Barack Obama's pastor's words echo through campaign

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright may have stepped down as pastor at Barack Obama's church in Chicago, but his sermons are still echoing through the presidential campaign -- some rather vile ones, as captured in a video that recently made its way to YouTube.

As our friends at The Swamp reported a little while ago, Obama's campaign is trying to put some more distance between the senator and the preacher, but given the focus on race and gender this week, expect this to simmer for a while. 

"It just came to me within the past few weeks, ya'll, why so many folk are hating on Barack Obama," Wright said in the video of a Christmas sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ. "He doesn’t fit the model. He ain't white. He ain't rich and he ain't privileged. Hillary (Clinton) fits the mold."

This from CNN, attributed to an Obama campaign spokesman: "Sen. Obama has said before that he profoundly disagrees with some of the statements and positions of Rev. Wright … Sen. Obama deplores divisive statements, whether they come from his supporters, the supporters of his opponent, talk radio or anywhere else."

He may deplore them, but he'll likely be forced to deal with them. Among Wright's comments about Hillary Clinton: "Hillary was not a black boy raised in a single parent home, Barack was. Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary! Hillary can never know that. Hillary ain't never been called a n-----! Hillary has never had her people defined as non-person."

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[joel]

@andy:

To say "he makes Hitler look like a choirboy" is foolish. No speech, especially an afro-centric paint-by-numbers derivative job like this, can compare to one murder, let alone a holocaust. Don't vote for Obama, fine. But leave the radicalized exaggeration and sloppy thought to the "nut jobs" rather than becoming one of them in your response.

[charles higgins]

Can you imagine if a conservative said anything even approaching this. Look for the press to cover this up as their darling gushes forth. Can you imagine a USA hating black couple 'repairing' our image abroad. Can you imagine the divide it will cause-probably decades. Obama is so far left he will never be a uniter. If the press does it's job 'fair and balanced' he will go quietly away.

[emjade]

I don't really see the hate in the clip. I hear a lot of comparing and contrasting and a very fiery rhetorical style

[soleil]

"Hillary! Hillary can never know that. Hillary ain't never been called a n-----! Hillary has never had her people defined as non-person."

Wait a minute, haven't women been constantly portrayed as objects in the media? Isn't it an impediment to our personhood to still have these preachers around who believe that women should obey and not have control over our bodies?

[Kevin]

Though it may offend, and even frighten you white Christian kids, The scary old black man has made some good points, and perhaps making a few good points about our society, and social issues, is better than making a slew of bad points
just because a book says too. If what he says is rhetoric, and "evil" (retarded Christian close minded fearful statement by the way) then what is in that book. All im saying is the freedom you have decided to care so much about is in action. who are you to tell him he cant say what he wants?
I guess having another opinion gives you the right. Try to be rational people.

[soflindie]

If u are a Catholic - Do you agree with everything your Pope says ? If so , then u can not be a Democrat . Do you believe blindly in everything the church has done ? if so, u are a horrible Parent ! You are willing to allow your children to be Alter boys when the Catholic Church has done TOO LITTLE TOO LATE when it comes to pedophilia.

This is a year old story - was addressed in 2007 . The Pastor is NO LONGER with the church and Obama disatnced himself from the Pastor.

Looks like Fox news needs to find something , anything to get people to stop talking about Geraldine Ferraro.

[Dr Coles]

No, matter your political party affiliation, and setting aside your thoughts on issues. We all need to remember what it is to be an American Citizen. We need to make sure our elected representatives obey their Oath of Office and keep their Oath of Allegiance. See http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl Know whom you are voting for.

[Frosty Cupcake]

Is there some quote in here I'm supposed to disagree with?

"a culture that is controlled by rich white people."

Check.

"[Obama] doesn’t fit the model."

Double check.

"Hillary has never had her people defined as non-person."

Technically a triple check.

Is there something outrageous here that I'm missing?

[McClum]

None of you understand the oppression that has happened in this country and how we are viewed by the world at large. You are egocentric selfish people afraid of anyone that doesn't look like you.

Obama is not Rev. Wright and I'm sure does not agree with him on many issues.

[Joe]

Haven't women been treated as non-persons longer than blacks have been slaves? Did black men get to vote before women? Hillary Clinton did not grow up privileged.

[Wayne]

Isn't everyone sick of this game of guilt by association? Don't we all want to bring the focus back to where it belongs -- on the actions of the actual candidates? We can play this guilt-by-association game all day long and bury everyone, eventually. Why do we play it? Because we're bored and because the candidates are so similar? It's sort of satisfying but, in the end, pretty empty. Let's move beyond all of this and settle on a Democratic candidate who can win in the fall. It's time to get moving on this.

