Politics | 04/30/2008 12:00 am

wOw's Views on the News: Is Rev. Wright Leading to the Demise of the Obama Campaign?

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Sen. Obama unequivocally denounced his former pastor yesterday, expressing his outrage and sadness at Rev. Wright’s recent speeches. Click here to read about it on MSNBC. Was this the right thing for Obama to do? Should he be ignoring Rev. Wright altogether at this point? Ultimately, will the controversy derail Obama’s candidacy? Does this justify Sen. Clinton’s decision to remain in the race, despite her long odds and growing pressure from some Democrats?

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Obama did right by dumping Wright, but it took him so long it demonstrates he’s not ready for the Publican attack machine. 8 years as Hill’s VP will make him ready for the top spot

By sailorjohn00 sj00 on 04/30/2008 10:29 am

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I’m afraid I will have to disagree about Obama being Hillary’s VP. She is not in the lead and I for one am getting angrier by the day at the medias continued recycling of the Wright story. If he were a white man or rather “looked” like a white man this would not have gained the traction that it has. Obama will be the Democratic nominee come August and the Clintons’ have damaged their image beyond repair with me. I do not think I could check the box for Hillary after the way she has trash talked Obama. Until Pennsylvania, I was willing to vote for either one (I was an Edwards supporter). When Hillary said she was in it to win I sure didn’t think she would tear down a Democratic opponent in the process. She has a lot of nerve to call anyone “elitist” considering that her and Bill are wealthier and had a better start than Barack. He is one of us. I used to defend Bill during the impeachment and the more mud the Republicans slung the more I was on his side. I see the same thing happening now that they are doing the same thing to Obama. Shame on both of them and their own brand of the politics of personal destruction. Hillary is turning out to be more Republican than a Democrat. With all of the important issues out there, why are they focusing on Obamas’ former minister? Siding with McCain about a gas tax holiday is stupid. Of course, they both voted for the Iraq war which I marched against and am still against. Hillary keeps saying, “Why can’t Obama close the deal”. Well, if she was such a great candidate, “How did she end up in second place?” Why can’t she close the deal, I mean he is just a “young” upstart. It should have been a cake walk for her. I think that she as well as McCain are both out of touch with ordinary Americans. We are watching and I am supporting Obama all the way. I would be greatly disapppointed if Obama chose her to be on his ticket as VP.

By B W on 04/30/2008 4:15 pm

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Great post, BW. Don’t you agree with me though that every time Barak talks about wanting to get rid of the same OLD stuff in washington it’s likely to offend those of us who are a lot older than he is. I know you feel the same way about Barak as my son does, and I respect the that. I felt the same way about RFK. Brace yourself for the possibility that it’s Hillary who will be looking for a VP. Would you be disappointed in him if he accepted an offer to become the first Af/Am VP and most likely the first black pres. in 2016 at the latest?

By Michael Salling on 05/01/2008 5:47 am

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Of course the Obama supporters will stick with him. But those still on the fence are a different story. They can go either way. And from what I have been hearing, not all Black churches preach like Wright. Most believe in raising the spirit of encouragement. This was stated by Rev. Flake of NYC who said he would not never preach those sermons Wright did even though he understood why he did. Wright might be intelligent, but to me he lacks common sense. Obama was the one who tied his campaign with his “spiritual advisor” even when his handlers warned him not to. Then Wright goes and disses the term “spiritual advisor”. Obama might have learned a valuable lesson here about politics and that the people around you can also be responsible for bringing you down. There’s a reason why it is not always possible to run a campaign “on the high ground”. But on the other hand, McCain has aligned himself with clerics who believe gays caused destruction. Let’s hope Obama and Hillary can stay on top of issues and one will be able to defeat the Republicans. I think this is the first time I really feel sorry for Obama because I truly believed he loved Wright and never in a million years thought Wright would do this. (Again this is why the political process needs to run its course and not nominate too quickly. While Obama for many may be the right person to run this country, it doesn’t mean he can win. And right now our eye has to be on who can defeat McCain more than who do you love? I have to wonder if Edwards is kicking himself now. And if the polls start to downturn on both of them, don’t be surprised if the super delegates come out with a surprise candidate.

