I’m getting political today. I have to, because those of us paying attention to the Presidential race are witnessing a real-life example of “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.” This whole Jeremiah Wright thing should have never even become this much of an issue for the Obama campaign. After the speech Barak Obama gave March 18 on the subject of race in America, the situation should have blown over. I believe it stayed alive for two reasons:
- Barak Obama thought that he could move past it quickly by focusing on winning delegates in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
- Reverend Wright kept on talking sh*t.
This whole situation didn’t have to get this ugly had Reverend Wright nipped things in the bud back when the media first took those snippets of his sermons out of context and ran with them. All he had to do was hold an impromptu press conference somewhere, and say this: “These are my words, not Barak Obama’s. Were they taken out of context and used irresponsibly by the media? Yes. Did Barak Obama have anything to do with my sermon and it’s message? No. He and I are both adults capable of speaking for ourselves. I said what I did in those sermons because in my heart, that’s what I believe. Adress all of the negative headlines and opinionated rhetoric to me and not him. I said it, I meant it, and I take full responsibility for it.”
Alas, the allure of the spotlight proved too great for Reverend Wright to ignore. I don’t blame the man for speaking up to defend his good name. I also commend him for initiating dialogue on the subject of race relations in America, because a lot of people(white and black) would like to sweep the topic under the rug, as if everything magically became perfect after Segregation and the Civil Rights movement ended. In fact, I’ll even say that I think Reverend Wright handled the PBS special pretty well, and did a good job with his NAACP speech. That said, You would think that two nationally-televised speeches over the course of one weekend would be enough to satisfy a man who wouldn’t even be talked about right now if one of his former church members weren’t currently running for the highest office in the land.
I guess Reverend Wright thought to himself “I’m making worldwide headlines, so I’m gonna keep going and ride this motherf*cker ’till the wheels fall off!”
Next came Reverend Wright’s National Press Club speech, where the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan. Obama tried to avoid bad-mouthing Jeremiah Wright in his prior speech, and even went as far as making it a point to highlight the numerous positive attributes of the man. Once Wright got his chance to comment on, he pretty much called Obama’s integrity into question alluding that he says “what he has to say as a politician.” This gave Senator Obama no choice but to respond to what was said on the Jeremiah Wright Press Tour.
That’s why I couldn’t be in Obama’s position…Because I would have said what I had to say, and told Reverend Wright to sit his old ass down and shut the f*ck up. I’m really trying to figure out what kind of logic Reverend Wright sees in vigorously preaching about the black man’s plight in America, while at the same time undercutting the first black man to have a legitimate shot at becoming the Leader of the Free World. Not only that, but someone he considered extended family until fairly recently. One would think that more change could be made from the top, but I guess that’s not the case in Reverend Wright’s world. The only thing I can do is assume that Reverend Wright is so weary of America’s political structure, that he feels that there is nothing any one man can do about it going through the system, even from the Oval Office.
That, or his ego won’t allow him to pass up this opportunity to take Al Sharpton’s spot as the media’s next go-to black guy for sound bites.
I agree with everything you said 100%!
The fact that he’s a pastor makes it all even sadder. Shouldn’t he put Obama’s interest before his own? What about humility? These are things the Bible teaches. What about the wisdom to know that you’re walking into a lion’s den and hurting your brother/son’s chance at office? SMH
Here in is the struggle for black people trying to come up. Sure you want to stay true to your roots and what got you where you’re at. Like you said keep it real and rep your block. But at the same time when keeping it real and holding on to where you came from hinders you from where you’re trying to get then you you’ve got to let go.
I’m going to go drink my 40 now
Yeeeeah, Rev. Wright needs to “fast from talking”. As you said in your post, it would be different if Rev. Wright was at least TRYING to take the heat off Obama and encourage people to look at more than just the snippet, secondly. However, that’s not what he’s doing…the more he runs his mouth, the more people are inclined to believe that Barack hangs on his every word and supports it 100%.
Reverend Wright appears to have his own agenda.
To play Devil’s Advocate for a sec…noooo one noticed one of McCain’s endorsers, Pastor John Hagee, and he basically said the same about ‘chickens coming home to roost’ about Hurricane Katrina and a few other disasters. McCain said that just because he endorsed him, didn’t mean that he believed everything he preached about….end. And we heard nothing else about it.
See….I’m rarely one of those radical, “conspiracy theory” type fanatic dudes, but I honestly think Rev. Wright is doing this shit on purpose.
I think the older generation of Black Americans (a.k.a. The Ebony/Jet Demographic) is JEALOUS of the success of the younger generation of Black Americans. They are resentful because they feel like they worked for the “freedoms” we had, and basically don’t see that they got complacent right after so called integration (I mean honestly, what’s truly integrated right now) and most of the problems of today come from THEM and the way they raised US.
I think that Rev. Wright is undermining Obama’s campaign and the way he chose to go about things was COMPLETELY strategic. He could have waited until AFTER the general election to address this, but instead he forced Obama’s hand.
Oh also Leon, unrelated to this post, the Caltasia photo has resurfaced, this time on 730!! So I figure the LEAST you could do is update my link to http://www.thekillacal.com
A few weeks ago I found out that Rev. Wright was one of the pastors called to the White House to give spiritual guidance to the Clinton’s during “BlowjobGate”. I guess back then his racist rhetoric was ok enough to fix matters of infidelity. Even so, this old fart should sit his ass down and shut the hell up.
@TIKI & THE COMMON SHARE: There’s a HUGE difference between being endorsed or given one-time spiritual guidance by someone and being under a person’s teachings for 20 YEARS!!!!
I can understand the concern that 20 YEARS under someone’s influence and guidance is an indication that you share at least some of his core values.
I mean, how many of us would sit under the rants and teachings of a, let’s say, Farrakhan for 20 years, have him officiate our wedding, baptize our children, name a book after one of his sermons, credit him as our mentor…then say, but but but I don’t really agree with what he says or stands for. What???!!!
@Karen: Point taken!!
@ Karen, you hit the nail on the head. Reverend Wright kind of lands in that uncomfortable grey area that is a reality for black people in America. It’s like, I can see WHY he said what he said in some of those sermons, but it’s easy to get carried away and say something offensive when you try to fight fire with fire(or fiery rhetoric in this case).
From all of the things I’ve heard from folks from Chicago, Reverend Wright does way more for the community than most so-called “leaders” out there. That’s why I didn’t want to completely villify him in this post. From all accounts, he is agood person, and a very giving and caring individual. I just think that the national spotlight was too much for him to resist. I truly believe that he’s now saying a lot of these borderline-extremist things for the sheer fact that he knows the entire nation is watching and listening. You do raise a good point, though…Which is why this whole situation will do nothing but harm Barak Obama’s chances against both Hilary Clinton in the Democratic primary, and against John McCain if he makes it to the general election
Well said!
I agree with the above comment from you, Leon. Unfortunately this happens a lot with Church figures. They are EXTREMELY ourspoken and take their position as they speak for the world when that is FAR from the case. Rev. Wright is hurting Obama, but in a sence Obama has hurt himself back peddling on how he views Rev. Wright as Karen pointed out. It’s a shame that someone who seems like the best candidate (in my opinion) will be forced out. I also believe that even if he does make it, something will happen to where he will not have the position for very long….but that’s a whole different debate.
Im glad you posted on this…this whole thing was driving me nuts. Urgh. Tell that man to sit down already…
Karen, I do recall saying “playing the devil’s advocate for a sec.
Whether Barack knows the man like the back of his hand, we all know and agree that Wright has a hidden agenda of his own.