Something Wasn’t Wright (He's not going away; still in the news)

[MADem]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/135392

Why Oprah Winfrey left Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church.

Allison Samuels
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 12:39 PM ET May 3, 2008
For any spiritually minded, up-wardly mobile African-American living in Chicago in the mid-1980s, the Trinity United Church of Christ was—and still is—the place to be. That's what drew Oprah Winfrey, a recent Chicago transplant, to the church in 1984. She was eager to bond with the movers and shakers in her new hometown's black community. But she also admired Trinity United's ambitious outreach work with the poor, and she took pride in upholding her Southern grandmother's legacy of involvement with traditional African-American houses of worship. Winfrey was a member of Trinity United from 1984 to 1986, and she continued to attend off and on into the early to the mid-1990s. But then she stopped. A major reason—but by no means the only reason—was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church." Oprah's decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would "run into her socially … she would say, 'Here's my pastor!' " (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)

But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry. In time, she found one: her own. "There is the Church of Oprah now," said her longtime friend, with a laugh. "She has her own following."

Friends of Sen. Barack Obama, whose relationship with Wright has rocked his bid for the White House, insist that it would be unfair to compare Winfrey's decision to leave Trinity United with his own decision to stay. " reasons for attending Trinity were totally different,'' said one campaign adviser, who declined to be named discussing the Illinois senator's sentiments. "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man. Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her.'' And while Winfrey, who has endorsed Obama and campaigned on his behalf, had long understood the perils of a close association with Wright, friends say she was blindsided by the pastor's personal assault on Obama. "She felt that Wright would never do anything to hurt a man who looked up to him as a father figure," said her close friend. "She also never thought he'd intentionally hurt someone trying to make history and change the lives of so many people.''



http://www.nypost.com/seven/05042008/news/nationalnews/baracks_rev__stole_a_wife_109298.htm

BARACK'S REV. 'STOLE A WIFE'
By SUSANNAH CAHALAN and VERONICA HINKE in Chicago and BRAD HAMILTON in New York


May 4, 2008 -- The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's loose cannon of a spiritual adviser, stole the wife of a parishioner - after the man sought Wright's help in saving his troubled marriage, the former husband told friends.
Delmer Reed, 59, confided to pals that he believed the minister moved in on his wife while Wright was counseling the couple at his Chicago church in the early 1980s, The Post has learned.

"That's exactly how he said it," Reed's divorce lawyer, Roosevelt Thomas, told The Post.

"It looks like Delmer might have been right," he said, because after Delmer and Ramah Reed were divorced, she got remarried - to Wright. "Either that or this was the biggest coincidence in the world."

Asked about the relationship between Wright and his ex-wife, Reed told The Post, "Oh, the things I could tell you."

Initially, he didn't believe the rumors.

"People were telling me that my extremely attractive wife was seen with the pastor," Reed said. "But I didn't believe it. I thought, 'So what?' "

Was he wrong in the end?

"Well, yeah," he said. .... (more)...

[cliffordu]

1. Hasn't this been posted before??

Why aren't you tired of sniping??

Oh, now I remember -

She herself LOVES them snipers!!

[MADem]

17. I went down the full page of GDP and didn't see it. NT

[tammywammy]

23. There's 20 pages of GD:P not just the one

[MADem]

33. Well, I went considerably further than the ten provided, and this

thing was just released TODAY. Please point me to those other threads that have both these articles in them, I'll ask the mods to combine them if it will make you happy.

[tammywammy]

34. You said you went down the "full page" I was just letting you know there's more than 1 page

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=5809677

[MADem]

41. I know that. The timestamps and the dates of the articles suggested to me that my

perusal was sufficient. If it wasn't, tell me.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

37. Oprah Winfrey is a serious Obama supporter and campaigned for him

this story is another boring desperate effort to try to attack Obama

Turns out that it isn't working, but what's left for corporate media,
gop and Hillary?

[MADem]

42. And she's avoiding him like the plague lately. NT

[JoFerret]

82. Is she?

how do you know?

[MADem]

92. It's been covered in the media.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10047.html
.....as Obama faces his most crucial primary day in months and struggles to move past the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Winfrey is far from the campaign trail, appearing more focused on sweeps — not election — season.

Indeed, since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, Oprah has been absent from Obama's side. Her people say other projects have kept her too busy to hit the hustings for the candidate. His people say they’d love to have her but don’t need her help in attracting crowds anymore. Either way, people expecting to see her on the stump any time soon may have to hold their breath longer than David Blaine did this week on her namesake talk show.

