Obama Is Throwing Wright Under the Bus
On Monday, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, with nationwide reverberations. On Tuesday, Barack Obama denounced Wright and his statements. Judging from the talk I've been hearing from Democratic insiders since Wright's Monday speech, Obama did what he had to do. But the problem remains. Obama has now taken two positions on Wright. March 13: No, I cannot disown him. April 29: Yes, I can. Left still unanswered is the question: How can the man we heard deliver that speech in July 2004 about what unites us—in which his strongest line was "in the blue states we worship an awesome God"—how could that Barack Obama have attended the church of that Rev. Jeremiah Wright for 20 years? And not just attended: He and his wife contributed more than $20,000 to the church. It just doesn't add up. It undercuts Obama's very appealing theme of bridging divisions in our society.
I think this is going to be a continuing problem for Obama. As I suggested several weeks ago, it threatens especially to dampen the support Obama has won from young voters—the millennial generation. He has brought them out in great and unexpected numbers to vote for him in primaries and caucuses. It's not clear he will be able to do that in the general election—and the argument that he can has been one that has had weight with many Democratic superdelegates.
My Creators Syndicate column this week looks at other problems Obama has as a general-election candidate. Polling shows him making a stronger race against John McCain in some important states, notably Colorado (nine electoral votes). But it has also shown him weaker than Clinton in some others, especially Florida (27 electoral votes). As I note in the column:
In 2000, Al Gore won 67 percent of the vote in Broward County and 62 percent in Palm Beach County—both have large Jewish populations. In this year's Florida primary, Obama lost those counties to Clinton by 57 percent to 33 percent and 61 percent to 27 percent. No Democrat can carry Florida without big margins in Broward and Palm Beach.
Let me set out those numbers a little more fully. In 2000, the Gore-Lieberman ticket carried Broward County by 209,821 votes and Palm Beach County by 116,790. Its next-highest popular-vote margin in a county was 39,293 in Miami-Dade, followed by 22,371 in Leon (Tallahassee). The final count showed Gore trailing by 537 votes. In 2004, John Kerry's margin in Broward was 209,199 and in Palm Beach 115,999. He lost the state. His next-biggest popular-vote margins in counties were 48,637 in Miami-Dade and 32,258 in Leon. Kerry lost the state by 380,978 votes.
Obvious lesson: No Democrat can carry Florida without large popular-vote margins in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Or even come close. There's just no other county in Florida where a Democrat can win by anything like such a large margin. And without overwhelming support from Jewish voters, no Democrat can win big popular-vote margins in Broward and Palm Beach. Obama's weakness among Democratic primary voters is apparent from the results in Massachusetts (check out Newton), New York (look at Manhattan or Westchester County), California (look at the totals in the West Side and San Fernando Valley districts in Los Angeles County), and Pennsylvania (look at Montgomery County). My Democratic sources with close knowledge of Jewish voters in these areas believe that Obama has real problems there.
Footnote. A regular reader sends along the link to a June 2007 Chicago Sun-Times article about Obama's electrifying speech to the national meeting of the United Church of Christ in Hartford. The last two paragraphs are interesting:
Obama made several references to the 9,000-member South Side Chicago church to which he belongs. Trinity UCC is a church that still believes in altar calls. Obama, the son of Muslim and Christian parents, answered that call as a young man, mentored by Trinity's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Wright was in Chicago Saturday but offered a videotaped introduction of the senator. During his talk, Obama received three standing ovations and, at the end, was cheered for nearly three minutes.
Tags: presidential election 2008 | Barack Obama | Jeremiah Wright
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OBAMA'S WOES
THE SAD THING IS THAT PASTOR WRIGHT IS NOT THE ROOT OF OBAMA’S WOES. IF YOU TRACE BACK HIS POLITICAL CAREER, YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE WHOSE JUDGMENT SEEMED OBSCURED BY HIS POLITICAL AMBITION. THINK ABOUT TONY REZKO, AND THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND, AND, OF COURSE, PASTOR WRIGHT.
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THIS MAN HAS MORE THAN A FEW TIMES SHOWED A LACK OF JUDGMENT WITH HIS AFFILIATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL CAREER.
