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I've been watching this thread, and the similar runs of discourse all across main-stream news outlets, for the past few days now...and honestly all I can say is "what the fuck?" I don't get it. I was looking at cnn.com earlier today...a story about a woman who was killed by an eagle, a little bit about the michigan/florida situation, something about a good recipe...and about 18 stories about the inflammatory remarks of Wright, and whether Obama can overcome his association, and whether this tanks his race...from my perspective, this is sad. I don't understand how people can be watching the first Presidential race involving a "Black" candidate...and be surprised that someone, somewhere, in his association has some militant commentary that has been captured on video. And recycled..ad nauseum. My experience is that if you get 10 educated black people together, at least one of them will have perspectives that are similar to those represented in the remarks of Wright. There is anger in the black community over the traditional treatment of black people in American society, and I find it disingenuous to expect that people are really shocked...SHOCKED!!!...that someone Obama is close to has these remarks. That it could possibly be a black minister from the South side of of Chicago! What are the odds? I think a lot of Americans, predominantly white Americans, were a lot more comfortable with Obama as a caricature of an anesthetized semi-black man...someone full of love and carefully hopeful messages of color-blind reconcilliation. Someone who would help them feel like our society was off the hook for our history of racial discrimination. I don't understand how people are surprised by this...I'd be more surprised if something like this didn't come out. It seems to me like people are just waking up to the fact that we have a black presidential candidate...and maybe...just MAYBE...race will be a factor....who'd a thunk it? Maybe the nasty issues of race and socio-economic status will come in play at some point...oh noes! Obama is a real person? With real personal and professional relationships...and they're not all cookie-cutter clean? Everyone he knows isn't dancing in the streets and holding hands singing Kumbaya? Holy shit - I personally am completely disillusioned. We're going to have to deal with real racial issues just because we have a black guy running for President? Fuck that! Pass the potato chips and turn American Idol back on...I heard the little 17 year old kid was going to be doing an awesome kareoke cover of an Elton John song this time to really shake it up! This whole thing stinks of political hitpiece...whether it be from a Clinton supporter, or a McCain supporter...
As to the comparisons to Haggee or Robertson, I think that's a simplified perspective as well. Yes, they are fuckwads. No, I don't want them having any more power over American politics than they already do. Do I think that parallels can be drawn between their statements and those of Wright? Sure. But I find their perspectives to be primarily ludicrous. Without historical perspective - at least in the calls to support Israel at any cost, and to take over American social landscapes with their fundamentalist interpretations of Christian theology. From what I've read, I can understand this guy's perspective. Racial discrimination of black Americans isn't that long in the past - in its more overt forms, and is easily argued as ongoing in present-day society. This Wright guy is skeptical? Where in the dickens did that come from?
I'm not particularly an Obama supporter, although at this point I'd prefer him over either Clinton or McCain. Watching people having their perspective of him dramatically changed by this makes me want him to win even more. I can't believe this is changing the poll numbers among Democrats. Coupled with the pre-fabricated fiasco with the delegates from Michigan and Florida...I can actually see this being the deciding factor in his run for the nomination...and I think that's sad.
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You don't love me, you just love my piggy style
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