Just to be clear, the title of my diary is not meant to exclude anyone. I am particularly interested in what black folks here are thinking and feeling about this whole situation. That said, I welcome everybody's thoughts, opinions, feelings and poll votes, as the white guy I'm married to probably does not represent the views of all white guys.
I've been reading comments and diaries that seem to think that Obama has unfairly kicked Reverend Wright to the curb and sold his soul to appease white voters, polls, the media, Fox, whatever. Frankly, I'm shocked, appalled, confused and pissed.
A couple of samples:
My displeasure (the subject of my diary) was at Obama's performance today. I didn't think he should have b-slapped the Rev., because I think he shouldn't have let the polls, media and his opponents dictate the terms of his engagement with his roots.
You shouldn't have to sell your soul to become POTUS. Here comes Tavis Smiley's "I Told You So" commentary.
Are we agreed that Barack Obama is a candidate that we can be proud of?
Are we agreed that he is running a campaign that we can be proud of?
Are we agreed that when the Wright story first erupted, he responded in the most honorable way possible, by rejecting the speech, not the speaker?
If we actually want Barack Obama to become president, I don't know how you can see Jeremiah Wright's comments to the Press Club as anything other than willfully damaging to his candidacy. Reverend Wright got on the bus, started up the engine and ran Obama over with it. What would you have Obama do? The idea that your rage would be directed at Barack when you have someone actively, publicly trying to destroy his campaign is beyond anything I can articulate.
Jeremiah Wright does not equal the black church. No one man or woman does. And when he says that he does and follows that with divisive rhetoric about Farrakhan, AIDS, Israel etc., it is the worst kind of crutch.
If you believe that in order to fix the system, you have to become a part of it, then you understand what is happening. On the other hand, if you think Obama is selling out and that he should be trying to engage the MSM, race relations, the role of faith in politics before he can get elected, then you haven't been paying attention.
Unfortunately, in our current political arena, more often than not, the right acts while the left reacts. We've let them set the tone and the rules of engagement, which has got to stop. That said, a lot of voters are ignorant, easily swayed and not willing to give Obama the benefit of any doubts. He had to do this. He probably should have done it sooner.
Ultimately this is bigger than Barack Obama, and it sure as hell is bigger than Reverend Wright. We've had people dreaming and working toward the possibility of a black president for decades. This election affords us the opportunity to see where we are as a nation, where we want to go and what we wounds we can try to heal in the process.
UPDATE: Thank you so much for getting me my first trip to the Rec List. Your feedback and interest is appreciated more than you know. Thanks for sharing it!