Barack Obama to speak about Rev. Wright, race Tuesday, March 18

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Hopefully he'll be able to put some things to rest. This Reverend is a very angry man who's made some very ignorant remarks, inspite of what he considers black empowerment. Seeing that this year is the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's and Robert F. Kennedy's assassinations, he should remind people, especially AAs, that such ignorant talk is unacceptable in today's world and a constructive conversation is the way of the future. AAs have to barriers/excuses anymore.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Obama set to deliver speech on race, Wright

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) ? Far from putting the controversial issue of race behind him, Barack Obama has decided to address the issue head on in a speech Tuesday.

"I am going to be talking not just about Reverend Wright, but the larger issue of race in this campaign ? which has ramped up over the last couple of weeks," Obama told reporters in Monaca, Pennsylvania.

Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod characterized the speech, to be delivered in Philadelphia, as "a discussion on race and politics."

"Given the events of the last few weeks, Obama felt it was time to address the issue of race and politics directly, and what it means in our country," Axelrod said.

News of the speech comes days after the Illinois senator formally denounced controversial sermons delivered by his former minister and longtime friend, Jeremiah Wright. The racially-charged remarks came under fire after being the subject of an ABC News report last week.

Axelrod described the Illinois senator as "a force for reconciliation" and said he wants the opportunity "to put this into context."

Speaking with reporters, Obama said the media is portraying Wright inaccurately.

"I think the caricature that is being painted of him is not accurate, and so part of what I will do tomorrow is to talk about how these issues are perceived from within the black church community for example which I think skews this very differently."

UPDATE: Axelrod later told CNN's Gloria Borger that the Illinois senator has "always contemplated giving a speech like this."

?He will address the broader questions of race and politics, these are complex issues that transcend Barack Obama, and are fault lines in our politics and society, and, ultimately, can be a barrier?They?re easily exploited, and hard to address," he said.

 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

How so?

Because people like Sinsear have been jumping up and down on this story for a while now, and whoever believed the charges isn't going to change their mind. The smear has been around long enough to sink in. Lucky for Obama, I don't think it matters. While this provided yet another reason for folks who weren't going to vote for Obama to not vote for Obama, I'm not sure it convinced anyone else.
 

RY62

Senior member
Mar 13, 2005
864
98
91
Originally posted by: Dari

UPDATE: Axelrod later told CNN's Gloria Borger that the Illinois senator has "always contemplated giving a speech like this."
?He will address the broader questions of race and politics, these are complex issues that transcend Barack Obama, and are fault lines in our politics and society, and, ultimately, can be a barrier?They?re easily exploited, and hard to address," he said.

Well, this could explain alot.

The story of this racist minister has been around for over a year but the MSM wouldn't touch it until now. Who pushed the story to the front? Clinton wouldn't do it now, the timing isn't right. Barack has several weeks for damage control before the next primary. It also seems the timing would be better for the Republicans if they saved it for the general election. Could it be the Obama camp pushed the story now? Perhaps the party bigwigs wanted to see if this story would hurt before selecting him as the nominee? For Obama, there could be no better time than right now to deal with this. Plus, he gets to have his followers throw blame at Clinton and McCain to demonize them while he comes out with yet another pretty speach. This time it'll be about how he will cure racism.

Either way, I'm less interested in what he has to say about race right now than if his story that he was unaware of the racist rants of Rev Wright will hold up.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

How so?

Because people like Sinsear have been jumping up and down on this story for a while now, and whoever believed the charges isn't going to change their mind. The smear has been around long enough to sink in. Lucky for Obama, I don't think it matters. While this provided yet another reason for folks who weren't going to vote for Obama to not vote for Obama, I'm not sure it convinced anyone else.

Exactly.
 

RY62

Senior member
Mar 13, 2005
864
98
91
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

How so?

Because people like Sinsear have been jumping up and down on this story for a while now, and whoever believed the charges isn't going to change their mind. The smear has been around long enough to sink in. Lucky for Obama, I don't think it matters. While this provided yet another reason for folks who weren't going to vote for Obama to not vote for Obama, I'm not sure it convinced anyone else.

Exactly.

