Obama Repudiates Dr. Wright
Posted on April 29, 2008 by Tariq Nelson
When Obama joined Dr. Wright’s church 20 years ago, he probably did not anticipate that he’d be running for President. While running for State Senate in a largely black district, joining such an uber-black church would shore up one’s black cred. However, running for President, it is a liability.
Yes, I am saying that Obama is full of crap, but I still feel like he is the best candidate left standing.
Filed under: Politics | Tagged: Barack Obama
[...] I dream of the shoreline bordering another world. wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptObama Repudiates Dr. Wright Posted on April 29, 2008 by Tariq Nelson When Obama joined Dr. Wright’s church 20 years ago, he probably did not anticipate that he’d be running for President. While running for State Senate in a largely black district, joining such an uber-black church would shore up one’s black cred. However, running for President, it is a liability. Yes, I am saying that Obama is full of crap, but I still feel like he is the best candidate left standing. Filed under: Poli [...]
Barack Obama’s campaign for President, including his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, is based on the assumption of that being half-white made him less threatening than other black leaders. The Rev. Wright episode has brought this fantasy tumbling down.
Obama wrote a 442 page book about how his not really being African-American by heredity and upbringing made him self-obsessed with being black. People just need to read it. He is a “tragic mulatto”
Obama is hard to classify. His father was Kenyan and he spent a large part of his youth outside of the US. He is not really an ‘African American’. The impression he leaves is of an actor posing. One wonders if his earlier attempt to identify himself — complete with a nod to Malcolm X — almost as a black revolutionary was a ploy to get a foothold in Illinois politics.
The black experience in the US is a sharp warning to all people to at least moderate whatever “racist” feelings you might have. They are racist to the point of clinical obsession. “Are you black enough?”
That the question, “Are you black enough?” (Best answer: NO!) is considered worth struggling/fighting/fussing for can only make intellectual life a wasteland for them.
Barack Obama is half white and half African, raised by whites, from Hawaii and from elite white colleges, so American black people would be inclined to look at him as an outsider. Jeremiah Wright has certified Obama as an acceptable and authentic black person, which is what Obama wants to be more than anything else in the world, possibly more than being president of the US.
White people may logically think half white black people are less hostile but from what I have seen they resolve the conflict by being blacker than black, maybe not quite as dramatically as Obama but in the same vein.
The most recent Rev.W comments were the same comments he made before (and years before over and over again) and at that time were explained away and not really denounced “I could no longer disown Rev.W as I could my …….” Stuff.
So, what has changed that now he disowns……polls perhaps?
Over the last 2 days the OB campaign has been telephonically polling NC,IN, etc with Rev.W questions and their effects.
Now that the polls indicate a real issue OB’s seen the light and is now ‘outraged’. Uh huh.
Change, real change (as in pocket change).
Does Wright look/act/sound just like Farrakhan or is that just my imagination?
P.S. I really liked the NOIFOI bodyguards
Maybe Obama really does need a cigarette about now [http://www.theroot.com/id/46099]. It was clear he hated being pushed to ‘dis’ his ‘uncle’ and it must be a bitter lesson of the reality of national politics in a nation that still fears black men - criminal or not. If it accepts the notion of retribution for its sins, i.e. “chickens coming home to roost” then we can only imagine how utterly devastating it would be if they all landed. Christians believe it, but they don’t say it out loud. I bet McCain’s man Rev Hagee has said it. Wait for all the YouTube outings of HIS outlandish statements. If they don’t create a stir, ask, ‘Why not?’.
It only took him 20 years to figure out what his pastor was saying and what he represents.
This campaign has become a 3 ring circus
Being “full of crap” I believe is a constitutional requirement to be president.
I wonder, however. Why are not the religious figures who have endorsed or are close to McCain not been given the once over?
What about John Hagee, who has endorses McCain and whom McCain has appeared with? He has called for the mass murder of Muslims and the conversion of all Jews to Christianity.
Doesnt that merit a comment from the mass media?
Abu Sinan
Did John McCain belong to Hagee’s church for 20 years?
Obama got into this pickle because he also has to play up his Christianity in order to deal with the issue “secret Muslim” issue. If he had not brought Rev Wright into the campaign, he would still be dealing with those rumors.
If you guys can’t see the dif between a televangelist endorsing a campaign (not his personal minister) and a relationship of 20 years, dedicating a book and up until 9 months ago a close personal advisor then you’re not overly bright.
You’ll remember if you watched the latest Re.W he mentioned Black Theology (about 35 times) as he tried to explain his comments and asked a commentator if he’d ever read any of Cone’s books that he bases his black theology on…as to why Blacks think dif than Whites etc.
Here’s an excerpt from Cones “Black Theology”…
“Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community….Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.”
Now the good Rev has been preaching this stuff for years and OB has been listening to it.
That’s the issue…does he buy into it?
To: AbuSinan
I agree there has been little to no attention paid to Hagee or Rod Parsley. It’s just been brushed off that both of them have called for Muslims to be wiped off the face of the earth.
