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

[Owen Scott, III]

Jeremiah's Complaint.

On September 7, 2005, Bill Moyers gave an address to Union Theological Seminary entitled “9-11 and the sport of God” wherein he discussed the Jewish, Christian and Muslim prophetic traditions of evil raining down upon the corrupt nations of the world. Among other things, Mr. Moyers said,

“Let's go back to 9/11 four years ago. The ruins were still smoldering when the reverends Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell went on television to proclaim that the terrorist attacks were God's punishment of a corrupted America. They said the government had adopted the agenda "of the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians" not to mention the ACLU and People for the American Way.”

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0909-36.htm

Rev. Wright, agree with him or not, delivered a number of sermons preaching within this tradition, showing that the right-wing fundamentalists have opposite numbers on the left whom MSM seldom publicizes. Consider that the Old Testament or Torah has many prophecies speaking of not only how Pharaoh will be laid low but of the devastation God is planning to bring down on the nations of Judah and Israel, the kingdoms of his own chosen people (see, e.g., Jeremiah 12 :10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field. They will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland, parched and desolate before me. The whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares. (NIV).” Read the entire chapter to get an even more extreme statement of how angry God is and what he plans to do about it. Back in those days, I doubt that you invited one of the prophets to your dinner party unless you wanted to get a non-PC earful of harsh and frightening predictions and judgments. I think it’s important for all of us to keep this in perspective when we condemn Sen. Obama or any candidate because his minister or supporter preaches hellfire and damnation from his or her socio-political point of view.

[Jeff in Orlando]

Obama portrays Hillary's vote on the Iraq war as poor judgement and that his is better since he instinctively knew it was bad from the start. Where was his good judgement and instinct once he heard a few of Reverand Wright's anti-white and anti-US sermons? Does it take 20 years before it dawns on you that you need to start distancing yourself from a guy like Wright?

[RABO]

Look people, this is the competition's attempt to play the racist card against Obama. They are mad over that white supremacist, Geraldine Ferraro. There's a fundamental difference though. Ferraro was a part of the campaign, Wright isn't. He is free to say whatever he wants to. While I disagree with the pastor's words, I can't honestly say that I would completely discredit his basic message - that blacks in this country have had a hard time of it for far too long.
The Pastor may be controversial but he's not the one running for public office - Obama is. And I will still support OBAMA in November.

[GooseGuy]

So what? This man is clearly all fired up about what HE believes -- be it Jesus, Barack Obama, or a deepseated resentment toward perceived racial slights. This in no way reflect poorly on Obama, or his campaign. Last time I checked, we still had freedom of speech in this country; the man can preach until he's blue in the face, may god grant him strength.

[Keith]

Kevin
Nobody said that he "can't" say it, they are giving their opinions on what he said. You sound very closed minded in your description of people, "glass houses maybe".
Good luck with your GED classes.

[rachel]

I totally don't believe Obama is uniter. It just cannot be true. If he really believes what he said, he cannot stay in that church for 20 years and don't feel anything wrong about it. Any normally people will freak out right away.

[bozz]

Unfortunately, race has already become such a divisive issue in this campaign that the candidates are unable to even discuss their policy plans. Both Obama and Clinton are forced to run around putting out little fires that are essentially meaningless but blown out of proportion by the media and some of the public. Obama can only be hurt in the long run if he doesn't address this decisively, and soon. I do NOT look forward to 4 years of the country fighting over race.

[Michael Novotny]

Like most Americans, I am disturbed by Reverend Wright's pronouncements. I want to always think America is the best and has the best intentions. Nothing in my mind justifies commandeering airliners filled with innocent civilians and flying them into buildings.

And I know that the US has (selectively) intervened on behalf of desperate people, in some instances Muslim people, such as in Bosnia.

All that having been said, what is the truth about Reverend Wright's assertions? For example, apartheid in South Africa was a terrible institution. A small group of privileged whites benefited from the misery of an exploited indigenous black population. We honor Nelson Mandela for being a champion against apartheid.

I won't speak for anyone else, but personally I sometimes feel uncomfortable about saying anything critical about Israel because I am afraid I will be perceived as anti-semitic, which I'm not. Did Israel support apartheid? I frankly don't know. Is Reverend Wright speaking the truth?

Ben Laden has said repeatedly that his hatred for America stems from our presence in Saudi Arabia and to a lesser degree, the treatment of the Palestinians. Is there any substance to any of Reverend Wright's comments here? Should we be snuggling up to the Royal Family of a country that is the number one exporter of radical islam to the rest of the world?

I think the matter of what he has said is very complex in today's world. It is like members of a family -- they may speak about other family members in a very direct and even critical way. But the family also has to present a united front to everyone else, especially if the family is under attack.

There may be SOME elements of truth in what Reverend Wright says -- and as I understand it, he has been saying things like this for a long, long time, and there was no national concern about it.

