Is it too late for Obama to find a new church?
WASHINGTON _ As best as we recall from our parochial school days, a pastor’s job is to take care of his or her parishioners. That flock needs tending, some creatures more than others.Listening to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright the last couple of days, it was hard to see how the retiring pastor at the United Trinity Church of Christ was looking out for the church’s prized member of the moment, Barack Obama.
One might have scripted a scenario in which Wright went on a tour of repentance, speaking moderately on all matters and and doing his darndest to control the damage he had inflicted on Obama. Or, he could have stayed on that island he visited recently, maybe got himself a book deal and, most important of all, stayed out of sight.
Nope. The good Rev. Wright is doing just the opposite, shooting off his yap in Washington and Detroit, adhering to the suggestion that the United States might have invented the virus that causes AIDS and likening Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan to E.F. Hutton.
To many, Wright came off as a megalomaniac, deepening the damage to Obama and giving ad-scripters new ammo for the days and months ahead.
What’s Obama to do? When this political ruckus heated up in March, the Illinois senator delivered a smart and impassioned speech on race – but he didn’t throw Wright under the bus. You don’t do that to somebody from the ‘hood.
Should he now? Yesterday, Obama, (who is not pals with the media), held an impromptu news conference in which he asserted that Wright “does not speak for me … He does not speak for the campaign. He may make statements in the future that don’t reflect my values or concerns.”
Obama added: “I think certainly what the last three days indicate is that we’re not coordinating with him, right?”
Right. But has Obama gone far enough? Or is it too late?
Is it too late for Obama to find a new church?
Yep, sure is. Not that it matters much, he cant leave now anyway.
If Obamessiah leaves his black theologian church now and repudiates everything Wright said, he will remind people that he is half white, and for political reasons, he is cutting his ties to his 6.75% African American side. The black vote may bolt from him.
If Obamessiah stays, how many voters bolt because of Wright;s 20 years of preaching black theologian sermons to Obamessiah.
Obamessiah is stuck with the church that he joined for political reasons.