I see it as just the opposite...Those who were blindly following Obama will continue to follow. I think this will be one of the things that will deny him any chance in the general election.
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: RY62
Originally posted by: Dari

UPDATE: Axelrod later told CNN's Gloria Borger that the Illinois senator has "always contemplated giving a speech like this."
?He will address the broader questions of race and politics, these are complex issues that transcend Barack Obama, and are fault lines in our politics and society, and, ultimately, can be a barrier?They?re easily exploited, and hard to address," he said.

Well, this could explain alot.

The story of this racist minister has been around for over a year but the MSM wouldn't touch it until now. Who pushed the story to the front? Clinton wouldn't do it now, the timing isn't right. Barack has several weeks for damage control before the next primary. It also seems the timing would be better for the Republicans if they saved it for the general election. Could it be the Obama camp pushed the story now? Perhaps the party bigwigs wanted to see if this story would hurt before selecting him as the nominee? For Obama, there could be no better time than right now to deal with this. Plus, he gets to have his followers throw blame at Clinton and McCain to demonize them while he comes out with yet another pretty speach. This time it'll be about how he will cure racism.

Either way, I'm less interested in what he has to say about race right now than if his story that he was unaware of the racist rants of Rev Wright will hold up.

Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views. Why do you keep repeating this when it's already been debunked by many? Do you really want to believe he's a liar that bad?
 

chowderhead

Platinum Member
Dec 7, 1999
2,633
263
126
56 % of the people surveyed are less likely to vote for Obama including 44% of Democrats because of Wright. link.
Obama's favorable/unfavorables have come up to roughly Clinton levels.

He is giving this speech because he has to explain away 20 years of Rev. Wright being his moral compass.


 

Corbett

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
3,074
0
76
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: chowderhead
56 % of the people surveyed are less likely to vote for Obama including 44% of Democrats because of Wright. link.
Obama's favorable/unfavorables have come up to roughly Clinton levels.

He is giving this speech because he has to explain away 20 years of Rev. Wright being his moral compass.

The survey question is incredibly poorly designed. It mentions something that most people disagree with (Wright's comments), then asks if people would be "more or less likely to vote for Obama". Without a frame of reference for how MUCH the voters care, the results are totally useless...you'd have similar results if you asked if people would be more or less likely to vote for Obama if they knew he didn't like ice cream. There is nothing in his favorable/unfavorable rating to suggest it's a long term trend, probably more likely a result of all the news about Wright in the absence of ANY news about McCain or Clinton.

I think some people might have wavered a little bit, but I don't think it's changing any minds...certainly not with the election several months away.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.
 

RY62

Senior member
Mar 13, 2005
864
98
91
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: RY62
Originally posted by: Dari

UPDATE: Axelrod later told CNN's Gloria Borger that the Illinois senator has "always contemplated giving a speech like this."
?He will address the broader questions of race and politics, these are complex issues that transcend Barack Obama, and are fault lines in our politics and society, and, ultimately, can be a barrier?They?re easily exploited, and hard to address," he said.

Well, this could explain alot.

The story of this racist minister has been around for over a year but the MSM wouldn't touch it until now. Who pushed the story to the front? Clinton wouldn't do it now, the timing isn't right. Barack has several weeks for damage control before the next primary. It also seems the timing would be better for the Republicans if they saved it for the general election. Could it be the Obama camp pushed the story now? Perhaps the party bigwigs wanted to see if this story would hurt before selecting him as the nominee? For Obama, there could be no better time than right now to deal with this. Plus, he gets to have his followers throw blame at Clinton and McCain to demonize them while he comes out with yet another pretty speach. This time it'll be about how he will cure racism.

Either way, I'm less interested in what he has to say about race right now than if his story that he was unaware of the racist rants of Rev Wright will hold up.

Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views. Why do you keep repeating this when it's already been debunked by many? Do you really want to believe he's a liar that bad?

