Obama Seeks to Stop Wright Coverage ‘Loop’
Tuesday: Barack Obama delivers a speech in Philadelphia on race, politics and unifying the country. (AP Photo)
As Barack Obama wrapped up his ambitious speech on race, politics and the historical origin of his longtime pastor’s heated sermons Tuesday, advisers questioned whether he had achieved a simple and practical objective: halting the “loop.”
The “loop” is the barrage of anti-American invective from Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. that has saturated national television for the past week.
Obama has vigorously disavowed Wright’s inflammatory remarks, but in Tuesday’s speech refused to disavow the pastor himself or the 20-year relationship he’s had with him. Some political observers say the Illinois senator still has some more mending to do.
“I think it goes on,” National Public Radio national correspondent Juan Williams said of the controversy.
Williams, a FOX News analyst, questioned why Obama allowed himself to remain publicly associated with Wright. He said Obama did not address the “judgment and character” issues that he’s running on.
“I think he had to take responsibility … and that’s what he didn’t do,” Williams said.
But CitizenJane.com Editor Patricia Murphy said it’s too late for Obama to try to divorce himself completely from Wright.
“There’s no way he didn’t know the nature of that church. He knows what goes on there, both good and bad. If he were to denounce this church and leave this church right now, it would look like nothing more than political gamesmanship, and for somebody who is selling himself as an honest broker and trying to paint Hillary Clinton as someone cold and calculating, that will be totally unproductive,” Murphy said. “The horse has left the barn on that.”
GOP strategist Fred McClure praised the speech but said it’s no antidote for Obama’s pastor problems.
“The winds are going to keep swirling around Senator Obama as this campaign goes forward, even though he, I think, very strongly denounced the words of Reverend Wright,” he said.
For a solid week, Wright’s comments have been in heavy rotation, with sermon highlights showing Wright blaming the United States for HIV and the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, rejecting the Clintons as anathema to the welfare of American blacks and portraying the country as institutionally racist.
Obama’s association with Wright, who officiated his wedding, baptized his children and served as his spiritual adviser, was developing as a potentially damaging credibility problem for his campaign of hope and change. The direct political effects of the relationship remain unclear, but some telling clues showed Obama had a pastor problem.
A Rasmussen survey taken from March 14-16 of 1,200 likely voters showed 56 percent of those interviewed were less likely to vote for Obama because of Wright’s comments.
Other national polls continue to show Obama and Hillary Clinton flirting with the lead in their ongoing fight to become the Democratic presidential candidate.
Seeking the quell the outcry, Obama condemned Wright’s statements on Friday, Saturday and again on Tuesday. But he walked a fine line, using his address to explain and give context to his pastor’s commentary.
“As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. … I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother,” Obama told an audience at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
He later added: “To simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.”
Crisis management consultant Mike Paul told FOX News that Obama needs to go a step further.
“Any time you are dealing with a crisis, you have to go to the root of the problem. The root here is the pastor. As those comments continue, the crisis will continue. Unfortunately, the rhetoric of the speech will not solve that,” he said.
Paul suggested Obama sit down with Wright and try to “melt his heart” and change his way of thinking. He said Obama needs to offer the public a “solution” to the controversy Wright has caused.
“That’s something that Barack Obama should be able to do as a potential president,” Paul said. “You’ve got to have a changed man come out.”
But Rev. Jesse Jackson told FOX News he thought the speech was effective.
“I thought he bared his soul today,” Jackson said, urging the candidates to return to the issues. “This campaign is ultimately about candidates, not surrogates and not about supporters.”
Obama is making a clear attempt to move back to issues, announcing what the campaign billed as back-to-back “major speeches” over the next two days on Iraq and the economy. He plans to speak on Wednesday in North Carolina and Thursday in West Virginia.
For her part, Clinton has not drawn attention to Wright’s sermons. On Tuesday, she said she didn’t hear Obama’s speech.
“I did not get a chance to see or read Senator Obama’s speech, but I’m very glad that he gave it,” she said in Philadelphia.
“It’s an important topic. Issues of race and gender in America have been complicated throughout our history,” Clinton said. “But we should remember that this is an historic moment for the Democratic Party and for our country. We will be nominating the first African-American or woman for the presidency of the United States, and that is something that all Americans can and should celebrate.”
Democratic strategist Tanya Acker, an Obama supporter, said she had no idea whether the speech would put the controversy to rest, but she downplayed the fact that Obama never explicitly disavowed Wright.
“What he tried to do is explain that some of those statements … he was really addressing a bitterness in the African-American community,” she said. “That may make other people feel uncomfortable, but it is truly there.”
