I already answered this. Hell, you answered it yourself. Imus was a shock jock, but the comment that cost him his job crossed a line. Obama never called him out for anything he might have said previously, even though it may have been controversial or even offensive. It was only the nappy-headed comment that got everyone upset.
Similarly, Wright was a hellfire preacher. His sermons throughout his career may have been controversial or even offensive, but nothing that required denouncing. It was only these latest God Damn America rants that crossed a line and forced Obama to call him out.
In neither case is anyone insisting (except for the extremists) that being fired or let go makes the ‘offender’ less of a person. Nobody demanded that Imus be separated from his family or executed, and I doubt Obama would claim that Imus is even a bad person. But for some reason, it’s unthinkable that Obama should continue his personal relationship with Wright even though he cut off the professional relationship.
Again: Imus had a history of controversial statements. The last one got him fired. Wright had a history of controversial sermons. The last one got him fired. Why didn’t Obama deliver a stirring speech in defense of Imus at the time? Probably because there was nobody calling for him to do so, and who would have expected him to anyway?
I don’t think it’s that simple. He knew enough of Wright’s controversial remarks to uninvite him from speaking at his presidential announcement but still added him to his campaign staff. When these particular clips got publicity he did not cut him loose immediately and , in the interview I saw, wouldn’t say whether Wright volunteered to leave or whether he was asked to go. If Obama had said
“I find the Imus comment insulting and reprehensible but I don’t really know the man and don’t want to judge him based on one comment” I would have found that consistent.
Either way, I asked a question and you answered. You don’t see it as hypocritical. I do. I support Obama but realistically I expect any candidate to make some mistakes in juggling everything. This is a minor thing.
That’s your take on it. I don’t agree. Although Obama denounced those particular comments he did not immediately let Wright go from his campaign and it was never clear that Wright was asked to leave.
I watched extended clips of those particular sermons and within the context of the sermon subject matter and the words before and after those clips aren’t nearly as alarming or shocking. Going to that church Obama knew the man and although they didn’t agree on everything he overlooked his controversial remarks and put him on his staff. Interestingly he did decide not to let him speak at his presidential announcement. Obama and his campaign knew before adding Wright to the staff that his rhetoric might be an issue. They were correct. I think Wright left the campaign for political expediency not because Obama disagreed from a moral or ethical point. Otherwise he would have been gone days earlier.
I did a little reading about black liberation theology and although I don’t identify with it I think I understand. Having gone to the church and heard Wright, Obama understood it but at the point of controversy he couldn’t really start explaining it to the general public. I think he handled it well with courage and intelligence. If he made a mistake it may have been to put Wright on his staff at all after anticpating trouble.
Yeah, I’m wondering why you brought it up. I never suggested he defend Imus in any way. We can’t accurately say Wright got fired either can we? My question is why didn’t Obama recognize that one or more over the top comments do not define a person and refrain from calling for Imus to be fired, since technically, it wasn’t his business anyway.
I do see your point and it is a valid one. I just think given his experience with Wright he was a little quick to call for Imus to be let go and comparing the two situations it smacks a bit of hypocrisy to me. He was quick to condemn the Imus statement but willing to defend and pardon Wright.
He also condemned Wright’s statements as well. He specifically said as much. He condemned the statements, but wanted to make it clear he was not condemning the man.
We all know how the Republican controlled Florida legislature basically forced the Florida Dems to vote for moving up the election by attaching it to a bill they couldn’t vote against about creatinga paper trail during voting.
This may very well be part of the evidence that was reviewed in determining whether or not the Florida Democrats really and truly tried to fight the majority, but were railroaded, which, had that contention been supported, would have allowed them to avoid the sanctions. I posted about this previously.
Also of interesting note; Hillary mouthpiece, Harold Ickes, was on the Rules Committee that voted to strip Florida (and Michigan) of their delegates. Which, by the way, was a separate issue entirely from the much later agreement that the candidates not campaign in either state. Cite.
