# Obama March 18th, 2008 Speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774 "2008-03-18T14:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/261 "2008-03-19T16:55:31Z")
Wow, what an incredible speech. Obama just won my vote. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/262 "2008-03-19T16:55:53Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I take it you’re running out of points. The problem is that it raises a question to what degree he agrees with Wright’s beliefs, your hyperbole aside. Personally, if he were my candidate (and if we didn’t have the threat of terrorism, he would be) this would undo it. [/QUOTE] Let’s assume for the moment that that there is merit to your concern. To what degree could Obama conceivably agree (in your mind) with Wright to make it a problem for you to vote for Obama in the absence of the threat of terrorism ? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/263 "2008-03-19T17:03:59Z")
The Rev. Wright may very well have been Obama’s mentor-- his _spiritual_ and _religious_ mentor. Which makes sense, the man’s a long-serving and respected pastor of a large community church. He knows the Bible, and has a way of explaining it in a way that makes sense for Sen. Obama. What makes anyone think Sen. Obama has used Rev. Wright as a political mentor? If I’m a doctor, and I’ve found a fellow doctor with lots of experience that I trust and that is able to teach me about how to be a better doctor, I’m not going to turn to him for spiritual, political or automotive advice. Sen. Obama has a relationship with his pastor; that pastor served in a largely-ceremonial role on a largely-ceremonial committee which served on this campaign’s periphery. I would wager he never gave Sen. Obama policy advice. I have had a relationship with my pastor for a while; he married my wife and me, and he’ll probably someday baptise our kids. He’s publically anti-gay marriage and gay rights; I disagree with his beliefs in that sense. Would I not be able to run as a pro-gay candidate, even if I come out and say publically “I’m for gay marriage.”? I, just as Obama has done, can seperate my political beliefs from my pastor’s while still finding spiritual guidance from him. It’s really apples and oranges. And **magellan** , you keep comparing Rev. Wright to David Duke. Now, I may have missed your answer somewhere, but you’ve been asked a few times how Duke and Wright compare? Duke’s a racist; what racist things has the Rev. Wright said? Inflamatory? Yes. Politically devisive? Yes. Un-PC? Yes. But where’s the racism? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/264 "2008-03-19T17:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Let’s assume for the moment that that there is merit to your concern. To what degree could Obama conceivably agree (in your mind) with Wright to make it a problem for you to vote for Obama in the absence of the threat of terrorism ? [/QUOTE] That’s difficult to answer. A percent would be problematic. But I do not think that the whole carry-over blame from the sixties is helpful. Quite the opposite. So any of that would turn me off. It is, I’d say, as much and attitudinal thing as it is the utterances themselves. I find myself liking Obama mightily when he’s on a talk show or in a debate. But when he hits the hustings and starts to drift into that black preacher sing-song shit, I get visions of Jesse Jackson and preachers like Wright and—see ya. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/265 "2008-03-19T17:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Someone he chose to look to for advice and guidance. [/QUOTE] In _spiritual_ matters. But then I’m not trying to vote for a pope. I haven’t seen evidence that Obama shares any of Wright’s more inflammatory secular views nor even reason to be worried about it. So far the evidence presented is “Wright said this and Obama went there so we need to be worried that Obama believes it”. I’m more concerned with what _Obama_ (the guy I’d vote for) has said and shown than I am with what Wright has said. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/266 "2008-03-19T17:10:24Z")
I am not the Obama demographic. I am white bread through and through. I did not grow up poor, I did not grow up disadavantaged. I generally believe in less government. I am voting for Obama and his association with Wright does not worry me in the slightest. I admire Obama for repudiating the comments, repudiating the ideas, but not repudiating the man himself. The message was clear, we cannot ignore race, we cannot pretend that everyhting is fine. Nor can we define everyhting by race and let absolutes, like the ones Rev. Wright espouses , keep us from recognizing the path we have made and the path we need to continue on. That was the message, that was honest. I admire Obama for his vision, his judgemennt and his intellect and that speech was all of those. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/267 "2008-03-19T17:12:36Z")