FOX News’ Aaron Bruns and Major Garrett contributed to this report.
All you saying that HE and only he should have left that church years ago are saying every member of that church as having the same views. If YOU are saying Wright is racist then you are saying every member is racist also.
You are also saying that his supporters are racist. Think about the absurdity of that!! The United church of Christ is a predominantly white following and endorsed him. I assume they are all racist also.
You guys have drank the Kool-aid too long from Hannity, limbaugh and other hate mongers.
You were right on with your comments KC Cunnigham and Alex.
Looks like they are reading the talking points.
“Please also provide evidence that “most Americans are not satisfied by his response.””
Wow, apparently the person that left the comment above didn’t actually read the article on this page. It says:
“A Rasmussen survey taken from March 14-16 of 1,200 likely voters showed 56 percent of those interviewed were less likely to vote for Obama because of Wright’s comments.”
That’s pretty strong evidence that “most Americans are not satisfied by his response.” Obama drew criticism because for 20 years a hateful, racist man has been his mentor and “spiritual advisor”. His speech hasn’t done anything to change this. He drags his white grandmother into this hoping to draw some sort of equivalence here, but nobody knows what things his grandma said. And, she didn’t scream them from the pulpit. Nor did he title his book after his grandmother or claim her as his spiritual advisor… The media may or may not give him a pass on this topic, but the Rasmussen survey shows very well that the public will not.
Richard
I think you should read again what I wrote before. You see I wasn’t putting down Obama but the ignorant people who can only see hate. His words were what this country needed to hear, but only the open minded and honest people could understand where he is coming from.
And the Catholic thing ,I don’t go there and haven’t in 20 years.
PS I just buried my father, he was a blind man that took a bus from Boston full of African Americans to see MLK in D.C. so don’t preach to me been there done that.
Wow…this countries citizen’s never cease to amaze and disappoint. Blame and Hate is all I have read throughout this blog. Race is not an issue?…ha, only something that carries a great deal of importance can invoke such strong emotions. We are so easliy distracted from the true issues by comments made NOT the canidate him/herself but by someone associated with them. Don’t be naive America…EVERYONE has an agenda..Obama, Clinton, Mccain….and especially Foxnews, CNN, MSNBC….O’Reily, Hannity, Sharpton. What it all boils down to is can YOU benefit from there agenda, does it serve you and your family.
Stop being fooled America…no one is perfect.
I love your comment Maria because you will have to figure out soon .You will find out if you are a true Hispanic or Latino .Next time a new minority leader will try to change the same ideology of this country that will be the same “Propagandist to keep the majority in Power”.I am happy to know they have more Loops or Clips of other preachers .I would love you to ask fox news to find some white pastor that belongs to RNC background .I am looking to see what will happen to a Hispanic candidate for president soon.I know you will change your name to Mary.You will have to go back wherever country that you are from to eat some taco, dorito, and rice and beans.You will start thinking.I love FoxNews for being Obama misinformation since the beginning .He was not Black enough to get the vote of black people .Now he is too black to be president “LOL”.Your Hispanice president will have some Illegals alien in his family or some Pappies in prison for gang problem.I am happy that I belong to a younger generation.We will change america because we need change .
Maria stated:
As an Hispanic, I must say I am SOOOOO tired of all the whining! I have never LIKED Obama not because he is an African American, but because he is such a cry-baby!!!!!
Paul wrote:
Come on now… brilliantly honest? How is someone brilliantly honest? You should have no thought to whether you are honest or not. This was a speech written for him by someone else. No matter how complex, brilliantly honest, and nuanced the speech is, judging from comments, most Americans are not satisfied by his response. Stating that this speech is one of the most complex, brilliantly honest, nuanced speeches ever given in modern American times is one of the most outrageous examples of “puffery” in modern American times. It was a great speech with no substance. It was a complex, SUSPECT honest, nuanced way of trying to make excuses for an extremely racist close advisor.
Here you go again—making statements without providing evidence to back it up. Please provide evidence that Obama did not write the speech. Please also provide evidence that “most Americans are not satisfied by his response.”
All I see you doing is attacking Amanda’s opinion, but with unsubstantiated allegations. Unimpressive to say the least.
I wrote:
Good for you, Maria. Then I assume you’re intelligent enough to know that SOME people feel that way. Get over yourself. Also, could you provide evidence that Obama is a liar? I want evidence–not conclusory statements without any substantiation. Thank you.