By Brooklyn Gal on 04/30/2008 10:31 am

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insightful, moving post, Carol L. god bless …

By Michael Salling on 05/01/2008 5:50 am

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Senator Obama’s association with the Reverend Wright has and will hurt his campaign. Did Obama know who Reverend Wright was and his views, of course he did. When Senator Obama announced his candidacy, Reverend Wright was suppose to appear with him but they decided at the last minute to not have him appear. They knew, then that he was a potential negative. I don’t think that Obama’s views are the same as Reverend Wright’s. But it does show, by his earlier claim of no knowledge of the Reverend’s more devisive views, that he is also apt to be less than honest when politically necessary. It takes the shine off his “different kind of politician” status. We can all say it isn’t fair that he be judged based on the views of his pastor but reality is what counts. Winning the election is what counts and your associations with people/organizations affect how you are viewed. Having said that, all the candidates have negatives in this regard. On the positive side at least it is out there now instead of coming out during the general election. This is why the long primary election is good, especially for a relatively unknown candidate like Senator Obama. It gives us a much clearer picture of his electability in a general election.

By Candace Wood on 04/30/2008 10:36 am

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My last post should have under (a reply) Country Woman’s post, not under Ann Joyce’s to which I certainly did NOT agree.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 04/30/2008 11:07 am

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Rev. Wright has really set off the chattering classes. So far this morning I’ve read on columnist railing against him as one of the many demagogues in the world. They keep people down by reinforcing theirs status as victims. In the Chicago Tribune I read a piece titled Gut Check for White People. This writer says that the hue and cry over Rev. Wright is a sign of white racism. He’s right. In truth I agree with a lot of Rev. Wright’s preaching, with the exception of the aids conspiracy. But the one who’s looking weak is Obama. He wants so badly to be president that he has disavowed his pastor, thereby disavowing much of his African American community. This is not a tragedy but a revelation of another politician who has learned the hard way, politics stink.

By Burke Omalley on 04/30/2008 11:44 am

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Burke Omalley - do you mean this piece in the Sun Times? http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/922710,CST-NWS-brown30.article What he says is likely true in some cases. However, I have to disagree with the article as the foundation of it is flawed. The columnist has diluted the entirety of white Americans down to a twisted caricature claiming that one and all are prejudiced and guilty of racism. He further states and bases this view on the idea that he himself was raised by bigots : “I have tasted the poison that is racism, having been fed a steady diet of bigotry as a kid growing up, while also being raised not to have those prejudices. I know firsthand that when you get that prejudice in your system, it doesn’t just go away on its own. It’s stored away.” So he is white and a self-proclaimed bigot who was raised by bigots. His life experience does not prove his argument that all white folks are bigots, or racists, or harbor prejudice against against any ethnicity at all - although there are many people across this country that suffer from this misconception. What is true for one white man is not true for all white men or women. What happened in this man’s white family, Barack Obama’s white family or in countless other white families can not be held up as proof that damns all white people as guilty of bigotry or any other misdeeds. Although some people may be invested in the belief that “all whites” are prejudiced against blacks I tell you they simply are not.

By E . on 04/30/2008 12:30 pm

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I too have a problem with this turning into a racial issue. While I know there is a block of voters who will either vote on the race card of femine card, it is certainly not all of “white” America. These same people would turn their backs on Collin Powell too and he is one Republican I would support. And, the more I hear how White America just doesn’t get it and tries to spin positively for Obama, I get personally insulted and frankly turned off by the campaign. Rev. Wright created this sterotype of the Black Church which I understand a majority of Black pastors do NOT follow. There is so much misinformation out there that will only enhance the Republican cause thanks to Rev. Wright.

By Brooklyn Gal on 04/30/2008 12:55 pm

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Sorry about the spelling errors.

By Brooklyn Gal on 04/30/2008 4:58 pm

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Yes, that is the column I mean in my post. No, all white people are not racists. And all black people are not racists. But Obama would not have to disown his pastor if white people weren’t so shocked by black liberation theology.

By Burke Omalley on 04/30/2008 3:16 pm

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Burke Omalley, the thing is that most white people are not shocked, surprised or unaware of black liberation theology. It is not as if this is a secret something new coming down the pike and now because of Barack Obama white America is suddenly confronted with a mind-blowing revelation. White folks know about black liberation theology, white folks acknowledge black liberation theology and accept that black liberation theology is embraced by many. However, concern that an intelligent, powerful, rising star in the US Senate, who has an excellent shot at becoming our next US President, may have adopted some of its most extreme ideology is very concerning to many Americans of all ethnicities - not just white folks. Barack Obama raised these concerns by signaling that he had a long running closely guarded tight bond with Reverend Wright that he had no intention to ever alter even in view of his incendiary ideology and Obama’s rising political power. Barack Obama “disowned” Reverend Wright, not because of white folks ignorance or misdeeds, he broke publicly ties with him because Reverend Wright went on an all out self-serving, vomitrocious media offensive that is proving to be very harmful to Barack Obama.

By E . on 04/30/2008 4:07 pm