Obama: Just Guilt By Association?

To all of the Obama supporters, this post is about the Reverend Wright, the retiring head of Barack Obama's church, as well as his "uncle", close personal adviser, et al! As far as I can tell Obama may be telling truth that he knew nothing about Wright's philosophy or sermons, and if that is the case it is even more important, for it would show that Senator Obama has less than a wisp of inquisitiveness, when it comes to his friends and advisors, surely not a high recommendation for a man who wants to run the most powerful nation on earth!

Barack Obama said in response to the statements of Reverend Wright, the following:
"Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. 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. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue…"
Excuse me, He only rejects the statements...“that are at issue?” So if new controversial statements from Wright come up we can expect another repudiation from Obama, right?
This sort of hedging isn’t exactly going to make this go away for Obama. Plus, how much is this sort of rejection worth if Obama’s only doing it now that it’s become an issue in the campaign?

And here is more about Reverend Wright who has on occasion indicated a hatred of America, and a racist belief:
The Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago has been Barack Obama's pastor for 20 years. The Reverend Dr. Wright presided over Barack Obama's marriage to Michelle. The Reverend Dr. even suggested the title of Obama's bestselling book, The Audacity of Hope. Oprah Winfrey, celebrated talk show host whose support and , is a fellow congregant. To say that Senator Barack Obama has ties with Wright and the Trinity United Church of Christ is classic understatement.

It may have also now become a political liability for the junior senator from Illinois. With Fox News and ABC News leading the way, presenting soundbites and reporting on Wright's controversial sermons, the blogosphere is close behind, speculating and analyzing Senator Obama's connections to the Reverend and his Church.

Conservative pundits and bloggers seem to smell blood in the political waters...

Back in 2003, the Reverend Dr. Wright presented a sermon (reviewed by ABC News) to his congregation that is being called the "God Damn America" sermon, wherein Wright tells his audience that: "The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America'. No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

Fox News reviewed a sermon Wright gave in January, where he compared Barack Obama's life in the U.S. to Jesus' struggle against the Romans.

On Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes"on March 7, Wright comes off as bellicose at times and defensive at others. Hannity, who is nothing short of a jingoistic reactionary, is totally eliminated from the conversation and Alan Colmes gets Wright to state his position, which seems to be one of independence and pride. In another video, shown on Youtube.com, Hannity speaks to Erik Rush, a black columnist, who calls Wright's words separatist and racist, bordering on frightening. Rush even questions Barack Obama's Christianity. But that is only two interviews. Wright is not coming off well in most articles. He is being excoriated by pundits and bloggers on all sides of the political spectrum. With comments such as the United States bringing on the 9/11 attacks, that the United States is inherently racist, that modern Israel is toward the Palestinians as the government of South Africa was toward blacks during apartheid, Wright is likely not to gain many allies.


And how will this affect the Obama campaign? Will the rising storm of indignation and outrage sweep over Barack Obama and destroy his chances of being elected? Or will the heretofore calm and collected candidate weather this storm with aplomb and simply push on? For his part, Senator Obama has already distanced himself from Reverend Wright, likening the controversial pastor to an uncle that sometimes says things that are embarrassing. The Obama camp has also issued a statement further distancing the senator from Wright's extreme views and the supporters of Wright. But what does that mean, when Obama continues to charactarize The Reverend as an "uncle"! Wouldn't you know what your "uncle" said and thought, if you knew him over a 20 year period??


But in a race that has become increasingly polarized by racial tension, as witnessed in the CNN exit polls in Mississippi that showed 92% of the black vote went to Obama and 70% of the white vote went to Senator Hillary Clinton, the last thing Obama and his supporters wanted to see was something divisive. And although the Obama camp has been quick to point the finger at the Clinton campaign for fanning these racial flames, especially since the conflagration started over former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro's recent remarks, this story has actually been circulating through Chicago and in the conservative media forums for about a year. But Roland Martin, a CNN political analyst, told Anderson Cooper that the story has really caught fire because of Sean Hannity's repeated mentioning and airing of it.