Yet it would seem like the perfect time for Obama to call in his super surrogate, considering the next two states up for grabs: North Carolina has a significant African-American population, and Indiana shares a border and a media market with Illinois, where Winfrey resides and tapes her talk show.

Oprah could be an important asset, said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. In North Carolina, she could act as a counterweight to a Clinton ad featuring Maya Angelou and reassure African-American voters after the Wright controversy (even though she has reportedly attended services at Trinity United Church of Christ in the past). In Indiana, she could appeal to white working-class women. ...When asked about it Friday in Indiana, Obama downplayed the suggestion that Oprah’s popularity has declined because of her involvement with his campaign. ...


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9427.html

...But what has received far less attention is the impact Oprah’s endorsement has had on her own popularity. Long considered the “queen of daytime TV,” Oprah Winfrey has enjoyed sky-high popularity as a media personality for two decades. “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” launched in September 1986, is currently the longest-running daytime program on television and is the highest-rated talk show in American television history......Almost instantly, Oprah’s popularity in America plummeted. An August 2007 CBS News poll showed only 61 percent of Americans were favorably disposed to her — a considerable drop of 13 percentage points from a similar survey conducted just seven months prior. An October 2007 Gallup/USA Today poll that showed Oprah with a slightly higher 66 percent favorability still reflected a drop.
....But by the time Fox News/Opinion Dynamics asked Americans about their attitudes toward Oprah in a survey conducted about 10 days later, Dec. 18-19, Oprah’s favorability ratings had dropped even further — to 55 percent — the lowest level of favorability ever registered for Oprah in opinion surveys. Oprah’s negatives also spiked, with one in three respondents (33 percent) reporting unfavorable impressions of her.

The results of a March 26, 2008, AOL Television popularity poll of television hosts reveal Americans may now embrace Ellen DeGeneres over Oprah by a wide margin. Forty-six percent of the 1.35 million people who participated in the poll said the daytime talk show host that “made their day” was Ellen, compared with only 19 percent who chose Oprah. Nearly half (47 percent) said they would rather dine with Ellen, compared with 14 percent who preferred Oprah.

To be sure, Oprah remains one of the most popular figures in America, but recent data suggest her popularity has eroded. One possible explanation for this decline is that her endorsement of Obama and her support for him may have done more to damage impressions of her than to strengthen support for Obama. Then again, Obama may become the next president of the United States, and he may feel he has Oprah partly to thank for going out on a limb for him — not a bad situation for the talk show queen.

Still, a lesson celebrities may extract is that political endorsements carry the risk of alienating fans, often without the reward of considerably boosting support for the candidate. While celebrities are certainly entitled to express their political beliefs — just like every other American — it is possible that the public prefers high-profile entertainment personalities to stay on the tube and off the stump.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

38. Number of states won: Obama - 31, Hillary - 15

hmmmm.....

[MADem]

43. And you don't want to contemplate how many of those Obama states will go red in NOV.

That would hurt too much.

[JoFerret]

95. Those are DEM PRIMARIES not the GE

and even if they were GE - what is the electoral college vote number?

[Emit]

26. That was MassDem

MADem, MassDem, Maddy, Maddie -- it's hard to tell them all apart

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5809677&mesg_id=5809677

[Hawkeye-X]

2. I see you're Pastorbaiting again.

Don't you have something better than Wright? It's now a dead horse ONCE again.

[MNDemNY]

6. Zombie horse. It can not be killed.

[MADem]

18. ATTACK the messenger!! Heckuvajob, Brownie! nt

[NanceGreggs]

3. I didn't realize that DU now has ...

... a Tabloid Forum.

What possible purpose does this post serve?

[boston bean]

11. it's newsweek and you are the perfect candidate for a tabloid forum, why don't you

start one up.

[NanceGreggs]

15. No, I don't read crap like that ...

... nor do I write about it.

Ever see me post anything even remotely related to Hillary's or Bill's personal life - or even opine on the things about their personal life that have long been public knowledge? I don't go there.

How you think that sensationalized crap about a personal scandal (especially one that is more speculation than anything else) involving a candidate's pastor is compelling reading is beyond me.

And BTW, dredging up shit on Reverend Wright is not going get Hillary a single delegate, nor is it going to change the fact that she has lost this race.

