Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Harlem Gospel Singers

I’m not a supporter of Barack Obama. However, I am a Democrat and know what
he’s done for this party during the primary season. I saw his talent on TV at
the Democratic convention, which moved me and no doubt many of you. I respect
his gifts as an orator, and he’s obviously a very bright man and gifted politician.
I’ve had many issues with his campaign and the candidate over this season. However,
none are as serious as what has developed over Rev. Wright.

Barack Obama wants me and everyone else to believe that even though he and
Wright discussed distancing the reverend from the campaign at some point, that
Obama didn’t know the incendiary nature of Rev. Wright’s religious disposition.
Not just his sermons, but his religious philosophy. Larry Johnson asks Senator Obama, do
words matter? The answer through Wright is a revelation. As a woman of faith my whole life, I find what Barack Obama is
telling us about not hearing Wright’s incendiary passion incomprehensible. His interviews across cable last night were a tour
de farce.

No doubt many of his supporters are grappling with this issue, as is Gerald
Posner:

… .. But Barack now claims he never heard about any of this until after he began his run for the presidency, in February, 20007. And even if Barack is correct – and I desperately want to believe him – then it still does not explain why, when he learned in 2007 of Wright’s fringe comments about 9/11 and other subjects, the campaign did not then disassociate itself from the Reverend. Wright was not removed from the campaign’s Spiritual Advisory Committee until two days ago, and it appears likely that nothing would have been done had this story not broken nationally. Come on, Barack. I’m backing you because you are not ‘one of them.’ You have inspired me and millions of others because you are not a typical politician. You tell it like it is, don’t fudge the facts, and don’t dodge and weave with clever words to avoid uncomfortable truths. Tell it straight. Was Reverend Wright so radical that his post 9/11 comments did not cause a stir at the Church, and you never learned about them until 2007, nearly 6 years later? Why, when you did learn about them, did you not ask Revered Wright to step down from his role in your campaign? Give us the plain truth. You won’t lose us by being brutally honest. You only risk shaking our faith in you if you seem like so many other politicians that crowd the field.

I know everyone is now trying to equate Reverend Wright with McCain’s
Reverend Hagee. I’ve done so much eviscerating of right-wing preachers,
I’d be all in for it. However, Hagee hasn’t been McCain’s spiritual guru for
17 years. Hagee also never explicitly said so many hateful things about this
country. I find the man detestable, especially given his anti Catholic views.
But religious prejudice is one thing. Sounding anti-American is another, especially
when the man railing at this country is tied so closely to a man who might be
the Democratic nominee for president. Old “uncle” won’t do in a general election fight with John McCain. In fact, Wright could ignite the Republican base in a way never anticipated. Republicans have used more heinous tricks than trading on a pastor to win and his videos are 527 gold.

Reverend Wright has every right to preach as he does. No doubt he’s done a
lot in the community, tapping into the unfairness that African Americans have
lived under in this country for two hundred years. He has also served his country as a Marine. But something is missing
when I watch Wright. I’ve seen a lot of sermons. But I’ve never seen so much
hate spewed forth, especially as seen on one of the video sermons, which took place on Christmas Day. I don’t think the only disconnect is that I’m Scots-Irish and whitey white.