Pastor Creates ‘Guilt by Association’ Problem for Obama
File: Barack Obama with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor emeritus of Obama's congregation, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. (AP Photo)
Surrogates for Barack Obama on Sunday downplayed the significance of Obama’s relationship to a controversial pastor and suggested the discussion is a diverson from bigger issues in the Democrat presidential race.
“The fact of the matter is people would like to move on to other things,” said Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, characterizing remarks by Obama pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright as “outrageous,” but saying they are not relevant to Obama’s candidacy.
“He’s rejected it. He said no– he doesn’t have any association with it. He finds these comments outrageous,” Dodd, an Obama supporter and former presidential candidate, told “FOX News Sunday.” He added that “guilt by association is not typically American.”
But some political analysts say that comments by Wright could pose a major obstacle for Obama because unlike average Americans, politicians suffer from “guilt by association.”
“This is a man who he chose to be associated with. It’s not a family member. He chose to be associated with Reverend Wright and saw advantage in it. And that’s why he exploited it up to a point when he realized, especially when he was announcing, that he couldn’t have Wright by his side for the announcement in Springfield and now seeks to somehow distance himself. But it speaks to his character, and it speaks to the judgment which is the basis on which Barack Obama has been running his campaign. So I think it could be a big problem,” said National Public Radio national correspondent and FOX News contributor Juan Williams.
It also could suggest an insincerity by Obama, said conservative syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer.
“This, I think, is a huge story because it contradicts the whole persona and appeal of Obama as a man who transcends race,” Krauthammer said. “I think it ought to be explored a lot more deeply.”
Out on the campaign trail on Saturday, Obama was dogged by questions about comments made by his spiritual leader of 20 years, whose quotes have been sprayed over the news in the last several days.
At a town-hall meeting in Indiana, Obama said he was not in the pews when Wright said, for example, the U.S. is run by “rich, white people” or that the U.S. created the AIDS virus to kill African Americans. The Illinois senator said he “completely rejects” the preacher’s controversial sermons, including one in which he said the United States was asking for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks because it had supported “state-sponsored terrorism” against black South Africans and Palestinians.
“Although I knew him and know him as somebody in my church that talked to me about Jesus and family and friendships but clearly, if all I knew were those statements I saw on television, I would be shocked,” Obama said.
Obama who is new to disavowing himself from the remarks, told his audience that people should speak up forcefully against comments like Wright’s.
On Sunday, the United Church of Christ defended Wright’s character.
“The Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children, and men in America and around the globe,” wrote Rev. John H. Thomas, the church’s General Minister President in a press release.
Meanwhile, Clinton supporters are refusing to jump on the opportunity to attack Obama for his slow response. “I mean, as you know, I prefer Senator Clinton for a whole lot of reasons, but I don’t cast aspersions on Senator Obama for what somebody else said,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Voters should “accept what Obama has said and move on,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.
The Clinton campaign may be following a well-known operating principle of politics, which is when an opponent is shooting himself in the foot, stand back and let him. According to the results of a new, four-day Rasmussen tracking poll out Sunday morning, Obama’s national lead has narrowed to just 3 points over Clinton.
“The Clinton campaign won’t touch this with a 10-foot poll, but they don’t have to. … It will dribble, dribble out for at least a few more days and in this Internet era there’s no limit to what you can” dredge up, said Democratic strategist Susan Estrich.
Estrich said plenty of more information will come up in the weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania and North Carolina primaries.
“I don’t know, this guy didn’t give just two bad sermons, nobody … does the wrong thing just twice,” she said. “We all have to fill space for six weeks, this is how we’ll fill it.”
According to pollster, Scott Rasmussen, the recent controversy and prolonged fight between the Democrats is also turning out to be a gift for presumptive Republican presidential nominee and Arizona Sen. John McCain, whose numbers are up. That’s a fear Democrats are hoping won’t be realized as the discussion over race and sex issues distract from their overall message of defeating McCain.
“I think we have to lift ourselves out of all of that. Look, we’re talking about running for president of the United States. We’re talking about the leader of the free world. We’re talking about the hopes, the aspirations of the American people being placed — and not like any other job in the world, placed on this person. And I think people are much more interested on the ideas, the vision, the judgment, the plans that people have. And that’s why people are drawn to both of these candidates,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking on ABC’s “This Week.” Pelosi has not yet stated her preference for the top of the party ticket.
