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.
A simple quiz - Which of following shows Obama’s racist or anti-american values?
a. The 800 bills that Obama wrote or sponsored in IL
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html
b. His US senate bills on WW threat reduction, government ethics, and immigration reform that he co-sponsored with Senator Lugar, Coburn and and Hagel.
http://thomas.loc.gov
c. The expanded health care he passed for 150,000 children?
It is incredibily arrogant and ignorant to presume to know what one man can learn from his church or pastor and then to make the reason for how they vote for the president of a secular nation.
There is no Hagee/Wright equivalence.
McCain met with Hagee for 1 hour.
Obama met with Wright for 20 years.
This is not a question of religion, but of judgement.
Barack Obama– the first African-American to have a real chance at the White House– is finished. Blame it on the Clintonistas all you like, but it was black racism, not white racism, that did him in.
The problem with Oboma is he is now under questions on more than one front. He cannot make one believe he did not know about his pastor and church’s teachings. There is the problem with his wife’s on going statements about only now is she proud of this country. Now Oboma states he did not report all the money given by the man who is on trial. We truly don’t know all that much about this man. I think from what we do know someone better start looking very close at this man who wants to be the leader of this great country. He does not have the experience or gained skills at this point to lead a country such as the United States. It is like this, As the United States goes so goes the world. That is a big job and one needs a great amount of exprience to lead such a great nation. This man scares me.
Larry, Al
It ’s about time someone grew a backbone in the press. It seems when anybody mentions anything about race, somebody either gets fired or gets labeled as a racist ,scary time’s for freedom of speech.I guess nobody wants to get [ imus] we all have family’s to feed, you guy’s are jouralist, seeker’s of the truth. Watching you guy’s walking on eggshells with this subject makes me feel sorry for you. MY GOD WERE VOTING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!! if he’s a white racist or anti american its your job to get the facts ,tell the people the truth.Thats your job. From what i can see it looks like pastor Wright may have influence his vote on not going into Iraq. The pastor is so anti war and so anti american if thats true then he didn’t make such a great judgment call after all. It was just his church policy not to get involved with anything american. I have a saying (what is told to the soul is expressed through the heart)and the pastor spoke to his soul. thank you. ( p.s. making Spitser prositute famous is not news )
My sentiments exactly as L Carl’s above. The Bible says to judge the word that is spoken from the pulpit. That it should line up with God’s word or we reject it. If he is no more knowlegdeable about this church that he has attended for twenty years than he says I don’t see how we’re supposed to trust him as Commander In Chief.
I can now see why he has rejected the wearing of the American Flag lapel pin. I can see where this could be a problem for him in this congregation.
I now understand why Barack’s wife made herself quite clear on her strong dislike for America.
It’s quite clear she has the same hate for America as her J. Wright does. As for Barack Hussein back pedaling, he can say anything that he thinks the American people want to hear. The only thing is we all know all politicians will promise and say anything to get our vote.
I say have Obama Hussein take a LIE DETECTOR TEST. I’m sure that is the closest way we could ever truly come to knowing his true beliefs and loyalty to all American people and our country.
I look forward to more of the truth coming out about Barack Hussein’s relationship with J.Wright. I HOPE FOX STAYS ON THIS TOPIC LIKE A DOG WITH A BONE !!!!
I can’t imagine if Barack Hussein won the election what the Secret Service would be thinking when they saw J. Wright and Lewis F. going in and out of the revolving door at the White House. We know that Barack Hussein would be seeking their counsel on issues.
I wouldn’t put my life on the line to keep Barack Hussein and his militant buddies safe. Especially when they want all white people dead just like the terrorist.
I’m still waiting for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to condemn J. Wright’s RACIST RANTINGS from his stage. I’m so sick of the double standard that they represent. If that was a white person saying all those hateful words they would have been sued and fired.
Have you noticed white people don’t always pull out the race card like the blacks. Thats the only thing they have to hang on to. HATE.
That’s why McCain is having a hard time with the conservative republicans.
I truly believe they make themselves pro American but, they do not follow some American ways. They chose to tear people down just by association, not talk about issues.
O.K. I hold them accountable for this war and the poor economy because they voted for Bush and/or because they are republicans. They aligned themselves with a poor candidate and it’s a problem with me and I’m sure with most Americans. I question their poor judgment and their association to Bush. Your judgment put our troops in harms way. I’m sure most Americans feel the same. The war was not wise. You need to explain your screw-up!
Stick with issues. Sounds so ridiculous. It’s like Robin Givens should be the heavyweight champion of the world because she was married to Mike Tyson.
You conservative renounce and reject your president and party for poor judgment. That is the big issue.
TO THE CLINTON SUPPORTERS: THANK YOU FOR HELPING “VET” OBAMA.
This nomination process is already over anyways, it is now Obama v. McCain.
This was a projection sheet accidentally released to the media on 02/06/08 and compare it to what has transpired since then, it is amazing- almost prophetic.
House Speaker Pelosi just came out in support of Obama. It is over!!
Compare the projection to the results- am not making it up:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Obamas_projections.html
watch this MSNBC Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAPkoqW-yWo
Link to the results:
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2008_Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries
Any takers? Good night!!!
obama has been with this minister for 20 years. He has listened to him preach. By the video of his sermons on T.V. and the statements (racial) about White American’s he just didn’t start this preaching last week! obama has listened to this preacher for 20 years and therefore in my opinion agrees with his view on White American’s. We begin to see that obama who wants the voters to believe he has the best judgement for the country has very poor judgement with whom he places his religious values. Unless of course he also believes in Rev. Wright and what he preaches. We are talking about 20 YEARS of being with Rev. Wright, who married him, who baptized his children, and if I’m correct based his title for his book on one of Rev. Wrights sermons!!! Looking at the whole picture Rev. Wright has played a very important role in obama’s life. And from I have seen and heard Rev. Wright preaches against White American’s and obama has been running this campaign as a person who has the best JUDGEMENT AND IS THE BEST PERSON FOR CHANGE??? I don’t think so!!! This is not the person the Democratic Party wants to run in November. He says he has distanced himself from Rev. Wright—maybe in public??? But what is going on behind closed doors. How can you distance yourself from a person that has played a key role in your life for 20 years. Who has even given you the insight for a book???? ANSWER: YOU CAN NOT. For the public obama says he has done this in private we the American people doubt it.