The utter ABSURDITY of extrapolating Wright to Obama.

[RBInMaine]

I suppose if some people have nothing better to do than question Obama's personal decision to have stayed in the Wright church for so long they can do so, although it may just have to do with hisenjoying that congregation and all it does for the community; it gave him a connection to the community, etc. HOWEVER, the most ridiculous stats I have seen are of those who believe that Obama must somehow share many of Wright's controversial views because of his association with him and that church. To believe this, they would have to actually believe that Obama:

1) Thinks the US govt. deliberately spread AIDS.
2) Equates authorized US military action with state sponsored "terrorism".
3) Thinks god should damn his country.
4) That he is an endless victim of racism.
5) That his behavior and thought patterns are fundamentally "different" from others due to race.

And all this despite that:

1) He is half white and was raised by a white mother and to some extent white grandparents in small town white America.

2) He has achieved a level of personal and economic success most white Americans will never, ever experience.

3) He has spent a career working to bridge social divides.

4) He was the President of the Harvard Law Review, is brilliant, has taught the Constitution, and has every indication that he actually does have a mind of his own and damn good one at that.

This, frankly, does not pass the straight face test. We all have people and connections in our lives with whom we value, for whatever reason, and yet with whome we do not agree many instances.
Enough of this guilt by association smear campaign ! It is ridiculous !

PS: According to this guilt by association line of logic, McCain must share every view of Falwell, Hagee, and Parsley, and Hillary must condone adultery because she stayed with Bill and must condone illegal financial acts because Norman Hsu was such a strong supporter. (?????)

[napi21]

1. To a degree you are right. I don't believe Barack believes what

Wright was preaching, but there is a difference between his relatiionship with Wright and McCain's association with Hagee & Parsley. NcCain is obviously seeking the support of those two nitwits for political advantage, and Barack stated Wright was his spiritual advisor and long time pastor.

I think Barack did a good job of disavowing Rev. Wright the other day and those who listen to his presser will understand that.

McCain on the other hand is simply playing politics. There is however a different guilt by association with McCain. The many lobbyiests who are his personal advisors on his campaign. THAT is in direct conflict with what he keeps claiming he's against!

Lets forget the religious associantions with all candidates because they shouldn't matter and concentrate on the corruption in NcCains association with the lobbyists who are working for him, and lets not forget his prior problems with the Keating 5.

[RBInMaine]

4. He once disavowed Falwell, then pandered to him. Pandering to Hagee too.

[PurityOfEssence]

2. He didn't seem to have much problem with him, did he?

By any stretch of the imagination, Mr. Obama is VERY savvy and calculating in his political affiliations and stances. Since many of Wright's opinions make him a truly hot potato, there must have been quite an appeal to make the contact continue.

20 years is a long time for a guy in his 40s. Seemingly, Wright's appeal was so great that it overrode the risk of innuendo from association to a truly cautious and ambitious person.

THAT sort of smacks of broad agreement. It also brings judgment into question.

Why are people picking on Obama's religion? It's because he brought it up over and over again. It was and is a huge deal for him. He uses it for obvious and unabashed political gain, and even if that's a sincere stance borne from true faith, it's the constant refrain of this particular comic opera. He brought it up, he continually cites it, he works it to no end. It's not just religion, either, it's this particular religion, this particular sect, this particular congregation and THIS PARTICULAR MAN.

It would be unfair when assessing Mr. Obama to NOT bring the guy up.

None of the other associates of the other politicians you mention come even remotely close to the length or depth of the relationship between Wright and Obama. Posts like this are ridiculous; it's best to let things like this drop and fade somewhat into the background chatter as events sweep us on to other issues. To try to diminish a HUGE and professedly DEEP spiritual bond as something casual is silly at best and reeks of deception.

[wileedog]

3. Pure and utter crap

Point out one position Obama has expressed that is in any way, shape or form in line with the completely out of whack postulates of Wright and maybe you have an argument.

There are none. Zippo. Nada. Nil.

It is a convenient attack, nothing more. Until Obama starts advocating rounding up white people or chanting God Damn America, this argument is completely and utterly bogus.

[RBInMaine]

6. No one denies there was a long association. Not the point. The point is asserting Wright's views

therefore must equate to Obama's, and therein lies the ridiculousness. Do you agree with EVERYTHING your father believes? Fine, questions his motives for maintaining the relationship and his years in the church (one that is HIGHLY regarded, by the way, in that community and does a lot of good for it).
And give me a break. MANY pols talk about the importance of religion in their lives. Who are you to say that his motives for staying in this church were somehow shady or entirely political. That's a pretty nasty assertion, to attack someone's religious decisions a values. Nonetheless, the POINT was about guilt-of-mind by association, NOT judgement about maintaining ties to certain organization or individual over time. To assert that Obama shares Wright's entire worldview whatever the nature of their association is absurd on its face.

[Yossariant]

5. "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.

I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe."

[RBInMaine]

7. And he still acknowledges all the good he did for ministry while strongly condemning his other

behaviors. The Philly speech was an honest and honorable attempt to thoughtfully and fairly reconcile the matter at that time, extend benefit of the doubt, and turn something negative into something more constructive. When Wright decided to go public, confirm, and amplify his very
off-base notions while also questioning Obama's integrity, Obama had no choice but to sever the ties. And while I too continue give great credit to Wright for all of his excellent community work, he should have taken the opportunity to do the kind of reconciling he says is the ultimate ends of his theology.

[emilyg]

9. Didn't take him long.

True politician.

[moondust]

8. It comes down to a couple minutes of video.

Out of about 20 years of sermons. I have no doubt at all that the corporate media, the Clinton campaign, the Republicans, and anybody in Illinois who would like to do more damage to their Senator--for free or for compensation--have all scoured everything in and around Trinity Church to try to find more damaging footage or audio recordings or documents or anything else to support this ridiculous sideshow. It ain't there.

I'm sure people join and stay in churches for all sorts of reasons, not always because of what the pastor says or does on Sunday. I doubt that many people would get up and leave a church and its congregation over a couple minutes of sermonizing out of 20 years of service that they may or may not have been present for.

It is a media lynching and it stinks.

[RBInMaine]

10. Absolutely ! Nice reply ! And also, McCain ties to Hagee, Parsley, and Falwell get a virtual pass?!

Yes, this is a media hit job and it stinks to high heaven !