OK, it seems he's been studying Bill Clinton for double-talk. I know how I interpreted what he said but here's a lawyerly look at it -http://www.americanthinker.com...g_obamas_lawyerly.html

Barack Obama desperately needs to distance himself from his spiritual mentor and pastor of two decades, Jeremiah Wright, Jr. But the man who wants America to believe his promise of unspecified change adopts the carefully-parsed language of a Harvard-trained lawyer. There is a fundamental discordance in spirit between a canny, evasive lawyer inserting loopholes, and the smiling vision of unity and change you can believe in.
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Perhaps because the good outweighed the bad? TBH, I don't know. Nobody's perfect. In the other thread, someone linked a 1995 article in which Obama talked about how people in the black community would say a lot of things but he went on to say that that meant little and more actually had to be done. He was talking in regards to community services for the poor. So, whatever Obama heard before he may have let it be known that he disagreed but it may not have been on the calibar of what we've been seeing the past week. Ignorant comments may be common in AA communities, but blaming America for 911 is beyond the pale.
 

da loser

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,037
0
0
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.

other than his relationship being 20 years and thinking obama is a relatively astute individual that should be able to evaluate a person properly after 20 years.


obama really can knock this one out of the park. all he has to talk about is the difference between race relations 40 years ago and today, how wright represents the past. blah blah blah. he can speak his message of change and hope for the future, while saying what people need to hear not what they want to hear. and really solidify his position.
 

chowderhead

Platinum Member
Dec 7, 1999
2,633
263
126
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.

Go read the minister thread again. You claimed previously that you couldn't find anywhere where Obama referred to Wright as a spiritual adviser. I linked an article where Obama said Wright was his moral compass. You claimed that you don't believe that anyone will be swayed by the Wright thing and now say well maybe some people and only for a little while. You now claim that there is no proof that he knew. I linked a article from 2007, where Obama agreed with Wright that he may have to distance himself from him. Obama wrote in his book that Wright when they first met told Obama that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church's radical reputation.


 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,381
7,444
136
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

How so?

Because people like Sinsear have been jumping up and down on this story for a while now, and whoever believed the charges isn't going to change their mind. The smear has been around long enough to sink in. Lucky for Obama, I don't think it matters. While this provided yet another reason for folks who weren't going to vote for Obama to not vote for Obama, I'm not sure it convinced anyone else.

Exactly.

Such espoused hatred from Obama's mentor shakes my rosy picture of him. I intend to vote Obama in the general election but if he's any bit as radical as his mentor, which his wife's views have affirmed, then I really am stuck in the mud trying to decide.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: chowderhead
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.

Go read the minister thread again. You claimed previously that you couldn't find anywhere where Obama referred to Wright as a spiritual adviser. I linked an article where Obama said Wright was his moral compass. You claimed that you don't believe that anyone will be swayed by the Wright thing and now say well maybe some people and only for a little while. You now claim that there is no proof that he knew. I linked a article from 2007, where Obama agreed with Wright that he may have to distance himself from him. Obama wrote in his book that Wright when they first met told Obama that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church's radical reputation.

I was wrong about the spiritual adviser comment, my mistake.

As for the rest of it, read what I said a little more closely. I'm saying that I don't think this story is going to change anybody's VOTE. I think some people may have their doubts now, but I think that's the same percentage of people who have their doubts any time there is bad news about anything, I don't think it will last very long at all. And there is a wide gulf between being slightly radical and saying extremely racially divisive things...you can get very clever with Obama "knowing", as long as you don't specify what it was that he knew.
 

chowderhead

Platinum Member
Dec 7, 1999
2,633
263
126
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: chowderhead
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.

Go read the minister thread again. You claimed previously that you couldn't find anywhere where Obama referred to Wright as a spiritual adviser. I linked an article where Obama said Wright was his moral compass. You claimed that you don't believe that anyone will be swayed by the Wright thing and now say well maybe some people and only for a little while. You now claim that there is no proof that he knew. I linked a article from 2007, where Obama agreed with Wright that he may have to distance himself from him. Obama wrote in his book that Wright when they first met told Obama that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church's radical reputation.

I was wrong about the spiritual adviser comment, my mistake.

As for the rest of it, read what I said a little more closely. I'm saying that I don't think this story is going to change anybody's VOTE. I think some people may have their doubts now, but I think that's the same percentage of people who have their doubts any time there is bad news about anything, I don't think it will last very long at all. And there is a wide gulf between being slightly radical and saying extremely racially divisive things...you can get very clever with Obama "knowing", as long as you don't specify what it was that he knew.

COOPER: Did you not know, though, that, I mean, a couple days after 9/11, he said, you know, this was America's chickens coming home to roost, a result of what he called American terrorism around the world?

