jerby - we finally agree!
uncageg - thats how i feel as well. in no way do i think pastor wright is going about this the "right" way (no pun intended. ha)... as a matter of fact i think the way he's presenting his messages is more harmful to his cause than anything... but... there is a reason he is speaking out the way he is.
there is a reason a large portion of the african american community feels the same way... we have to remember that not too long ago, literally during our parents' lifetime, african americans were still fighting for rights. then consider the fact that we're still living in a very racist country and i'm sure we cant even begin to scratch the surface of why he feels the way he does.
i guess its hard for someone who's not african american to understand... but theres obvious hurt and pain and anger there. and with reason, i think.
i was speaking with my mother in law last night, a hardcore republican who is easily fooled by those "awesome" obama spam emails that are spreading around the net like wildfire... you know the ones where he's a terrorist ready to destroy the usa "from the inside out" and how if you run his birthday thru the bible it actually confirms that he's the antichrist... anyhow... she said:
"if george bush had a pastor that preached out against blacks in america the way pastor wright preached out against whites in america, he would have never lasted in the race and would have never had a shot at the presidency".
my first reaction was "what a shame... if only his pastor had spoken out against blacks during his run for the white house we could have avoided these last 8 years"
my second reaction was "uh... last i checked, white people were not enslaved by blacks for more than 200 years... so... what the hell are you saying? its just a tad different"
Well, I think it's ridiculous to hold any of these supporter's comments against the candidate. But many people do--I guess in trying to figure out what the person stands for and in trying to decide which of these two to vote for.
that's the way to bring the country together: tell the majority that there is no way they can ever understand the minority and merely must accept what the minority says because they are owed something. good luck selling that.
please, god, make bammy the nominee.
When Obama first came out against the pastor and said that he didn't remember sermons like this one, I just rolled my eyes. I really doubt that this pastor JUST started delivering sermons like this. And, I am sorry JMO, but I could see Obama and his family sitting right there screaming with the rest of the congregation. Now that he is running for president, he doesn't remember sermons being like that. Although I did read a bit of his speech and he patched that up by saying that he didn't always agree with this pastor. Cut me a break!
But Jerby,
I do hold someone accountable for the words and deeds of someone they say they admire, and has been a strong influence in his/her life. Righteous indignation after the fact, once the media starts a feeding frenzy, is a little suspect in my mind.
that's because you're a racist whitey who wants to keep the black man down since you're afraid of your own urges towards them!
Thanks for letting me know. It explains my unnatural desires towards Denzel after all of these years.
I agree YouWantit, and wasn't this pastor part of Obama's campaign?
unclean! unclean! we must wash your brain!!!
yes, he was unca.
And that's unc if you're nasty!!!
there are plenty of people in my life that I love and adore and respect, but don't agree with on certain things.
Now, I can understand the concern if the man was part of his campaign. Though I certainly dont have concerns like some of you.
jrb, my concern is that this pastor married Obama, Baptized his kids and now all of a sudden Obama has cast him aside because he is running for President. You just don't have a 20 year relationship with your church/pastor and then all of a sudden act like you don't know this person and that he had these views and conducted these types of sermons.
I'm listening to Air America too...I wouldn't be surprised if what was meant to be an attack ends up really boosting his campaign. The speech was moving. Far better than anything Bush ever, ever said while in office for 8 years. Of course, that's not hard.
Oh and by the way, didn't someone who recently endorsed McCain say that God punished America with Hurricaine Katrina? Like all those people deserved to die because of the fact that there are gay people in America or something STUPID like that? Why is that not a big deal?
yeah, because air america is so in touch with the nation as a whole and is a like totally objective news source.
someone who recently endorsed mccain as opposed to say the man who has been like a father to bammy for the last 20 years? yep, i'd say those two are completely, like, equal, ya no?
The difference is that Obama is addressing the comments of someone in his PERSONAL life. McCain was endorsed by someone who says America deserves to be punished for allowing homosexuality and McCain just turns around and says he's proud to be endorsed by such a person.
But I suppose you're right about Air America. I don't need to hear about what's going on in the world. I should just tune into Fox and see what's up with Brittney Spears.
uncage - he isnt tossing wright aside. he is saying that he doesnt agree with his statements but that the man is still someone who has played a big part in his life... but that he doesnt agree with his statements. just to clarify.
amalou - thats not at all true about fox news!! as a matter of fact, just last night they were running a fascinating and important segment on paris hilton's new reality sitcom... she's on the hunt for a new best friend. thats important news damnit.
Cuban,
Why did it take this becoming an issue for Obama to repudiate comments he was already aware of? Had this not become a media frenzy, would the comments be OK and not something he would need to repudiate?
I liked the speech, I liked the sentiment, but find the actions very much like politics as usual. If Obama is the nominee, I will vote for him, but find that his actions undermine his words.
Tossed aside was for lack of a better term. Just to clarify!
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
jrb, my concern is that this pastor married Obama, Baptized his kids and now all of a sudden Obama has cast him aside because he is running for President. You just don't have a 20 year relationship with your church/pastor and then all of a sudden act like you don't know this person and that he had these views and conducted these types of sermons.
Ding ding ding!
So, is Obama's whole spiritual life a fallacy, or is he just repudating Wright's comments because he has to?
because there are no other news outlets besides fox and air america.
i can recognize the bias at fox, which makes it all he more pathetic that you can't see or acknowledge the bias at aa which is by it's own description is medium "to give a voice to the progressive movement in this country."
which i guess is better than fox because it makes no bones about its bias.
I love the way everyone thinks Fox is garbage, yet they all tune in. Obama is double-talking. You don't idolize someone like Obama does this pastor, then act like you never really heard him give this kind of sermon before. It makes no sense. It doesn't add up. For 20 or so years he goes to a church and a pastor who is clearly racist, quotes him in his book, engages him for all the milestone events in his life, yet now he runs for president, he wants no part of him?! Are we to believe that he didn't realize that this pastor was a racist?! He's incapable of identifying the true nature of people he knows intimately, yet we think he'll be a good president of the free world?!
Updated On: 3/18/08 at 09:18 PM
I was traveling today and finally got a chance to watch the speech.
It's a beautiful and historic speech.
But I know in my sad heart, that with that speech, Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination and lost the general election.
Ditto PJ.
and PJs bull**** train keeps on rolling.
Yes, thats it Obama lost the general election today PJ. IT ALL MAKES SO MUCH SENSE NOW.
ugh, your senility is getting worse every day.
"jrb, my concern is that this pastor married Obama, Baptized his kids and now all of a sudden Obama has cast him aside because he is running for President. You just don't have a 20 year relationship with your church/pastor and then all of a sudden act like you don't know this person and that he had these views and conducted these types of sermons."
Um, do yourself a favor and ACTUALLY READ/WATCH THE SPEECH.
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