What is “black preacher sing song shit,” when has Obama done it and why do you have such a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/268 "2008-03-19T17:12:56Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] And **magellan** , you keep comparing Rev. Wright to David Duke. Now, I may have missed your answer somewhere, but you’ve been asked a few times how Duke and Wright compare? Duke’s a racist; what racist things has the Rev. Wright said? Inflamatory? Yes. Politically devisive? Yes. Un-PC? Yes. But where’s the racism? [/QUOTE] I’m not going to go scour Wright’s words for things that are so unambiguously racist that the crowd here will agree. But he needn’t be a racist at all for my analogy to hold up. Someone saw me bringing up Duke and thought, oh Duke = Racist, so he must be calling Wright a racist. That’s faulty thinking. I brought up Duke as an example that most people would agree could not stand at the elbow of a presidential candidate and have it be okay. His utterances over the years have made him a highly divisive figure. Ditto for Wright. The particular reason each of them is divisive was not the point. I invite you to go back and look at the original exchange. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/269 "2008-03-19T17:14:29Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel] In _spiritual_ matters. But then I’m not trying to vote for a pope. I haven’t seen evidence that Obama shares any of Wright’s more inflammatory secular views nor even reason to be worried about it. So far the evidence presented is “Wright said this and Obama went there so we need to be worried that Obama believes it”. I’m more concerned with what _Obama_ (the guy I’d vote for) has said and shown than I am with what Wright has said. [/QUOTE] I think you should be more concerned about what Obama says. I don’t think one should be unconcerned about the other though. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/270 "2008-03-19T17:19:33Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] What is “black preacher sing song shit,” when has Obama done it and why do you have such a problem with it. [/QUOTE] Surely you know what a “black preacher” is. Surely you know what “sing-song” is when applied to speech making. Or you could divine it with a modicum of effort, especially if you’ve ever heard preachers like Jackson speak, which I mentioned. And I’ll just assume you know what “shit” is. This being the GD, I’ll leave it there. I don’t like it because it reminds me of Jackson and preachers of his ilk. Which should have been clear. Then. Doubly so now. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/271 "2008-03-19T17:21:25Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I’m not going to go scour Wright’s words for things that are so unambiguously racist that the crowd here will agree. But he needn’t be a racist at all for my analogy to hold up. Someone saw me bringing up Duke and thought, oh Duke = Racist, so he must be calling Wright a racist. That’s faulty thinking. I brought up Duke as an example that most people would agree could not stand at the elbow of a presidential candidate and have it be okay. His utterances over the years have made him a highly divisive figure. Ditto for Wright. The particular reason each of them is divisive was not the point. I invite you to go back and look at the original exchange. [/QUOTE] So basically you’re admitting that Wright hasn’t said anything racist. That being the case, your equivalency doesn’t hold up. Wright has not expressed anything comparatively hateful or offensive to David Duke’s racism. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/272 "2008-03-19T17:22:25Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Surely you know what a “black preacher” is. Surely you know what “sing-song” is when applied to speech making. Or you could divine it with a modicum of effort, especially if you’ve ever heard preachers like Jackson speak, which I mentioned. And I’ll just assume you know what “shit” is. This being the GD, I’ll leave it there. I don’t like it because it reminds me of Jackson and preachers of his ilk. Which should have been clear. Then. Doubly so now. [/QUOTE] Ahh, I understand where you’re coming from now. Arguing with you is moot. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/273 "2008-03-19T17:23:12Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Surely you know what a “black preacher” is. Surely you know what “sing-song” is when applied to speech making. Or you could divine it with a modicum of effort, especially if you’ve ever heard preachers like Jackson speak, which I mentioned. And I’ll just assume you know what “shit” is. This being the GD, I’ll leave it there. I don’t like it because it reminds me of Jackson and preachers of his ilk. Which should have been clear. Then. Doubly so now. [/QUOTE] But Obama never speaks with those kinds of cadences. I think you’re imagining things. ETA, but even if he did speak with those kinds of cadences (which he does not), why is that automatically a bad thing? Saying it reminds you of Jackson and Sharpton is not an answer because that only addresses a (completely imaginary on your part) similarity of style, not substance. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/274 "2008-03-19T17:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] Surely you know what a “black preacher” is. Surely you know what “sing-song” is when applied to speech making. Or you could divine it with a modicum of effort, especially if you’ve ever heard preachers like Jackson speak, which I mentioned. And I’ll just assume you know what “shit” is. This being the GD, I’ll leave it there. I don’t like it because it reminds me of Jackson and preachers of his ilk. Which should have been clear. Then. Doubly so now. [/QUOTE] You mean like how MLK enunciated “dream” when he said “I have a dream”? Or the “free at last” part at the end? Is that the kind of thing that troubles you so? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/275 "2008-03-19T17:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] I take it you’re running out of points. [/QUOTE] No, only running out of a desire to argue against someone who’d try to sling shit at Jesus if he ran as a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/276 "2008-03-19T17:55:31Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] As unlikely and disappointing as I find hearing Obama asking us to believe that a man who may very well be the next POTUS spent all this time with this man in church and in private and was unaware of his most incendiary beliefs. Sorry, that asks too much. [/quote] I’ll repeat here what I said in another thread on this; I have known my own father for 46 years. I lived under the same roof as him for 21 of those years. He raised me for a significant portion of my life in an extremely racially mixed neighborhood. We have had plenty of opportunity to discuss religion, politics and all sorts of subjects over the full course of my lifetime. I submit that there is hardly anyone on the planet who would have had more influence on me in my lifetime, both spiritually and politically. I was 43 years old before I _ever_ heard him utter a racially charged remark. **Forty-three years** having “spent all this time with this man in synagogue and in private and was unaware of his most incendiary beliefs.” That you _choose_ not to accept Barack Obama at his word is more telling about you and how _you_ view the world and humanity, than about Barack Obama and who he chooses as a mentor. He is clearly more open-minded and forgiving than you could ever hope to be until you abandon your cynicism and embrace hope. Why don’t you join us in letting go of the past, forgiving imperfect men of their foibles and working together towards a better future, where people don’t have to be perfect to be good? ---
**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/277 "2008-03-19T17:59:57Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] …most people would agree could not stand at the elbow of a presidential candidate and have it be okay. … [/QUOTE] Unless you think that Obama shares the political views of Wright, then what do you mean by “have it be okay?” If you think he shares the views of Wright, just watch the speech–he explains it in patient and thorough terms. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/278 "2008-03-19T18:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] That’s difficult to answer. A percent would be problematic. . [/QUOTE] Your reponse floored me. 1% is a problem for you? It suggests that there is no racism left in America in your world assuming you care. That all the issues African Americans have with respect to society are without foundation, if you care. It suggests at a minimum that even faith (heavily preached by Wright) is a problem for you which leads to a contradiction in your support for McCain. Can you explain that ? ---
**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:** [March 19, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/279 "2008-03-19T18:39:12Z")
[QUOTE=Flipshod] Well then, I guess he hit the mark. Of course, he gave this speech for the whole nation, not just white voters in PA. [/QUOTE] I had to really flip through the AM dial to find any dissing of it. Even conservative rags give a begrudging good grade with obligatory critiques of what they feel it does not address. But the voters of Pennsylvania, who may be influenced a bit easily by the politics of racial divisiveness, are a more immediate demographic concern than the whole nation. Supers also are a more pressing issue. And trying to neutralize this subject in the mainstream media before it gets to the point of the general and the nation as a whole after that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/280 "2008-03-19T18:51:00Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] I had to really flip through the AM dial to find any dissing of it. [/QUOTE] I really don’t think you’re looking hard enough then. Fortunately, [some of our media outlets are still able to approach these subjects critically.](http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4480868&page=1) > [@](#): > > Buried in his eloquent, highly praised speech on America’s racial divide, Sen. Barack Obama contradicted more than a year of denials and spin from him and his staff about his knowledge of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons. > > Similarly, Obama also has only recently given a much fuller accounting of his relationship with indicted political fixer Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a longtime friend, who his campaign once described as just one of “thousands of donors.” > > Until yesterday, Obama said the only thing controversial he knew about Rev. Wright was his stand on issues relating to Africa, abortion and gay marriage. > > …His initial reaction to the initial ABC News broadcast of Rev. Wright’s sermons denouncing the U.S. was that he had never heard his pastor of 20 years make any comments that were anti-U.S. until the tape was played on air. > > But yesterday, he told a different story. > > “Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes,” he said in his speech yesterday in Philadelphia. > > …In the case of his relationship with Rezko, Obama has also been slow to acknowledge the full extent of his relationship. > > It was only last week that he revealed Rezko had raised some $250,000 in campaign contributions for him. > > The campaign had initially claimed Rezko-connected contributions were no more than $60,000, an amount the campaign donated to charity. Then the figure grew to around $86,000, and there were additional revelations that put the amount at about $150,000. Obama’s $250,000 accounting was a substantial jump and clearly contradicted earlier campaign statements that Rezko was just one of “thousands of donors.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774.md?page=15)