AT THE START, HE ENJOYED THE BENEFITS FROM THESE ASSOCIATIONS AND SAID NOTHING. BUT WHEN THESE ASSOCIATIONS PROVED TO BE A LIABILITY TO HIS ASPIRATIONS, HE STEERED AWAY FROM THEM. AND MORE THAN A FEW TIMES HE HAS TRIED TO GET AWAY WITH “I-DID-NOT-KNOW-HIM” EXCUSE. I MEAN, YOU CAN ONLY SAY “I’M A BUTTHEAT” SO MUCH.
I DON’T KNOW HOW CAN HE GET AWAY WITH THIS TREND BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM HERE IS NEITHER WRIGHT OR REZKO, BUT HIS CHARACTER. I JUST HOPE THAT IN THE REMAINING PRIMARIES, THE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES WITH A KEEN EYE. IT IS TIME TO LOOK BEHIND RHETORIC AND DECIDE WHO IS THE BETTER PRESIDENT.
WOW.
Stupid media. They wanted him to do it; and now they are bashing him for the same.
"Yellow Journalism" at its best!
Clinton is not Obama's Problem; Obama made his own Problems
The comment above wrongly denigrates Barone who in fact is a fair political analyst who often uses statistics to make his point... as he did in this article.
Then the same poster goes on to state that "Obama has problems, but they are almost entirely of Clinton's fabrication." That is called super-deflection.
Accusing Clinton of blackmailing and intimidation is either very paranoid or extraordinarily desperate.
Fact: The nomination was not over in February. Many states and territories still needed to vote and nine are awaiting their turn to voice their choices.
Fact: The Clintons did not once "racial profile" anyone. In reality, it was the Obama campaign who were race-baiting and making false accusations. By the way, why did Obama disparage Jesse Jackson's 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations by stating that any reference to Jackson in the context of Obama's wins was a belittling and dismissing of Obama? I see it the other way around. Obama has greatly disrespected Jesse Jackson and his historical accomplishments. In 1988, Jackson came in second to Dukakis when he won over 1200 delegates, 13 states (including Michigan)... and one journalist tagged 1988 as the "Year of Jackson."
Fact: Just as many people will not vote for a white woman as a black man... so how is that unfair? Gender and racial bias is reality.
Fact: Obama and Hillary represent the long time existing division in the Democratic Party... with the current party leaders Teddy Kennedy representing idealism and Bill Clinton representing pragmatism... Some call it far left and centrist... I see it as elitist vs. populist.... And that is the real battle being fought.
Fact: Obama cannot win the general election without the Jewish vote and a good deal of the blue-collar vote. Obama's relationship with radical elements was his own choice and his own problem. Hillary did not make him do it nor prevent him from dealing successfully with his own issues.
Under the Bus
Since Sen Obama said that he could no more disown Jeremiah Wright than he could disown the Black community, doesn't that mean that by his recent remarks disowning Wright, he has disowned the Black community?
I am a foreign national and have general interest in US Politics. I thought I could respect US News & World Report (they publish very reliable university ratings, for example). But I completely taken aback by some of the trashy talks many op-ed articles take on this site (among some other prominent US media outlets). Shame on you folks for such rich agenda-based and biased articles. Not that I am a huge fan of Obama (and why should I be as I have no say in US politics), but any person with some minimal intelligence could see the utter bias by media to paint the front-runner so badly. I understand that any time a person/institution feels changes, it naturally resists it. It almost seem as if media outlets feel threatened with any change (which assuredly McCain & Clinton won't bring any, as far as I know their history) this guy may presumably (as it seems) bring about in some of the pre-conceived notions of doing local and global politics. Much like corrupt society can't stand to see a decent upfront person and hence makes all efforts to drag him downwards, by suggesting the filthiest of things that according to their own standards most of them will not stand up.
Invalid statistical analysis
Why does the author predicate his analysis on the Florida "results", which were considered invalid by the Democratic Party.
"In 2000, Al Gore won 67 percent of the vote in Broward County and 62 percent in Palm Beach County—both have large Jewish populations. In this year's Florida primary, Obama lost those counties to Clinton by 57 percent to 33 percent and 61 percent to 27 percent. No Democrat can carry Florida without big margins in Broward and Palm Beach."
I don't remember Obama running in Florida (despite his name being on the ballot). The author should get his facts straight, or at least reference the inconclusive nature of Florida's "results". This is shabby journalism.