Paul wrote:
Alex, are you living inside a box? A few days ago, Obama said that he has NEVER heard Rev. Wright speak like that during any sermon that he has attended. However, last night in his speech, he asked himself the question, did he sit in church and hear comments like the ones televised, and he answered YES. This means that he lied when a few days ago he said he never heard Rev. Wright talk like that when he attended church, but last night says he did hear him talk like that when he attended church. I would say that this is “national television” proof that Obama lied Alexandra
Paul, it’s called understanding the facts. What Obama stated is as follows (as shown in the transcript from Keith Olbermann on Friday, March 14, 2008):
OLBERMANN: There‘s an awful lot of strong material that is now on videotape. We have played it. I see no reason to play it again, but a phrase that suggests that—God damn America is a better phrase to use than God bless America. Can you characterize your own reactions to this? Did you know that he made these statements before the videotape appeared?
OBAMA: You know, frankly, I didn‘t. I wasn‘t in church during the time when the statements were made.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23675485/
What Obama stated in his speech:
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23690567/
What I interpret is that Obama heard Wright make “controversial” statements while in Church. Was he present when Wright made the comments being shown on You Tube? No. If you have proof that Obama was in attendance at the time Wright made the comments being shown on You Tube, post it. I’d love to see it.
What I did here was provide substantiation for my assertion that he did not lie. Please do the same.
This is blown utterly out of proportion…how many people born and raised in the U.S. has disassociated themselves with every single person that’s made a racist, anti-semitic, anti-american comment??? Please stand up right now! Exactly what I thought…NO ONE. I am a black woman born after the modern day civil rights movement and I can tell you that absolutely no one can make that claim. In most cases, at least their parents have made a comment or several over the years. Is it right? Absolutely NOT! But am I’m not going to dissassociate myself completely from someone that I love and is an essential part of my life because they’ve spewed out a horrible comment or two or three? Absolutely NOT. What am I going to do??? I’m going to educate them out of their ignorance and apologize for their wrongs to those offended! So, what is Pastor Wright’s comments any different??? He grew up in the middle of the civil rights movement…admidst segregation…where he overtly discriminated against. Do you think he can forget about those formidable days? It’s impossible to get pass them. And you wouldn’t know that unless you experienced racism in this country.
Frankly, the media/public has finally found something nrgative ‘near’ Obama…It’s taken 2 yrs. Wow!!! Not bad for a background check!
AmandaM wrote:
Uh - did anyone at Fox News actually WATCH or READ the speech Sen. Obama made? It was one of the most complex, brilliantly honest, nuanced speeches ever given in modern American times. To try to reduce what he said to the Talking Points is, at this point, absurd. The man just engaged America is a serious, elevated discussion about race and you insist on playing in the sandbox.
This was an historic speech that will be discussed and studied for generations to come. If the speech has one deficiency it’s that it is impossible to reduce it to typical 6 second sound bites. It needs to be heard or read in its entirely. It deserves to be heard and read in its entirely.
We face very grown-up problems in America and the world today. Isn’t it time we had a leader who spoke to us like grown-ups?
I write:
Come on now… brilliantly honest? How is someone brilliantly honest? You should have no thought to whether you are honest or not. This was a speech written for him by someone else. No matter how complex, brilliantly honest, and nuanced the speech is, judging from comments, most Americans are not satisfied by his response. Stating that this speech is one of the most complex, brilliantly honest, nuanced speeches ever given in modern American times is one of the most outrageous examples of “puffery” in modern American times. It was a great speech with no substance. It was a complex, SUSPECT honest, nuanced way of trying to make excuses for an extremely racist close advisor.
to the moderator, this may sound irrelevant to the issue but, I think this is the root of all this racism.
I am not black but I’m a minority myself I’m a Filipino and have experienced racism to a certain degree as an immigrant in this country. I am a christian but I don’t go to a Filipino Church, I go to a Christian church where majority are whites, because I don’t believe that as a Christian I should segregate myself from other Christians based on my ethnicity as Jesus said in Him there are no more Jews, or Gentiles, free nor slaves.
I think that’s what is fundamentally wrong in some Christian circles & churches,
WHEN CHRISTIANITY BECOMES a MAN MADE RELIGION or entity, when CONVENIENCE becomes the criteria that we use when choosing a church rather than solid biblical truths.
Sadly this is what Christianity has become in this country, a man made religion, superstitious, legalistic, divisive, exclusive, self centered & self endulging & apathetic.
Corrupt theology breeds corrupt values, attitudes, and behavior.
I should know, because I came from a very religious Christian country, whose theology is corrupt.