[ginaswo]

I am DONE with Obama as a potential candidate in the General Election. Rev Wright-This is the man who brought Obama to Christianity, this is the man who baptised his little girls, this is the man who he prayed with the night before he announced his candidacy, this is that man. This is hate not love, vengeance not forgiveness, separatist not inclusion, all coming from that pulpit. The profanity and hip grinding on Christmas eve as children attend this sermon. I am a lifelong Dem I will not vote for a candidate who refused to repudiate these comments and donated 20,000 to this church last year, tis Rev Wright is the head of Obamas campaign African American Religous Committee. BUt Gerry Ferraro couldnt talk about sexism? Gimme a break, the end, done, fini. Say goodbye to the dem base DNC, you are creating a new generation of Reagan Dems, the McCain Dems.

[brian]

is this guy black???

the cup is half full. rich white people enslaved africans, but they also freed the slaves and changed policy to give africans a fighting chance. it isn't easy being black, but success is possible. he would better spend his air telling blacks how to live healty productive lives to change public opinion and reach success, vs. hating on whites

[Joshua]

Now I have an Idea why Obummer doesn't recite the pledge of allegiance and his wife Michelle not being proud of being an American.

Who is really Barack Hussein Obama?

An old adage says, Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell who you are.

[Julie]

Why is every body crying over what Obama's former pastor said over a year ago.

Listen, He is only saying what is true. Alot of black children grew up in America without any real role model and most of them end up in prison. Obama could have been one of them.

And most of our political leaders turn blind ears to the problems facing majority of Black children, latino and some white children in our society. Because barack Obama has lived and experienced it, he will help to make live better for folks who have lost hope.

Barack Obama is not his pastor and barack Obama is half white and half black and he understands both world and he will heal this wounds between us (white and black).

Barack Obama is all about inclusiveness and let us not get cheated out from the gift of this great man.

Barack Obama '08

[Pete Lawson]

Hate-filled toward America or white America? I don't really think so. Frustrated, angry? Certainly. I've been spit on for my color (white) in another country. Until that happened, I had no idea what the kind of treatment felt like. In the service, I couldn't eat publicly with members of my squad in certain areas of the country. Wonder how the black members of my squad felt about that... I didn't hear Dr. Wright say anything that didn't resonate as true from my experience.

Is that upsetting to me? Yes! But not because it's hate-filled towards America, but because it's a reminder of how far different we are in our behavior from what our espoused beliefs are. We have a long way to go to live up to what I've always believed America stands for. Can we do it? I think so. But not by denying that the worst of our failures need to be acknowledged and changed.

[andy]

Seriously folks, America is a racist country. That's all the man is saying. It's the truth. White people just have no clue what it's like to be nonwhite in America. Until you walk in our shoes and learn about our history, shut the hell up!

[PJ]

Obama should step down and away from this "religion" and then try to rehabilitate himself. He needs to wander in the desert of the Senate for a time and then try again. Why would anyone want a president who hates...dislikes...whatever, the country he will lead?

Obama's 20-year support of this racist man is unforgivable.

[cluephone]

The minister isn't running for office, is he.

When in the name of everything sane will you people get some perspective and insight? A wealthy, myopic populace is nothing to be proud of. It's dreadful. When comments and actions are blown into cartoon hyperbole at the drop of an opinion, it's time to reasses your connection to what's real. The world is looking at this behaviour they same way it would watch a schizophrenic stand in the intersection and yell at cars.

[Joshua]

Now I have an Idea why Obummer doesn't recite the pledge of allegiance and his wife Michelle not being proud of being an American.

Who is really Barack Hussein Obama?

An old adage says, Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell who you are.

[HS]

Wow, he sure seems to put stupid people around him. His wife has a big mouth, the advisor who called Clinton a monster quit. Remember the scandal involving an advisor and Canada? Now this? If this guy puts so many "dim blubs" around him, he must be just as dim himself.

[alee21]

Obama is a hypocrite, decrying Ferraro's comments which are rather harmless compared to what Wright has been spewing for so many years.

Do we really want a nominee who belongs to such a divisive church for so long?

What does that say about Obama's plans (and presumably Michelle's) for the US?

[Ron]

These guys commenting are just nutty. Lots of preachers say equally inflammatory things. These people are just itching to stick it to Obama.

You can tell you're dealing with real new junkie nuts when they use abbreviations like MSM (Mainstream Media) and referent O'Reilly.

[Jon]

I'm a white non-religious male, born and raised in America. I was expecting an extreme video, but this seems pretty mild. It must be that O'reilly and Ann Coulter have desensitized me to ignorant statements.

Anyway, it is true that America is run by rich white people. However, after the civil rights movement, women and minorities have gained ground and continue to do so. This old man is still living in the past and he appears to still be pissed off. Obama is younger and absolutely much more calm. I judge a man for what he says, not what his associates say.

[Eric]

Look at where the economy is today, everything is bad! How did we get here? George Bush and his cronies. It will be years, maybe decades before we dig out of this mess. We need to stop fighting and fix America. Ron Paul is/was the best candidate but people are so ignorant that they won't listen to new ideas. America is paying the price and it is going up.