Two weeks earlier, they had Clinton up by 26 in PA. Does anyone really think there’s been anything close to a 28-point swing in the preferences of Pennsylvania Democrats? Me either.
The one thing we can say is that, together with the changes in the Rasmussen and Survey USA polls, it’s clear that the movement in PA is all Obama’s way right now.
It’d still be quite the upset if he won PA, though.
So at first she imagined herself as Rambo and now Rocky. What can you say, she’s got a thing for Sly Stallone. Makes sense, another self-absorbed personality whose time has past but who hasn’t yet realized it. Giving a statue of yourself to a city? Yeah, I can see her doing that too.
Of course. Personal loyalty is more important than any other value. Certainly more important than loyalty to your country. Honest opinions about what is best for the country must be suppressed if it conflicts with personal loyalty. So saith the sage Carville.
By the numbers at RealClearPolitics, there are only 326 remaining uncommitted superdelegates. Hillary would have to get a ridiculously large majority of them to catch Barack. Using current numbers, she would need to convince 229 of them to go with her - 70% of the available superdelegates - to bring her up to his delegate total.
Correct. He condemned those specific remarks and Wright left his campaign eventually. He wasn’t fired by Obama even though Obama called for Imus to be fired and specifically said if anyone in his campaign said anything like that they’d be let go.
It’s a minor side issue anyway and I was only curious about the views of other Obama supporters. Evidently nobody but you even cares to respond. I appreciate your take on it even though I don’t agree.
Interesting point about that series of digs: I watched a clip of it on the news, and when she made that crack about the gutter, the reaction wasn’t guffaws; it was scattered gasps and nervous titters. She didn’t get much of a laugh at the “April Fool’s” (Hey! I was just kidding!) ending either, and she had the look on her face, the tightness in her voice, of a comedian who knows the routine is bombing.
The same campaign roundup segment showed Obama at a rally speaking warmly of Clinton, stating that the continued race is good for the party, and (without any hint of condescension) repeating what he’s already said, that she should stay in the race as long as she wants.
Obama supporter here. I think Obama has handled the Write flap admirably. I also think he was wrong to call for Imus’s resignation. I think it does show a double standard, but now that he’s been on the other side of such a controversy, and a friend of his was involved, I would like to think he would view the Imus situation differently.
Also, I think Obama knew that Imus was more than just a sound bite machine. He had appeared on the program several times before, and I assume they were having (somewhat) serious political discussions.
Either way, Obama needs to be ready to address this disparity. I can see it coming up in a debate in the general.
Yes I saw that PPP Poll that has Obama up by a couple.
A man can dream, right?
While I don’t think that it’s likely that Obama will win PA, man it sure would be nice. It’s very good to see Obama doing some retail politics again. I feel that is the main reason he does so well in Iowa in the general. I think he comes off so well in person that it’s so disarming compared to what people say of him.
Hopefully we’ll get some of the old-school, Obama coming back from behind business like we saw all throughout the entire process that seems to have been stunted before Texas and Ohio. In the end, all of this retail politicking could be good for Obama. Hopefully it will help him out in the general in PA. Say what you will about McCain, but he hasn’t campaigned nearly as much as Obama has this year. Hell, Obama will probably have been to nearly every state save Alaska and HI. I guess he didn’t go to Arkansas, and maybe he won’t go to MO, but who knows…
Good to see that this might not be a depressing three-week wait for a heavy loss.
And I see no disparity whatsoever. I think there’s a gulf of a difference between railing against perceived injustices committed by one group against another, even using racially charged language, versus lewdly calling a specific group of young ladies a very ugly name based on their specific race.
“G-d Damn America” doesn’t even rise to 10 levels below “That’s some nappy-headed hos there. . .”
Sorry, not even in the same universe, let alone the same league.
It might have been a lame routine but it was a joke routine.
I mention this because my local FOX affiliate’s take last night was “Clinton speaks out about Obama!” with a bite of her saying “Obama needs to get his campaign out of the gutter” and no mention of it being a joke :rolleyes:
I know there’s a difference between FOX cable news and the local affiliates.
