The Swift Boat Vets and the Trinity United Church of Christ
I’ve been thinking about Barack Obama’s decision more than tweny years ago to join the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. It was a calculated decision by this outsider, Ivy League graduate to connect with the inner city community that he saw as his base as he planned a career in the helping industry, er, public life.
Here’s liberal Matthew Yglesias of The Atlantic making the case,
…Obama’s going to have a hard time explaining that I take to be the truth, namely that his relationship with Trinity has been a bit cynical from the beginning. After all, before Obama was a half-black guy running in a mostly white country he was a half-white guy running in a mostly black neighborhood. At that time, associating with a very large, influential, local church with black nationalist overtones was a clear political asset (it’s also clear in his book that it made him, personally, feel “blacker” to belong to a slightly kitschy black church).
This decision, made years ago to help further Obama’s career has come back to cost him dearly. This speech he is being forced to give today “on race” is exactly what he has been trying to avoid for the entire campaign.
There is a real irony here in that the Democrats last nominee, John Kerry, was also denied his ultimate goal because of a cynical, calculated decision he made years earlier. Kerry’s was not a controversial religious affiliation, but his decision to return home from Vietnam and become a leader of the radical wing of the anti-war movement. It was his words, actions and associations in the early 1970’s that cost John Kerry the presidency.
The question today for Barack Obama is, will a cynical, calculated decision he made years ago cost him his shot at the presidency?
March 18th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Yes, it is indeed fascinating that Obama has to make a speech while McCain is getting a free pass with the religious leaders he has chosen to get into bed with, not to mention at former GOP candidate whose own church, while was a member, forbade black ministry. I didn’t hear anyone ask Mitt Romney why he didn’t walk out of the Mormon church. But then again, black nationalists are convenient to use to scare white people aren’t they? Furthermore, which is more cynical–Obama joining his church and being a member of the congregational life, or McCain seeking out the approval of Hagee and Parsley and disavowing certain beliefs of theirs while hoping for the votes of their followers?
You still haven’t shown that it was a cynical calculated decision on Obama’s part (you’ve merely surmised, which may be good enough for the conservative sheep to start baaing your tune) but there is no other description for McCain’s actions other than deeply cynical and evidence of a severe character flaw.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
William,
Your intolerance comes through loud and clear in every comment you post here. At least this time, you actually tried to address the substance of the post and make a point instead of just insult conservatives (although you did that too).
Mitt Romney was asked that very question on Meet The Press by Tim Russert. Ever hear of him?
As for McCain, he wasn’t a member of Hagee and Parsley congregations for 20 minutes, let alone 20 years.
McCain never talked about what a big influence they had on his life.
McCain didn’t write them donations of $20K.
McCain didn’t get the title for his books from their sermons.
McCain didn’t call them his spirtual mentor.
Other than all that, you make a good point.
Kevin
March 20th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Kevin, this bothers me alot: “As for McCain, he wasn’t a member of Hagee and Parsley congregations for 20 minutes, let alone 20 years”
When, and by whom, was this ‘20 year rule’ created? It’s convenient to set the bar so high that nothing Obama could ever do or say would allow him to be ‘forgiven’ for what his Pastor said. He cannot repudiate, renounce, disavow or fall on his sword enough because this went on for ‘TWENTY YEARS’.
I am curious as to whether Wright used this angry rhetoric for those 20 years, or is it something that has manifested itself just during the past few years, during a time when Obama knew he was going to be retiring, have you thought about that possibility at all? I doubt that you have since it is so much easier to make this a catch 22 for Obama by imposing the ‘20 year rule’. By doing so, Obama can never effectively apologize for, repudiate, renounce, or disavow the words of his minister because he knew him for ‘20 years’
It is very creative of you to give McCain a free pass because he was not a member of Hagee or Parsley’s congregations for ‘20 minutes’. minutes?
Does it trouble anyone besides me that McCain, quite possibly the next POTUS calls Parsley his spiritual guide’ less than 20 minutes after being a member of his congregation?
March 31st, 2008 at 9:19 am
Fight over Rev. Wright and Mc Cain but you all overlook OBAMA ACTUALLY ISSUED 3 DIFFERENT STATEMENTS REGARDING PASTOR WRIGHT AND HIS COMMENTS ARE AT THE LEAST “VAGUE”. MOST RECENTLY HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE CHURCH IF WRIGHT DID NOT RESIGN… AND TO BOOT..WRIGHT APOLOGIZED TO HIM… IF SO WHEN? WHERE? HOW? USUALLY REPORTERS ASK THOSE QUESTIONS..THESE DAYS THEY ALL FORGET..IT IS NO WONDER THE NEW MEDIA IS TAKING OVER AND RAGS LIKE NEWSWEEK ARE FADING FAST! If only Dan Rather had REMEMBERED those things..perhaps he could have delved just a little deeper and not beheld in such disgrace himself. Senator Kerry did the same thing and held the same beliefs that Kerry did! He made a big mistake claiming HIS military records were all Out to see..and EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WENT TO LOOK AT THEM..THEY ALL TORE THROUGH BUSH’S…ONLY LONG AFTER HIS LOSS DID RUSSERT FORCE KERRY TO ADMIT HE LIED! Apparently Kerry just didn’t “have time”, was too busy, to fill our the FIA180 and release his records and the AMERICAN LIBERAL MEDIA just didn’t have “time” to double check anything Kerry said! I do not recall if Russert has now Issued a Review of Kerry’s papers..or even checked to see if Kerry has had time to Release those records Yet.
All the time the Swift Boat Vets were asking ..Sign the FIA180..Sen. Kerry..and His supporters attacked them as though they were Criminals..all the time it was Kerry once again avoiding things..HAD HE PUT OUT HIS RECORDS THE ENTIRE MATTER WOULD HAVE ENDED, HOWEVER, HE WAS AFRAID TO RELEASE HIS RECORDS..SO HE FIGURED THE BEST ESCAPE WAS TO IGNORE THE SWIFT BOAT VETS..HE WASN’T BEING SLOW TO REACT OR NICE TO HIS FELLOW VETS..HE HOPED THEY WOULD JUST GO AWAY AND THAT HIS MEDIA BUDDIES WOULD ATTACK THE SWIFT BOATERS..WHICH THEY DID..SADLY IT WAS A BACKFIRE FOR HIM..AND GAVE THE Swift Boaters Lots of AIRTIME FOR FREE. In defending Kerry they made the voters Curious! KERRY KNEW HE COULDN’T PUT OUT HIS RECORDS..AND SINCE HE DIDN’T DO SO HE WAS STUCK IN A POSITION WHERE HE COULD NOT DEFEND HIMSELF. He used the same tactic by LEAVING NAM WITH “purple hearts” AND HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM HIS TRAITOROUS ATTACKS ..HE KNEW HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS WOULD NOT CUT AND RUN EVEN UNDER FIRE..WELL PAY BACK IS TOUGH..AND OBAMA IS PLAYING A SIMILAR TACTIC… REV. WRIGHT CAN CLAIM FEAR OF REPRISAL AND STAY HIDDEN ..POPPING UP UNDETECTED BY THE MEDIA..WHEN IT SUITS HIM.. Obama is in the Kerry position..supportive and Incurious Media ..BUT THIS TIME ..AMERICANS KNOW WHAT THE SILENCE FROM THESE “ELITES” REALLY MEANS!
I can guarantee Russert has NOT asked Kerry AGAIN about FIA180’s..and thus NOT BOTHERED TO SEE “HIS” HEROIC RECORD!