Hard to fathom
I find it hard to believe that Mr. Obama is just now hearing the preaching of Rev. Wright. The decades that Mr. Obama has known Rev. Wright, and listened to his sermons, he knew what Rev. Wright stood for and against for years but now he is turning against him. It is nothing but political hogwash. He did not repudiate Mr. Wright in the past and is doing so now because it is costing him in votes and image. Mr. Obama is not the man of change and a fresh face. He is just like the rest, just do whatever it takes and say whatever it takes to get elected.
Media Obsession
The medias opbsession with this stupid controversy has ended Barack Obamas chances of ever taking office. Both "Liberal" and "Conservative" media publications have become engulfed in controversey over substance; and trivial issues over pragmatic solutions. The media is tearing our country apart and is single handedly handing the presidency to Republican rule for 4 more years. Thanks alot for completely misguiding our country by channeling the focus of Americans to erroneous distractions which do nothing for this country. You should all take a step back and analyze how much you guys are hurting our country ;and how little stupid issues like this really matter.
Bus
Obama didn't throw Wright under the bus. Wright threw himself under the bus, and then tried to pull Obama down with him. All Obama did was refuse to go along for the ride...
Once again, the media is focusing on trivial side issues and ignoring what really matters. It's understandable when party hacks do this sort of thing to villify their opponents. But the media is supposed to be telling us about real news. Instead, they behave like children, fascinated by shiny objects and whispering about silly scandals. Shame on them.
?Invalid Statistical Analysis?
Whoever wrote that doesn't know what he/she is talking about. The numbers were for the GENERAL ELECTION. Otherwise, how do you have a Republican running against a Democrat in a primary. Everyone in Florida knows the liberal/Democratic vote comes from Broward/Palm Beach. Cuban Americans in Miami are by and large Republicans, and the further north you go in the state the further "deep south" you go in political outlook. For a Democrat to win Florida he is going to need those Jewish votes, just like Mexican American votes in Texas, or Catholic vote in Penn, or I guess Gay vote in SF. Democrats can't write off Jews anymore than they can write off Blacks. To hate Jews, even if they are white, is still racism even when it comes from a Black leader like Wright or Farakan (sp?).
It's cold isn't it?
This is the first time the media has begun to look critically at Obama. Up to this point they've been satisfied to simply reprint the contents of his autobiographies. Obama supporters seem to be in shock and awe that anyone in the press could question his chances after months of coddling, softball, and outright booster-ism; but half of the Democratic party has been doing just that for a long time now. There has been the false impression that opinion is unanimous, but far from it. He's not well vetted, not viable in the important states and counties, not expanding the tent despite the rhetoric. Thank goodness we still have another candidate in the race!
Barone Get's It
Obama can't win the General. Period. McCain is just moderate enough that droves of centrist blue collar Dems in Ohio, PA and MI will swing GOP. Jews are obviously in flux. I'm a Chicagoan who winters in SoFla and I notice a great deal of anti-Obama sentiment in the "Letters to the Editor" of the Herald and Sun-Sentinel. Whites aren't particularly biased by race in their voting habits but Asians and Latinos are. HC beat Obama 3-1 among Cali Asians and 2-1/ Cali Latinos. Even in Chicago where Obama won by a lopsided margin he STILL lost the majority Mexican wards. Gays too are freaked out by him. Guys like Wright don't do Pride Day. IMO he could lose to McCain in a landslide. Obama polls better than he delivers. White folks may give the feel good thumbs up to a pollster but in the sanctity of the voting booth concerns about who this guy REALLY is will destroy his candidacy. Ferraro had it right. If Obama was white he'd be John Edwards.
This is gross journalism - sensational and gossipy - not note-worthy or worthy of a 'patriot' - don't you care what the world thinks of this rubbish, this castigating and dragging in the mud? If there are candidates who sink to this level (and those candidates DO NOT include Barack Obama) do you HAVE to add to their tactics and low behavior? I am glad that many of us agree here on your dreadful writing, so clearly partisan and opinionated in the worst way.
HilLIARy
I always admired America for "its values". A lot of my country-men (and women), as many as are not following this election cycle, still do. But not so for me.
Are there two Americas - one, the greatest democracy, always fighting for the truth..
