Bob Herbert: Wright went to Washington to bury Obama

[SOS]

Bob Herbert - New York Times Op-Ed, April 29, 2008

"The Rev. Jeremiah Wright went to Washington on Monday not to praise Barack Obama, but to bury him.

Feeling dissed by Senator Obama, Mr. Wright gets revenge on his former follower while bathed in a spotlight brighter than any he could ever have imagined. He’s living a narcissist’s dream.

The question that cries out for an answer from Mr. Wright is why — if he is so passionately committed to liberating and empowering blacks — does he seem so insistent on wrecking the campaign of the only African-American ever to have had a legitimate shot at the presidency."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/opinion/29herbert.html

Wright is, apparently, out to destroy Obama.
What do you think Obama should do now?

[MNDemNY]

1. Quit.

[Mz Pip]

5. Wouldn't expect

any other response from a Hillary supporter. :eyes:

[MNDemNY]

9. Pip, you oughtn't jump to such conclusions.

But the flavor-aid may have addled you a bit.

[Mz Pip]

24. Okay, maybe you're not a Hillary supporter

but when have you have ever said anything positive about Obama or his campaign? So maybe you're a Nader supporter. My bad.

[MNDemNY]

31. How's this, He's articulate,and clean.

:smoke:

[Mz Pip]

43. Hi Joe!

:hi:

[Mezzo]

44. Stop.

[leftofcool]

2. I don't think he is going to do anything

He said as much yesterday

[SOS]

26. If Herbert is right in that Wright is out to destroy Obama

Obama may well do something this week.
We'll see....

[CBGLuthier]

3. Do you know what the Op in Op-ed stands for?

Opinion.

And opinions are like assholes, everybody has one and a lot of them stink.

What should Obama do? Ignore this bullshit. He has dealt with it enough.

[beachmom]

7. Many in the AA community agree with Bob Herbert. nt

[SOS]

11. Actually Op stands for "opposite"

How can Obama ignore someone bent on destroying him?

[CBGLuthier]

19. I stand corrected then.

Still just an opinion piece though. One man's interpretation of events.

[beachmom]

4. Bob Herbert is saying what a lot of people are saying. I think it is important

that people know what is going on here, and to also know that Obama does not equal Wright. Frankly, Obama is a better man than Wright, because he did everything he could to defend him, and HE is the one running for president, for crying out loud.

[redstate_democrat]

6. Well we knew this.

This is a man who has had his pride tattered. He is still human. Understandably, he is pissed, but he, unfortunately, has directed his anger at the wrong guy. This won't hurt Obama at all. I actually see it helping him in the long run.

[EFerrari]

8. I love Herbert but disagree with him on this one.

If Wright wanted to destroy Obama, he wouldn't be giving a press conference to announce a seminar on theology. He'd be sitting on Fox shooting his mouth off about the election. He's not doing that.

[peaches2003]

29. Why should Wright go to Faux?

He's got the whole damn press corps listening to and reporting his every word.

[EFerrari]

30. Because that would do the most damage, that's why.

And, btw, when was the last time Faux aired a speech at the NAACP? :shrug:

[joeybee12]

10. Bob Herbert is a strong supporter of Obama, as is Eugene Robinson of the Post...

...also African-American. They are truly miffed at the size of Wright's ego.

[beachmom]

15. Yup, although I disagree with Bob that this will sink Obama's campaign.

Instead, I see this a true break between the two. Obama clearly has a different world view from Wright. Anyone who says otherwise is not interested in being honest. THAT IS VERY APPARENT NOW.

[joeybee12]

18. What gets me is that they supposedly had a strong relationship for 20 years...

...if so, doesn't Wright see that this is damaging? Would you do that to someone you are that close to and hopefully respect? Can you not shut your ego up for a short time? True, it may not derail Obama's campaign, but it really ain't helping. Just wait til Wright's book tour come this fall!!!!

[ProSense]

21. It's folly. Their editorials are feeding the media spin. It's BS! n/t

[DJ13]

12. In speaking out and becoming this huge issue for Obama, Wright actually....

.......is pointing out how little he and Obama have in common.

You cant hold Wright against Obama if its obvious that Wright is trying to undercut Obama.

