I am NOT a racist. My decision to NOT vote for Obama has NOTHING to do with the color of his skin. Anyone who votes for (or against) someone based on superficial things like race, looks, gender, speaking ability, etc., is a fool. One should focus instead on each candidate’s ideas, goals, past voting record on issues, and yes, on those he/she considers as their friends and mentors, because those we hold closest to us are the ones who have the greatest influence on us. That is why this association with Jeremiah Wright is so important. No way does one attend a place of worship and spiritual guidance and NOT know where the leader of said place stands, what he/she believes, or what the central teachings are. And no way can one sit under this level of vitriolic hatred and come out unscathed. Obama wants to take on what is arguably the most powerful position in the world. We need to know where he is coming from. This is not about race. It goes way, way deeper…into the very soul of the man. Open your eyes, Amanda. There is too much at stake.

He obviously has his fools, who will believe anything that comes out of his mouth. Some of the early hangers on, have snapped out of it. For the truly enlightened in this world, those who have heard it all, never believed a word he said.

It’s too little too late Obama. Next go around, get a better script writer from day one.

REMEMBER: MLK was branded a communist, radical and unpatriotic. Just as Obama is today. The media played into the lowest most reliable tool of racism and antipatriotic sinicism. Today, you cannot find any of these anti-MLK people. All in all, time will shine its just light on the hypocrisy and sham of an election.

LONG LIVE RACISM AND ANTIPATRIOTIC LOSERS… NOT. Thank goodness, humans are immortal and soon enough all the Dixie, segregationist, old school haters will die off and the generation of HOPE AND CHANGE will take over.

Si se puede.
OBAMA 2008!

Consider that Rev. Wright has ‘gone off the deep end’ in such an abrupt turnaround that Barack could not believe the soundbites when he heard them–if you have a friend for 20 years who suddenly ‘changes’ there is a period of disbelief and denial before you have to face the truth–and then you wonder where is all this coming from–could Rev Wright have been ‘gotten to’ in order to sabotage Obama’s chances? The good ol boys who have been in power for the last 600+ years here are not going to give up their power easily–and we have already seen that lying and deceptions are not beyond them when they want something.

Here is what I think, fwiw…

1.) Affirmative Action? Okay… fine… if McCain made similar comment and statements for a close adviser who made similar in context comments about Blacks, who would be crucified by the media and the same Black activists and media “pundits” that are aplogizing for Wright!!! What’s good for the goose is sauce for the gander, folks…

2.) My Daddy told me that I would be judged by the company I keep. In other words, show me your friends and I’ll tell you what type of person you are.

It’s that simple for me. Obama has made poor choices in who his friends and associates are and have been for 20+ years. Unless he could have shown me by ACTION something else, I am afraid he has no chance with me.

Amanda, if it makes you feel better to believe that, go right ahead. I understand it can hurt when a candidate you care about self-destructs. I will simply point out that stereotyping, insulting and dismissing people is not a particularly productive strategy for changing their minds. I saw the same behavior from the academics in my department when Kerry lost in 2004 (”He lost because of those redneck gun-totin’ bible-thumpin’ inbred hicks!”) and was so profoundly put off by it that it forced me to reconsider and reevaluate my own political beliefs (ironic because I had been a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat before that time).

Cesar, I sure appreciate being appointed the official Nostradamus of this matter and I thank you much.
Now, all things considered:
1) the democrat party/official thinking crew simply is not up to this historical period’s challenges, and the two Dem candidates (which actually are entwinned on all issues) painfully show this.
2) the republican party/official thinking crew try to/are tackling this historical period’s challenges; despite current setbacks, blunders and some actions’ unintended consequences, America is BETTER NOW and is BETTER positioned for future.
3) as far as the future US president: no one would hire a plumber, transmission mechanic, dentist, banker, pilot, general etc. with a resume resembling Obama’s or Hillary’s competence and achievements – and you want them in the White House!
Cesar, a hard fact – John McCain’s resume recomends him for the White House job, while Glibama’s and Hillary’s rsumes DON’T.

This must be killing Obama, because his only, um, hope was to run as a post-racial, post-partisan, post-modern politician. It’s a simply brilliant strategy, especially for a relatively untested legislator. (No experience? You’re missing the point! No programs? You’re asking the wrong questions!) It’s also a narrative that the media was poised to support: it’s novel, it’s courageous, it’s interesting. Actually, I think Obama’s substantive politics were the least of it. Left-wing positions didn’t help John Edwards, after all.

But it’s a risky strategy, because it sets the bar very high. Any evidence of feet of clay is more devastating to an Obama than to a conventional politician. Take Rezko. I mean, Obama was a state legislator from Checago – how could he *not* know crooked developers? Clinton knows lots of crooks. So does McCain. It isn’t admirable, but it’s hard to avoid and can’t really be disqualifying by itself. But if you hold yourself out as somehow beyond that, as better than that, look out.

So Obama looks quite conventional in his tardy decision to throw Wright under the bus. And conventional is the one thing he can’t afford.

And here’s a contrarian take on Wright’s motives: perhaps he saw that Obama wasn’t fully over the blowback from the earlier statements and was trying to help Obama by forcing the issue and providing a Sista Souljah opportunity. I think that is more plausible than inferring that he was peeved by Obama’s lack of support, let alone that he was a Clinton mole.