The other...corporate America, the world of the greedy, power-hungry, will-do-and-say-anything society of the minority that control, especially the media and feed propaganda to the unsuspecting?
Think of it!
Would the Barones and Hannitys of this world have kept quiet, for 30 years, while Wright kept on preaching and feeding "hate filled messages" every Sunday?
Common!
"how could that Barack Obama have attended the church of that Rev. Jeremiah Wright for 20 years?"
Barone and others like-minded, if you guys could compile an hour long of the "God d*&@ America clip, it would be all over the place today. But you are trying to "20 years" out of 20 seconds of sound bites.
Shame upon you Barone and all those trying to beguile the society.
wright
Obama's long relationship with Wright is ABSOLUTELY FAIR GAME in this. It goes to the heart of whether we are getting the real Obama, or a packaged version designed to sell. .01% of us would continue to attend a religious institution in which vitriol and bile of this order were even occasionally bandied about. But Obama stayed, contributed to and celebrated this man. I'm not saying it's the whole story about Obama, but to suggest that it's off limits is simply assinine....
Free to be
All of the negative media coverage, and extremely negative and ignorant comments posted continually about everything makes me want to vomit. The hate filled in these comment boxes is unbelievable. Everyone hates everyone else - FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! LISTEN TO YOURSELVES!!! STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS CRAP, and GET ON WITH YOUR LIVES!!
Florida and Wright
I love how the author of this article obviously neglects that Wright was not making such sermons every week and ignores the fact that Obama never heard Wright's derogatory remarks while attending the church.
I also love his two false assumptions about Florida:
1) Obama can't win the Clinton voters in Florida
2) Obama couldn't gain more voters if he actually campaigned (see his 15 point gain after campaign only for a few weeks in PA)
And you have to remember, this is just primary season. If you've seen record turn out votes in a primary for the dems, wait til the general election.
What mystery?
Anyone wonder why Rev. Wright was invited to speak at the National Press Club?
Barbara Reynolds extended the invitation. She admitted she was a Hillary supporter and voted for Hillary Clinton to thank Bill and Hillary for their years in the White House.
Hillary was very frustrated that first speech by Rev Wright didn't have as much
negative impact.
So why invite Rev Wright to speak at this time? Check out website for National Press Club to see list of past speakers. Rev Wright wasn't anywhere near the same league - he just enjoyed the limelight and celebrity
No mystery here -- even Stevie Wonder can see this one!
Wright is wrong
I am waiting to hear from those black and white leaders who have been trying to coax the American electorate, black and white, to accept each other. Mr. Wright is an egotistical old man who will lose his importance when, rural and urban, we accept each other. He knows that and of course does not like it.
To my mind, Barack Obama is a gift, the like I had not thought to see and hear in my lifetime. Will our leaders come together in time to help us recognise this intelligent and tolerant person who can lead us -blind to color?
Obama's real problem
There is a problem with Obama that transcends his liberal policies (which are only a problem for those on the right) and his judgement (which should give everyone pause). Obama's worst problem is...he is weak. He does not exhibit personal strength or any real fire of belief in anything. He spouts platitudes, but demonstrates no adherence to principles, liberal or religious. A few weeks ago he stated that he couldn't "disown" Rev. Wright, but now that the polls have turned against him, Obama disowns Wright. Rev. Wright would never have been a large problem for a strong man. I feel sorry for Obama, he seems unhappy, rudderless in life despite having risen quickly on the national stage. There is no real fight in him. He reminds me of an slightly abused puppy, looking for approval, yet afraid to trust even when approval is offered. My sense is that he would be an ineffectual president, and could break under the strain of the office.
Statistical analysis
I agree w. "invalid statistical analysis," posted here.
I agree with this article
I agree that obama is throwing rev. wright under the bus for political expendiency. Obama is hoping to sweep all this under the rug and pretend it never happened. He hasn't answered our questions about why he chose to be close to rev. wright for 20 years and just now decided that wright has "changed."
In my opinion, Obama choose a church whose viewpoints and pastor he agrees with. It fits with what his wife said about feeling proud of america for the first time in her life. I don't think the obamas are genuine about their real views or positions.
I certainly don't think he has united working class whites, jews, asians, hispanics, or older americans. I think he has not reached some really important demographics that will be key to winning the general election.