Coming as it does at a pivotal time in the Democratic candidate race, being associated with such controversial, seemingly anti-American rhetoric and demagoguery could effectively stop the Obama campaign in its tracks. The potential for backlash across racial lines, by whites that are appalled at the Reverend's words, by blacks that refuse to be associated with or do not wish to be associated with Wright's views, by average Americans simply outraged that another American could voice such opinions -- is immense. That the Obama camp could be tainted enough to lose the general election, even though they might win the Democratic nomination, is also worrisome. It is definitely something they must attempt to avert.


Given that a central theme in Obama's campaign is unity, Wright's words and whether or not the senator is perceived by the voting electorate to heed those words could become very difficult to explain away. But should Obama be held accountable for the sermons of the pastor of the church he attends? Does his attendance and affiliation mean that he somehow, even tacitly, accepts the views of the pastor? Of course not! But maybe it does, after all why would you attend a church that has beliefs that you do not hold as well. And even if he doesn't that will not stop Obama's opponents from trying to make some of this controversy stick to the senator, especially pundits like Sean Hannity, who knows that guilt by association is a very effective weapon.


And if any of it does stick, this race, which has already seen some nasty mudslinging, could get a lot nastier. The strangest outcome of this could be that, while Senator Obama defends himself against allegations and accusations regarding Reverend Wright, Senator Clinton and her supporters won't even have to get their hands dirty. During all the “Obama is a Mulsim” nonsense Barack was quick to hold up his church as evidence of his Christianity. It’s clear from his biography that both Wright and this church have been important to him for decades. So why did Obama only come out and reject these comments from Wright after the public started paying attention them?

Probably because this is all just a charade meant to distance Obama from his crazy church.

But it’s hard for me to buy into. Obama has been sitting in Wright’s congregation for decades, and I don’t think stuff like “God damn America” is new to Wright’s repertoire. So what about all those years Wright was preaching racial hatred and anti-Americanism and Obama was just sitting there soaking it in? Again Obama is a educated man, and he has been in this church for 20 years, and yet says he NEVER once heard any of the sermons by Reverend Wright, which are being held up as racist, America Hating, and just plain offensive. Doesn't that stretch credulity a little far! Just from personal experience as I grew up in the Catholic Church, and even though I was only in my teens, and I did not know the priests or monsignor as "uncles", but pretty much anyone who even spent minimal time in church, knew their views on pretty much every important topic from abortion, to the Vietnam War. Now if I could "know" what these clergymen believed through just casual contact, how could this overacheiving, intelligent, go-getter, NOT know what his "Uncle" Reverend, believed, and said?! It just does not ring true, unless Barack is the dumbest man in America, and that does not seem to be the case!

The Obamaniacs will discount all of this controversy, as the "One" can do no wrong in their eyes, but maybe if they could look beyond the "Image" for even a brief moment, they will see the "Real" man, and what he "Truly" believes about this country. It is often said that "you can Judge a Man by the company that he Keeps", and if that holds true, Mr. Obama, Keeps Some Pretty "Interesting" company!!

I was watching O'Reilly last night with Geraldo on, and I think Geraldo has it about right. Obama has categorically denied EVER being in a pew when Reverend Wright made ANY of the offensive statements and sermons~~If even one snippet of tape is found, or one person can verify that Obama was in a pew during one of those sermons, Obama will be through! As there is nothing more damaging than finding out your "Demi-god" is Just a Man!

The media has found a bone that they can gnaw on, and if IT is out there, it will now come out! Obama the "Wordsmith" , who uses "Words" like a minister from the pulpit, may be brought down by the "Words" of his "Uncle", and It may show Everyone, that Barack Obama, has feet of Clay, just like the Rest of Us!!Maybe then the candidates can get down to the real political contest, that this should have been all along, and give us the person "best" able to lead our nation out of the "messes" we are in, domestically, and overseas!! If it is still Obama, then we all need to give him the support needed to "Fix" things, and if it is another candidate~~Ditto for them!! Have A Great Sunday!!