
***Update 4/29/08***
Michelle Malkin’s got a few rough and ready quotes:
“I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle. The person that I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate. I believe they do not accurately portray the perspective of the black church. They certainly don’t portray mine. If he considers this political posturing, then he doesn’t know me very well. And I don’t know him well either.”
If 20 years isn’t enough time to know someone well, then (shrug) how long does it take?
When responding to Wright comparing US Marines to terrorists, he said:
“They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans. They should be denounced. And that’s what I’m doing clearly and unequivocally here today.”
“It’s antithetical to our campaign. It’s antithetical to what I’m about. It’s not what America stands for. Rev. Wright does not speak for me. He doesn’t speak for our campaign. I can’t prevent him from making these outrageous remarks…When I say I find these statements appalling, I mean it…Makes me angry and saddens me.”
Isn’t it funny how he has never overtly said, “I denounce such and such.”? So far, it’s invariably, “I have already denounced…” or, like today’s, “They should be denounced.” I haven’t heard him say a simple subject-verb-object sentence construction along these lines yet.
As a side note, the crux of my frustrations at Obama is that I don’t know if I can believe what he’s saying. He’s lied on so many different things, or as he would say, he has “mischaracterized” himself on innumerable things.
Perhaps that just my cynicism talking, even if his “misstatements” and “mischaracterizations” are well-documented. Maybe I should give him more benefit of the doubt.
Hi Thomas, Thanks for visiting my blog. Maybe you can’t beleive what Obama’s saying. Wright indicated that politics is “by any means necessary.” That’s Malcolm X.
Too little to late for Obama. Even if I did believe him 100% which I don’t, he’s already damaged his campaign beyond repair. He’ll still win the nomination, but he’s a sitting duck for the general election.
It’s my pleasure, Helen. One thing about this whole controversy is becoming abundantly clear, this story has legs and it looks like it’s going to go all the way to the election if Obama gets the nomination.
Another thing that is clear is that Americans are frustrated at the current state of race relations. It’s the best it’s ever been, but we have a ways to go. I think that much of the dialog between the races for the past couple decades can be summed up in the analogy of an enormous pink elephant sitting in the living room and no one wants to talk about it.
This is the effect political correctness has on honest dialog.
I agree about the political correctness to a degree. On one hand, it puts everyone on the defensive. Like, there are consequences for honesty. On the other, it makes us at least try to get along. Either way, it is honest.
. . . so here we sit. Are we going to vote for McCain? I don’t think so. Americans may be frustrated by the state of race relations, but they are also sick of Bush’s war.
oops. I meant NOT honest.
Helen,
I honestly don’t know which way the election is going to go. There are too many variables and too many “what if’s” that can suddenly tip the balance to one party or the other.
As to political correctness, I think it’s that “making us try to get along” that fueling all this pent up energy on race and other issues. By forcing people into thinking a certain way through political correctness, it creates a dynamic that shuts down dialog and negates true tolerance.
In order for there to be real tolerance, the intolerable must be addressed.