Audio: Shelby Steele on Obama and Wright
posted at 3:22 pm on March 22, 2008 by Allahpundit
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From John Gibson’s radio show, six minutes with a guy who’s been trying for decades to have that honest conversation on race that we as a nation now need to begin to help Barack Obama out of a political jam. The peg is Steele’s op-ed on “the Obama bargain,” which operates here as an intro to his thoughts on Wright. Pre-scandal, I would have called him unfair for dismissing Obama as a racial “bargainer” since it suggests BO’s post-racial identity is insincere and calculated for public advantage. Steele himself has a post-racial identity in certain ways and no one (on the right, at least) would sneer at that as contrived. Post-scandal, though, how do we know one way or another? Where does 20 years in the pews at Trinity fit as a piece in the Obama personality jigsaw puzzle? Gibby shares my own theory, that buddying up to Wright was the Messiah’s cynical way of establishing racial authenticity in preparation for a career as a Chicago politician (scroll down three-quarters of the way in this old NYT piece for the role race — and class — played in his run against Bobby Rush), but the timeline’s curious. He became a state senator in 1996; he joined Trinity fully eight years earlier. If there’s nothing more to this than political expedience, he sure did leave himself a lot of lead time.
The clip has been edited for brevity.
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Trying to determine his political and psychological motives is interesting. But ultimately he’s a screwed-up douchebag running for President. Can’t have it.
JiangxiDad on March 22, 2008 at 3:36 PM
“In order to have a group identity, you have to betray part of yourself.”
Thanks for the clip, AP.
Spirit of 1776 on March 22, 2008 at 3:36 PM
He joined for political expediency. Remember that he was a community organizer, ala Acorn and Saul Alinsky, since about 1991 on the South Side — long before he ran for office. Every leftist organizer knows the importance of a black church like TUCC, as a base from which to work on issues in common.
PattyJ on March 22, 2008 at 3:44 PM
I think a critical angle to this is Michelle Obama’s role in leading Barack to the Church.
In other words did he join the church or did she get him ot join ?
William Amos on March 22, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Where is Obama attending Easter services?
faraway on March 22, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Obama picks a church to establish his “black identity.” One picks a church based on identification with a group?
richardcamera on March 22, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Exactly. We don’t need to make this any more complicated than it really is.
Mr. and Mrs. Obama associated themselves with Wright and his church because they share his views.
Michelle Obama just lets it slip out a little more often.
labrat on March 22, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Well, I’m somewhat sympathetic to Obama because it seems to me that he found himself trapped. Perhaps because, in part, of his own making. But also because of larger historical forces beyond his control.
To be sure, as Steele pointed out, it was profoundly a mistake – a terrible judgement – for him to stay in that church for 20 years. The radicalism, the racial divisiveness, the bitter anti-Americanism taught in that place of worship should just not be acceptable for any person wishing to lead any part of America.
Part of me can understand some of the attraction for those black Americans who suffered so terribly under segregation. But no part of me can understand any attraction for those black Americans who grew up after the Civil Rights Era. What hardship, what suffering, what pain has Obama endured?
Sure, he may have be called bad names. He may have suffered some insult. But looks at the gifts, the opportunities that this country and his family afforded him.
Did it ever occur to him that the path taken in that church is the path backwards? Not the path to change, to progress, tto a truly trans-racial America?
He messed up terribly. Not maliciously; but his opportunism bbetrayed him. It does that to people.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 4:02 PM
We keep hearing about Obama’s ‘typical white’ grandmother. Why do we not hear anything about his mother?
rockhauler on March 22, 2008 at 4:04 PM
rock, his mom died of cancer in 95
faraway on March 22, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Spot on analysis. I think Barry H.O. has been hoist by his own petard. He joined a radical black church to align himself to the black community so as to get elected in the Chicago area; and it worked. Now that same Machiavellian bargain has forever alienated him from all of us typical white people. Now it’s j…u…s…t… too late for the Dhimmicrats to throw him under the bus in favor of Clinton. This is almost biblical level judgment against these two political cranks.
Schadenfreudelicious!
