Obama’s Candor on Race

And that's why it hurts to see the ABC blogs crowded by racist rednecks who are given all the opportunity here to spew their angry bigotry, their hate and their plain dirt.

I am probably more concerned about the statements made in this interview than the speech itself, or, perhaps even the broadcast statements of Reverend Wright. Yes, race (as a conflicting force) is a significant fact in the fabric of the American culture, politics and economic system. But as Obama has acknowledged, its also a genetic reality in his physical being. But if one has not noticed, this is also empirically true in the biology of an overwhelming number of "African Americans, " including Reverend Jesse Jackson (who also ran respectable campaigns for the presidency) and Reverend Wright. This fact, like Obama's is occasioned by the circumstances of that history to which he refers. Moreover, these "other" African Americans, too, have been socially and economically nurtured by a white western culture and its institutions. Would Obama proffer that all such persons are not American first, but rather "primarily black." Do they lack the genetic or nurtured capacity to have lived in both worlds that would enable them to understand America's racial divide, with the aspiration of eliminating or modulating its flaws? Is the emotion of anger a disqualifying trait that is seemingly only being ascribed to "the black man's condition?" I think one must be cautious in ascribing to oneself an elevated capacity relative others because of a biological and environmental circumstance, particularly when neither the biology nor the circumstance is unique. I think Obama is a well trained and capable human being who has benefited enormously from the very able and diverse resources of America. His commitment to a life of public service at this level is, indeed, a formidable challenge and must be commended. Whether he will or should be the President of this country is a decision that yet resides in that public that he seeks to serve. However, we must be a circumspect of any assertion of that a certain biological and environmental nurturance qualifies one to lead.

I am probably more concerned about the statements made in this interview than the speech itself, or, perhaps even the broadcast statements of Reverend Wright. Yes, race (as a conflicting force) is a significant fact in the fabric of the American culture, politics and economic system. But as Obama has acknowledged, its also a genetic reality in his physical being. But if one has not noticed, this is also empirically true in the biology of an overwhelming number of "African Americans, " including Reverend Jesse Jackson (who also ran respectable campaigns for the presidency) and Reverend Wright. This fact, like Obama's is occasioned by the circumstances of that history to which he refers. Moreover, these "other" African Americans, too, have been socially and economically nurtured by a white western culture and its institutions. Would Obama proffer that all such persons are not American first, but rather "primarily black." Do they lack the genetic or nurtured capacity to have lived in both worlds that would enable them to understand America's racial divide, with the aspiration of eliminating or modulating its flaws? Is the emotion of anger a disqualifying trait that is seemingly only being ascribed to "the black man's condition?" I think one must be cautious in ascribing to oneself an elevated capacity relative others because of a biological and environmental circumstance, particularly when neither the biology nor the circumstance is unique. I think Obama is a well trained and capable human being who has benefited enormously from the very able and diverse resources of America. His commitment to a life of public service at this level is, indeed, a formidable challenge and must be commended. Whether he will or should be the President of this country is a decision that yet resides in that public that he seeks to serve. However, we must be a circumspect of any assertion of that a certain biological and environmental nurturance qualifies one to lead.

I agree with Harriet. ABC has allowed racists and bigots to take over the comment section. Very very very ugly and repulsive. I thought the KKK was dead, but apparently they are alive and well on ABC's website.

"Don't let anybody make you think God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America "you are too arrogant, and if you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I'm God. Men will beat their swords into plowshafts and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall not rise up against nations, neither shall they study war anymore." I don't know about you, I ain't going to study war anymore."

Martin Luther King Jr.
Address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1967-08-16)

Obama called MSNBC to fire IMUS for his racial comment. What did Obama do when wright was giving hatred speach. He took his wife and young 2 daughters. I can ask my writes to write a speach and read through teleprompter too. wake up america.

I thought it was a courageous, honest and very moving speech.

It made me proud to be an American.

And I have tremendous respect for Obama.

In a difficult bind, he chose to do the right thing, not the politically convenient thing. He chose the honorable path.

We will see whetehr the voters reward his honro and honesty as they should. Often vogters reward cowards and cheats and fearmongers, which is why we have Bush.

