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.
I’m sorry, I heard someone say just because Mr. Obama may or may not of been in church that day, does it really create a problem for his campain, that’s equal to John McCain and Hillary being members of the KKK for 20yrs. were they at the meetings every Sunday, would it matter. I can’t believe in this day and age black folk still raise their children to think like that, I’ve raised my kids to not look at color, maybe I should have taught them differently.
It is ridiculous how the liberal Demos, e.g. Senator Dodd, Rep Lowey and other “luminaries” of that party, believe that Americans do not care about what Wright, a close a longtime friend and mentor of Obama, has to say about the US. For their information we care a lot, in effect more than would like, because a long term close association (20 years) with an individual like Wright shows the bad judgment and inexperience of Obama, the same guy that wants to seat as the US President with our enemies to have a love feast.
The speeches, videos declarations of Wright and the declarations of support by Obama (until very recently) are not the result of a conspiracy by the right, it is just a good demonstration of the kind of candidates that the Demo party is embracing. What would be next, Chairman Dean invites Osama to run for VP?
The crime committed by someone else shouldn’t hurt the innocent one even if you were one time a friend or association to that fellow. If you watched the background of that controversial video, you found out that it wasn’t all members that praise Pastor Wright (majority of the member didn’t clap for that unwelcomed comment) during this comments. For me, I am tired of someone be discriminated against because of race or be a Racist. I told my children all the time anywhere you observe people discussing race issues, just walk away because, it is time to restore what UNITED STATE OF AMERICA stand in the rest of the world. Obama is the only one I believe can restore America at this critical time. If it possible to charge Pastor Wright with any crime, I will personally welcome that.
Emmanuel
From Florida
If Obama loses the primary it will be because of his pastor’s teachings. The only thing that can change this now is if something really big comes out on Hillary , if not I think she will beat Obama.
Now we know where Michelle Obama’s comments about just now being proud of America comes from. Having been in Rev. Wright’s church one can understand why she would be ashamed of America.
The fact that Obama himself did not make these comments is not the the point. His character and veracity is called into question by his decades long association with a man who espouses such views. Senator Obama needs to explain how he was able to attend Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years, feel close enough to him that he allows him to baptize his children, preside over his wedding ceremony, and base the title his book on a speech Wright made, and yet remain complelely unaware of his hate filled, anti-American, racist views.
When you look at history, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and Jihad prove to the intelligent that political leaders almost always follow thier religious leaders and millions of people end up paying the price. If we don’t learn from history we are bound to repeat it. I’m afraid he has lost my vote because I no longer trust him to follow the voice of the people instead of the voice of an obviously very racist religious “mentor.”
Claire, Portland Or
I can no believe my ears. If this is how black churches preaches no wonder alot of black americANS can not get past the past.
It is quite unfortunate for everyone that even today these racial biases exist. As a white Christian I am appalled at the hatred spewed at the pulpit in the name of God by this very angry man. As a Christian all I can do is pray for him and his congregation to be freed from it as I know there can be no peace in their hearts until then. As far as Obama is concerned, I find it very hard to believe that he didn’t know about these comments until now. That is quite disingenuious and quite an insult to anyones’ intelligence. I mean, really, give me a break. He would be better served to say that he has struggled with these comments over the last 20 years rather than to say he never heard it.
If our country can’t get united soon, we are doomed, I fear.
1) This is not the case of one religious group oposing another, Wright is anti-American- condemning America.
2)This is not the first time and Anti-American figure has shown up in Obama’s circle of Family and Friends
3) His friend Willaim Ayers
4) In Obama’s accounting of his own mother in his book “Dreams from My Father” stats that she was Anti American
5) He was found to be a Liar in regard to Resko, Canada, and now he will be found out in regard to Wright
6) Time lines and information in both of his book pose many contradictions
7)We really should be calling for him to withdraw his Campaign how many more lies is he allowed and how many Anti-American advisers serve currently and how many would appear in his Cabinet
9) It will be to late for the press to do there Job if they wait for him to be elected