That will create a sympathy among voters for Obama, and eventually eliminates Wright as an issue as soon as the MSM backs off.

[knight_of_the_star]

13. That Obama's pastor is a pretty surly git?

That's what I'm getting out of this.

[merbex]

14. Maybe the question should be is - does Barack Obama see Rev. Wright as a narcissist?

Or, did he ever see Rev. Wright act in such a manner before?

But quite frankly, I doubt anyone will see many more answers about Rev. Wright from Barack Obama;especially concerning Wright's motivation for his recent statements

The whole thing is radioactive

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. Continue the dialog on race

There is no real way around it, our nation needs to go through it, Obama can help. Point out that there have always been painful racial divisions in our society, even while most Americans are good people who consistently oppose bigotry. Thank the generation of whites and blacks who saw the U.S. through the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's, point out that a younger generation now stands ready to carry us to the next level, where we can honestly face our remaining divisions and get beyond them, to a much brighter and unified tomorrow.

[ProSense]

17. I think Herbert's title is offensive and feeds into the BS that

correlates Wright's actions to Obama's campaign. It's sheer idiocy. If Herbert wants to criticize Wright, do it. Instead, he frames this BS narrative that has no basis in fact.

On Sunday night, in an appearance before the Detroit N.A.A.C.P., Mr. Wright mocked the regional dialects of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. I’m not sure how he felt that was helpful in his supposed quest to bring about a constructive discussion about race and reconciliation in the U.S.

What he is succeeding in doing is diminishing the stature of Senator Obama. A candidate who stands haplessly by as his former spiritual guide roams the country dropping one divisive bomb after another is in very little danger of being seen by most voters as the next J.F.K. or L.B.J.

The thing to keep in mind about Rev. Wright is that he is a smart fellow. He’s been a very savvy operator, politically and otherwise, for decades. He has built a thriving, politically connected congregation on the South Side of Chicago that has done some very good work over the years. Powerful people have turned to him for guidance and advice.

So it’s not like he’s naïve politically. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Forget the gibberish about responding to attacks on the black church. That is not what the reverend’s appearance before the press club was about. He was responding to what he perceives as an attack on him.

(emphasis added)

I mean, WTF?

[madfloridian]

27. Hubby and I, and others I talked to and emailed were impressed by Wright.

We are white, and we disagree with Herbert.

This is a terribly divisive thing to do.

[Tellurian]

41. Except, Obama is on tv right now denouncing Wright's remarks..

I guess you'll be penciling in Wright for President!

As always, you're on the wrong track..

[Brigid]

20. Wright can't destroy Obama.

Not without the help of the media constantly egging him on and giving him free publicity, anyway. Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happening. After all, it isn't as if they have an unpopular war, an unpopular president, a recession, high gas prices, and assorted other issues to talk about. The only important thing going on in this country right now is the rantings of a narcissistic retired preacher. :sarcasm:

[Blomst]

28. Wright is not destroying Obama.

Brigid, I agree fully. The media pundits with their constant rants about Wright destroying Obama are the ones attempting to destroy Obama with this carefully planted meme. Why are we so gullible as to buy into this cleverly created manipulation of our minds, in such huge numbers? Have we learned nothing during the last eight years?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. agreed

[Hoof Hearted]

23. Wright is a learned, savvy man. He had to have known what he was doing.

[SOS]

25. As Herbert writes: "He knows exactly what he’s doing."

nt

[SparkyMac]

32. Wright did not intend to hurt Obama

He went to Washington to help him. He doesn't seem to have enough sense to know what helps and what hurts.

[blm]

34. I see it as you do. I don't see this as intentional. I think he thinks he could help.

But corpmedia is NOT going to allow the spin to lose its grip on collective DC.

[SOS]

36. If Wright thinks mocking JFK's Boston accent on national TV

is helping Obama, he's either not as savvy as people think or Herbert is on the money.

[ProSense]

38. After all that's so controversial, unlike Hillary surrogates referencing JFK's ties to the mob

or attacking Ted Kennedy as a drunk?

Ridiculous hypocrisy.

[Hoof Hearted]

45. Things don't seem to be improving much, either.

After Obama's press conference, the media will be following Wright like lovestuck puppy-dogs.