To Bobby O:
If the name of the game is “guilt-by-association” then lets play fair. If Geraldine has to step for making comments that were essentially truthful and not really controversial. Then I would expect a wee little stir-up over the 2 radical spiritual advisers of McCain.
Do you think that if the media discovered Obama had any little tie to a “radical” Islamic group that the media wouldn’t exploit it? Perhaps if he gave $100 bucks to CAIR or attended one of the ISNA conferences in Chicago. You think media wouldn’t take him to task for being affiliated or sympathetic to Islamist groups posing as fronts for HAMAS and Jamati Islami? Please!
Parsley/Hagee have called for wiping out 1.5 billion humans that’s not the least bit controversial, bizarre or paranoid? Is it very “American” that a presidential candidate proudly align himself with such people?
This is truely a case of spliting hairs Obama has already said he would be “willing to” use nuclear weapons on a Muslim nation
Yet this isn’t enough to satisfy the “American blood lust” this blood lust is the reason Hagee and Parsley aren’t spoken against by the majority thats because they represent the majority.
Br Tariq speaks against the terrorist because they don’t represent him. If Hagee and Parsley didn’t represent their view of American justice then these genecide promoters would be in jail as should all terroist of their ilk.
the power structure and many of the churches in America have mastered “defacto” bigotry that is they exhibit all the signs, yet don’t “write in down”.
For example their “founding fathers wrote and spoke about freedom of man while at the same time enslaving and raping their fellow humans
having served his company, while a bunch of cowards hide behind deferrements, Rev. Wright has EARNED the right to be critical of America
Obama has “TOTALLY” distance himself from Rev Wright, so why is he still an issue?
It’s still an issue simply because the republicans have no solutions for the millions of white Americans losing factory jobs, those on welfare in rural areas (like appalachia) or the hundreds of thousands more on farms who receive welfare (no wait their welfare handouts are called subsidies) so with no solutions their only recourse is to use fear and hate.
so hope and change becomes the enemy and anyone who represents hope and change becomes an enemy
apathy and status quo fueled by fear and hate is what they have depended on for success, so if the wheel isn’t broken why fix it.
Min Aswad
“Obama has “TOTALLY” distance himself from Rev Wright, so why is he still an issue?”
Because it is seen as insincere and driven by polls. Wright has said the exact same things time and again and OB excused them, now that they are effecting his numbers suddenly he’s outraged.
How does one totally distance oneself after twenty years when the man preaching never changed his words.
Rev Wright and Farrakan are the same two guys in different clothing. Now that Wright can’t shut up people are realizing that.
If OB was only politically supported by Wright and didn’t know him, wasn’t his parishoner, didn’t call him his advisor etc., this would be a non story.
abu hunain
With all the fuss about Wright, I think that McCain at some point will be forced to repudiate Hagee’s comments. I am not fond of the Christian right either and they are outside the mainstream
I think Obama was “shocked” and “outraged” and “saddened” because Wright had slapped him in the face
BO had to throw this kook under the bus and it is still early enough in the game for this to be a complete non-issue by November.
If this has done one thing, it has created a new public intellectual in the form of Rev. Wright. Now that he has stepped down from the ministry, he will have the time to present, clarify and defend his views and those of the Black Church.
No one that listened to that lecture to the National Press Club would think that he was being divisive, however the media seeks to pander to popular opinion (especially the one that pays for advertising).
patb
so let me get this straight that fact some wrote the words “Black Theology” is troubling yet the fact the fact a senator and republican candidate (McCain) sings about bombing Iran which would entail killing many thousands if not millions of civilians and that McCain who been endorsed by open advocates of and callers of Muslim genocide such as parsley and hagee and this does merit outrage!!!
WOW! what will it take to quench this rampant bloodlust from these so-called rightwing nutters
It’s sad that at one time advocates of Black liberation (imbued with Black liberation theology) such as Marcus Garvey and advocates of Irish libration of Ireland such as Eamon De Valera were once supporters of the struggles for independence of one another peoples.
Now as the Irish have been afforded the grace of “whiteness” by the WASP’s it seems the Hannity’s, McCains and O’reilly’s, have forgotten that there fore fathers sought liberation through “theology” and “other direct means” my my how soon the oppressed forget
Alhamdulillah Allah has warned us so we do not fall into the trap of transgressing after having been oppressed less we become oppressors
Abu Usamah,
I have mixed feelings about this issue. I just find it hard to believe that after 20 years of being in his church, Barack didn’t know about this ” side” of Rev. Wright. Maybe Rev. Wright did change, but I just find it had to believe that Obama didn’t know anything about him from those many years? I’ve been to many churches since the age of 5 and once was a member of one for 7 years. From my experiences, I can tell you which churches I would go to and others I would overlook. Maybe Rev. Wright is being this way because he feel betrayed by him and this was his way of getting back at Obama.
