One reason why many liberals think the Jeremiah Wright issue is a distraction is their belief that Obama's reverence for Wright is limited, a mere vestige of a past strategy. They assume it's largely political gamesmanship. Joining Wright's church was a way to avoid being charged as too "white" and a way to build a political base. U.S. News & World Report political writer Kenneth T. Walsh certainly forwarded this theory in a story on how Obama learned from "Chicago's Presidential Classroom":
Obama also saw firsthand the central role that African-American churches played in the black community, providing solace, pride, and the motivation to persevere against adversity. He got to know Wright, the bombastic and charismatic pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ—whose angry sermons, widely perceived as anti-American and antiwhite, got Obama's presidential campaign into deep trouble a few weeks ago.
Political base. But there was personal motivation, too. Despite having little previous interest in religion, Obama joined Wright's growing church in part to deepen what one friend called "a whole web of relationships" in the community that gave him a strong political base and a well-connected mentor. At one point, Wright warned Obama that the ministers and other leaders in Chicago could be parochial and cynical, which would make Obama's job of organizing much harder. Obama soon learned this in a very personal way when one minister derided him at a public meeting for being a pawn of Chicago's whites because he tried to work with the Establishment.
Wright, who retired earlier this year, belonged to a gospel-shouting tradition in many black churches of "signifying"—connecting with parishioners by linking religion to contemporary life and politics. He was dramatic and topical in part to attract young people to his version of the Christian tradition rather than Islam, which also had appeal to young blacks, to some degree because of charismatic leaders such as Farrakhan. Obama says he recognizes all this, and while he has condemned what Wright said, he refused to "disown" him and his good works in the community. This is seen by Obama confidants as an example of the loyalty so prized in Chicago politics. "He feels that we need to accept people with their imperfections," says a friend. "You don't disown them. It's very much a part of his message." Adds Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, a supporter: "Barack will not demonize. He won't throw somebody under the bus."
This utterly ignores how most of Obama's critics thought he defended Wright by throwing his white grandmother "under the bus" as a racist.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Obama joined the church for political reasons
April 17, 2008 - 19:51 ET by DelsaWell finally.
I have said this ovedr and ovedr again. I am almost blue in the face.
Obama needed political clout. How else to get himself known amoung floks he has NEVER known? Join the big Church run by the influencial Pastor.
He is NOT a religious man. Never was. And that is why he thinks the questions re his pastor are tedious and unnecessary.
Obama's religious views are
April 17, 2008 - 20:25 ET by zfObama's religious views are irrelevant to this issue. It's the link between his pastors racial and political views and his own that is the issue. So Obama joining the church for political reasons is exactly the problem.
I don't buy that Obama couldn't find a way to get himself known in the community besides linking up with a racist idealogue. Is the entire community just one big church? If not, he could have simply lived there and worked on his own with the people. And why still stay in the church long after the supposedly needed clout was attained?
And let's not forget he defended the Rev. and still does. Just because he did some "nice things" for the community is a lame excuse. It's nothing more than a variant of "but Mussolini made the trains run on time."
Obama's religious views
April 17, 2008 - 21:09 ET by DelsaI do not care if he is religious or not. I think he was participating in a political rally that just happened to take place on Sunday's in this so called church.
His links between the pastor and these other creeps is a very important story.
I have been waiting for
April 17, 2008 - 21:39 ET by red_dragon311I have been waiting for this, it makes sense.
what better way to get "known" then from the church.......by rights Rev Wright should be OUTRAGED that Barak H-word Obama used him. Almost Uncle Tomishly, he used a poor black folks church to get where he is today. He said ti himself, he doesn't agree with the things Wright said.
So we can see now that Barak H-word Obama is, a politician using a church to get votes, a politician spinning about the church he attened (now that it has come out that is is a bastion of racsim), a politician dodging "tough" questions, a politician who calls tough questions an attack when he is afraid of what the TRUE answer will be, a black politician that has distain for working class white people, a politician who will throw his own family in the line of fire to get ahead, a politician who buys in to Global warming.....the list goes on and on........