[NashVegas]

33. I Don't Believe That At All

I think it was just the opposite and that the press are getting played - and it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.


OTOH, if Herbert is correct, I'd say Wright has his reasons, too.

[SOS]

35. Would normally agree

but Bob Herbert isn't part of the usual gang of idiots collectively known as the press.
He's favorable to Obama and has come to this conclusion.

[NashVegas]

40. Then I Must Ask *Why* He's Favorable to Obama

All of these people who claimed they were for Obama because he represents change, well, call me silly but I actually believed they meant change in that we'd be getting away from the horrible policies of the Bush administration and conservatives and because they call themselves activists, I thought .. I dunno, that they believed Obama agrees with them deep down on a whole lot of things.

Now, Wright gets press coverage in venues where instead of bringing on the fire and brimstone, he comes with logic, and espouses more liberal values than either candidate dares ... and these allegedly liberal activists are wigging out?

These same liberal activists who denounce me and others for choosing Hillary Clinton out of pragmatism?

Some people need fucking shrinks.

[Peace Patriot]

37. I think Rev. Wright is refreshing, whatever his motives. So far, I haven't read

a single thing he's said that isn't true. And there's a lot of ground he hasn't even covered--such as the RECENT Bushites' (with wimpass Democratic Party complicity) PURGES of African-American voters from the voting rolls, and outrageous, blatant suppression of the AA vote in Ohio back in 2004. The Congressional Black Caucus tried to get the Congress to do something about it. ONE Democratic Senator came forward to support them (Barbara Boxer), and many voted AGAINST them on not seating the Ohio delegates. War profiteers won the day (approving of the way Bush-Cheney 'won' that election). (--one of the ways; they also approved electronic voting, run on 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code, owned and controlled by rightwing Bushite corporations, fast-tracked all over the country prior to that election).

When people say that Rev. Wright will "hurt" (or not "hurt") Obama, they are assuming that the corporate news monopolies have any relevance to the American people. But let me remind you that, back in Feb. '03, just before the U.S.-Bush invasion of Iraq, FIFTY-SIX PERCENT of the American people opposed it (NYT poll; other polls 54-55%). 56%! Already a significant majority--in the midst of the most intense war propaganda any people has ever been subjected to. That majority has now grown to a whopping, epochal anti-war majority of 65% to 70%, who oppose the Iraq War and want it ended. The question is NOT what the great majority of the American people want--they want peace and justice, like most other people in the world. The question is why they are not getting it. And in asking the right question, we should take note of their amazing resistance to corporate news monopoly warmongering and fascist propaganda.

I urge you to question the terms of the discussion. Will Rev. Wright "hurt" or "not hurt" Obama, as to the corporate news monopolies WRITING A FALSE NARRATIVE for another stolen election?

That is the only context in which Rev. Wright's frank statements could be harmful to ANYONE--in the context of a FALSE political narrative. He is interesting, informative and bold. And his perspective is obviously not the same as Barack Obama's--and that would be obvious even if Obama hadn't said so, quite eloquently. And I think that the discrepancy between what Americans really believe and want, and the highly distorted, rightwing VERSION of the American people, as depicted in the corporate news monopolies, has become so great that we are about to see quite a revolution against it--which I trust will sweep the rigged voting machines right into 'Boston Harbor,' along with all the other crap that has been done to destroy our democracy.

[Abacus]

39. I had managed to avoid much of the renewed media fury

over Wright; not intentionally, I've just been busy. This morning I decided I should try to catch up on what everyone is seeing and asked myself what network was most likely to air sleeze that would impact Democratic primary voters. There was only one answer: MSNBC. What I saw surprised me; I was expecting more of a skewering like the first time, but this time most of the pundits seemed sympathetic to Obama's plight. The coverage was more about trying to determine why Wright would wreck Obama's campaign rather than trying to dtermine the nature of Obama's association.

Is this a recent shift or has much of the coverage been like this? Or was that 30 minutes just a fluke?

[Larkspur]

42. I'm angry at Obama for prostituting himself on the Fascist Propaganda Network on Sunday

Obama proved my worse fears on Sunday -- he will cave-into the fascists as long as they whine and cry long enough. That is why I can not get excited about Obama. I regret donating $10 of my hard earned money to his campaign.