Philadelphia Feeling

leigh, pittsburgh, totally agree with you re cnn and msnbc - have them on boycott for a month now. you are lucky that your local papers give you info - mine is just like msnbc. so i just read the sports page and come to the net for news. need to get around to cancelling the paper.

and, yes, the fawners are almost as bad as their golden boy. i used to be able to occasionally look at them for purposes of humor, but now can't stand the sight of them. same for obama, just click away when he or one of his apologists come on the air.

i think we all know that if the media had covered obama in an objective way, he would've never gotten this far. and if they had covered him in the rabid way they cover hillary, he would've folded his tent long ago. but they have not and will not. and now that they've invested so much of their own "credibility" into him, they are stuck in a trap and have to continue praising him to the high heavens in a (futile) attempt to justify their own pandering.

i so miss the days of murrow, etc., but they are gone.

re obama and his speech, like so many who can't stand the sight of him, i just read the transcript. predictable damage control stuff. not buying it. can't undo 20 years with a speech.

mlk wasn't doing his speeches to cover his own behind, he was doing them for the good of others - quite a different matter. loved mlk, cried when he was killed. same for bobby and john. obama is no mlk, bobby, or john.

Words are indeed powerful. Wright's sermons are still more powerful than the speech given today by Obama. You cannot erase 20 yrs of feeding into this divisive messages and call yourself a uniter overnight. If he was a TRUE uniter who cares deeply about his friend, mentor or adviser, then he could've changed Wright's views or at least convinced him to tone down his divisive speeches - as he himself admits that it is not helping the situation. Instead, he allowed this man to keep giving inflammatory speeches, cultivating more anger and animosity among African Americans. The only explanation I can think of is, he believes and feels the same way about America.

I knew this would be the speech. The people who are black haved suffered because of the older generations and ancestors; so all you white people should feel ashamed and guilty and be better people. You can do that if you elect ME. Because I am not a racist, I just know a lot of them. Thank you, Obama.

marie - I agree. His disrespect for women shows in his condescending nature and his failure to be with his mother when she was dying. His obvious bias against non-whites shows in his need to be a part of the "black community" that he gives as a reason for joining TUCC. As was stated by a black Chicago political analyst the other day in an interview, (paraphrase) he had a choice of numerous other congregations to join in Chicago, yet he chose the one that is the most divisive.

Jackson said "I think he bared his soul"... so he has to read wht his soul is off piece of paper about an issue that is supposedly one of struggle and great importance all his life and the most pivotal moment in his campaign? NAH... not buying it!

Obama said that "we" are speculating that all white males will vote for McCain regardless of his policies. He basically called any white man who votes for McCain a racist. Nothing said about his black supporters and their motive.

LoisT wrote:

"LET'S BE REAL! PLEASE BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!
EVERYONE on this blog have family members, associates (friends) that makes or have made racial statements that you laughed at or dealt with. YOU DID NOT REALLY DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THAT PERSON!"

Lois,

First, I have NOTHING IN MY BACKGROUND THAT EVEN APPROACHES THE LEVEL OF HATE SPEWED BY REV. WRIGHT. IN FACT, I HAVE NEVER EVEN WITNESSED ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THAT VITRIOL.

Second, Rev. Wright is not Obama's family. He has a family both black and white. If you read his books (I have only skimmed them), you will see that he never forgot, as he reminded us today. the words of his white gramdmother he deemed racist. Though it was his white mother and white grandparents who shouldered the full brunt of his upbringing, you rarely hear of a thank you. If you look further you will even see that he did not go to his mother's bedside when she was dying. He muses that he did not know she was that sick. Hello. she was dying of ovarian cancer. That was no secret.

Upshot: Obama is a man of great oratorical gifts and many other talents. However, when I look at him I see a man still struggling with his racial identity; a man, in the words of his sister, Maya, who walks between two worlds; a man who harbors, but does not face, great resentment toward non-blacks. Thus, his loyalty and embracement of Rev Wright are understandable.

How can anyone say that a man who stands at a podium and reads the words while looking down for most of the speech is a good speaker? No wonder he and McCain both use teleprompters. Why did he not "speak from the heart"? Certainly a person running for President who has been thinking about this speech for some time per his own campaign (which makes me wonder if they didnt plan the delivery by deliberately enticing scandal) should have been able to exhibit adequate public speaking skills. He is an Ivy League graduate for goodness sakes! Keeping the sound muted and watching the captioning really brings out the insincerity.

Hmm...So it's OK to speak about race--as long as it's a black person doing the talking?

