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Home Front: Politix |
Reading Dreams From My Father |
2008-05-05 |
Jim Geraghty, National Review If Barack Obama falls short of the Democratic nomination for the presidency, there will be a good chance that Jeremiah Wright played a key role in derailing his ambitions. Historians contemplating the rise and fall of the first serious African-American contender for the presidency will struggle with a lot of questions beginning with “why.” Why did Obama feel compelled to join a church whose teachings were so inherently controversial? Of all the pastors, ministers, priests, rabbis, and imams in Chicago, why did Obama choose Wright to be his close friend and confidant? Why, when the first examples of Wright making shocking and outrageous comments from the pulpit became well-known, did Obama insist that critics were jumping to conclusions based on snippets? Why couldn’t Obama completely distance himself in his initial speech on the matter in Philadelphia? If Obama is honest when he says that Wright’s comments at the National Press Club shocked him, how could he so misjudge a man over 20 years? Some of the answers may be found in Obama’s autobiography, Dreams From My Father, published in 1995. . . . Go read it all; there's too much there to try to summarise or excerpt. Geraghty has some additional comments on the "Campaign Spot" blog: In the end, Dreams From My Father left me somewhat sympathetic to Obama; had his father been around, had his grandfather, his mother's second husband, or other figures in his life been different men, he probably wouldn't have been such a lost soul when he encountered Wright. Obama was ready to believe, and he was receptive to a message he might have rejected otherwise. |
Posted by:Mike |
#1 Obama rose quickly because he associated himself with certain groups. Bill Ayers money and Wright's constituency. Both of which were great for local politics where people don't look into such things but which are toxic for a national election. Obama should have distanced himself from both when he became a Senator and he should have waited another 8 or so years before running for President. Instead he rushed while the stink of the pigs was still fresh. The Democrats may still vote him in over Hillary but I think the independents will reject Wright and Obama just took too long to distance himself so they will reject him as well. I think Obama may also be what it takes to get Conservatives to the polls despite McCain. |
Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-05-05 16:09 |