Now, however, he is the spiritual leader of possibly the next president of the US, and his very inflamatory criticism of "the US family's" behavior to be viewed by the rest of the world is certainly compromising and suddenly takes on a far greater importance.

I think it is an interesting experiment in objectivity to take some of his pronouncements and see how much truth they contain. There probably is some. The reality is that politics is global -- every country moves in a path dictated by not necessarily its own self interests, but even more so the self-interests of its leaders. Seven years of the US bogged down in Iraq certainly substantiates that.

[Ruth Henriquez Lyon]

I watched this video. I wonder how many of the previous posts were written by people of color?

I am a Latina woman, raised outside the D.C. area in a black neighborhood, and married into an upper middle class white family--I've seen it all as far as race relations. I have to agree with the preacher. Hillary never went through the trials of being racially disadvantaged. To say this is not "hate," rather, it is an uncomfortable truth.

I have a black friend, a professional, who freezes in fear when he walks down the street and a car alarm goes off and he's the only black around. All the whites look at him as if he's a criminal. Do any of you know what that's like?

Did anyone notice the white people in the audience of that church? Perhaps they were there because they understand that the power dynamics in this country are loaded in favor of whites, and it doesn't threaten them to hear their preacher speak plainly about it. Why are so many other white people threatened by that truth?

I encourage white people to learn more about the black (and brown) experience. Read novels and watch movies, check out biographies. Because there is still racial prejudice in the U.S., coupled with a great deal of social disadvantage. If you learn more about black folks, maybe you'll understand that what you term "hate" is really anger, and that even in 2008 it is still often justified.

[Sunny Florida]

Ok, this Wright stuff is disturbing. We have a need to know Senator Obama from every angle and what he believes when he talks of equality for America. You know, I am trying to cut through all the media spin, the off-handed comments and the accusations and just focus on two people and their two resumes. Afterall, we are trying to hire someone to be the CEO of our country. Someone with experience, someone with fortitude, intelligence and whom will work really, really hard for every American out there. For anyone to say that race and gender are not factors in this campaign or in the US is to be, well, out of touch. So, that said, how do we look at these two people fairly (without filters for race or gender) and pick the best candidate to beat McCain and win back the White house? Race is a factor, as is evident when prior to Senator Obama's arrival on the scene, African Americans, showed a strong support for Senator Clinton. Then, almost immediately, 80+% of African Americans threw their support behind a candidate with less experience, and did so why? Hmmm. Also, there are many men (and women, oddly enough) who, when asked flat out if they would ever vote for a woman for President, say no. No reason, even if she had a better resume. So, that's gender bias. Ok, that said, we still need to cut through the clutter and the crap being flung by both sides and really figure out who we want to get things right and on track for our country. Just electing someone "likeable" who will "be a uniter not a divider" may just get us what we got last time someone said that (ie - Bush, for all you really young folks) - and is that worth the risk? Only each one of us can answer that for ourselves, after honestly researching the candidates' resumes. This decision and election is too important not to.

[Jorson]

You listen to someone you idolized for 20 years I know for a fact you will adopt a lot of this persons views. What else is this guy hiding 10 years in a muslim country living with a known extremist step dad. NOW OBAMA GIVES ME THE CREEPS

[Rich White Honky]

Just another reason to just gather all those who disagree with America and ship them off to Irag and let them deal with those A-holes for a while. Maybe then those oppressed feeling will leave this "Pastor's" heart. Maybe having ad AK-47's bullets whizzing by his head will knock those racist thoughts from his mind. It's amazing how people are so gullible to still stand up for Obama even when it is evident that he supports racist radicals.

[Progressive]

I am also a white non-religious male, born and raised in America. I do practice and study Buddhism. I do not condemn nor condone Pastor Wright's preachings and rough words, as that is his Constitutional Right. Continuing to spew hate against Obama and make it sound like Obama is a terrible person because he's affiliated with this person, is utterly ridiculous. Obama does not control what this man says, and Obama has been there for 20 years. This is just another attempt by the anti-Obama supporters to hate against him and relay information that has nothing to do with who Obama is and represents. Obama has long ago said that he doesn't agree with Wright on a number of things, but that doesn't mean you cut ties with that person.

I have friends that won't vote for Obama because he's black, or won't vote for him because he's a Muslim. Both completely ignorant, and the Muslim piece has never been true. Just haters trying to smear Obama. I'm not befriending my friends because they say ignorant things or are just uneducated on specific topics, but I am distancing myself from them to a certain degree. It sounds like Obama has already done that, and we should give him credit for that, instead of being quick to judge a book by its cover. Which a lot of people are doing instead of looking at Obama's proven track record and history of hard-work and success.

It's like you folks equate Wright to Obama, which is like equating terrorists to muslims. Completely stupid and just ignorant thinking in my opinion. Oh well, nobody can change you but yourself.