I don't think so Obama.

I'm white and middle class ( whatever that means)and I thought the speech was eloquent and honest. Senator Obama opened up an honest discussion for people of every color..I think now the question is do we talk about the racism part of things- the something shiny the media has been trying to shift our focus to, or do we talk about the issues that affect people of every color throughout the country, everyday..you know gas prices, foreclosures,..that pesky war.... I for one am ready to hear both of them talk about those things again.

I wonder how this will play with PA voters? Most of whom are white and middle class?

Terrific speech. I don't see any way Clinton or McCain can top this. We'll see what the polls say later, but I'd say Obama knocked this one out of the park.

marie - he has always been condescending and sexist... why should we expect him to change now?

"The speech will address not just Wright's comments, but the context of that kind of fiery rhetoric in black churches, and the importance of moving beyond the battles of the past."
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Well, he just went on and on, and the applause from the invited audience seemed delayed and overlong. On the news channels, commentators were there to pump up the appearance in advance, and to say not a discouraging word afterwards, but it was flat and unconvincing.

Commander Guy

If you want to be cynical and unappreciative like Michelle Obama, or evasive like Obama I cant help you....after you will vote your conscience....the one thing among many that isnt straight.

Apparently Obama doesnt know the constitution or JFK's principles. Holding true to Jefferson's doctrine, the separation of church and state must be absolute. JFK envisioned an America that honored held that wall. Churches are not allowed to violate law by endorsing or campaigning for a politician in church. Obama had a duty as a Senator, lawyer, and a member to advise them not to break the law. Not only did he not advise them correctly, he and his campaign staff participated in it. Unfortunately, the IRS case is going to take years to complete as usual. On the content of the sermons, the right of free speech is still subject to our laws. Hate speech that incites riots, etc. is not allowed. Defamation of character with libel and slander is not allowed. Speeches that incite the overthrow of the government can be interpreted as sedition. It is time we hold our current agents accountable and tell them to do their jobs. We need a President who will restore the constitution to its place of guidance in our governing principles.

LET'S BE REAL! PLEASE BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!
EVERYONE on this blog have family members, associates (friends) that makes or have made racial statements that you laughed at or dealt with. YOU DID NOT REALLY DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THAT PERSON! Even if you were the ONLY person that heard it. CATHOLICS have not distanced themselves from the SEXUAL IMMORALITIES OF THEIR PRIESTS, there are other ministers WHO HAVE HAD AFFAIRS in the denomiation churches and have not distanced themselves from the CHURCH. There were ministers after 9/11 and after Mr. Moore's movie regarding the knowledge of 9/11. There were so many AMERICANS who spent their opinions of hatred toward American government and pastors such as Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Jeremiah Wright, etc., blasted America's government and stated that AMerica is judged, damned because of either the sin or leadership at the helm of the country. They have called Bush the antichrist, racist, etc.. As a child that was brought up during the Civil Rights Movement, years after years, I have heard racial statements from my mother, father(who served his country in the US Army for 32 years) grandfather(who served the Caucasian as a cook travelling from one house to another), brothers (who served from 5 - 32 years in the US Armed Forces), sisters (who experienced hatred slurs from Caucasians while cleaning their houses and cooking in their businesses, aunts (who experienced hatred slurs from Caucasians while working in their businesses, uncles, nieces, nephews and neighbors and teachers, etc., have made statements reflecting their views, experiences, and hurts from what they have encounted from Caucasians. YOU MUST BE STUPID, IGNORANT AND BLIND IF THESE PEOPLE can easily push pass these experiences. Most have written them, most have harbored them in their hearts and lives have been altered. If this was Rod Parsley or John Hagee, it would not be intensified or blogged so much. All of the priests that committed the high level of SEXUAL IMMORALITY against CHILDREN WERE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON DECENT. Take that and run with it! GOD HAVE JUDGED AND WILL JUDGE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS!

MattOhio - Changed my mind. Keep on typing dood. The more you type and the faster you post, the better. You got this nailed man. Don't be shy.

TELL THE WORLD.

Commaner Guy

If you cant understand those words...it is your problem....dont condone racist victim behavior(Obama's)

As an addendum to my previous post and perhaps the most important point:

Obama presents himself as the only vehicle to achieve health care and jobs and racial harmony and on and on. He presents a choice between John McCain and himself.

Shoudn't someone tell him that Hillary Clinton is still in the race? The audacity of his belief that he is the ONLY answer and the ONLY way infuriates me.