Thanks for starting the conversation. Yes, we are Hillary supporters, but that doesn't mean we don't heart Obama. We'll vote for whoever's name is beside the D in November. We're outnumbered here and around the TN blogs about 10 to 1 by Obama supporters, though, so I'm surprised nobody posted here about it until now. So, good for you. Not sure where all the other Obama folks have gone. Hope they're not mad at us, and there's not much anyone can say for Obama or against Clinton that would offend me at this point. (Plus, we're on vacation, and I'm mostly taking a break from politics. It's been nice.)

Didn't get around to cross-posting my take, but that was just laziness. I never thought it would get a poor reception here.

Liberty and justice for all.

My home

Hey, I don't think we would be offended by anyone posting a positive post about Obama's speech. In looking back at the last couple of weeks and throughout the month of March, it appears most of the 2008 presidential election posts are from those people either campaigning for Obama or not for Clinton.

If Bill and Hilliary really care more for this country and it's possibilities and race relations, how can they do anything other than recognize and applaud the broad appeal and inspirational nature of Obama's most recent speech?

Honestly? They need a healthy distance from a highly charged issue. Race, as we've seen amply demonstrated, is a minefield. The closer that Clinton tries to inject herself into that issue, the closer she comes to being attacked as a racist herself.

It only takes the flimsiest of pretexts to make that charge. ("Fairy tale?" "Roll of the dice?" The mere mention of Jesse Jackson? Please.)

How can Huckabee jump in on FOX of all places to defend Obama's continued attendance at his home church, but folks on this website sit mute?

I won't speak for anyone else but myself, but I am mostly pissed off because this (and by "this" I mean Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright) is a complete non-issue being made into an issue.

The Rev. Wright "issue," such as it is, represents a wedge attack that I believe is designed as part of a whispering campaign to make certain people think "black scary black scary scary scary black" every time you see Obama on the TV. This is all part of the same drumbeat echoed by Hobbs and his silly Obama Muslim smearing.

Obama's speech was fine for what it was, but ultimately, I fear that we've only seen the beginning of this crapfest.

____________________________

With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

Since nobody else has posted the link to the full-length speech: (link...)

I'm having a real problem understanding why Rev. Wright's sermon is supposedly so bad or wrong.
Seems to me he's hitting the nail directly on the head.
Jesus was for equality, against discrimination, for socialist policies, and opposed to hatred of others.
So-called Christians need to get over it and accept that reality if they want to continue to be addressed as "Christ-like."
Burning crosses in yards ain't Christian.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

With a woman and a black man, we're doomed to wedge politics either way. But to Swift Boaters and all the other Rovians on the right, it doesn't much matter--they used as much hate and fear against Gore and Kerry as they could come up with.

I still think they have a lot more ammo geared up for Hillary, not even including sexism. Vince Foster will be reincarnated as principal to a new round of smears that will reach new levels of shame and disgust for the GOP fronting the attacks.

With Obama, they have little except racism and ignorance-based fear over his name. Given Obama's strong above-the-fray appeal, the right's smears may likely as not just reflect back on the swift boaters. That's why his nomination is the worst nightmare for mouthpieces like Rush and Hannity.

Obama's speech was fine for what it was, but ultimately, I fear that we've only seen the beginning of this crapfest.

Just remember this crapfest all started behind the pulpit of Trinity Church. If Democrats can't admit to this, and make a clean break with Rev. Wright's style of racist hate speech, then all anyone will have to do is point to Don Imus, etc, etc, and correctly see a double standard.

Anybody, from any race, can be racist. Whether Maureen Dowd and other liberals refer to Wright's beliefs as "virulent racial identity," or some other euphemistic phrasing is of little consequence in the end. The general public will see it for what it is.

Don't you get it? Did you actually read the speech? The deeply-ingrained racist attitudes that underlie Imus' derogatory remarks are exactly what Wright is reacting to. Unfortunately, his long fight for racial equality isn't over despite those who would try to illogically cry, "reverse racism!" To equate Wright's rhetoric with Imus' ignorant comments is to completely ignore history, decades of insitutionalized segregation, and factors of power and ideology that make it highly improbable that whites will ever know what it feels like to be a downtrodden minority. The only "crapfest" is the right's hollow, trumped-up cries of reverse racism.

To equate Wright's rhetoric with Imus' ignorant comments is to completely ignore history, decades of insitutionalized segregation, and factors of power and ideology that make it highly improbable that whites will ever know what it feels like to be a downtrodden minority.

Yes, I agree that blacks have a right to feel injustice because of the history of segregation, but Wright, and others, do not seem to want to acknowledge affirmative action, preferential admissions, and other measures put into place to attempt to right past wrongs. His accusation that AIDS is the invention of whites to kill blacks is simply beyond stupid. That kind of rhetoric can only be compared to the accusations made against the Jewish race in Nazi Germany.

But then again, Wright's not so much interested as speaking the truth as he is selling CDs.

coming from central players in the conservative movement (Hagee, Falwell, Robertson, Coulter, Buchanan (either), Limbaugh (either), Krauthammer, Hannity, O'Reilly, Paul, Lott, et al), I'll consider taking some responsibility for the pastor of one central figure in the Democratic Party. Get the beam out of your eye, Gary.

First of all, Wright isn't a "central player." He was Sen. Obama's minister and mentor for twenty years. Second of all, I don't read or listen to any of those you mention. And I'm not telling anyone to take responsibility, even Obama, for what Wright said. But Obama wants it both ways. In Obama's autobiography, according to Chris Matthews, he speaks about "America's hunger for an optimistic sign from the racial front." Matthews was pointing out the hope and positiveness that he believes Obama embodies. The question is, does Obama embody a new attitude, or is he just another pol who wants to keep his base, while trying to reach out to new voters. His association with Wright is what endangers that plan the most.

Lastly, would you please post the quotes from each of those commentators that you consider to be comparable to what Wright said?

Are you referring to something they said that is comparable to what Wright said, or are you just listing them because they're conservatives?

His association with Wright is what endangers that plan the most.

I love my parents with all my heart, but my father has a closet full of "isms." I will not apologize for him or remove him from my life. He does not hinder me from teaching my children that all people are created equal. If anything, it reminds me how important it is that I never stop trying.

okay people,how many down trodded black people are there today?give me a total account!the u.s. was experimenting on african people?please show the blogers the full report of you'r investigating reports forbatum!if a double standard does not excist,then don imus would still be working!and yes,people from cnbc,cnn,and all the other news medias can no longer give the true facts because of the p.c policing in the news agentcies!if everyone wants to be a apologetic for all the double standards and to just bash white people, start a thread for that kind of website and let you'e igronance flow forth!

...to just bash white people, start a thread for that kind of website and let you'e igronance flow forth!

You set a mean bar!