Mojave Mark on March 22, 2008 at 4:12 PM
More a Faustian bargain than Machiavellian.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 4:14 PM
No. In BO’s case, one picks a church based on a group identifying with him.
nukemhill on March 22, 2008 at 4:19 PM
From an historical perspective was there ever a time when black and white coexisted peacfully? Had slavery never occured in America would millions of blacks have emmigrated here from Africa in search of a better life? At anytime in recorded history has the black race ever prospered without the help of white people?
Let me play devils advocate a little more. If black and white are just not meant to live together, if it aint in the cards to happen then what? Can the dialogue concerning racial harmony start with the word “impossible” and go from there? Nothing else has worked up to this point, why not start with the obvious?
repvoter on March 22, 2008 at 4:20 PM
?
Millions of black and white Americans work alongside one another every day. Pass each on the street. Interact with one another. Engage in commerce, et cetera.
If the two races were so irredeemably separate or distant, how would this be possible?
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Presidential Hopeful Easter events:
McCain – Visits Western Wall in Jerusalem
Hillary – home church in New York
Obama –
hiding from Trinitybeach trip to Virgin Islandsfaraway on March 22, 2008 at 4:24 PM
When the church in which a candidate celebrates Easter becomes controversial, he is incapable of governing the Unites States.
Akzed on March 22, 2008 at 4:31 PM
repvoter on March 22, 2008 at 4:20 PM
WTF, or as with the Messiah, just another error in judgment to be tolerated as we all await redemption.
dmann on March 22, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Michelle Obama told us: the Obamas actually had to (gasp!) pay back their student loans for Columbia (for him), Princeton (for her), and Harvard Law (for both). They also didn’t have huge trust funds to pay for all their expenses (as Michelle O. claims that Dick Cheney had).
You can see how mistreated these two millionaires have been. No wonder they dislike this “downright mean” country of ours so much.
AZCoyote on March 22, 2008 at 4:42 PM
“…Obama as a racial “bargainer” since it suggests BO’s post-racial identity is insincere and calculated for public advantage.”
This is what I have felt about Barack Obama ever since I first read about his church back in January of 2007 on Sweetness and Light. I have been frustrated for a year+ now with people giving him a pass and not seeing his underlying racism. On top of which, people were calling *me* racist for connecting the dots of Obama to Wright to TUCC to Farrahkan to Odinga to Project Islamic H.O.P.E. to Black Liberation Theology. So it is quite nice to finally see people opening their eyes about Obama and his background and stop giving him the benefit of the doubt without vetting him.
Michael in MI on March 22, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Which is probably why, in part (in addition to opportunism), Obama joined the Church. To somehow connect with his fellow black Americans. To discover an “authentic” blackness as opposed to the “middleclassness” that he lived in.
But once there, he got trapped. Or trapped himself. Or allowed himself to be trapped.
I’ll leave to the armchair psychologists to figure it out.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 4:55 PM
From a historical perspective have any groups of people of any color whether same or different living in close proximity to one another coexisted in peace for an extended length of time?
Irish/Scottish/English and don’t forget the Picts.
Egyptians/Hittites/Assyrians/Hebrew.
Romans and everybody else.
U.S.Colonies and the English vs the French and Indians.
U.S of A and the French vs the English.
England vs the Argentines.
French vs the Algerians.
French vs the Vietnamese.
And of course don’t forget the USA vs the CSA and if you think that was about color or slavery you need to read more.
Actually there were several African civilizations that thrived quite well without caucasian influence. Here’s just one link that gives a brief description of some of them.
African Civilizations
I’ve heard it said that the only foolish question is the one you don’t ask. Whoever originated that saying obviously never heard this question.
Had the dinosaurs not gone extinct would the rose breasted gross beak ever have come into existence?
Who knows? Who cares? What happened happend and anything else is speculation and better left in the realm of fiction.
What has race got to do with anything? It’s just a convenient way to highlight a scapegoat. It’s been used since the dawn of time to prod the sheep into performing whatever function the ringmasters want them to perform. “These are not the ‘droids we’re looking for. Move along”.
Oldnuke on March 22, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Mephistopheles-Freude!
Entelechy on March 22, 2008 at 4:59 PM
I saw your link to Sweetness and Light in one of your earlier comments, and I appreciate that. It’s my home page for now while I’m slowly going through the material. Thank you.