[MADem]

19. NEWSWEEK is a tabloid, now?

:shrug:

Who knew? The POST piece was a two-fer...but NEWSWEEK?

They ask a valid question. If Oprah knew enough to run like hell, why didn't Barack?

[NanceGreggs]

56. No, posting this crap belongs in a Tabloid Forum ...

... along with stories about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, who their pastors are, and why they chose to stay or leave a church.

But, hey, if you think delving into this nonsense is going to win Hillary delegates, or change the fact that she's lost the nomination, indulge yourself.

[MADem]

61. Oh, I don't think so. It's newsworthy. It discusses a person connected to a candidate and provides

salient background as to the man's character.

It's news. You might not like that, and if you don't, use that hide thread option.

The ostrich solution, with a self-righteous little SCOLD on the side-- works for some. Don't think all of America will take that approach, though.

Knowledge IS power.

[NanceGreggs]

67. Yeah, knowledge is power.

Undoubtedly that's why people post shit like this. To 'educate and empower' - because we should all be deeply interested in Oprah Winfrey's choice of congregation, and Reverend Wright's sex life.

Hmm, yeah, sure.

BTW, I'm sure you'll love discussing Hillary's religious leanings when "The Family" is released later this month - you know, just to 'educate' people about her.

[MADem]

70. You really don't think voters will read this, and note it?

I do.

The Ostrich Method was useful during the Kerry election, too, wasn't it?

I'm sure YOU'LL be one of the SWIFTIES posting that dire Clinton information the minute it hits the streets--if not you, one of your team. So do spare me the dudgeon, it doesn't convince.

[NanceGreggs]

79. Whatever damage could be done ...

... by the Rev Wright story has already been done. No one - other than desperate Hillary supporters and desperate MSM news shows -- is interested any more, or will have their minds changed by this BS.

But keep at it - I'm sure this will turn things around for Hillary. Yep, that's what'll happen. No doubt about it. Yes, siree.

[MADem]

87. If this were such a non-story, I rather doubt that so many BHO supporters

would be whining about it here.

If this were such a non-story, I rather doubt that NEWSWEEK would put this article in their 12 MAY edition, or the POST publish their article.

Media outlets do not routinely put out "news" that no one has any interest in reading. So I find your argument disengenuous.

In actual fact, you are calling this a non-story, and casting aspersions upon me ("keep it up...yup"--almost like a vague, ineffectual parental threat) for bringing it up, because you perceive it as a BAD story for the Obama campaign.

If you were honest, you'd acknowledge that. Of course, there's not much honesty on this board anymore. It's all too partisan.

[Bake]

100. On the other hand, I'm sure you were thrilled by Winfrey's endorsement

and campaign appearances. Those things are what make her decision to leave TUCC relevant. It's the intersection of her personal/professional decision to leave Wright's church, her decision to endorse Obama, and questions regarding Obama's relationship with Wright that make it a relevant subject for discussion.

I agree that the Post item about Wright "stealing" a church member's wife is NOT relevant.

Bake

[DJ13]

To help you stop pastorbating, heres a pickle for your amusement

[MADem]

20. Give it to Oprah--she's the one who ran like hell from Trinity. NT

[BobRossi]

4. Wilbur or Orvill?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MADem]

21. Attack the messenger!!! Heckuvajob, Brownie! NT

[nichomachus]

7. Well, if Bill and Hillary could survive

having to go on live TV in 1992 so they could lie about Bill's serial adultery -- and still go on to win the election -- Obama can probably survive Rev. Wright being dredged up by the right wingers and their helpers in the Hillary Corps.

[Thickasabrick]

8. Is the GOP paying you to post this shit?

[MADem]

22. Attack the messenger!!! Heckuvajob, Brownie! nt

[anigbrowl]

9. I'll add this to the long list of things I don't care about.

Thanks for that critical news update.

[MADem]

47. You are welcome. NT

[blogslut]

10. Meh

No more than tabloid gossip on glossy pages. BFD.

[Forkboy]

12. You guys are determined to overplay this thing.

It'll backfire, so I encourage you to keep at it like rabid dogs. :thumbsup:

[ellacott]

13. It definately will backfire

[MADem]

24. "You guys" would include NEWSWEEK, I guess. Don't blame the MESSENGER. It's the desperate whine of

a failed argument when you do that, you know.

[Forkboy]

30. Yes, you're just an innocent little newshound, passing it along as a favor to us all.

:rofl:

[MADem]

32. And when YOU post news, you're Little Lord Fauntleroy? Please.

What's funny is that you just can't bear the pinch on your corns when that shoe is on the other foot.