I for one think that the Obama passed the Commander in Chief test, he has proven his character and mettle. He is good enough to be president of our country.

The big question now is: Is America good enough, courageous enough, wise enough to seize this opportunity? That is Amerca's test.

And the polls seem to say "yes". Enough Americans are tired of Bush's reign of fear and corruption. The want an optimistic hopeful America, not the grim and fearful McCarthyist regime of Bush and Cheney.

Mike Huckabee defedned Obama:

HUCKABEE: [Obama] made the point, and I think it's a valid one, that you can't hold the candidate responsible for everything that people around him may say or do. You just can't. Whether it's me, whether it's Obama...anybody else. But he did distance himself from the very vitriolic statements.

Now, the second story. It's interesting to me that there are some people on the left who are having to be very uncomfortable with what Louis Wright said, when they all were all over a Jerry Falwell, or anyone on the right who said things that they found very awkward and uncomfortable years ago. Many times those were statements lifted out of the context of a larger sermon. Sermons, after all, are rarely written word for word by pastors like Reverend Wright, who are delivering them extemporaneously, and caught up in the emotion of the moment. There are things that sometimes get said, that if you put them on paper and looked at them in print, you'd say "Well, I didn't mean to say it quite like that."

JOE SCARBOROUGH: But, but, you never came close to saying five days after September 11th, that America deserved what it got. Or that the American government invented AIDS...

HUCKABEE: Not defending his statements.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Oh, I know you're not. I know you're not. I'm just wondering though, for a lot of people...Would you not guess that there are a lot of Independent voters in Arkansas that vote for Democrats sometimes, and vote for Republicans sometimes, that are sitting here wondering how Barack Obama's spiritual mentor would call the United States the USKKK?

HUCKABEE: I mean, those were outrageous statements, and nobody can defend the content of them.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: But what's the impact on voters in Arkansas? Swing voters.

HUCKABEE: I don't think we know. If this were October, I think it would have a dramatic impact. But it's not October. It's March. And I don't believe that by the time we get to October, this is gonna be the defining issue of the campaign, and the reason that people vote.

And one other thing I think we've gotta remember. As easy as it is for those of us who are white, to look back and say "That's a terrible statement!"...I grew up in a very segregated south. And I think that you have to cut some slack -- and I'm gonna be probably the only Conservative in America who's gonna say something like this, but I'm just tellin' you -- we've gotta cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told "you have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus..." And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.

MIKA: I agree with that. I really do.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: It's the Atticus Finch line about walking a mile in somebody else's shoes. I remember when Ronald Reagan got shot in 1981. There were some black students in my school that started applauding and said they hoped that he died. And you just sat there and of course you were angry at first, and then you walked out and started scratching your head going "boy, there is some deep resentment there."

I think we have a "two audience" problem. FoxNews is mostly white and their commentators are well-insulated from the feelings and concerns of black America. I am willing to bet if they ever got around to inviting some black preachers on to discuss Wright, they would have a different take than the assortment of glib, white bread rednecks they usually talk to. I think in this case, the MSM really must talk to black commentators, otherwise there is a very skewed and racially insensitive perspective.

The mostly black audience Wright is speaking to sees his preaching as both venting frustrations and also encouragment to persevere through adversity. Blacks are more likely to be poor, have broken homes, broken communities, broken families. It's a tragedy that the media largely ignores. Wright is venting about the racism and hypocrisy of America. As a former Marine, it is arguable that he is right about much of what he says. I don't think it is anti-American or "racist" but more like bitterness about America's failings.

Harriet:

Obama calls this hatemonger, racist, anti-american jerk his old uncle, and suddenly the bloggers in this blog becomes racist rednecks.

Isn't it ironic?

“Barack Obama has been very careful not to position himself as Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton as a promoter of ‘The Black Cause,’” Farrakhan said in the interview with FinalCall.com. “He has been groomed, wisely so, to be seen more as a unifier, rather than one who speaks only for the hurt of black people.”

Obama makes us all proud to be Americans!

I am tired of people saying America is racist. I am tired of being represented by sleazy Bush and Co.

Obama is our generations JFK.

