mercymom

Anyone who doesn't already know what the Clintons' dirty laundry is was either in a coma during the 90's or not born yet. As for Bush and the evangelicals, well of course he should be criticized for that, and of course we need to get rid of the evangelical death grip on the White House, but I don't think you do that by going to the opposite extreme. There are tons of people who do want change, but that doesn't mean they want the radical far left extremist version of it. I am personally convinced that it is the Clintons being too centrist that is why the Dem party doesn't really like them, just as it is McCain's being a "maverick" that the Republicans don't like him (he is getting none of the fund raising that Bush got). All the other reasons Dems don't like the Clintons are just pile on. But it is the fact that Bubba seems more like middle america than people like Gore or Kerry do is why Bill got elected twice. Until the DNC understands this, we will be stuck with a Republican White House.

1sokkermom

Mark Karlin wrote an interesting editorial (April 24) discussing the Clinton vetting. Here is a small quote from that: "The irony is that at the end of the primary season, Hillary Clinton -- who admitted she lied about Bosnia at the ABC debate, but it hardly got a mention -- will be the one who remains largely unvetted regarding the financial activities of the Clintons over the past few years -- and there are files of GOP opposition research from the Clinton years before that which will be blasted across television screens.

So when it comes to the superdelegates looking at the facts on the ground, it is almost impossible to become elected when nearly 60% of the population distrusts you -- and the more you campaign, the higher your negatives go.

And as far as Clinton being vetted, there are still a lot of Hillary and Bill bags that haven't been opened yet, and you can be sure that the McCain campaign is rummaging through them right now. "

mini

If we are stuck with a Republican White House, it is because the Democrats are moral cowards. They could have cut off funding for the aggressive, hostile occupation a year ago. Instead they have chosen to "stay the course".

applejack

^^^
Theoretically, yes. But when you are in the minority in all three branches and then only have a slim majority, it is almost impossible to assert power without significant compromise.

I do agree that they allowed themselves to be painted as immoral by the right wing propaganda machine without fighting back that standing up against poverty, oppression and bigotry, ecological devastation, blatant lies and cronyism, and unnecessary wars is moral. They have been very spineless. I think the republicans have transitioned to a 21st century model built on social values while the Democrats still hold to the New Deal framework that served industrialism well but not the information age.

razorsharp

If it was just conversative talkers, Wright would not have a problem. In fact, it is just about everyone other than Obama supports who don't make excuses for Wright's nonsense. Today he was given the opportunity to reverse his theory about the government creating AIDS to kill blacks, yet his response was to cite some nutty books, articles he had read.

Even NPR liberal Juan Williams was pointing out how foolish Wright sounded today. Wright is a hate filled ogre and is exploiting his followers by lying to them and making them hate whites and blame whites and the government for all the things wrong in their lives.

I don't know how much Wright influenced Sen. Obama, but I do know Wright is not a man to be trusted or followed.

Wright says he is not a politian, but it seems so much of what he talks about is politics.

bulletandpima

^^^ I agree.

The dems have not learned how to sell themselves as well as republicans. The real problem for the dems is Nancy Pelosi and Reid. They have now been in control for 2 yrs and nothing has changed, if anything the country is more divided and partisan. Pelosi promised to fix the cost of gas 2 yrs ago and she has...it's now $1.26 more a gallon while she flies back and forth to CA every week on the taxpayers dollar or spent 16K in flowers. As bad as Bush's rating is the MOC's have lower ones. I will be voting this yr for no incumbents, don't care what party, I figure if we get a whole new congress in we might have a better chance of fixing the nation...I think Teddy and Byrd have been there long enough to try and do something besides voting on the road to nowhere!

Hunt

"Wright is a hate filled ogre and is exploiting his followers by lying to them and making them hate whites and blame whites and the government for all the things wrong in their lives."

Sigh. I suppose if you say it enough times, it might become true.

RatedPG

"Sigh. I suppose if you say it enough times, it might become true."

No one has to keep repeating it. Wright speaks for himself. Very loudly. And clearly.

TimeCruncher

I typically do not post on politically-oriented threads because I am panpolitical (my sociopolitical viewpoints are all over the place, and I don’t conform to any single political party’s ideology), but I am going to weigh in on this one.