He is the Status Quo of your typicial slimy politician What is the "Change" he is talking about, that the skin color of the president is going to "change", or is it that he wants to raise my taxes so that he even gets the loose "change" from my pocket.
Here's what I am going to do, I am going start to go to a KKK run church, not pay attention to antthing the pastor says, ect ect,
now I am short fat tatooed and bald. I will run on the "Transform" policy as in
"We need to Transform the system of Gov't....transform it to acespt "
Joe "red_dragon311" Matallanes son of a Spanish (not Mexican) immagrant wants your vote in 2012 !!!!!!!!!!!
"As a news consumer, however, the word of an MSM journalist isn't good enough." - Dabird
As any typical politician, EVERYTHING Obama does is calculated
April 17, 2008 - 20:01 ET by c5thenEverything he does is calculated for political purposes.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
How about this...
April 17, 2008 - 20:11 ET by EHSteveTry naming a President not named Regan in the last 50yrs that hasn't been calculating or done everything for political reasons and then try using that line again!
Way too oversimplified and
April 17, 2008 - 20:31 ET by zfWay too oversimplified and it lets too many off the hook. "I'm just doing what everybody does" redux. We cannot enable Mr. Obama's lunacy by being blindsided into thinking none of his actions and words aren't what he truly feels. He can hide behind "political reasons" all he wants, but I don't buy it.
Read his biography, you'll be shocked. Unless that too was written merely for "political reasons."
Political Biographies
April 17, 2008 - 20:36 ET by m36b1Actually, political biographies are pretty much the dirtiest, money-grubbing shell games ever played by politicians. Just write some trash down, and party hacks will buy truckloads of them and let them sit. What better way to funnel millions to a politician while skirting all the "campaign finance laws". Obama made over 4 million last year selling his garbage books? Yeah, I wonder what percent of those books were actually cracked open. Thankfully a few were cracked open, and hopefully those words he had published will sink him.
Baloney
April 17, 2008 - 20:42 ET by WolfmanIf you believe he joined the church to further his political goals then you also have to believe he married his wife for the same reason. She without a doubt is a racist. Look they both attended colleges that spew anti American hatred. He's not an opportunist like the Clintons. He believes Rev Wright's philosophy. Plain and simple.
Wolfman I agree wih your
April 17, 2008 - 21:27 ET by bigtimerWolfman I agree wih your assessment here.
We can always throw in The Million Man March and Farrakhan too.
I do think though this was all planned out since he spoke at the dem. Convention....I knew then to look out for the guy politically, but didn't think it was going to be this fast....
I also think he is so surprised with the msm to dare question him or these ties, I think he expected them not to....there will be more down the road to come too.
I love the whining.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
I agree with you too. This
April 18, 2008 - 09:38 ET by mjgI agree with you too. This ties into why Michelle is the way she is and why he can't seem to answer the tough questions, or even show great disdain for Wright.
disregard
April 17, 2008 - 20:15 ET by lunaticcringeradioi had spoken with a buddy and we were discussing that obama had moved from pastor wrights church. definate misinformation.
lunaticcringeradio
Barry's been caught
April 17, 2008 - 20:48 ET by iveseenitallBarry's on the defensive. Mr. Cool lost his cool last night. Why? Because he is guilty. He has got to be bright enough to know that America doesn't want a radical lefty (commie) as it's President. Never has. Furthermore, Barry has already lost the halo he had for a while. He's a cheap inner-city politician from Chicago and has now been exposed as such. But it appears he's already got the nod. Dems are in trouble. I'm so unhappy about that.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Obama's political decision
April 17, 2008 - 21:16 ET by DelsaObama's decision was political only from the time he first got involved in politics.
His wife is for sure a racist and he is not too far from her branches.
They are both attempting to hide who they are.
He is comfortable because he knows the democrats in charge will NEVER vote agains the BLACK man for fear of backlash.
Finally the democrats are at war with eachother. That is what happens when you Balkanize.
He has this nomination locked up tight.
Oh, Really?
