Comments on: How Wright won – and lost – in 72 hours

By: Tita

Tita — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:11:16 +0000

I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.

Undecided voter, leaning towards Obama in Oregon.
Rev. Wright doesn't scare me away fro Obama as he is
not running for President.

By: gail

gail — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:29:26 +0000

It seems to me that the dems don't walk the walk just talk the talk when it comes to having someone other than a white person as president, hope this is realing revealing to the black vote, to wake up and be independant and vote for yourselves not what someone it promising. dems count on your vote all the time and then vanish....we all have to work together for change

By: John

John — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:15:06 +0000

It will still take 100 Rev. Wrights to contaminate me to a point to vote for 1 Hillary Clinton. I was fairly optimistic that the voting public was intelligent enough to manage through the "noise" of political attacks and distraction. At the beginning, middle and end of our days, we still have $4 / gal gas prices, job insecurity, a horrendous mortgage and health care crisis...and the most attention I can give a "Rev Wright" situation is a 10 min entertainment diversion on YouTube once in awhile.

By: evelina

evelina — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:42:45 +0000

I just skimmed this list of comments and read something about Clinton's minister. Is she "getting a pass"? More importantly, does each of us have to be held accountable for where we go to worship? I have attended Catholic and Unitarian Churches for years. If I ran for office, I would not expect to be bawled out for pedophilia, church ownership of property, or what the Pope did during World War II, none of which I support.
Can't Senator Obama talk about ending the war in Iraq and fixing health care without being hassled about his former pastor's opinions?
Or would the corporate media have a problem with that? I hope not.

By: Nestor, Austin, TX

Nestor, Austin, TX — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:41:07 +0000

Roland,

You say right-wing hacks, yet Hannity blows CNN out of the water ratings wise. I don't really care for Hannity (there are other conservatives who are better), yet you can't call him a hack. The bottom line is Jeremiah Wright's comments are Un-American. They are hateful, and the fact that Obama has been so close to this man concerns people...and it should. Stop using Hannity as a straw man, and address the real problem, the fact that Obama is a socialist.

We know Obama never saw a tax he didn't like. Even Hillary is for lowering SOME taxes. Obama knows that lower taxes = increased revenues, yet he will still raise taxes. When people really get to know Obama, his record and what he stands for, they don't like what they see. Wright is a symptom of Obama's problem. But now because of Wright, Obama is being scrutinized. Even though no one in America really likes Hillary, they don't think she hates America, but Wright is making people wonder if Obama does.

By: Travis and Cheryl Loz

Travis and Cheryl Loz — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:44:46 +0000

Stop giving Wright the power of the media! Enough is enough! If the media needs the ratings bad enough wait till this political fiasco is over!

By: mramirez

mramirez — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:24:40 +0000

I find it difficult that anyone would be SATISFIED with what Obama did today. His speech is just politics. The fact of the matter is that he attended his Pastor's church and knew his pastor for over 20 years. Rejecting that he does not share his pastor's view, I don't buy it and will not vote for him in the General Election if he is the Democratic nominee. For the first time, our family will vote Republican if he is the Democratic nominee. If he did not share his Pastor's views, he would have never remained a member of his church for as long as he did. We are outraged. Not Obama!!!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:59:05 +0000

My posts never get posted.

For all those asking why Obama stayed in the church for 20 years and did not leave, I have one question – For the life long catholics why did you guys not walk away from the catholic church when it was found out that the priests had been abusing children for decades?

Jesus said "He who is without sin let him cast the first stone".

We cannot continue to hold others to standards we ourselves have not been able to attain.

Thanks...Chris

By: Patricia

Patricia — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:56:25 +0000

It is sad to see how well the republicans and the far right have such great control over the current political system. We have a chance to elect the first person in the US that truely can see both sides of the race issue. Obama is both Black and he is White and it is sad to see that most people in this county both blacks and whites are so blinded by their own racial issues that they cannot understand how Obama truely can see and has experienced both sides of the race issue. Most Whites do not want to accept his whiteness and many blacks do not want to accept his whiteness. Only a person who truely is both can really understand both sides of the black/white issue in America. Let's move forward put down our petty and fearful issues of the past and elect a president that represents what we all claim that we want in America.

