# Obama, Rev. Wright & the cynic in me... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 29, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400 "2008-04-29T22:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/21 "2008-05-01T02:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] That Wright would want Obama to lose is deeply cynical but possible although I would find it more likely that Wright would only think that way unconsciously. If he intentionally sought that then he is actually an evil man standing in the way of (possible) reform that would help the very people he has supposedly spent his life trying to help. [/QUOTE] Not if he thought that none of those changes could actually happen, no matter who was president. If he thought that actual change was beyond anything Obama would be able/allowed to accomplish, it might make more sense for him to reinforce the idea that those reforms can’t happen, so that people won’t give up working for them, so they won’t lose sight of what’s needed. Now personally, I’m more inclined to think it’s just all about him getting in the last word, as it were. He’s in the spotlight and he intends to stay there as long as it takes to vindicate or justify himself. People are saying bad things about him and he’s not going to take that sitting down. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/22 "2008-05-01T02:46:17Z")
Even in the Bill Moyers interview, I thought there was a touch of malice and vindictiveness, just a hint, when he said that line about Obama having to say what he did as a politician. I got a bad vibe from it in an otherwise highly sympathetic interview. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/23 "2008-05-01T04:04:59Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] Even in the Bill Moyers interview, I thought there was a touch of malice and vindictiveness, just a hint, when he said that line about Obama having to say what he did as a politician. I got a bad vibe from it in an otherwise highly sympathetic interview. [/QUOTE] I’m sorry to say I missed that interview and hope to get a chance to see it soon. What I am surprised about (and note I have zero evidence for one way or another) is a seeming lack of communication between Rev. Wright and Obama and/or Obama’s campaign. One would think, given the relationship Obama described, that Obama would have talked to Wright before the initial speech. Something along the lines of, “Here’s what I’m going to say” and then get a feel for how Wright was with it. That does not mean Obama would modify the speech much but that there were no surprises, no blindsiding, between two people who presumably had good regard for each other. Likewise I would have thought Wright, before his press club speech, would have given a heads-up to Obama. A bit of communication between them I would think could have defused much of this circus. Sadly that either didn’t happen or they both strongly disagreed with each other and charted their own course and at the very least a long term friendship is ended and that is always sad. ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/24 "2008-05-01T14:23:16Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] One would think, given the relationship Obama described, that Obama would have talked to Wright before the initial speech. Something along the lines of, “Here’s what I’m going to say” and then get a feel for how Wright was with it. That does not mean Obama would modify the speech much but that there were no surprises, no blindsiding, between two people who presumably had good regard for each other. [/QUOTE] I don’t have the transcript available at the moment, but I’m pretty sure that Obama said in response to a question about this that he had tried to get in contact with Wright before giving the speech but that Wright was on a cruise and unreachable. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/25 "2008-05-01T15:19:09Z")
The cynic in ME keeps whispering that it was Clinton (or members of her camp) that got Wright the speaking gig at the NPC. And if the cynic in me is feeling REALLY cynical, he says Clinton is paying Wright not to go away. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/26 "2008-05-01T15:34:58Z")
I believe that Wright is convinced he’s right, and won’t shut up for anybody. Not even Obama. And I think Obama was surprised at this. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/27 "2008-05-01T18:02:07Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] One would think, given the relationship Obama described, that Obama would have talked to Wright before the initial speech. Something along the lines of, “Here’s what I’m going to say” and then get a feel for how Wright was with it. That does not mean Obama would modify the speech much but that there were no surprises, no blindsiding, between two people who presumably had good regard for each other. A bit of communication between them I would think could have defused much of this circus. Sadly that either didn’t happen or they both strongly disagreed with each other and charted their own course and at the very least a long term friendship is ended and that is always sad. [/QUOTE] Although someone has mentioned that Obama tried to contact Wright but couldn’t, I’m convinced that it was the stewing and ruminating the speech afterwards (if not other people encouraging him) that got Wright to the point where he attached Obama the way he did. Then the ego, attention-whoring and love of the spotlight took over. I know I do that sometimes, after something I’ve heard or experienced was alright at first. But not the love of the spotlight thing; no, not me. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/28 "2008-05-01T21:22:53Z")
[QUOTE=Sauron] The cynic in ME keeps whispering that it was Clinton (or members of her camp) that got Wright the speaking gig at the NPC. [/QUOTE] A whoosh? Or did you not know about this article? [Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/04/29/2008-04-29_is_jeremiah_wright_a_colossal_disaster_f-2.html) > [@](#): > > The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn’t have done more damage to Barack Obama’s campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that’s just what one friend of Wright wanted. > > Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds. > > … > > t also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club “who organized” the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter. > > On a blog linked to her Web site- www.reynoldsnews.com- Reynolds said in a February post: “My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you” to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton’s presidency. > > The same post criticized Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” theme: “Hope by definition is not based on facts,” wrote Reynolds. It is an emotional expectation. Things hoped for may or may not come. But help based on experience trumps hope every time." > > In another blog entry, Reynolds gives an ever-sharper critique of Obama: “It is a sad testimony that to protect his credentials as a unifier above the fray, the senator is fueling the media characterization that Rev. Dr. Wright is some retiring old uncle in the church basement.” FWIW . . . ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/29 "2008-05-01T21:43:02Z")
[QUOTE=Airblairxxx] A whoosh? Or did you not know about this article? [/QUOTE] Nope, didn’t know about it. I hate it when my ultra-cynical side is right. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400/30 "2008-05-01T21:54:54Z")
I agree with the OP. I think this is the case. There are interviews with Wright from before the big scandal where he talks about how he knew Obama would have to distance himself from him. I think Wright took one for the team, and I think it is ultimately helpful in the General Election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-rev-wright-the-cynic-in-me/447400.md?page=1)