RushBaby on March 22, 2008 at 5:00 PM
When the Messiah finds himself in a bit of a pickle, his supporters are prone to ridiculously reductive comments in his defense.
Jim Treacher on March 22, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Another thing to note is that, I believe, Barack Obama admits in his book that he is either an Atheist or an agnostic when it came to God. He then kept being asked what Church he belonged to when he was doing social work in the Chicago area, so he felt he needed to join a Church for credibility. Thus his membership in TUCC.
However, since he really did not have much of a belief system, it makes sense that he would not leave TUCC based on its radical interpretation of the Bible and its Black Supremacy message. He didn’t know otherwise.
Which leads me to believe that he is not really a Christian, he is just using scripture to appeal to people, just like Wright is using scripture to appeal to people.
I can’t remember the article where I read this yesterday, but it noted that Obama’s campaign speeches are really just rehashing of Wright’s sermons, with changing things that are focused on Black problems to things that are focused on problems of the country. Instead of railing against Whitey, Obama rails against Corporations. Instead of railing about Black oppression, Obama rails against health care and taxes and the war effort. He simply has been tailoring Wright’s Black Liberation Theology to a white audience. And it has been working. Pretty sad. Doesn’t say much for Americans to be suckered by this.
Michael in MI on March 22, 2008 at 5:01 PM
That’s pretty typical of all liberals. I don’t see that as unique to Obama.
Oldnuke on March 22, 2008 at 5:05 PM
No problem, RushBaby. Steven Gilbert has been on this story since Jan of last year and has been doing an amazing job bringing all of this to light. I don’t know him personally, but I am frustrated that he does not seem to be getting much credit or links from the bigger bloggers these past few weeks when this info *finally* has become more mainstream. He still has been finding a lot more info that other bloggers are not finding as well, so I wanted to direct people there. I’m glad you’re finding it useful. He does a much better job than me of being objective about his ‘reporting’ in that he simply provides the evidence and then makes a few comments about it (whereas I tend to read this stuff and then get pretty angry and then that comes through in my blog commentary). And he gives a lot of background info as well.
Michael in MI on March 22, 2008 at 5:05 PM
S&L is the best Cindy Sheehan site on the interwebs. :)
Spirit of 1776 on March 22, 2008 at 5:12 PM
I don’t give a flying fig why he joined that church. I only care why he stayed there for 20 years and why he remains there to this day. I only care that he found it easy to throw his grandmother under the bus and use a racial stereotype to describe her while simultaneously embracing his racist anti-American Pastor. I only care that he refuses to put a flag pin on his lapel and put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. I only care that his wife parrots sanitized version of Wright’s rhetoric. The rest is all inconsequential speculation.
TheBigOldDog on March 22, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Not to sound like a pedantic ass, I’m interested in how we can address the problem of black radicalism and extremism that sees the government behind the AIDs crisis or other problems troubling the country.
And in order to solve that problem, we need to figure out its roots and causes.
Back to the faculty lounge I go.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 5:34 PM
“I’m interested in how we can address the problem of black radicalism and extremism that sees the government behind the AIDs crisis or other problems troubling the country.”
Simple, ask the black radicals and extremists. The NEW Black Panther Party has a web site.
My “typical white person” perspective is that they aren’t interested. Hate and fear give them power. Power is what they want. They’ll play the game until white liberals quite buying the product.
Oh, and since when were the Obama’s “middle class”? He’s making at least $169K/year and she’s pulling in $300K a year. Yet she still bitches about haivng to pay back student loans?
GarandFan on March 22, 2008 at 6:02 PM
This would be a good place to start
Looks like you’re on the right track.
Oldnuke on March 22, 2008 at 6:29 PM
His black father abandoned him to a politically radicalized white woman.
When he writes his biography he ignores the woman who provided for his sustenance, chattering up a storm about his father. He travels to Kenya to trace his roots. Discovers Poppa was a rollin’ stone, gifted with many strengths, given every advantage but ended a wastrel. A high-class, well connected grifter who left in his wake wives and children he never cared for.
After essentially leaving his white mother out of his book he now displays for us his regard for his white grandma.
He chose a wife who looks and speaks like a black Klingon.
