Barack Obama, Ordinary Politician
I'm super disappointed Barack Obama has decided to condemn Reverend Wright. It just confirms my suspicions that Obama is an ordinary politician, no more, no less. I guess even I had a glimmer of hope that Obama really was going to change the political culture, like he and his followers had promised. Supporting his somewhere off this planet pastor would have been a step in changing politics in the right direction. It would have been so ... well ... real to hear an honest to God politician with a chance of becoming president say that he didn't have to answer for the words of a friend or supporter and that he wasn't going to play this game of political correctness.
Instead we've gotten more politics as usual, with yet another major figure forced to apologize for something that really isn't all that big of a deal.
I understand some people think that Reverend Wright was a big story. I just don't, period and I'm disappointed that Obama capitulated to those who did think it was big deal.
Instead we've gotten more politics as usual, with yet another major figure forced to apologize for something that really isn't all that big of a deal.
I understand some people think that Reverend Wright was a big story. I just don't, period and I'm disappointed that Obama capitulated to those who did think it was big deal.
posted by lonely libertarian at 9:07 PM
9 Comments:
Oh my God, what a warped view you have of what political correctness is!
Geraldine Ferrarro said Obama was where he was because he was black (he's getting 85%+ of the black vote everywhere he goes). Obama denounced her. Ferrarro said something that wasn't PC, but was true.
I hate when being PC gets in the way of truth.
Obama's boy, or should I say ex-boy JWright reiterated that we deserved 9/11 and that the government may have intentionally infected blacks with AIDs. ALSO, you fail to realize he hinted that Obama agreed with him and had to disagree only for political purposes.
Since Wright i) specifically said Obama had to publicly disagree w/ him and ii) since Wright's comments are FALSE in every way, Obama's calling out of Wright was in no way just typical political correctness.
I've complimented you in the past, but if Obama's denounciation of Wright was the first time you realized that this guy is an ordinary politician, I might have to take it back.
I hate PC, because I hate when the need to be PC gets in the way of TRUTHS. Like some college football coach getting ripped for saying his team lost because they were all white and had fewer black players.
Obama's boy reiterated horrible stuff AND indicated that Obama agreed with him and the entire thing was horrible for the Obama campaign. Obama speaking out wasn't what any politician would do; it's what any ticked off person would do.
You're an intelligent dude, but you seem to lack perspective here. A rejection of political correctness is one thing; a tolerance of ABSOLUTE LUNACY is another. That's the perspective you and I assume many other libertarians lack. I hope you can be objective enough to realize that.
Obama's rejection of Wright was far more "real" than that bullshit speech he crafted last month that everyone loved. Rather than sit there and try to figure out how he can smooth it over w/ whites, while not seeming disloyal to Wright and endangering the black vote...which was aaalll that speech was, he actually said things that were true this time around...that Wright is divisive and he needlessly breeds hate. You could see he was actually pissed off about it. Probably because of the negative impact on his campaign, but I would hope partly because Wright is trying to represent all of black america as being psychotic and hateful.
I agree and disagree with you both on this one. The first time around, it was actually cool of Obama to stick up for his pastor. It wasn't some admission that Wright was right, but just sticking by a friend. After all, it's not Obama's fault that Wright said what he said. You can hardly blame Obama the second time around though. He stuck his neck out once for Wright, and despite that, Wright burned him again. No matter how close a friend you are with someone, if they continue to screw you then you're going to get pissed.
But honestly rose, how you can call Wright a lunatic but also take anything he says as fact (i.e. hinting Obama may have agreed with him) all at the same time?
Also, how is what Geraldine Ferraro true? Just because a candidate is black and he's winning black voter support doesn't necessarily mean he's winning solely because of that. How 'bout the fact that Obama is winning every key age group except seniors or the fact he's winning the white male vote? If I'm Obama, you better believe I'm denouncing that. Not only because it's a misleading comment but because it's injecting race into something that really doesn't require a racial breakdown.
"But honestly rose, how you can call Wright a lunatic but also take anything he says as fact (i.e. hinting Obama may have agreed with him) all at the same time?"
I didn't take that as fact, I meant that Wright's comments required an Obama response because Wright insinuated Obama agreed. In other words Obama's response wasn't optional, but neccessary to reject Wright's assertion.