THAT's what is pissing you off, little laughing man aside.


It's NEWS. Too bad that it is news you don't like. Last time I checked, they hadn't YET renamed this place OBAMA UNDERGROUND. You want NO dissent? Go to your candidate's campaign website and play with your fellows all day.

[Forkboy]

36. You've mistaken laughing at you for being pissed off.

Which should come as no surprise as your simply not very bright.

As for my candidate, I don't think there's much traffic at Kucinich.com anymore. :rofl:

And how many threads do I post here? :think:

[MADem]

44. No I am mistaking nothing. That ROFL fellow is often used as a subtle

attempt to try to make a little "dig" at someone with whom you don't agree. And that is precisely what you are trying to do. In fact, you pulled the little feller out again, didn't ya--just in case I didn't see it the first time!

Sorry, it still escapes my notice.

If it didn't bother you so much, you wouldn't be running around, trying to do that, simply because I posted TWO NEWS ARTICLES.

I mean, really--where's my angry rant to go along with those articles? Why, there isn't one.

Where's the cutting remarks making fun of the candidate, or using vituperative language against the pastor? Don't see those, either.

Where's the snarky name calling, you know, the sort of crap TEAM OBAMA pulls when speaking of HRC--the B word, the C word, the various insulting riffs on the Senator's first name--oops, none of that, either. Look hard, now--any of that in the OP? Hmmmm?

Yet look at the vitriol I get. For posting two articles that TEAM OBAMA can't read and digest without freaking out over.

Two articles.

And how many threads do I post here?

Damn few, Forkboy....damn few.

You and :rofl: have a nice day, now.

[Forkboy]

51. I use the little fellow when I'm genuinely amused.

:rofl:

[MADem]

52. Oh, I'll bet you DO.

:hi:

[Forkboy]

54. Now THAT was good.

Credit for that one. :rofl:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Iceburg]

16. Rev Wright's marriage counselling, puts the "Ridin' Dirty" sermon in perspective. /nt

[MADem]

31. It sure does. It's salient. And Oprah, running like hell from TUCC, is also salient.

For my trouble, I get childish admonitions, idiots with moronic, childish, and offensive dildo comments, and a whole lot of LALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU bullshit.

When they don't like what is in the paper or the news magazine, they blame the person that posts it. Because they can't refute the facts--Wright behaved ATROCIOUSLY in his pastoral duties, and Oprah ran like she was being chased out of that church.

It's failed logic in support of a failing candidate. But it's also, I notice, par for the course.

[anigbrowl]

25. 6 years between the woman's divorce and her mariage to Wright

He sure moved right in on her, didn't he? 6 years, that's just indecent.

[MADem]

35. Yes, he did. THEY WERE A COUPLE FOR YEARS before they married.

You missed that part, did you? Here, let me print it out for your tired eyes:

The Reeds, longtime sweethearts who grew up on the same block on Chicago's South Side, have two children, Nikol, 30, and Nathan, 27. The couple got married in 1975 and split in 1982. Their divorce was final in 1983.


Ramah, 59, married Wright, 66, six years after she divorced Reed, although she and the reverend were a couple for years before getting hitched. They remain together and have a daughter, Jamila, 13.

[Emit]

58. It's the New York Post, MADem, the New York Post

Seriously, it's the New York Post. Have you no shame?

The New York Post has been criticized since the beginning of Murdoch's ownership for what many consider its lurid headlines, sensationalism, advocacy, and conservatism.

Perhaps the most serious allegation against the Post is that it is willing to contort its news coverage to suit the business needs of Murdoch, in particular that the paper has avoided reporting anything that is unflattering to the government of the People's Republic of China. Murdoch has invested heavily in satellite television there and wants to maintain the favor of P.R. Chinese media regulators.<28>

Ian Spiegelman, a former reporter for the paper's Page Six gossip column, said in a statement for a law suit against the paper that in 2001 he was ordered to kill an item on Page Six about a Chinese diplomat and a strip club because it would have "angered the Communist regime and endangered Murdoch’s broadcast privileges."<28> (It should be noted, however, that another Murdoch property, the Weekly Standard, has been among the Chinese regime's most relentless critics.)

Critics say that the Post allows its editorial positions to shape its story selection and news coverage. But as the Post executive editor, Steven D. Cuozzo, sees it, it was the Post that "broke the elitist media stranglehold on the national agenda."