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: I mean, you may not have been there, but have you -- you must have heard that he had said these things.

OBAMA: You know, I confess that I did not hear about this until -- until I started running for president.

very convenient

Even after hearing about "this" Obama still put Rev. Wright on his African American Religious Leadership Committee.

Edit: He knew about the 9/11 comments back in April 2007, and called it his minister "trying to be provocative." Only after the videos surfaced did he denounce the words.

 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,547
651
126
On ABC News tonight, they mentioned a latest poll giving McCain a 6% lead over Obama when it was a dead even last week.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

Nonsense.

If it were legal, just put a TV showing the couple of video clips like "we don't need a god bless america we need a god damn america" with a card under the tv monitor stating Obama's friend, mentor, spiritual adviser, and presidential committee member at the entrance to every voting station and tell me how he could win a general election.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: lupi
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Sinsear
Too little too late. Damage already done.

Nonsense.

If it were legal, just put a TV showing the couple of video clips like "we don't need a god bless america we need a god damn america" with a card under the tv monitor stating Obama's friend, mentor, spiritual adviser, and presidential committee member at the entrance to every voting station and tell me how he could win a general election.

That doesn't really prove anything, it's easy to compose similar propaganda approaches for ALL the candidates.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: chowderhead
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: chowderhead
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Corbett
Originally posted by: Dari
Jesus H. Christ. Will you let it die? The man never said he didn't know Rev. Wright's hateful views. He said he never heard the recent hateful views.

So then that leads us to the next question. If Obama KNEW of Rev Wright's past hateful views, why did he continue to attend his church for more than 20 years?

Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know. Now that he's found out, he's flat out denounced Wright's views. There is nothing here except people suggesting that the explanation is unlikely. And whether or not that's true, the fact is that there is no proof otherwise...there is nothing here.

Go read the minister thread again. You claimed previously that you couldn't find anywhere where Obama referred to Wright as a spiritual adviser. I linked an article where Obama said Wright was his moral compass. You claimed that you don't believe that anyone will be swayed by the Wright thing and now say well maybe some people and only for a little while. You now claim that there is no proof that he knew. I linked a article from 2007, where Obama agreed with Wright that he may have to distance himself from him. Obama wrote in his book that Wright when they first met told Obama that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church's radical reputation.

I was wrong about the spiritual adviser comment, my mistake.

As for the rest of it, read what I said a little more closely. I'm saying that I don't think this story is going to change anybody's VOTE. I think some people may have their doubts now, but I think that's the same percentage of people who have their doubts any time there is bad news about anything, I don't think it will last very long at all. And there is a wide gulf between being slightly radical and saying extremely racially divisive things...you can get very clever with Obama "knowing", as long as you don't specify what it was that he knew.

COOPER: Did you not know, though, that, I mean, a couple days after 9/11, he said, you know, this was America's chickens coming home to roost, a result of what he called American terrorism around the world?

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: I mean, you may not have been there, but have you -- you must have heard that he had said these things.

OBAMA: You know, I confess that I did not hear about this until -- until I started running for president.

very convenient

Even after hearing about "this" Obama still put Rev. Wright on his African American Religious Leadership Committee.

Edit: He knew about the 9/11 comments back in April 2007, and called it his minister "trying to be provocative." Only after the videos surfaced did he denounce the words.

That comment doesn't seem particular racial to me...

In any case, what's your point? You guys seem to just be trying to mention this minister and Obama in the same sentence as often as possible rather than trying to make a real argument about why Wright's views should change my views about Obama.

Edit: What I'm saying is that the absolute best you can do is complain that Obama didn't denounce something Wright said quickly enough. OK...I might even agree that he should have said something sooner, but so what? My support of Obama doesn't hinge on him never having made a personal or political misstep. As long as Obama doesn't share Wright's views, which I have no indication that he does, how much should I really care about this issue?
 

Corbett

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
3,074
0
76
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Isn't the "next question" whether or not Obama knew of Wright's views? So far as I can tell, there is no evidence that Obama DID know.

Then I guess that shows an even bigger flaw in Obama's judgement. He attended a separatist church for 20 years and didnt even know the pastor's views for those 20 years!