Under the Bus Throwing
So, Obama is throwing Rev. Wright under the bus. I guess Wright threw Obama under the bus first so we are having a little tit for tat here. The whole thing is so silly. However, if Obama espouses to the views of Wright we will be in BIG trouble should Obama and his wife reach the White House. Worse than Hillary and Bubba for sure. Obama is too much of an unknown to be president. Besides, what is known of his views is radical. Anyone who is to the left of Ted Kennedy in the senate is bad news for the country. Obama has been labeled the most leftist of all the senators. To achieve that dubious distinction is quite a feat.
Not believable
I find it unbelivable that as intelligent as the Obamas are, they didn't know about their pastor's contoversial beliefs. They either did know or were too stupid to find out. I don't think either of them is stupid. Whichever is true makes this man unelectable. This controversy is not going to go away no matter how much Sen. Obama thinks the public does not what to hear about it.
IT IS THE HATE, STUPID.
Obama is quoted elswhere when he denounced Reverand Wright's comments as,"GIVING COMFORT TO THOSE WHO PREY ON HATE."
Consider, Obama, by his own admission, has for twenty years been taking comfort from Rev. Wright's mentoring. Does this make Obama one of those who preys on hate? I think it does.
Rev. Wright panders to that element of the Black Community who feed on hate.
Obama said that he could not disavow Rev. Wright or that Black Community.
The medea has forced his hand.
two weak candidates
Obama and Clinton are both very weak candidates in what should be a banner year for the Democrats. But the Democrats are once again nominating a candidate who can only win against a weak Republican. Obama's supporters will tell you all about Clinton's weaknesses and Clinton's supporters will do the same for Obama. Both groups are right about the candidate they oppose.
There is only one Democrat with the credibility and stature to win: Al Gore. The super- delegates should lead the Party to an understanding of this reality, deadlock the convention on the first ballot and unite the party around Gore before it is too late.
Consider the people the Democrats have nominated over the last few decades:
McGovern: weak and far-left
Carter: weak but able to defeat a weak, unelected Republican incumbent
Mondale: credible but running against a very strong Republican opponent
Dukakis: weak
Clinton: marginal but able to win against two conservatives in a three man race and against a weak Bob Dole
Gore: tarred by association with the corrupt Clintons but able to win the popular vote
Kerry: weak and tainted with an unpatriotic past
Democrat activists have just not learned that to win the presidency they have to capture the independent vote - people with centrist ideology or who are focused more on a candidate's character than his policy views.
WHITE VOTE BEFORE & AFTER REV WRIGHT
I personally believe that the first emergence of the video tapes of Reverend Jeremiah Wright (near the end of February) was the pivotal turning point in the Democratic Primary. , , , And so for Michael Barone, who certainly would know, I ask Question # 1: What percentage of the white vote did Obama (& Clinton) get in January & February; and what percentage of the white vote have they gotten in March & April? . . . Question # 2: Same question re percentages of the Black vote. . . . I suspect the statistical answers will clearly show a turning point.
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MICHAEL BARONE=PRO-CLINTON PROPAGANDA
Barone has consistently been skewing distorting, manipulating, expurgating electoral events and facts into a pseudo-reasoned argument. A high-school student could provide more critical, probing analysis than Barone has been spouting out over this campaign. Obama has problems, but they are almost entirely of Clinton's fabrication. This nomination was over in February, but the cowardly democratic party leaders yielded to the Clinton blackmailing and intimidation, and pretended that their was still any legit. question. The biggest loser here, is the media (who continue to discredit themselves and the intelligence of the the American people) and the democratic party. Obama will be nominated, but will surely lose the election, thanks to Clinton's and the media's not so subtle "racial-profiling." By claiming that Obama cannot win the working class rurals, the media is providing an alibi for long-standing racism. The rural lower/middle class democrat, who may have been lured by his 'better angels,' now has an acceptable pretext (eliteness, unable to connect) to not vote for a black man. Although subsiding, prejudice and racism are still smoldering in the hearts of many Americans. Clinton, and the insatiable, soulless mass media, have been maliciously and disingenuously stoking the embers of racism. The biggest loser is the democratic party. They have already lost half the game, by letting Clinton and Republicans choose the playing field. Neither Clinton nor Obama can win in November. The curse of the Clintons lives on.
Apr 30, 2008 15:14:49 PM [permalink] [report comment]