Infinite Monkeys

Obama: Dudley Do-Wright

Obama's very-late coming denunciation of the his racist, deranged "spiritual mentor" and "moral guide", Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is pretty slick. So it warrants a good parsing.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy.

Ok. What about when other deplorable, hateful statements are made public? Are we going to go through the dance of statement/denouncement ad infinitum? If so, that's going to be one long song.

I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies.

Fine. Great. But it is simply inconceivable that Wright's statements that "disparage our great country" were rare. Merely the passion in Wright's voice makes that clear. So why stick around, Obama, if this was common and you "categorically denounce" it?

I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit.

But Wright's M.O. was hardly to denounce individuals -- though we can guess that Bush earned the dishonor. Wright denounced whole groups of people -- whites, middle-class people, the "rich," Israel, and "sell-out" blacks. So, that sentence is pretty worthless.

In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Again, Obama qualifies -- which leaves the presumption, for now, that other statements that have not yet made the YouTube parade are OK.

It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Which reminds me. Wright thinks the racist, white power structure of the United States invented AIDS to kill black people. Do you agree, Mr. Obama?

In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor.

If Wright has never been your political advisor, why have you consulted him before every political move in your career?

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation.

This is simply not believable. Every time Wright went off the deep end, Obama was not present? Did he not talk to other congregates over post-service coffee and donuts about what he might have missed? But, yet again, we hear Obama qualifying about the statements that are "the cause of this controversy." What happens when other comments come up?

But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, ...

What the hell does Wright's imminent retirement have to do with what he has said for years? Completely irrelevant.

There is a part of me that almost feels sorry for Obama. I have the feeling that he joined the influential church -- so influential that it counts Oprah herself as a member -- to boost his political fortunes when he was just getting started in his career. It is certainly a smart political launching point as a black politician in Chicago, as long as your aspirations remain relatively small time. Even members of Congress can get away with this kind of affiliation.

But Obama is now in the Big Time. He wants to be president of all the people. And Obama's spiritual mentor sees a bitter, racially divided America. Obama is now learning the dangers of picking racist, hateful friends and "spiritual mentors." And the Democratic party is going to learn the dangers of picking this man as their nominee.

[Cross-posted at RedBlueAmerica.com]

Posted by Dr. Zaius at March 15, 2008 05:00 PM | TrackBack