I actually felt a little sorry for him. He looked like the town bully crying “He started it.”

(Silence)

Ah, yes. The post and hide…

Jaibones on April 25, 2008 at 11:42 AM

(Quoting yourself is really stupid)

Official dentist-related “post and hide” retraction!

I’ll stand by the following: anyone trying to express the idea that they have an honest difference of opinion (and not just a foil) with their spiritual protege wouldn’t describe them as “respond[ing] as a politician”. That language attempts to minimize their difference of opinion instead of facing it squarely. And – combined with the comment “He does what politicians do” (what, lie, cheat & steal?) – it implies that they actually agree, but that he and Obama both have to say otherwise for the benefit of their respective careers.

It even concedes the possibility that both are charlatans, saying whatever they must in order to keep the gravy train rolling.

IMHO he wasn’t having any trouble expressing himself clearly. In order to convey an honest difference of opinion to a general audience, he’d have had to choose different words and a different argument.

And yes, I am assuming Wright meant “lie” when suggesting “what politicians do”. That is because, in order for his comments to be interpreted by the audience, he has to be talking about what the concensus of society thinks, and not what he or Bill Moyers (or any one person) might think about politicians. Although he could claim after the fact, “well of course I meant ‘lead the country forward’…and ‘reach consensus’… after all that’s what politicians do!” or some such pablum, IMHO he couldn’t assume the listening audience would have remotely understood this when he was talking. The only clear and straightforward meaning is that of lying for a living.

At last count, society doesn’t agree on much with respect to politicians except that they lie for a living. (Whether maliciously or for the “common good”, is debatable…)

AP, I sincerely applaud how you’re always trying to figure out what’s really being said instead of taking sound bytes, but I don’t think this one quite works.

Esthier on April 24, 2008 at 3:27 PM

(Silence)

Ah, yes. The post and hide…

I guess “absolutely not” isn’t clear enough.

Nonfactor on April 25, 2008 at 7:25 AM

Quoting either of them from recent statements is somewhat meaningless, after twenty years as close associates and other recent statements by Wright to the effect that he knows Obama has to lie about him now.

Why bother?

RMR on April 24, 2008 at 8:34 PM

For the record, Odyssey is certainly not all-white, and might actually be majority African-American. I financed a home there for a white couple, but everyone else I know who lives there is black.

Go to functions in one, preach in one, but break out the suit and tie for PBS.

Bill Moyers (4) part video interview (love fest) with Rev. Wright
Clip #3

Clip #1
Clip #2
Clip #4
ShareThis
……

If he wanted to say that he and Obama had sincere differences of opinion, he could have said so very simply.

mikeyboss on April 24, 2008 at 4:15 PM

I guess “absolutely not” isn’t clear enough.

Wow, two firsts in two days. Yesterday, I agreed with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and tonight I find myself agreeing with Rev. Jeremiah Wright:“Absolutely not,” Mr. Wright said. “I don’t talk to him about politics. And so he had a…

In the wake of the ad, John McCain and the RNC have asked the NC Republican Party to remove the ad as being divisive. Up to now, the state party has refused to comply. Notwithstanding his disapproval of the ad, McCain is taking heat from Democrats. Howard Dean is attacking McCain for his inability to force the NC Republican Party to take down the ad.

Then there is MSNBC’s blatantly partisan Keith Olbermann, who, last night, called the ad racist and attacked McCain in his “Worst person in the world” segment for his “connection” to those putting the ad up.

What connection, Mr Olbermann? John McCain has disowned the ad and tried to have it taken down (something he does not have the authority to do).

John McCain should be praised for his attempt to conduct a non-divisive campaign (at least to this point). But was the ad racist, as Olbermann and others on the left are charging? I think not. Just because Obama has a pastor who cries “God d___ America” and rails about white people and the “US of KKK”, does not make those who point out the truth racists. If anyone is racist, it is Reverend Wright. I would agree that the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates of North Carolina should not be saddled with Jeremiah Wright just because they endorsed Obama. That is another step removed. At any rate, I don’t consider the ad racist just because it criticizes a black pastor who has said outrageous things.

Olbermann’s charges of racism surrounding the ad are to be expected. While he rails against Bill O’Reilly and Fox News (”Fix News” as he calls it.) on a nightly basis, Olbermann is a hypocrite when he makes these statements. His own show is nothing more than a one-sided exercise in bashing of Bush, the Republican Party and all things conservative. Unlike Fox, which has debates between liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, Hannity and Colmes, as well as O’Reilly bringing on opposing voices, Olbermann debates no one. His guests every night are the same tired old faces, Eugene Robinson, Rachel Maddow, Chuck Todd, Jonathan Alter and others who agree with him on everything. So now, Olbermann is attaching the “racist” label on the North Carolina ad without any explanation or evidence.

In the wake of the ad “controversy”, David Axelrod, campaign chief for Obama, has thrown in his two cents worth with a comment about “white working-class voters” who will vote for the white candidate (as opposed to Obama).

Then there is Joy Behar of “The View”. This morning, she joined the fray in bringing up the “Republican Attack Machine”, that “will do anything to hold on to power- anything.” What Joy refuses to understand is that Obama is still engaged in fighting off Hillary Clinton for the nomination. It is the Clintons that are playing the race card against Obama, not John McCain and his campaign. It is the Clintons who will do anything to win-anything.

In short, the NC ad, while stretching to connect Jeremiah Wright to the two Democratic candidates for governor, are not racist. If they are, then any criticism of a black public figure is also racist. I would like to think we have progressed beyond that point.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

Listen to that.. Obama is just a typical politician. BWAHAHAHA!

For once, Rev Wright is right. Obama says what he needs to say to promote his political career.

And the Rev says what he needs to say to promote his preaching career.

Simple as that.

petefrt on April 24, 2008 at 3:17 PM

Agree.

I wouldn’t bend over too far backwards to give these guys the benefit of the doubt, AP.

Mike H on April 24, 2008 at 3:53 PM

But, then, you’re not AP. For the record, this approaches the lamest defense of Wright and Obama that I’ve read here.

AP, the NYT got a better quote the following month:

“If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me,” Mr. Wright said with a shrug. “I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen.”
Karl on April 24, 2008 at 7:45 PM

That’s sweet.

He may simply be trying to communicate that they come at these issues from different angles and have honest differences of opinion.

Yeah, and monkeys may fly out my butt.