Being a former member of the Black church, I must also say that that media is giving very ( and I mean VERY,VERY inaccurate portrayal of it. Rev. Wright does represent every Black church, nor do they go out and spread hate as media wants others to believe. There is no difference between going to a black churches and other churches. They preach about the word of god as in every other religious facility. If there is any differences that I see in the Black church is that you will hear about is that the issues thay exist in the Black people a little more in there, but far as the exclusion of people, not true.
Bobby O,
I definately want to ask that same question. Why don’t media get on John Hagee’s ignorant remarks about the Hurricane Katrina victims( about him saying that it was a punishment from god for their sins). I seen an interview with McCain about it. His excuse: he didn’t condone his words, but excepts his endorsements. That was McCain’s answer. To me, if he associates himself with people who spew out words of foolishness like that from Hagee ( not foolishness far as the ” signs because it is mentioned in the bible”, but the idea that only the victims will suffer the brunt of the wrath. Gee, I thought that the books of Revelations said that God will destroy the world, not just one set of people.) , he is no better than Obama. It’s all about politics.
Peaches,
That’s the problem I have with Wright/OB. I can tell you who my Minister is as it relates to God etc. but he never speaks of politics in specific terms. Rev. Wright is anything but shy, how could you not understand his message.
I don’t believe people believe he is representative of Black Christians/Church’s. I believe he is representative of Black Liberation Theology/Church’s.
I’m surprised no one has commented on his theory of white/black brain and learning differences. He basically said that Blacks have a different brain and can’t learn properly in a white brain oriented environment.
Where is this guy from, he belongs as an alien in Men in Black.
patb,
your faining incredulousness Obama, yet refusing to reject and denounce callers to genocide via bombing is the epitome of insincere
Tell me what “Minister” could you possible have that would not speakout against such propaganda this is something that a Minister would openly reject if they didn’t agree with it.
so do Hagee and Parsley have carte blanche to advocate mass murder as long as they don’t say “white theology” this is why for many of educated Americans this line of reasoning is outdated
Who cares what Obama knew or when he knew it, lets put it like this I challenge the republicans and democrates to kick out of office any poilitian who either has been a member or visited country clubs or neighborhoods that have excluded Blacks. or who has friends that have been members or visited country clubs or neighborhoods that have excluded Blacks. then we can talk
Peaches
This gang of thugs hagee and parsley and mccain are talking about killing people , don’t you get it? killing bombing taking lives? these rightwing lunatics have an agenda to continue the current killing and maiming
this issue is smoke and mirrors, step away from the blue pill and kool aid
please take the red pill !! wake up! gas will be $4.00 gal in a few days don’t be fooled, this is classic tail wagging the dog
they know the majority of Americans will not vote for mccain so with all the new voters they need to create apathy, they don’t care if you don’t vote, they just don’t want you to vote for Obamathey are trying to break his halo
patb,
There are some religious leaders who tell the truth and some who tell it as it is said these days ,”out of context”.
This is the problem that I have with religious leaders like Rev. Wright, John Hagee etc. I have no problem with people being outspoken and honest, but if you’re going to do , they have to base it on scriptural facts. I think about some of the churches that I have attended. I’ve been to some where some of the pastors would ( for example(s)) would refer to make-up wearing women as whores, that Jesus( in Christianity) was a blonde haired blue-eyed Mormon( with the Mormon church) and where AIDS is a payback to immoral people.
It’s interesting how things happen and the blame is put on one community. Just like I’ve just mentioned about the AIDS crisis, we know that AIDS have affected those because of their risky lifestyles, but how about those people who did not contracted it in that manner? What if a child contracted it form their infected mothers, what if the husband/wife got it from their infected spouses without knowing or in rare instances, just contracted the disease from tainted blood/organs? Would these guys be quick in judging their character because of it?
We have all have a right to free speech, but what people don’t get is that we also have to be ethical. There is nothing wrong with people speaking the truth, but it is something wrong with it if it just focus on certain communities. I think about the statement that John Hagee made about the Hurricane Katrina victims and sin. He only focused on the people of New Orleans, but if that was the case, then we can say focus on a lot of ” Sin Cities” of the US and the world. Like the bible said God didn’t say that Destruction was going to focus on the people of Louisiana, but the world was going be destroyed. On top of that, there were a lot of good people of every religious background who was trying to do god’s work and died in that flood. Did they deserve what they got because of it?
It is sermons like those which is why we have to be careful what we say to the people. Words like those of Rev. Hagee and Rev, Wright has cause people be very misinformed about God and turn on him.
Peaches, we agree on this.
Those that bend scripture to suit their own desires, especially those supposed to keep the Word of God and preach it after years of study, are doing great harm and will some day answer for this.
It shouldn’t make one ‘turn on God’ though. Who doesn’t understand the frailty of man and how can that be placed at Gods feet or a religions door.
It is up to the individual to seek truth and those that speak it.
There are Christian organizations that can stear one to a Biblically sound Prot/Baptist Church.
How does one ‘vet’ an Islamic institution/Mosque?
This world is full of nuts and religious nuts are some of the worst.
Patb,
I agree and it is a scary thought because there a vulnerable people who may fall prey into it and miss out on the truth.