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:51:37 +0000

I heard Obama say over and over that he had superior JUDGEMENT and he would be right on day 1. I have an issue with the whole Rev. Wright thing. Obama said that the Rev. Wright that he saw in the past couple of days was not the Rev. he met 20 years ago. I wonder if it was the Rev. Wright that he knew a couple of months or a couple of years ago. I mean Rev. Wright didnt just start having this view, it is within him not a new revelation to him. Obama had to know how Rev. Wright felt on these and many other issues. I have a real hard time thinking that this is all new information that Obama is just now finding out. If you have the same pastor for 20 years you just know things about him. I think Rev. Wright is right about 1 thing though, Obama is distancing himself and so appalled at his comments because he is running for President. If you listen to what Obama and his wife has said in the past they do seem to have some of the same ideals as Rev. Wright. In the clips that show Rev. Wright making all of these statements that are so appalling, the crowd is on their feet cheering, I think I even saw a man run up to him and kiss him during one of those clips. The people of that church must feel and think atleast somewhat inline with Rev. Wright. So much for the SUPERIOR JUDGEMENT on Mr. Obama's part. I mean if he knew the feelings of Rev. Wright then it goes without saying, but, if he didnt know about the spiritual advisor that he had been listening to, got married by, had his children baptised by, and felt he was like an uncle to for 20 years, what kind of superior judgement is that? How often did Obama attend this church? How often did the Obama family spend time with Rev. Wright? How close was Mr. Farakan to Rev. Wright or Obama. It is just amazing to me that this is brand new information coming to Obama about Rev. Wright.

By: S. H. Passler

S. H. Passler — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:43:47 +0000

How insulting and what a farse! The Obama campaign has it down. They could not "quiet the rage" with BO stating he never heard his fearless leader state these comments. So what better ploy??Bring R Wright back and let him reiterate his dirty remarks. Yes Sir! Now the publicty is on the Rev. And Oh My, poor ole Barack can now stand up and disown and assult The Reverend and act hurt. Maybe the pity will get him some votes from the Stupids of the earth. What a crock of BULL. The worse part is the media has to act so naieve, and feel sorry for Obama and continue to play it up to Obama'a advantage. I maybe Democrat but I'll never Vote for him. This little sharade makes me realize how bad for America he would be.

By: GEORGE

GEORGE — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:41:47 +0000

Please MOVE ON, Theres plenty of issues to worry about, no one person or group is going to change what the Rev. Wright feels or says about this country, and the media infactuation with Wright feeds right into this controversy. If you don't believe in what he says,or share his views, who cares. I take Obama at his words, that he does not share those views and thats whats important. ECONOMY, THE WAR, GAS PRICES thats whats important not some Pastor with negative views of my beloved AMERICA

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:37:35 +0000

I happen to attend a semi mega church which has a bookstore that sells DVDs of past sermons. I have been attending that church for some years. But i do not go in the bookstore and buy those DVD's nor do i order them online. If i happen to miss a sermon, then i miss it. Also, to those people commenting about how a person can attend a church for 20 years and not know the views of his pastor is very easy. Parishers of most of these mega churches, such as the one Rev. Wright had, do not hear these type sermons every Sunday or every week or even every year. At this particular moment, i have no idea what my pastor's views are, except what he preaches about when i do attend. Appointments have to made to even speak with the pastor. Another thing, these pastors are very adamant about parishoners attacking their sermons.

What is really going on here is that ever since Hillary Clinton whined about the media being too hard on her and why does she always get the first question in a debate and why don't you ask Mr. Obama if he needs another pillow have we been bombarded with this onslaught against Barack Obama. Black americans have broken almost every barrier to what used to be "whites only" institutions. The only ONE that has lasted throughout our 200-plus years as a country is the WHITE HOUSE where only pictures of WHITE men are portrayed as president. As much as we hate to admit it, it appears that white americans seem to think that WHITE men (sorry Hillary) are the ONLY ones who are capable of running this country and how dare you nominate a BLACK over a WHITE, even if the WHITE happens to be a woman. This isn't racial, this is real. Totally absurd, but real. For instance, black men have been leading countries in Africa forever.

We have to get past that in America. And on the Michelle Obama comment about being proud of this country for the first time, America is really OVERRATED by Americans. We do not want to look at the bad things that our country does to its own citizens, but we want to target other countries like China. We have cops in New York shooting and killing unarmed Black men, we have Polygamist compounds exploiting underaged White girls, we have the disaster of hurricane Katrina where a lot of blacks families have been displaced, etc. So,when someone, even myself looks at how this country treats its own, i can see some people not being proud of that. Mothers are sometimes not proud of their own children, depending on the child's behavior.

We, as a country can do better than that. One other thing to note is that other major countries are not far behind us in this racial thing. France, Canada, England, Spain,Germany, Australia, just to name a few, have never had a black leader either. So, these countries are just as raciallly polarized as we are.

But, i do predict the we will be the ones to pave the way. Even if Obama does not win this election, the barriers will have been broken and we wont have to listen to White newscasters reporting stories on networks run by White editors having to tell the American public whether a Black candidate is legitamate or not. Just like there are black governors, black senators, black secretaries of state, black supreme court justices, it is only a matter of time for there to be a black president. I just hate to see blacks tearing down blacks. It is an old trick of whites. Pit them (blacks) against each other and step out of the way and let them tear each other down. Whether it is the Clintons or the Media doing this, that is what is going on. We, as Black, understand this, but we now finally see that there is someone who is smart enough to recognize it and do something about it.

