# Obama forcefully denounces Wright **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 29, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403 "2008-04-29T23:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/1 "2008-04-29T23:06:44Z")
It’s all over the news and YouTube, so no links are necessary. Obama was lucid and livid as he unequivocally repudiated Rev Wright, divorcing himself completely from this nut case. At the press conference, he was eloquent and presidential. I think Obama has benefited serendipitously from this whole Wright mess. (One reporter opined that he may even get some Hillary-esque sympathy from white women for having to endure the disrespect his pastor heaped on him.) ETA: The debate is whether you agree that he handled this well after all. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/2 "2008-04-29T23:09:18Z")
I’m impressed, but I have to ask, how will this look in light of the Philadelphia speech (“I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother…”)? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/3 "2008-04-29T23:18:27Z")
Rev. Wright refused to let his 15 minutes end. Obama was gracious in the earlier speech and wanted to put the matter to bed. Rev. Wright didn’t want out of the spotlight. Dictionary definition. Rev. Wright: See Cindy Sheehan. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/4 "2008-04-29T23:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I’m impressed, but I have to ask, how will this look in light of the Philadelphia speech (“I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother…”)? [/QUOTE] He did it by carefully distinguishing the man he once knew from the man that has emerged. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/5 "2008-04-29T23:27:58Z")
In political terms, I think we just saw that Obama cannot just land a punch but deliver one as well. And if he can do that to a brother who stabbed him the back…well, fair warning Hillary, McCain and the MSM. [**Against All Odds**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086859/)\*. Barack in '08…and on. Enough of this “with us or against us” crapola. Respect our differences and work together. It’s really the only way. \*A fave of this simple-minded socialdemocrat. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/6 "2008-04-29T23:28:41Z")
The MSM will praise Obama to no end. The intellectually honest media will point out that Obama should have known (and probably did) that Wright was extreme all along. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/7 "2008-04-29T23:29:30Z")
The difference is and I hope people read into this the right way, but the difference is Obama did not give his speech about race _ **because** _ of Rev. Wright. He had intended to give that speech at some point in his campaign. The difference is Wright decided to be an over cooked ham and grab the spotlight at the ass-wrong time. And Obama got understandibly angry at Wright, and rightly so - this shows that Wright was exactly what Obama said he was - a spiritual advisor but not Obama’s God. I mean Obama probably did have a good relationship with him, but that doesn’t mean the good reverend can’t piss Obama off, and he obviously did. Good job on Obama’s part to snag some spotlight for himself for a change. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/8 "2008-04-29T23:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] See Cindy Sheehan. [/QUOTE] There is a big difference (although I think Wright is as wrong and he can be, the attention-whore); as unhinged as she seemed later on in her quest, she was meaning to hurt anyone who did not deserve it. Wright believes God gonna judge him? And how! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/9 "2008-04-29T23:32:09Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I’m impressed, but I have to ask, how will this look in light of the Philadelphia speech (“I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother…”)? [/QUOTE] I’ve made similar comments about some friends in the past and it was true as things stood (even though they had caused me trouble). But there are limits. If that same friend keeps dicking you over then there is nothing to be done but sever the relationship and move on. I’m actually miffed at Reverend Wright. My sense is most politicians today would have thrown him under the proverbial bus to avoid any bad press. Obama however stood by him even though he disagreed with him. That is fine, we all know people we care about and respect who we do not agree with. Obama seems pretty clear in what he is about yet Rev. Wright just kept up with his rants. One would suppose Rev. Wright would have wanted to see Obama in the White House. Instead he seemed to not give a crap about Obama and tried to seize the spotlight for himself. To me that equates to a Grade-A prick. If Rev. Wright hoped for meaningful changes that he has ranted about most of his adult life it seems to me having a friend in the White House is about as good as it can get. He squandered all that for personal aggrandizement it seems to me. I’m sorry it came to this but better the true colors show now and Obama can make a clean break. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/10 "2008-04-29T23:39:19Z")
[QUOTE=What the … !!!] The MSM will praise Obama to no end. The intellectually honest media will point out that Obama should have known (and probably did) that Wright was extreme all along. [/QUOTE] What do you mean “was extreme all alonmg”? Do you mean since Obama first starting going to the church, or do you mean just recently? Because, and I apologize as I don’t have a cite, I am under the impression, not just from Obama, but others in the congregation, that Rev Wright has gone off the rails fairly recently. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/11 "2008-04-29T23:39:22Z")
