Why is Sen. Clinton Talking about Rev. Wright?

Josh Marshall writes about the latest Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy:

But in the debate about Wright, which Sen. Clinton has just reignited, it seems to be spoken of now as an unquestioned assumption that Wright traffics in racist rhetoric or hate speech. But is that really true? I've seen some stuff that strikes me as whacky. I've heard soundbites that critics would not have much trouble spinning as anti-American. But are there really quotes that justify the charge of racism?

It seems to me that Senator Clinton is deliberately stirring up trouble so she can more easily win the votes of anxious whites who are uncomfortable with what they hear from Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

This looks like a shamefully self-interested shortsighted tactic. What about the future health of the Democratic Party? What about the historic loyalty that African-Americans have to the Democratic Party? What about even her own strategy of winning the general election if she by some miracle gets nominated?

Is she just playing for the semi-racist-not-so-educated white vote in Pennsylvania, Indiana and North Carolina? Why else would she talk about Rev. Wright the way she is doing? Why isn't she helping defend Senator Obama from all the Rev. Wright-related racist and ignorant attacks? What are African-Americans going to think about Senator Clinton now?

Comments

[Streak]

You see this? (no html in comments, eh?) http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/deborahwilliams/CpVd

Hillary's own pastor saying that Jeremiah Wright has done much good and is being taken out of context.

[Anon]

If I may, I am reposting something I wrote here:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godometer/2008/03/kmiecs-obama-endorsement.html.comments.html

...because they haven't yet posted it. But it's an interesting endorsement of Obama, and in my response to one of the commentors is another interesting article about Obama and Rev. Wright. What Hillary Clinton is doing is quite shameful and divisive for the Democratic party. She's playing on people's prejudices and seems to want to do anything to win - even without integrity.

DaMav,

While there may be some objectionable things that Reverend Wright said, you are not looking at the full picture of the man. It might help to watch his many sermons on YouTube. Nor is he a "racial hatemonger." Plenty of white people are part of his church or are involved with it in some capacity and insist that he's not. Again, you can go to Obama's YouTube page and see all of this as well as several interviews with Rev. Wright published in the last year. Of course, you have to be willing to open your eyes and be open-minded.

It is for these reasons that Obama would have been a back-stabber for denouncing the man rather than some of his words (and he denounced those). You don't turn on a longtime friend and pastor (who retired) just because many people like yourself refuse to look at the big picture and take all into consideration.

The division that would be, and there already is, would be your way of thinking, DaMav. There is also the fault of the media. Mr. Kmiec appears to be looking at the big picture and also explains why one-issue voting is not in the best interests of this country among other things he's concerned about. Obama's willingness to understand all people - white, black, gay, straight, religious, non-religious, and address each group's concerns in quite unprecedented.

And Reverend Wright valiantly and willingly served this country where people like Bush and Cheney avoided it:

"In the early 1960s, at a time when many young people were being radicalized by the Vietnam War, Wright left college and volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps. After three years as a marine, he chose to serve three more as a naval medical technician, during which time he received several White House commendations. He came to Chicago to study not long after Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder in 1968, the U.S. bombing campaign in Cambodia in 1969, and the shooting of students at Kent State University in 1970."

Link: http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i30/30b00101.htm
Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago Divinity School, panelist for On Faith, of Washingtonpost.com. His most recent book is The Christian World: A Global History (Modern Library, 2008).

Damav, I hope you begin to see that although Barack Obama is a flawed man like anyone else, he is a good man and better principled than the other candidates. Yes, we need him or there will be the continued division and war that exists right now.

JM

[Rev.Dolores Jones]

Thanks for the clear thinking regarding why Clinton did not defend Barak. After all, Obama did not say those things Wright did. When do we convict or "hang" one man for another man's CRIME OR WORDS? That's Politics as ususal!??

One would think that every American could see the VIRTUAL VALUE that is to be gained by electing Obama....that's not just a healing process for us, its one for the world..its worldwide. Finally we show our love for this country and that we are finally able to demonstrate our concern for all people EVERYWHERE--AFTER ALL WE ARE DYING FOR NONAMERICANS...YET WE CAN'T DISAVOW HANNITY, LIBAUGH and others? How can anyone--of any ethnic group NOT see that? If HANNITY truly represented Christians, I would give up my license to preach. love OF ONE'S neighbor must not be taught by Hannity's pastor. Limbaugh probably doesn't even go to church.

DO WHAT's BEST FOR AMERICA -- VOTE BARAK OBAMA. When Colon Powells steps up to support him, THEN the issues of experience and concern for Iraq will be in the best hands. Let's just all pray for that TO REALLY HAPPEN. Or just use HOPE..IT WORKS! yes we can...or yes AMERICANS can.

CHANGE IS NEEDED IN "AMERICA" not just Washington. We have become a varied ethnic community...we need to show honesty by living up to the fact that all men are created equal. If our democracy is living up to its creeds of liberty and justice for all..then perhaps the rest of the world will believe that DEMOCRACY WORKS...that how crucial that Obam is nominated. All the world is watching. Voting for obama proves that to them we have integrity. It shows our fairness, our honesty, our loving kindness and the reality that DEMOCRACY wroks...THAT'S WHAT WE PEDDLE...WHEN WILL WE PROVE IT? DO THE RIGHT THING!!
VOTE FOR A MAN WHOSE WHITE MOTHER & GRANDMOTHER CAN BE OR WOULD BE (if they possibly could) VERY, VERY PROUD, NOT JUST FOR BARAK, BUT FOR AMERICA.