Ego from both Obama and Wright play a part, but it is Wright's ego that is hurt more. Martin Luther King,Jr and Malcolm X both fought for equal rights, but had different ways of executing it and gathering followers, hence the split between the two movements. This is old stuff. People really need to understand history (all history) to understand the present, and quit being so easily sold and persuaded by the media.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:34:36 +0000

All the candidates should be judged by the same standard.

Just as we judge Obama on the affiliation with the Pastor of his congregation, based on what the pastor says, so must we judge the other candidates on the actions of their associates.

Then we would not have to question the wisdom of putting back in the White House some one whose on the job inappropriate behavior was an international insult.

Ho hypocritical?

By: Carol Thompson

Carol Thompson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:34:00 +0000

The Rev. Wright's divisive, often offensive, style is nothing new, no matter what Obama says about never having heard him express such views before. Wright spoke at my college (Wheaton College) all the way back in 1996, and managed to offend almost everyone there, regardless of their race. He was delivering a speech about the history of the black church in America when he veered off topic and started mocking the way white people worship. He told us that heaven wouldn't sound like a white church, but rather like his church. He sang a little bit of "Amazing Grace" the way he thought white people sing it, and then the way he would sing it and told us that the way white people sing isn't real worship. This was all the way back in 1996, so this is nothing new from him – he's just enjoying new found celebrity for it!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:33:04 +0000

Why so much ngative statements and comments on Obama?
When the media let go of this Rev. Wright thing. Now I am hearing about a respond from The Rev Wright on what Obama said on today. When will this stop? The focus on the election should not be Rev. Wright but on the issues of today. If the media let it be Obama can move on and do what he has to for the election. He is losing votes because of you the media because some poeple depend on you the media to help them decide on who they will vote for, What about the statement Hillary Clinton made on Bosnion that went nowhere with the media. She lie and those words came from her mouth. So, what did she gain from making that false statement. What about her former pastor? Please get off the Rev. Wright and get down to the heart of the election. It's time for this country to come togeather and stop bashing each others. Do some people in the media know what American Values Is? Race will aways be a problem in this country and I can am beginning to see it in the media.
I love CNN and Fox News but since this election I am having second thoughts.
PLEASE LET REV. WRIGHT GO AND GET TO THE HEART OF THIS ELECTION.

By: samuel hernandez

samuel hernandez — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:29:51 +0000

Obama deserves all the negative publicity he is getting, if from the start he would have said what he said about the reverend, then the public would have seen hes the person he claims to be. However we only see him reactin more agresively only when he feels the reverend was attacking him. ( seems selfish to me) Why did he not react this way when he first was made aware that this was going to be a political nightmare, He might be smart but he is slow

By: Jefferson NK

Jefferson NK — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:29:24 +0000

Let wRight go right ahead and do all he is and willing to do! It is all up to the American people (WE/US) to decide who we want to be our next president. wRight needs to go back to SCHOOL!

By: Rl Kerr

Rl Kerr — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:27:55 +0000

This is real easy for me. But before I explain let me say that it is Obama supporters that would like to make this all about Obama
not being the one who gave the speeches. That way they don't have
to explain why Obama would not leave the church. Would not denounce Mr. Wright in the beginning. Or explain how he
could have relationships with a congregation that could give a man a standing ovation for that part of the speech that was the most disturbing. Let's face it if you didn't buy into some part of that how could you bring your family there.

So let me explain why these last few days are easy for me to understand. It is clear that greater minds have got together to come up with this "fight" between Mr. Obama and Mr. Wright to allow Mr. Obama to distance himself and not make it look like what it really is. THE HEAT!! Mr. Obama needs to find someway to put this fire out because he knows even if he gets the nomination he will have to answer questions about Mr. Wright all during the general election if he doesn't. Now for all of you who have already wrote me off as a lunatic let me ask you this: Mr. Obama didn't say he was done with the church. Changing the pastor has little to do with the message or the people sitting in the pews. Knowing the way his congregation feels about whites, and America should alone be reason not to belong to that church. Could Hillary be a member of the KKK and get a pass from the media by saying she doesn't quite agree with a lot of the things they say. By not saying he would not attend the church means he can stay there as long as he wants. If he had taken the high road and left the church he could never go back after he was elected.

Nice try Mr. Obama and Mr. Wright. Maybe if you don't get the nomination you can try being an actor.

By: f. molag

f. molag — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:27:50 +0000

CNN gives Reverend Wright too much media attention feeding on his big ego. Be kinder too Obama and drop Rev Wright of the radar sceen; he is very dedructive