And in regards to Ferrarro, Obama already discreetly injected race into this a long time ago. Obama is what, 46 years old? And a one term senator, who people knew nearly nothing about prior to his campaign? Whether you believe race has anything to do with his success, given what I already mentioned and the fact that he isn't getting sometimes as much as 92% of the black vote, it is a valid opinion to believe his race as A LOT to do with it. It isn't fact, but it's blatant PC on anyone's part to decry the comment. Yes he's doing well w/ young people and certain other groups; BUT NOT 92% GOOD.
For you to claim it's a misleading comment and an absurd assertion... It isn't fact, but it is a valid opinion and not something to be offended by.
I don't know man, you're watching too much Anderson Coooper 360 or something.
And it's not fucking cool that our potential president would be "sticking by" some piece of shit who was celebrating 9/11 on 9/15/01. On the Sunday after 9/11 the rest of us are still watching clips of towers collapsing and people jumping out of the 100th story of the WTC and listening to widows of firefighters who were killed in the line of duty with 3 kids left behind...trying to fathom what just happened. And Obama's spiritual advisor is celebrating to his masses in church. Sticking by that isn't cool.
It's not fucking cool at all and it's not open mindedness to think it's cool. I don't know what it is. Maybe you can explain it to me.
Just a couple things-
1- No, this wasn't the first indication I had that Barack Obama was an ordinary politician. There were plenty of hints, this just smack-you-in-the-face confirms it.
2- I don't get outraged about Wright's insanity, because it's just that, insanity. He's not a policy maker, nor is he anyone with a significant national audience. Even with all the attention he's still closer to your local pastor than he is to Michael Moore. Particularly when you're talking about a limited sphere of influence, lunacy can be fun.
3- My approach to politics is generally less than serious, especially when it concerns electoral choices. I tend to subscribe to the Trey Parker-Matt Stone view that most elections (not just Bush-Kerry) are a choice between a douche and a turd. I don't know if you ever saw the short lived series "That's My Bush" but the sitcom version of the Obama presidency would be perfect with Reverend Wright playing the role of the crazy uncle.
4- When it comes down to what the president actually does and the actual forming of policy, I just don't think any of this garbage makes all that much difference.
5- My use of the term political correctness is probably off- rather, I'm sick of the culture of apology (if I can coin that term) which demands blood not only just for what you say, but for what those close to you might say. The thing is, presidential candidates have countless people in their lives- friends, family, advisors, business associates, fundraisers, and yes, religious figures. If a candidate is surrounded by lunatics, then then maybe you should worry. But just a couple of them? Not a big deal.
6- As to the Geraldine Ferrarro comments, there is some truth there- If Obama was a white man with his record, he probably wouldn't have been a presidential candidate in the first place. It's not just a racial thing, it's also a matter of being someone different. But here's the thing. Obama didn't jump to a lead in this primary because he's black- he did that through his rhetoric, by running the best campaign of any candidate in either party, and through the cultivation of the youth vote in a movement for hope and change.
Can't argue with most of those points. Agree to disagree on the significance of his relationship with wright, that's fair.
The last point I'd like to make is this. I tend to believe that Obama disagrees with the vast majority of what Wright says, but probably does have a more negative view of the US than he let's on.
If we are accepting that Obama really doesn't agree with Wright on any of this crazy shit, then you also have to accept the probability that...bingo
Obama's entire 20 year relationship with Wright was so a half black man, who talks white, who is harvard educated, somewhat feminine and grew up in hawaii could be accepted by the black chicago community. Wright gave him credibility with blacks, which frankly is so disturbing.
But we can't have it any other way. Either Obama believes some of what wright believes, which means he's a moron who is putting on a great act for all of us...
or he USED wright. now he's done with him and he's discarding him.
Obama isn't just another politician, he's the ultimate politician and it's hard to believe it took anybody this long to figure that out.
And the one thing you're still missing from Obama's recent comments about Wright is the fact that Wright basically said that Obama secretly agrees with him. Since he said that, it makes Obama's response different than simple pandering to "the culture of apology". Obama had to respond.
Agreed on two points:
1- That the whole scandal does show Obama to be the ultimate politician. He wanted it both ways until the shit hit the fan and the rest of the world heard what sort of things Wright had to say.
2- You're right that Obama had to say something, but throwing the guy under the bus is just more politics as usual. Maybe he had to do it, but that's why this stuff just kills me.
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