Obama, Wright: How Much Damage?

[DeepModem Mom]

TIME: Obama, Wright: How Much Damage?
By MASSIMO CALABRESI
Saturday, May. 03, 2008


Barack Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright
(William Thomas Cain/Getty; Chicago Tribune/MCT/Landov)

Voters have been running from Barack Obama since the Jeremiah Wright scandal erupted. A Zogby poll conducted this week in Indiana ahead of its key primary next Tuesday found that 21% of likely Democratic primary voters said they were less likely to vote for Obama as a result of his former pastor's statements. But why, exactly, are these and other voters fleeing? The answer could make the difference in Obama's chances to win the nomination and to pull out election victory in November. And it could tell us something about the state of racial politics in America.

There is a very small subset of voters who are sympathetic to Wright's expressions of respect for Louis Farakhan, his condemnation of America's 60-year bipartisan approach to Israel and his suspicions about U.S. involvement in the creation of the AIDS virus. The vast majority thinks his views on those issues are at least wrong, if not outright offensive. But what conclusion do those voters draw about Obama as a result? Do they imagine that Obama believes the same things? Or do they think Obama disagrees with them, but question his credibility because of his belated disavowal of the preacher who holds them?

Obama can marshal a lot of evidence to show he doesn't believe what Wright believes: his personal history, his professional life, his voting record all show he has fairly mainstream if somewhat liberal views on U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

But Wright's inflammatory statements in the past week forced Obama to make a renunciation that undermined the credibility of his well-received Philadelphia speech on race, in which he explained why he listened to Wright's speeches to begin with. "The difficulty people would have is precisely that: if he has been going to that church for a long time how could he not know?" says Scott Keeter of the Pew Research Center. The question now for Obama is which is worse — people thinking you agree with Wright, or people not believing your high-minded explanations for associating with him.

A Rasmussen poll out Friday tries to peel back some of these issues, and the answers are not particularly heartening for Obama. In a survey of 800 likely voters, Rasmussen finds that 58% think Obama has denounced Wright because it's politically convenient, while 30% say he did so because he was outraged (13% say they're not sure). Only 33% say they think Obama was surprised by Wright's views, while 52% say they think he was not. Just as troubling for Obama, a majority of people associate his views with those of Wright....

Associating Obama with Wright's radical views raises the specter of racial stereotyping....(I)f there's a racial component to voters' abandonment of Obama in the wake of the Wright affair, it's safe to say those voters aren't coming back....

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1737316,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner

[Android3.14]

1. Does Wright feel guilt, shame, or is he just a tool?

His bizarre performance at the press conference has reignited a controversy that really should have remained legless. If, and it is a big if, the Clinton campaign is able to derail the nomination, or McCain is able to use Wright and Clintopn's equally bizarre tactics as the weapon to demonize Obama, I have to wonder how Wright will see himself?

He will be the black man that a rich white establishment used to destroy the greatest hope for our country in 50 years. Like Oswald was supposedly a patsy to assassinate the body of Kennedy, Wright is a patsy of the Clintons to assassinate the character of Obama. I wonder if he has the self-actualization to realize what he may have done? And if he does recognize his role, how will he reconcile his betrayal with the community?

Otherwise, he's just a tool.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. What a tragic episode this has been. Watching Wright live on CNN,...

speaking to the NAACP -- even before the press questions the next day -- I knew I was watching a train wreck. I kept asking, why??? In the aftermath, articles indicate that Wright was motivated by a combination of anger and jealousy. I don't know if we'll ever know his motivation, or the extent of the effect of his "performance," as Barack called it.