Truly a decent and honorable man.

Thank you Sen. Obama!!!

It was not fully honest. The African American preach Hate America. Maybe not in those exact words by in context they do. They also preach that black people are held back. That all their problems stem from the Government and the rich white man. Obama knows this, probaly why he was not shocked and didn't notice he has been brainwashed by this for years. For many years all are equal, all have the same opportunities and all get the same. They refuse to see that or beleive it. They hold everyone responsible for everything in their lives, from poverty, a hang nail or flunking the bar exam, they will rationalize it to be the Government acting against them or the white man.
They have so much hate built up, I guess they would if it was drilled into your brain every sunday. If a Black man gets far, they say you beat the man, not great job all your hard work paid off. It is time for them to Grow up and live in today and for today and tomorrow. To shed the hate they harbor,They are holding themselves back. Until they can accept personal responsibilty for themselves and their own lives, then they can move on. Thier pastors have enslaved their minds for to long.

OBAMA has pulled a fast one, indeed, if people think that this candy-apple speech shows us who OBAMA is on matters of race. The fact is that OBAMA failed to meet the standards that he laid out for himself in his own speech. He failed to reject the remarks of WRIGHT early on, as much as those remarks may have been an anathema to OBAMA. Instead, OBAMA sanctioned those remarks, early on, by appointing WRIGHT to a position on OBAMA's campaign, a failure in judgement on the part of OBAMA. The gushing press is now completely failing to do its duty. How much money has flowed to WRIGHT over the course of this campaign? OBAMA has now trumped the press, the press can't ask this question or they are being racially divisive, by dwelling on the politics of 'race'. The press now only has access to post-speech issues, the slate is wiped clean. You have to give it to OBAMA for outsmarting the media.

"Obama calls this hatemonger, racist, anti-american jerk his old uncle, and suddenly the bloggers in this blog becomes racist rednecks."

Some troll rednecks call a bitter old victim of white racism a "racist" and "hatemonger" and someone calls these bigots the rednecks they certainly are.

Not ironic, but apt.

All of the "white pride" folks getting yoru panties in a bunch on this blog are funny.

"OMG, how dare a black man call America racist! Let's lynch him. "

This is called oppression and suppression in my book.

Very honest. The truth hurts but he speaks the truth.

makes me wonder if farrakhan,is just another old uncle.
“Barack Obama has been very careful not to position himself as Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton as a promoter of ‘The Black Cause,’” Farrakhan said in the interview with FinalCall.com. “He has been groomed, wisely so, to be seen more as a unifier, rather than one who speaks only for the hurt of black people.”

makes me wonder if farrakhan,is just another old uncle.
“Barack Obama has been very careful not to position himself as Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton as a promoter of ‘The Black Cause,’” Farrakhan said in the interview with FinalCall.com. “He has been groomed, wisely so, to be seen more as a unifier, rather than one who speaks only for the hurt of black people.”

There is no way in the world that real Americans, patriotic Americans, especially those in the military, could ever vote for Obama as President and Commander-in-chief after his pastor's ugly and offensive words ---"God Damn America."

DAVE,
You must be one of those UPSCALE DEMOCRATS about which Chris Matthews chortles. My friend, I am a DOWNSCALE DEMOCRAT, and although I may not be a man of high means, I am relatively educated and I know hate-speak when I see it. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck..., and so on. We don't need the UPSCALE apologists bombarding us with distortions too, we get enough of that crap from the RIGHT. Go place your guilt needs on some other party.

Wow - there sure is a lot of hatemongers here. I wonder if they are the right wing nutjobs or some subset of HRC supporters - probably both.

By the way I think Jake Tapper is doing everyone at ABC News a clear disservice by repeating the Politico article (as is former ABC News employee Mark Halperin on his blog on Time) - the article quotes the opinions of three of the worst and most venomous ads of the last couple of decades: the Jesse Helms black hand ad which tapped into the kind of white anger that is no doubt real and that Obama mentioned yesterday; the Max Cleland morphed into Bin Laden ad; and the Swift Vote Vets ad: I mean these people really are the true scum of America - Jake(or Politico) should not be quoting them.