April 17, 2008 - 21:54 ET by pbthinkerObama joined the church as a political maneuver? I wouldn't buy that for a second, let alone for the election. He was dealing with other ministers, of other churches, and chose this church. Listening to Michelle Obama, it would appear there's more belief in the teachings of Reverend Wright than Obama's handlers would like us to know.
This is the sort of cover-up that will get past most people though. It's plausible, to some people, this could happen. The question is, how could this happen to Obama, who isn't the same kind of politician? No one will ask that question (unless of course Charlie and George moderate another debate) LOL.
Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.
Let me remind you that
April 17, 2008 - 22:35 ET by robert108Let me remind you that Obama's mention of his church was first done to deflect the attention from his Muslim upbringing, which included time in a "school"(otherwise known as a madrassa) in Indonesia, coupled with the revealing of his middle name of "Hussein". He mentioned his church to give himself "Christian creds". At the time, I checked out his church, discovered it is built on "Black Liberation Theology"(black separatism), and wondered how long it would take for that to emerge.
Rev. Wright's racist diatribe is part of what "Black Liberation Theology" is all about. It's part of the deal.
Could we say that "Black
April 18, 2008 - 09:19 ET by ForeverOnTheRightCould we say that "Black Liberation Theology" is equivalent to the KKK using the Bible for their "thoelogical reasons" for their bigotry? I think so.
I stand amazed!
April 17, 2008 - 23:14 ET by jefflebowskiI am amazed that the candidates for President are Clinton, Osama and McPain!
Hey jeff... ... Don't
April 17, 2008 - 23:17 ET by bigtimerHey jeff...
... Don't feel like the lone stranger....
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
It seems we are in a lose
April 18, 2008 - 09:23 ET by ForeverOnTheRightIt seems we are in a lose lose and not lose so much situation, this election period. McCain being the only not lose so much category. I wish it wasn’t so.
Obama's membership in the
April 18, 2008 - 00:59 ET by CooltomObama's membership in the church is all a sham. Last night he said he was a 'man of faith' but he also says he managed to never attend a sermon from Wright that involved racial rantings, never read the church newsletter, never viewed any of the sermons on DVD, and never seemed to have conversed with any of the other parishioners.
Doesn't sound like a conscientious churchgoer to me. Yet he still wants to walk the line and not disavow Wright and yet be still regarded as a faithful Christian. The whole thing is as phony as Clinton's 20-pound Bible he dragged around during the Lewinsky scandal.
Obama is not a Christian -- he just plays one on TV -- just like all the other liberal pols do.
Joined Wrights "church" for political reasons Riiight
April 18, 2008 - 09:10 ET by ForeverOnTheRightI don't buy that he joined Wright's "church" for political reasons one iota. You don't join a racist and aledged "church" for 20 years for calculated political reasons. A 20 year comitment really does not seem at all nessesary. Joining a church at is not nessesary for the political left anyways. And why join a racist church at all? This "he joined for political reasons" is just a thinly vailed spin, plain and simple that only the OHB supporters will blindly buy.
Political expediency...
April 18, 2008 - 11:14 ET by PrairieSkyI have wondered for some time now about Obama's reasons for attaching himself to this particular church. Do I think that Obama joined Trinity for political reasons? I think it's very likely. As a mixed race man with no apparent religious attachments, and who didn't grow up in Chicago, membership in a popular, overwhelmingly black inner city church gave him instant credibility and acceptance in the black community...He was "one of them". Given Obama's work as a community organizer, and his obvious political ambitions, membership in this particular church must have appeared as a very attractive opportunity to ingratiate himself into Chicago's black inner city community.
The reasons why he has remained a member of this controversial church, and has maintained his relationship with the equally controversial Rev. Wright, can only be guessed at. But given the 20 year time span involved, I think it is reasonable to suppose that Obama's reasons to stay a member of Trinity are more than just political. It is fair to assume that the inflammatory positions expressed by the clergy and embraced by the congregation are also embraced by Obama himself. This very troubling issue raises serious questions about the beliefs and judgement of a man who wants to be the President of the United States.