Obama’s Sister Souljah Moment
The candidate slams his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, for 'divisive and destructive' comments.
Outside of his rousing speeches, it's rare that Barack Obama shows any emotion on the campaign trail, other than to flash a grin at his supporters or to chuckle at one of his own jokes. Sometimes he reveals just enough passion to sound snippy at reporters when he feels their questions are trivial.
But nothing over the course of the 15 months of his presidential campaign—not his announcement in Springfield, Ill., his landmark victory in Iowa or his shock defeat in New Hampshire—nothing came close to the emotions on display at the back of a sports arena in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Tuesday.
In a narrow concrete space enclosed by tall black drapes set up for a press conference, Obama sounded both angered and saddened by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's performance at the National Press Club on Monday. For all the focus on polling and next week's primaries in North Carolina and Indiana, it was clear that Obama's reaction to his former pastor was more personal than political.
"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday," he told reporters. "I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I have known Reverend Wright for almost 20 years. The person I saw yesterday wasn't the person that I met 20 years ago. The comments weren't only divisive and destructive. I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate. I believe they don't portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that is political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, I may not know him as well as I thought, either."
For a campaign that had little comment on Wright's media blitz on Monday, Obama's press conference was a complete reversal. Many pundits have wondered aloud why Barack Obama has not had a Sister Souljah moment in this campaign, evoking Bill Clinton's 1992 repudiation of the hip-hop star's inflammatory and racist comments. In Winston-Salem Obama went far beyond Clinton's criticism, disowning his former pastor—and running the risk of alienating a community on the South Side of Chicago that has been among his most ardent supporters.
Yet it didn't sound as though Obama was in the mood for political calculation on Tuesday. Instead he appeared dismayed not just by the offensive nature of Wright's comments—specifically Wright's accusations that the U.S. government had unleashed HIV/AIDS on the African-American community and engaged in "terrorism" overseas. He also seemed offended by Wright's suggestion that his speech on race in Philadelphia was a case of political pandering.
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Member Comments
Posted By: powin @ 05/12/2008 1:57:16 PM
Comment: Jack3213 WROTE: "WHO [EVER] FAVORS INTELLIGENCE, CREDIBILITY, AND EXPERIANCE? --THOSE WHO FAVOR MCCAIN.... FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THINGS WILL "CHANGE" --DAY ONE-- IF A DEMOCRAT WERE ELECTED SHOULD KNOW THAT WITH A DEMOCRAT DAY ONE MIGHT CHANGE SOMETHING AND THAT SOMETHING IS: HIGHER TAXES, GREATER SECURITY RISK, UNACCEPTABLE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND A WEAKER ECONOMY"
Dear Jack3213,
It's obvious that Change in the economy, health care coverage, homeland security and the tax code will not happen on day one. That's indisputable. What is also indisputable is that Senator McCain is intelligent and experienced; he is, and so are his democratic opponents, Senators Clinton and Obama, alike. The credibility of anyone running for office, however, including John McCain, is speculative, at best. If a democrat is elected (and Senator McCain is not allowed to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor), your drawn conclusion that a weaker economy will follow is rash and reflects your own insecurity. No economist, Milton Friedman, included, can augur or foretell this from an election. That nearly 50 million Americans have no health care coverage is already unacceptable. Voters are not privy to Homeland Security, so your prediction, on that matter is weak and of little or no practical value. Any drawn conclusions, humble or immodest, are burdened by misanthropic musings and made obscured by character assassination.
Posted By: howiefineman @ 05/12/2008 5:33:06 AM
Comment: haha the biggest haters are the ones responsible for the republicans being in office in the first place: The NOBLE SPEAKING EVER RESPECTFUL BEVERAGE CHALLENGED TEDDY KENNEDY, THE RESPECTFUL AND EVER LOYAL LOST IN A LANDSLIDE TO TRICKY DICK OF ALL PEOPLE GEORGE MCGOVERN, HAMAS LOVING JIMMY CARTER, SWIFT BOATED JOHN KERRY, JUST NOW SLITHERING OUT FROM UNDER A ROCK JOHN EDWARDS, VENGEANCE IS MINE I WILL CAST THE DECIDING VOTE AL GORE, YEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAW HOWARD DEAN, ZERO DELEGATE WINNING DODD, NEVER EVEN GOT OFF THE BENCH BILL BRADLEY, FIRST SENATE LEADER IN HALF A CENTURY TO BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE TOM DASCHEL AND WHO THE HELL CARES BILL RICHARDSON. haha if any of these gyne envy phallically challenged MEN? had done their job this country wouldnt be in this mess. THEY are the ones responsible for BUSH. THEY are the ones responsible for the mess the Democratic Party is in. THEY are the ones responsible for knocking out Senator Clinton because BANTAMWEIGHT BARRY couldnt. Clinton has had their t*ts in a ringer for 16 MONTHS and they still havent been able to do it. hahaha and theyve got the DNC and MSM and all the obamabots helping them out. GOD BLESS AMERICA. oops i mean NO, NO, NO, GOD DAMN AMERICA OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT BY OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN SPIRITUAL ADVISOR TO OBAMA CRAZY OLD UNCLE JEREMIAH WRIGHT. Hahaha
Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 05/11/2008 1:48:15 AM
Comment: With all those Chicago underworld connections and rich , powerful Arab businessmen , oh, can't forget Oprah , financing the Obama machine it sure makes John McCain's wife with all that beer money look like good ol fashioned American apple pie.