Senator Dodd needs to wake up or shut up. Jeremiah Wright was the spiritual leader of his campaign. He is a racist and it speaks volumes on Obama and everyone on his campaign
I find it hard to believe that BHO didn’t have any idea this pastor’s view points were divisive and controversial after a 20 year association of choice. Additionally, I am Catholic and when you get married or your children get baptized you meet with your pastor to receive “spiritual guidance” towards the choices of marriage and parental responsibilities to and after the baptism.
This is just another event in it’s singularity that may not look like it’s significant but coupled with the picture where he is the ONLY one not pledging allegiance to the flag, Michelle Obama’s comments about ” This is the first time I am proud to be an American ” in reference to her husband running, his N.A.F.T.A. comments, his top aid calling HRC a “monster”, and of course his own characterization of his “bonehead” decision to do a land deal with Rezko who he knew was being investigated and charged….Seems to me where there is smoke there is fire. I’m certainly not suggesting either that HRC isn’t devoid of her own skeletons ( most, if not all of these have been litigated to conclusion) but is it better to dance with devil you know or don’t know ? This will be the card the Republicans will play, if BHO gets the nod by the democratic party, and they will exploit all these soft spots that the media, for the most part, has given him a pass on.
Is your spiritual advisor considered an associate? Is this Ms. Obama(Robinson)’s associate as well? It’s no wonder she has not been proud to be an American.
Obama has disclosed his Rezko affiliations (including home purchase papers), earmark requests and tax returns. Obama immediately cleared his political affiliation from views expressed by friend and supporter Minister Wright.
Clinton has yet to release her full tax returns and earmark requests from her time in the Senate, as well as her White House records and Clinton library donors. Clintons apology to the black community for a friend and supporters racist comments came days after the fact. Clinton has also declined to return $170,000 in campaign contributions from individuals at the Illinois management consulting firm, International Profit Associates, or IPA accused of widespread sexual harassment, and whose CEO is a disbarred lawyer with a criminal record, federal campaign records show. Lets not forget that Clinton’s campaign eventually returned some $850,000 to Hong Kong businessman Norman Hsu who was found to be a fugitive in a 15-year old theft case. He was indicted for fraud related to his campaign contributions in 2007.
Guilt by association award goes to? Hillary “slow reach” Clinton <>
The press has largely overlooked an aspect of this issue. The term is called womanism and how it applies to Senator Osama’s wife. Taken in context it explains his wife’s comments on her feelings towards the United States.
I would like to see more reporting on Senators Osama’s family and principles. Not much is reported in the news unless it a contrast against other people and even then it’s patronizing to most taxpaying, family raising Americans.
Fox please take the lead on reporting and let the readers decide.
I would like to be informed for the upcoming general election. - Thank you
Would someone please remove the blinders from Senator Dodd? My Gosh, is it possible that Obama was not in church on every Sunday that an inflamatory comment was made? I sincerely doubt it.
Obama is a fraud, he is slick, he is greasy, among other things.
If our media coverage is focused on Obama’s pastor, then we have run out of issues to talk about on the campaign trail. Let’s focus on important issues that are important to the american people; focus on what Obama is trying to do in this country and move on.
This is a freedom of speech issue. It pits powerful media and its personalities against a humble protestant pulpit in urban America. This is going to be fun.
A media inquisition on a Protestant preacher to score political points is real smart,
With the major candidates on both sides of the aisle responding to the good angels and rejecting this line of inquisition against one another, it will be interesting to see exactly how bad a cable network, talk radio and some intolerant bloggers wants to take this story. In America, every person has a right to worship in his or her own religious sanctuary, without Orwellian intrusion for political gain. Let us debate the issues.
the pastor raises several questions for me, imparticulary one. he stated obama is not white, is he not aware that obamas’ mother is white? obama is always saying he is black, but in reality he is only half black. is he ashamed of his mother? is he ashamed that he is half white? the blacks i have known frown on mixed breeds, and i wonder if they know of obamas mixed blood. it seems to me that obama himself is a racist as he pushes how black he is, just to get the black votes. while not acknowledging the fact that he is also white. I wonder how his mother feels about this? If it were me i would think my son is ashamed of me, and his true heritage. i would never attend a church that apparantly has values less than i felt myself. obama is hiding something, at least , by attending a church that apparantly is ran by a true racists.
I wish somebody would put my mind at eaze about Obamas associations with Muslim movements