Look slike we’re all on about the same page thus far 😃 simulposts! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/12 "2008-04-29T23:55:33Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] One would suppose Rev. Wright would have wanted to see Obama in the White House. Instead he seemed to not give a crap about Obama and tried to seize the spotlight for himself. To me that equates to a Grade-A prick. If Rev. Wright hoped for meaningful changes that he has ranted about most of his adult life it seems to me having a friend in the White House is about as good as it can get. He squandered all that for personal aggrandizement it seems to me. [/QUOTE] Actually, [this theory](http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/04/29/wright-s-intentional-monkey-wrenching.aspx) makes a lot of sense (especially in light of Al Sharpton’s recent criticisms of Obama as well): > [@](#): > > Chris and I were debating this Jeremiah Wright business over dinner last night. He thinks the good reverend is just some egomaniacal publicity hound wallowing in the spotlight like David Vitter in a bowl of hookers. This is the most national attention Wright has ever gotten, and, by god, he intends to milk it for all it’s worth–even if that means destroying Obama’s shot at the White House. > > I, too, think Wright is digging center stage. But I also suspect he specifically wants to tank Obama’s candidacy. I mean, this is a man who has spent a fair portion of his career spreading the message that blacks cannot get a fair shake in this country; that America was, is, and always will be fundamentally racist; that the U.S. government in particular has it in for blacks. So what happens to all that if suddenly a black man–and not just any black man, but one who has been counseled by Wright and so cannot be dismissed as some pathetic Uncle Tom–is elected president? With Obama in office, it suddenly becomes much harder for Wright to rage against the evil of America in general and the government in particular. Certainly, he’d have a harder time spinning new tales along the lines of AIDs was a government creation aimed at wiping out the black race. > > But if Obama loses, Wright’s ugly vision of America is confirmed yet again, and so he can keep on fighting the good fight at even greater volume and with even uglier rhetoric. How nice for him. How sad for the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/13 "2008-04-29T23:56:43Z")
Gangster Octopus, I’d like to hear more about the ‘recently’ bit. I’m not screaming cite, I’ll take anecdote. Also, for history’s sake, > **[Obama 'outraged' by Wright's remarks - CNN.com](https://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/29/obama.wright/index.html)** > > Sen. Barack Obama said he is "outraged" by comments his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made Monday at the National Press Club and is "saddened by the spectacle." Obama on Wright. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/14 "2008-04-29T23:57:45Z")
[QUOTE=What the … !!!] The MSM will praise Obama to no end. [/QUOTE] Wait a minute! I thought the MSM was praising Hillary for her grand comeback with her “win” in Texas and “double-digit” victory in Pennsylvania! Come on, MSM, pick a side already! It’s worse than the East Coast Media Bias favoring USC in college football. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/15 "2008-04-29T23:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Actually, [this theory](http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/04/29/wright-s-intentional-monkey-wrenching.aspx) makes a lot of sense (especially in light of Al Sharpton’s recent criticisms of Obama as well): [/QUOTE] I don’t know if I buy into any of that article - I don’t think Wright wants Obama’s candidacy to fail, I think he wanted to be in a higher light than he is in, but I doubt he wanted Obama to fail. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/16 "2008-04-30T00:01:24Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] I don’t know if I buy into any of that article - I don’t think Wright wants Obama’s candidacy to fail, I think he wanted to be in a higher light than he is in, but I doubt he wanted Obama to fail. [/QUOTE] I’m reluctant to think that too, but for someone as obviously intelligent as Rev. Wright is to not know that he needs to lay low right now, and especially not make the comments he’s been making in the last few day, says, even if he doesn’t want Obama’s candidacy to fail, his need for the spotlight and for glory makes him not care if it does. And, as you may remember, I initlally supported his appearance on _Bill Moyers_. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/17 "2008-04-30T00:07:21Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] I’m reluctant to think that too, but for someone as obviously intelligent as Rev. Wright is to not know that he needs to lay low right now, and especially not make the comments he’s been making in the last few day, says, even if he doesn’t want Obama’s candidacy to fail, his need for the spotlight and for glory makes him not care if it does. And, as you may remember, I initlally supported his appearance on _Bill Moyers_. [/QUOTE] His initial appearance on Moyers was fine IMHO. It’s his latest foolery that makes him look like a mediawhore. I agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/18 "2008-04-30T00:08:18Z")
[John Cole of Balloon Juice](http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=10235): > [@](#): > > maybe I just refuse to spend any more time and energy getting worked up over and denouncing, distancing, and rejecting the wrong people — people who really don’t matter in the big scheme of things. If you have a memo from Jeremiah Wright to John Yoo showing how we should become a rogue nation, let me know. If you have pictures of Jeremiah Wright voting against the GI Bill, send it to me. If you have evidence of Jeremiah Wright training junior soldiers on the finer aspects of stacking and torturing naked Iraqi captives, pass them on. > > Until then, I just can’t seem to get all worked up about the crazy scary black preacher that Obama has to “throw under the bus.” What he said. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/19 "2008-04-30T00:10:17Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] What do you mean “was extreme all alonmg”? Do you mean since Obama first starting going to the church, or do you mean just recently? Because, and I apologize as I don’t have a cite, I am under the impression, not just from Obama, but others in the congregation, that Rev Wright has gone off the rails fairly recently. [/QUOTE] I guess it depends on how you define recently. I think the “Goddamn America” sermon was from 2002. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403/20 "2008-04-30T00:10:21Z")
Sometimes [Rove](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/29/rove-tells-obama-how-to-win/) is right. > [@](#): > > Rove also suggests Obama sharpen his repudiation of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons From his mouth it went direct to Obama’s ears. And you know something? The rest of his points were on target too. Right now it seems like Wright wants to throw _Obama_ under the bus. And he has a chance of succeeding too. Obama would be wise to follow Rove’s advice across the board this time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-forcefully-denounces-wright/447403.md?page=2)