According to a survey conducted by Pace University in 2004, the New York Post was rated the least credible major news outlet in New York, and the only news outlet to receive more responses calling it "not credible" than credible (44% not credible to 39% credible).<29>

There have been numerous controversies surrounding the Post:

In 1997 a national news story concerning Rebecca Sealfon's victory in the Scripps National Spelling Bee circulated. Sealfon was sponsored by the Daily News. The Post published a picture of her but altered the photograph to remove the name of the Daily News as printed on a placard she was wearing.<30>

On November 8, 2000, the Post printed "BUSH WINS!" in a huge headline, although the election remained in doubt because of the recount needed in Florida. Like the Post, many other newspapers around the country published a similar headline after the four major TV networks called the election for Bush.

On October 17, 2003, the Post printed an editorial congratulating the Boston Red Sox for having defeated the New York Yankees for the American League pennant. In fact, the Yankees had won the game and taken the pennant. The paper had written two editorials in advance, based on the possible outcomes, and a computer glitch resulted in the wrong editorial being published. As a result, the paper announced that it would no longer write advance editorials.

On March 10, 2004, The Post re-ran as a full-color page one photo <1> a photo that had already been run 3 days earlier in black and white on page 9, showing the 24-story suicide plunge of a New York University student, who had since been identified as 19-year old Diana Chien, daughter of a prominent Silicon Valley, CA businessman. Among criticisms levelled at the Post <2> was their having added a tightly-cropped inset photo of Chien, a former high school track athlete, depicting her in mid jump from an athletic meet, giving the false impression that it was taken during her fatal act, despite the fact that she had fallen face up.

On July 4, 2004, the Post ran an article claiming to have learned exclusively that Senator John Kerry, the Democratic Party's Presidential nominee-in-waiting, had selected former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt to be the Party's Vice Presidential nominee. The article, under the headline "KERRY'S CHOICE," ran without a byline <3>. The next day, the Post had to print a new story, "KERRY'S REAL CHOICE," reporting Kerry's actual selection of Senator John Edwards of North Carolina as his running mate.
On April 21, 2006, several Asian-American advocacy groups protested the use of the headline "Wok This Way" for a Post article about President Bush's meeting with the president of the People's Republic of China.<31>

On September 27, 2006 the Post published an article called "Powder Puff Spooks Keith" that made fun of Countdown host Keith Olbermann receiving an anthrax threat from an unknown terrorist. <4>. By reporting on the incident, the NYPost have actually broken the general FBI protocol of not disclosing the event which could hamper their investigation. Keith Olbermann had some harsh words for NY Post on his show after this.
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Post#Criticisms

[MADem]

60. Yes, it is. And the story is TRUE, too.

Unless you're saying Mr. Reed doesn't exist, and the story is made up. And the fact that the Reverend's wife continues to use REED in her name is just a happy accident.

Is that what you are saying?

Prove it, and I'll retract my assertions.

Just because it's a bit unsavory does not make it false.

[Emit]

65. I could give a rat's ass if it's true or not.

it's a source that doesn't belong on DU and it is a story that has no relevance to the primary. You only demean yourself by using this source, and, what bothers me is that so far, the mods are allowing it.

[MADem]

69. Well, in that case, why even bother commenting?

It is a source that has been used on DU OFTEN.

You aren't the source police, either. There's nothing WRONG with the POST as a source, or the Daily News. It's been used here for YEARS.

If you don't care about the story, stop caring about the source. You'll be happier.

It is ENTIRELY relevant to the primary. Using the "ostrich method" of news filtering is unhelpful, you know.

I don't "demean myself" -- you do make yourself out to be a bit of a Kool Aid drinker by getting angry at me for a story that is--even if YOU don't like it--being viewed by MILLIONS of people today, and MILLIONS more between now and Tuesday.

Shooting the messenger is a weak comeback, you know. And demanding to be deliberately kept in the dark so as not to offend your palpitating sensibilities is really not the way to get the full picture.

[Emit]

72. How's it relevant to the primary?

And, on edit, I do not see the New York Post used frequently as a credible source on DU. Sources do matter -- credible sources matter. This is not a credible source.

[MADem]

77. Goes to judgment. If Oprah bailed, why didn't Barack? Surely Barack

was aware that his pastor 'took' a wife, too. Something like that would be discussed amongst the congregants.