His preacher puts forth radicalized rhetoric while looking like an old hat & dress-wearing church-going white woman.
Issues? Does Obama have issues?
My, look how high he holds his chin.
O’Reilly’s ever increasingly made-over body language lady will tell us what a positive sign that is, no?
Stephen M on March 22, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Barone this morning:
bnelson44 on March 22, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Not unusual. I remember hearing some guy years ago saying he met the Clenis while in college and knew he was running for President even then.
eeyore on March 22, 2008 at 7:55 PM
Clinton himself admitted that when he was a boy he used to practice giving speeches and addresses in front of a mirror.
Meanwhile, most boys are practicing their baseball swings in front of them.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 8:07 PM
I just watched Lou Dobbs (not because I like him or CNN) to research the coverage of this racial bar being raised by Obama. Chris Wallace says Fox & Friends went too far Friday. CNN on Friday covered the same issue for two hours. Tonight Lou covered it extensively and added that the media should not back away from these issues, our presidency is at stake. I totally agree. Chris Wallace perhaps you should stop being a liberal guilt ridden weinie and do your job for the American people. The question of why BHO didn’t get away from this hate culture is not answered and sticking our righteous heads in the sand won’t help us come election day. Dobbs had democrats for guest and they roasted Obama implying that the “mask is off” and his true self has shown through. Their consensus was the same as generally shared here that he used the church for his political ride but Dobbs and others note that what goes on in some parts of the south side of Chicago doesn’t resonate in most of the rest of America.
wepeople on March 22, 2008 at 8:57 PM
As I understand it (if I’m wrong, jump me), Wallace’s complaint was that they spent two hours discussing Obama’s “typical white person” phrasing. Not the discussion or race in America generally.
Since I didn’t watch the show, I’m agnostic on whether his criticism had merit or not.
SteveMG on March 22, 2008 at 9:12 PM
TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: Rantskeller.
Dr. Charles G. Waugh on March 22, 2008 at 9:38 PM
I think the “typical white person” comment is the most damning thing he has ever said. One who is claiming to be post-racial simply cannot have such a formulation coming out of their mouth. Looking at the threads on Obama over the last few days, this phrase is repeated with varying degrees of sarcasm, irony, anger, over and over again. It’s like Nixon’s, “We could do it, but it would be wrong.” This is the one that will really be his undoing, and it doesn’t take a degree in political science to understand its significance. I think when they do the post-mortem on his campaign, this will prove to have been the thing that stuck in the American people’s collective craw. As such, I think it was worth the time the folks at Fox spent on it.
smellthecoffee on March 22, 2008 at 11:43 PM
“. . . coming out of
theirhis mouth.” Dang language police have installed a virus in my grammatical software.smellthecoffee on March 22, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Oh there’s more to come. This guy is such a newbee that he just can’t help himself but to say stupid things. You think Kerry was bad? Obama is going to give us a master’s class in ‘08 on what NOT to say during a campaign.
Mojave Mark on March 23, 2008 at 1:18 AM
We should be afraid, very afraid, of this silkily-smooth, ruthlessly ambitious Marxist Obammasiah ….. His well-schooled political discipline, focused egocentricity and extraordinary organizational savvy makes the Billary machine look like your high school student council campaign claque:
“http://www.pickensdemocrats.org/info/TheAgitator_070319.htm”
Mojamaiko on March 23, 2008 at 2:47 AM
Yet when Richardson and McPeak were going on and on about how great he is Obama kept his chin on his chest and looked down. He’s trying to play humble.
I’m not buying it!
Domino on March 23, 2008 at 3:02 AM
B Hussein admitted publicly to being a racist when he defined his own grandmother by the group, not as an individual. He defined her as a “typical white person”.
Now imagine if you will, B Hussein talking about white people with rev wright, when there are no white people around.
dogsoldier on March 23, 2008 at 7:21 AM
Michelle Obama’s disdain for America hews more closely to Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s public statements than to her husband’s. Is that a clue to Sen. Obama’s private rhetoric?
Another clue might be Obama’s description of his grandmother as “a typical white person.” Was that a slip of the tongue or a slip of the mask?
Terrie on March 23, 2008 at 10:45 AM
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