After hearing and reading about Rev. Wright on a daily basis for the past several weeks, I finally saw him in action for the first time on television last night. I liked him immediately. I like him not because of what he says, but because he has the guts to say it. He tells it like it is. He’s like the little child from the folk tale who pipes up, and--to the shock and chagrin of his “politically correct” elders--blurts, “But the Emperor has no clothes!” Rev. Wright is simply blurting--to the shock and chagrin of "politically correct" America--that racism is still parading throughout our country buck naked, and that we’d all be better off if we finally admitted to ourselves and to each other that the sight is very real and very ugly.

Rev. Wright also brings to mind screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's brilliantly crafted and unforgettable character, veteran news anchor Howard Beale, Network’s “I’m as mad as expletive and I can’t take it anymore!” Mad Prophet of the Airwaves, about whom entertainment programming producer Diana Christensen wisely perceives, "Howard Beale got up there last night and said what every American feels, that he's tired of all the expletive. He's articulating the popular rage… I see Howard Beale as a latter-day prophet, a magnificent messianic figure, inveighing against the hypocrisies of our times…."

Rev. Wright is 100% real and 100% sane, but like fictional madman Howard Beale, Rev. Wright is “inveighing against the hypocrisies of our times.” Bravo to him.

applejack

People make this out to be liberals supporting Wright and conservatives against. I think it's simply an issue of people who understand the black church and people who do not.

To call Wright a hate-filled ogre blaming government and whites for all the problems is absurd. He is a highly respected theologian across many racial and political ideologies. He has worked hard to inspire self-responsibility in urban black culture. Simply pointing out that the oppression of blacks is not all their fault is stating a fact, not being filled with hate.

One does not have to agree with all of his perspectives to see that he cares and loves. Did you even hear him last night? The man spoke of the love and unity that binds all human life and all religions. Perhaps you simply do not understand black culture.

LaxAttack09

He was his pastor for 20 years, one of his best friends, baptized his children. Then it becomes a political liability and all of a sudden Obama doesn't agree? The timing is suspect...no way in hell Obama didn't know what was going on in those 20 years.

There's a difference to someone endorsing you and you actively seeking somebody out. Unless you can name be George W. Bushs pastor and give me incendiary quotes??

LaxAttack09

Are you serious? I'm sure the KKK is all about those who either understand "southern pride" and those who don't huh?

The ability of some to try to frame this debate as more than what it is amazes me. This guy made comments that are 100% out of line, yet when you attack the comments you are just some white guy who "doesn't understand the black church." Well, if that's the black church it's no better than the kkk or other hate-filled groups.

3bm103

I have heard many good things about Reverend Wright and agree that the people who dislike what he is saying are either not listening or have their own prejudice. Not that I agree with his methods. I would personally like to hear the same message without some of the hateful words, but I understand where he is coming from, what he has been through and that the good outweighs the bad.

My one criticism of him from last night would have been the photo op with the Mayor of Detroit. Has I been in Reverend Wright's place I would have taken the opportunity to tell Mayor Kilpatrick that he is doing more harm to the black citizens of Detroit than Wright ever could.

A.S.A.P.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/us...hp&oref=slogin

I'm glad he's out there and speaking up. The more people see him speak and read about his views, the less afraid they will be of him, and the more understanding we will all become of the black experience in America.

And whoever said "Obama through him under the bus" is wrong. Obama didn't denounce the Reverend, only some of his rhetoric. This is common knowledge. I don't see how anyone can equate this with "throwing him under the bus."

Keep it going, Reverend. This is a conversation that this country obviously needs to have. It's more important than any one election, imo.

RatedPG

"I would personally like to hear the same message without some of the hateful words, but I understand where he is coming from, what he has been through and that the good outweighs the bad." So he is forgiven for spreading hate because he has something good to say as well?

I'm really dumbfounded by the views on this thread. Am I going to gain understanding of the black experience by believing that the United States of America created AIDS to kill of the black population and that the United States of America is responsible for the deaths of 3000 innocent people on 911? He may be a charismatic speaker, but should that outweigh the hatred that the charisma voices?