You can argue sources with me all day, and you will not move me, not when TEAM OBAMA routinely uses DRUDGE if he posts lies, like that hoax tape. So do spare me your high minded assertions. I don't buy them. You're being situational, and you know it. le

You disprove the facts in the story, and then come back and "lecture" me. I doubt you'll be able to.

[DevonRex]

27. Get a life. Or at least a brain. Welcome to ignore.

[MADem]

39. BWAhahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Priceless! Two articles, that's ALL it took!

Oh my GAWD!!!! FACTS!!! Can't have FACTS, now!!! No....MUST HOPE....BELIEVE....BELIEVE...BELIEVE!!!!!!! Say it often enough, click heels together, it will come true...it MUST come true!!!!!! What to DO? WHAT TO DO???

Ah....the last resort.... THE IGNORE BUTTON!!!!



:rofl:

[Raine]

28. uh

:boring:

[jenmito]

29. The NY Post?? If Wright's "stealing a wife" is fair game in relation to OBAMA, Bill Clinton is fair

game-including every affair he's had while IN the WH, BEFORE he was in the WH, and AFTER he was in the WH. So get ready!

[MADem]

40. That was a side dish. Oprah running like hell was the main course. NEWSWEEK.

Hey, Clinton didn't ditch his wife and steal another, did he?

But you keep working that "two wrongs" game. Work it HARD, now. And pay no attention to the fact that OPRAH had better judgment than the guy running for the highest office in the land. It sure is an argument for a female leader of this nation. The woman knew to run, the man didn't. Fascinating, that!

:eyes:

[kevinbgoode]

64. I didn't get that Oprah had "better judgement" from the article

I got that she had different reasons for attending - and later leaving - that church. Few things annoy me more than this constant Rev. Wright bullshit. . .only the media, the rightwing Republicans (who have some Rev. Moon of their own to explain) and Hillary seems so concerned about someone's former preacher.

That non-story was old months ago.

[MADem]

71. Well, that's one perspective, certainly. My mileage varies.

That "non story" is in the latest edition of Newsweek.

Go yell at them.

[kevinbgoode]

85. Yes....i said "media"

As if they haven't manufactured tabloid stories before. . .:-).

[MADem]

96. I don't think this one's manufactured, though.

There are divorce decrees, children, and marriages involved. The wife kept the first husband's name as a middle name (probably for the kids). Documents and people.

If it were a manufactured tale, there'd be some griping happening.

[BklynChick]

45. who cares and what does any of it have to do with Obama?

[MADem]

48. No one is forcing you to read it. Hit that HIDE THREAD if it troubles you.

The Head in Sand technique works for some.

[Buzz Clik]

46. THANKS FOR PUTTING YOUR ENTIRE POST IN BOLD FONT!!!!!111ONEONE

God knows we're too fucking stupid to figure out the important parts all by ourselves.

[MADem]

49. I do that to make it easier for the aged among us to read the good bits.

I see it upsets you, otherwise you wouldn't have frantically shouted your displeasure.

Thanks for the kick!

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MADem]

55. How charming you are. NT

[Buzz Clik]

81. Well, sugar, this may comes as big news to you:

Every computer is fully equipped to handle just about every challenge imaginable. It is a trivial task to increase the size of the font on the page without screaming at all your readers.

I don't like it to the point that I didn't read it.

[MADem]

86. Well, in my internet etiquette book, screaming was ALL CAPS, not a bold font.

You must be hypersensitive if a darker font bothers you so much.

Sugar.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

50. Agreed. Scrolled away after my eyes started bleeding...

[CreekDog]

57. well she doesn't go to any church now

it's not like she left one church for another.

[Iceburg]

59. The Wright issue will not go away until answers the fundamental question about why he stayed for 20y

This is the question on everyone's mind. This issue is of great significance because it strikes speaks directly to Obama's judgment.

Until such Obama is able to answer that very specific question, the issue will remain active and extremely problematic for him.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

62. "This is the question on everyone's mind." Bwahahahahahaha

hahahahhahahah. Good one! :headbang:

[MADem]

63. Well, you might Bwahahahahaha, but it IS a question he has not answered.

Why was Oprah sharper than Obama? Why did she know to run, yet he stayed?

[FlaGranny]

88. He hasn't? News to me.

I've seen him answer it several times. The last time was just yesterday. The first time was right after the video was first first used to smear Obama. Go back to the videos for the last few weeks.