[mathew hill]

A lot of people suspect that Sen. Obama is a Muslim. He says he is not, but I have never heard him say I am a Christian. Now we found out that he attends a Church, the pastor of which preaches hate and racism and denounces the United States. He even believes the mother land is Africa, not the U.S. Would it not be to the benefit of every Obama supporter and the benefit of the Senator himself, if he shows America any proof he may have of his Baptismal records? All politicians are required to divulge even more personal documents including health reports and tax returns. Why not a Baptismal record?

[I am me.]

That preacher is breeding hate and racism. If that was a white church, it'd be called a Klan meeting! Are we all not God's children? Why do we try to fight hate with more hate? This preacher disgusts me.

[George]

As my father used to say "Tell me who you hang around with and I will tell you who you are"

[PaulMo]

Darrell Tiner - You are exactly what is wrong with this country, bigotry. Anyone who is educated and actually takes time to listen to the facts, knows that Obama is not a Muslim. His father was a Muslim, and he left Obama when he was 2. You are not born into religion, nice try.

And so what if he was Muslim? It's individuals like you that equate Muslims with bad, or that they are terrorists. Religion is not a pre-requisite for being President. You can be an Atheist and still be President, even though that will never happen.

All I can say is that you are deeply misinformed, and probably not the smartest cookie in the jar. Fear and smear tactics will not work this time around, I guess you're just going to be stuck with a "Muslim" President for the next 8 years.

Ignorance is bliss.

[sarge]

why thosnt the IRS check this church money matter to see were the hide all the money the collet each week and to this day I said there in no GOD OR JC what ever u call him so why we got to pay tax and those asso dont ??????? anser america Do u still wathing for the massaia ???????

[Bruce]

The Rev. Wright isn't just Obama's pastor and spiritual guide for decades, isn't just the man who gave Obama the title of his book (The Audacity of Hope).

Wright is also a member of Obama's campaign.

This this Dec. 4, 2007, Obama press release of his "African American Religious Leadership Committee":

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/obama/obama120407pr.html

[ted cory]

To answer your question on “so tell me who then”, there are plenty of black rich people & black leaders too “DA”. Wasn't Merrell lynch’s CEO a black gentleman. Ken Chenault, Stanley O’Neal (CEO Merrell Lynch) Dick Parsons (CEO AOL). Colin Powell was the highest ranking military officer for a few years. Isn't Condoleezza Rice the 4th or 5th in line for the presidency? You sound like to go to this “Church” too because you make these broad sweeping, inflamatory statements that are not true.

[J Morris]

I wonder how long it will be before the IRS audits the church and tries to revoke the tax exempt status for violation of 501(c)(3) .

[wm. musson]

its the enviroment, stupid,,,,earth first.......always.....

[Jay]

This falls more under un-patriotic, than hate. Hate wishes to destroy, and what he said doesn't destroy anything, it does bring to light a few things some of you should take a second to look up for yourselves instead of taking Bill O'Reilly's opinion for it. Read some of the comments on here about Mr. Wright, that is hate and un-Jesus like. Spreading lies, is un-Jesus like. Swiftboat ads all over again. Everyone else gets a pass to distance or not distance themselves from a reckless talker, but since it's a Black man he has to live and die by those words. You guys are ridiculous. When Obama doesn't become President and McCain leaves us in this war, tanks the economy even more, gas goes over $6, you don't have a job or insurance, your home is foreclosed, but your taxes are low. Complain somemore then about how evil Obama is and how much worse off we would have been.

[Democrats 08]

Obama says his pastor is "like and old uncle" what does he mean by that exactly? none of my old uncles ever said anything filled with usch racism and hatred the way Obama's preacher and friend of 20 years has. Obama, his racist preacher and church are absolutely despicable. You just don't hand the Presidency over to someone like this.

[RABO]

Posted by: alee21 | March 14, 2008 at 11:08 AM
"Obama is a hypocrite, decrying Ferraro's comments which are rather harmless compared to what Wright has been spewing for so many years".

Let's get this straight.

1. Geraldine Ferraro is (was) a member of Hillary's campaign.
1a. Rev. Wright is not a member of Obama's campaign.
2. Geraldine Ferraro made racist comments as a representative of Hillary's campaign, directly targeted at Hillary's opponent, Barak Obama.
2a. Rev. Wright made a fiery sermon pointing out some obvious truths about the socioeconomis situation African americans find themselves in to his congregation. It was not directed at any particular person for any particular political goal.
3. Geraldine Ferraro's comments were racist in their intent and focus, even when taken in context, and are therefore inarguably inexcusable.
3a. Rev. Wright's statements may be considered offensive by some people, but in America he is free to espouse his opinions to the followers of his church, regardless of whether others agree or disagree.
4. Geraldine Ferraro was part of Hillary's campaign until this past week.
4a. Rev. Wright has not been a pastor at this church for years.
5. As a campaign member, Ferraro speaks for Hillary when she speaks out in this manner.
5a. Since he has no real official pr political connection to any campaign, Rev. Wright does not speak for barak Obama.

You can all stop trying to put his words in Obama's mouth.

OBAMA '08!