Obama Says Pastor Was in a ‘Time Warp,’ Suggests He Would Have Left Church
Barack Obama says his controversial former pastor was stuck in a “time warp” and suggests he would have left his Chicago church had Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. not retired.
While still defending what he called the “broader aspect” of his long-time pastor, Obama said in a pre-taped interview with ABC’s “The View,” which aired Friday, that Wright’s most offensive sermons drew from an outdated view of America and its prejudices.
“What they spoke to was, I think, a brilliant man who was still caught in a time warp back in the ’60s, early ’70s and the ’50s, where he grew up, and had a sense of where America was and didn’t have a good enough sense of how it had changed,” he said.
Obama disputed what he called an overstated notion that Wright was his “spiritual adviser” or “mentor.”
Hillary Clinton earlier this week for the first time spoke out on the controversy over Wright, whose anti-American and racially charged sermons threatened Obama’s campaign. The New York senator said she would have left the church if her pastor behaved like Obama’s.
Asked what he’d do if the reverend had stayed on, Obama told “The View”: “Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying at the church.”
As he did in his speech on race more than a week ago, Obama continued to defend Wright’s character. He said he spoke with him recently, and “I told him I feel badly that he has been characterized just in this one way. People haven’t seen this broader aspect of him.”
Obama reiterated that he never personally heard Wright’s most controversial sermons.
“Now keep in mind he’s preaching three times every Sunday and for 30 years, and I’m not vetting my pastor and I didn’t have a research team during the course of these 20 years go pull every sermon that he’s given and see if there’s something offensive that he said,” Obama said, adding that “I don’t purchase all the DVDs.”
In his sermons over the years, Wright has railed against the United States and accused it of bringing on the Sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism. He also has said the government invented AIDS to destroy “people of color” and has shouted “God damn America” for its treatment of minorities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jeff R, thank you for your insight and understanding. It seems you are intelligently using your head for something other than a hat rack. As for the rest of you Obama haters, I can only say…this is Fox News, so what can one expect?
Obama not only blatently lied to us about not knowing of the tenor of his pastors remarks…he now, on The View, says he would have left his church if Rev. Wright had not stepped down. Does he think we are all idiots? Obviously the mainstream press is, because none of them has any backbone to actually ask him any hard questions about this mess. God help us if this clown is actually elected President.
Senator Obama has answered the questions concerning Rev. Wright several times on a number of talk shows. The problem with those who still see this as a problem were evidently just waiting for a chance to find fault with the Senator. Prejudice lies close to the surface…just waiting for a push. Well now you guys have got the push you’ve been waiting for, and the man is still standing strong. Move on…find another excuse!
This is funny to watch.
when the story first broke, he denied having any knowledge of any of Wrights rhetoric.
He told Major Garrett that he was never aware of any of these inflamatory statements.
Then during his “race” speech, he admitted that he was aware of these racial and anti american words.
Now he is claiming that if Wright had not retired that he would have quit this church.
Give me a break!
Does he think that we are stupid!
The one thing he has been fortwright about has been his call for change. And I think that we can all see what that change is now about. Words are hollow but actions speak volumes. The video clips that have been shown are from his own church, not something that the media has put together. Obama has been indoctrinated into an anti jewish/white doctrine. He is the defination of the deceiver. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Beware of the golden tongued man who will tell everyone what they want to hear. 75 years ago somebody else was doing the same thing……..think about it.
my church would have fired the preacher!!!!!
Why did this church let Wright continue preach this type of hatred, if they did not also agree.
One time should have done it!!!
I cannot and will not vote for Obama because of his judgment.
Obama may have distorted views on the world that may be harmful to America.
I can’t take that chance.
This looks to be obamas version of I didn’t inhale. Please you knew this man for 20 years and didn’t have any idea. RIGHT.
When a person relies on another as their spiritual advisor and makes them part of their family, they share the same core values. Obama is tied to Rev. Wright not just because he attended the church but because he sought out and invited this person into his life. By calling him his spiritual advisor and uncle, Obama shares the core values of Rev. Wright which makes this whole thing wrong!
Sen Obama, has repeadly said he does not approve of what the Rev said but never said how his wife feels for a women who might be our first lady how does the Rev’s views on america sit with her. Where is she anyways she is rarely metioned, rarely seen, since her comment on first time being proud of america. Just curious.
Obama publicly asked for Imus to be fired over Imus’ racial comment.
Did Obama personally hear Imus say what he did or did Obama just hear the soundbite of Imus played over and over again on TV news shows?????
According to Obama, if he personally did not hear Imus say those things, then it is OK
OBAMA SAID HE NEVER PERSONALLY HEARD REV. WRIGHT….. only the soundbites played over and over again on TV news shows. So Obama will not disown his racist church or Rev. Wright.
WRONG IS WRONG…….OBAMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t you find it strange that Obama is trying to distance himself from his pasotr now? Obama’s story has flip flopped so many times, who knows what he’ll say next. Please tell WHEN did Rev. Wright apologize for his sermons? I haven’t heard any apology. An apology would not resolve the issue though. His words have cut like a knife through a lot of Americans.