[MADem]

90. He 'disavowed' the guy after he retired. Oprah saw trouble while he was still working.

Why did it take him so long, when it took Oprah, who arguably, was more famous and had more demands on HER time than he did in the 90s, far less time to figure out that the Reverend was a problematic association?

[FlaGranny]

91. Because maybe

he was more interested in the community than the pastor and more interested in the community than his own ambitions??????

[MADem]

93. Well, that church "community" was worth eight thousand votes when he was in the

state legislature, a boatload of campaign contributions, and a built-in organization, so maybe he was more 'concerned.'

But that's all tied up with his 'ambitions,' so I'd say those two aspects were aligned, and not in conflict.

[FlaGranny]

98. Of course,

when he joined that church 20 years ago, it was all a ploy to get elected to public office. He wanted to make the members of that church all like him so that he could get their votes and therefore win the entire state of Illinois and thus the win the presidency 20 years later. :sarcasm:

You could apply the same reasoning to Hillary's reasons for marrying Bill, encouraging his political career, and sticking with him all this time. It was an effort to put herself in a position to run for president 30+ years later. One is just as likely as the other.

I'm not going to apply ulterior motives to either one of them for what they did decades ago, but go ahead if you like.

[MADem]

99. There are two big churches in that area--one is affiliated with political movers and shakers more

than the other. The one that is, is TUCC.

You're pulling the string too far. Early on, Obama had his eyes on the state legislature and the House of Representatives--as the rep from THAT district (he challenged the incumbent and lost that race, BTW, after the incumbent's brother was murdered, creating a sympathy wave from the voters).

But then, you've got to spin it out like it's some farfetched nefarious plan, to make what is completely likely--and smart politics--sound absurd in some fashion.

He absolutely had a plan, and TUCC played a role. He wanted to get to the Hill. Nothing WRONG with that, either.

Where he made his error was in staying at TUCC too LONG. He should have moved on from TUCC to something a little more staid, perhaps a suburban AME church, around the time he was elected to the Senate. He would have been better off moving out of his old neighborhood, not using Rezko as a sounding board and "yard financier" when he purchased his house, and putting some distance between himself and Wright amicably.

Do some reading on the church and its history with politicians in the neighborhood. It is a political launching pad. Obama wasn't stupid--he saw that. And like I said--nothing wrong with playing it for strength. He just stayed too long.

[NeedleCast]

66. Wow, You're Especially Manic Tonight

Your candidate is going to lose.

[MADem]

73. How helpful. Toss an insult, followed by an uninformed opinion.

A pattern, no doubt.

[Lord Helmet]

68. too bad the public is moving on and isn't biting on this crap anymore

[Iceburg]

74. Your public perhaps. Its the rest of the world you should be concerned about.

[MADem]

75. That's why both articles came out within the last day, because the public is

moving on.

Yep.

[Lord Helmet]

76. I guess you missed the article on the front page saying he's moved up & regained his lead

yep

[MADem]

78. The one that said he has the same national rankings as Clinton, only

Clinton was actually ahead of Obama by a point, which we won't quibble about, because it is within the margin of error... and Clinton has a better shot at beating McCain? That article? Yep, I saw that. Those last two paragraphs were swell.

And it has what to do with this thread, pray tell?

If this thread bothers you, hide it, don't try to derail it. Derailment attempts simply demonstrate that you are uncomfortable with the material.

[BeyondGeography]

80. It's early May, this has been done to death and I don't see it lasting

We are certain to move on to other pressing matters like flag pins and Ayers any week now.

[zulchzulu]

83. The only people bringing up Wright are Repigs and Hillbots

Gee...I wonder why....

:puke:

[MADem]

97. Like the "right wing" Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/05/measuring_wrigh.html

[Iceburg]

84. Why is this still an issue? Because Obama has never answered the question

as to why it took Obama 20 years to reach a decision.

Mr. Dithers . EOM.

[FlaGranny]

89. Oh yes he has. You're not paying attention, I hope.

because it's a total fabrication (i.e., lie) that he did not.

What I heard him say was that he went to the church for the COMMUNITY, not for the pastor. He is still a member, he says. Ask any Catholic about that (and probably many other churchgoers).

[stillcool]

94. I am so sure you've heard...

all of Reverend Wright's sermons, and all the sermons by all the other Pastors of the United Church of Christ..over the last 20 years..And I'm so sure you know all about the Community and all the work that the Church does in that Community.

Vote of Confidence

Chicago Magazine / January 1993 / Vote of Confidence
In the final, climactic buildup to November's general election, with George Bush gaining ground on Bill Clinton in Illinois and the once-unstoppable campaign of senatorial candidate Carol Moseley Braun embroiled in allegations about her mother's Medicare liability, one of the most important local stories
managed to go virtually unreported: The number of new voter registrations before the election hit an all-time high.
--------------------------------------------
None of this, of course, was accidental. The most effective minority voter registration drive in memory was the result of careful handiwork by Project Vote!, the local chapter of a not-for-profit national organization. "It was the most efficient campaign I have seen in my 20 years in politics," says Sam Burrell, alderman of the West Side's 29th Ward and a veteran of many registration drives.
----------------------------------------------

The name Barack Obama surfaced. "I was asking around among community activists in Chicago and around the country, and they kept mentioning him," Newman says. Obama by then was working with church and community leaders on the West Side, and he was writing a book that the publisher Simon & Schuster had contracted for while he was editor of the law review. He was 30 years old.

When Newman called, Obama agreed to put his other work aside. "I'm still not quite sure why," Newman says. ''This was not glamorous, high-paying work. But I am certainly grateful. He did one hell of a job."
Within a few months, Obama, a tall, affable workaholic, had recruited staff and volunteers from black churches, community groups, and politicians. He helped train 700 deputy registrars, out of a total of 11,000 citywide.
******
As for Project Vote! itself, its operations in Chicago have officially closed down. Barack Obama has returned to work on his book, which he plans to complete this month. He also is teaching a class at the University of Chicago law school, and is an attorney at Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland. But he continues to consult with the church, community, and political groups involved in the monumental registration drive. "We won't let the momentum die," he says. "I'll take personal responsibility for that. We plan to hold politicians' feet to the flames in 1993, to remind them that we can produce a bloc of voters large enough
that it cannot be ignored."
****
Obama shrugs off the possibility of running for office. "Who knows?" he says. "But probably not immediately." He smiles. "Was that a sufficiently politic 'maybe'? My sincere answer is, I'll run if I feel I can accomplish more that way than agitating from
the outside. I don't know if that's true right now. Let's wait and see what happens in 1993. If the politicians in place now at city and state levels respond to African-American voters' needs, we'll gladly work with and support them. If they don't, we'll work to replace them. That's the message I want Project Vote! to have sent."

This article appears in the January 1993 issue of Chicago Magazine.

Born on September 22, 1941, in Philadelphia
Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. is one of the most widely acclaimed black preachers in the United States. Combining social concern, spiritual growth, and political activism, Wright, who preaches in a black traditional style, brings a message of hope, redemption, and renewal. In 1972 he became pastor of a small United Church of Christ congregation in the inner city of Chicago. After over 30 years in the pulpit, his congregation has grown to 10,000 and is the largest United Church of Christ congregation in the United States.
In 1959 Wright enrolled at Virginia Union University, in Richmond, where he remained until 1961. That year he left school to join the military. He served in the Second Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1961 to 1963, achieving the rank of private first class. In 1963 he graduated as valedictorian from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and from 1964 to 1967,he served as a cardio pulmonary technician at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.
During 1965 and 1966, he was awarded with three Presidential Commendations from President Lyndon B. Johnson.After his discharge from the military, Wright continued his education. He enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1967, and was awarded a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master's degree in 1969. He then entered the University of Chicago Divinity School, receiving a master of arts degree in
1975. He ended his formal education in 1990 when he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in black sacred music from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
----------------------------------------------
When Wright joined the staff of Trinity United Church of Christ as senior pastor, the inner city church boasted just 87 active members, most of whom came from the neighborhood surrounding the church. Wright embraced his new congregation took up the phrase coined by his predecessor Rev. Dr. Reuben Sheares, "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian." Within months the church had adopted the phrase as its motto and vision. Under Wright's leadership, fueled by his passion, and motivated by his preaching, the congregation began to grow by leaps and bounds.
By 2004 there were over 10,000 members, with people coming from across the metro area. The congregation,
which proudly notes its diverse socio-economic mix, dedicated a new 2,700 worship center in 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------
In recognition of his contributions, Wright has been awarded seven honorary doctoral degrees. He has also served on a number of boards and commissions, including serving on the board of trustees for Virginia Union University and Chicago Theological Seminary. He continues to be a highly sought after preacher,
teacher, and lecturer.

http://www.dogonvillage.com/blogs/african_american/archives/140