LIVE THREAD - Under Pressure, Obama Prepares for Race and Unity Speech

Fox News ^ | 18 March 2008

[SE Mom]

Barack Obama is preparing to deliver a major address Tuesday on race, politics and unifying the country after being hounded by questions about his relationship to a pastor whose sermons have been laced with anti-American invective.

In a speech whose religious significance could compare to one given in December by former GOP presidential hopeful and Mormon Mitt Romney, Obama may be forced to explain the philosophy of the 8,000-strong Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where the Democratic presidential candidate has been a congregant for 20 years.

In announcing the morning address, to be delivered in Philadelphia, Obama would not say specifically what he will discuss, but suggested he wants to cool down the atmosphere after incendiary remarks by his pastor, retired Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., blanketed the airwaves over the past week.

[RDTF]

LMAO!

[cgk]

bump

[MotleyGirl70]

I saw Williams on Fox News Sunday and know he's a liberal but I knew he wasn't insane enough to defend Wright's comments and Obama's association with him.

How long before Juan gets called an Uncle Tom.

[Yaelle]

I will tell you one thing that was good about Obama’s speech, besides his careful delivery. He is openly talking about race, in a very public forum. And no one is firing him or tarring and feathering him.

Rush talked about race calmly and non politically correctly on his football show. He made the “mistake” of speaking about race normally. He was knocked to the ground.

No one has openly talked about what it can be like around the black kitchen table or in the black churches until Obama. We have to give him that. I’ve been close enough to the American black world for long enough to see that he’s right about that part. I’ve been with black families long enough to be come invisible enough to hear the private thoughts about whites in general that maybe a lot of whites don’t get to hear.

I was thinking of Larry Elder when Obama was getting into that part of “black America,” thinking he would be agreeing about at least that.

However, just speaking the truth about black-on-white racism doesn’t mean Obama has any solutions to it. But I guess only Obama dared say it in full. However, Bill Cosby at least has some of the correct solutions in his speeches (Larry has all of the solutions but doesn’t get quite as large an audience - yet).

[Kitten1]

Hi SE Mom,

I hope you feel better over time. I won’t speak for others but this conservative American has no issue with you or white people in general. If there is an issue, I’m smart enough to see it for what it is.

As my grandmother taught me, racism reflects a defect in the perpetrator whoever they may be.

[Palladin]

Barack Hussein is all talk—no solutions.

[Yaelle]

Hilarious!

[Miss Didi]

Juan gets it on this issue. And he has told Bill O. that he is already called an Uncle Tom.

[Truth29]

"Here?s the Cliffs Notes Version... Our Constitution was written by racists who owned blacks as slaves - and is biased toward whites. All men created equal, my ass. I am the genetic epitome of the multi-culturalism that our country should be. A nation of half-breeds, or blacks - no matter. There are serious frequent flyer miles racked up at the Obama family reunion... I condemn Rev. Wright?s hate speech (not really), but he only says that because of racism by whitey. I?m so surprised that people have the audacity to think that I believe this... OOPS! Did I say that out loud? My bad... Blacks hate you white people... because even after ending slavery, passing civil rights, giving us preferences for jobs, blah blah blah... because you whiteys are still racist. Except for the white college chicks that want to hit this... Yeah, we?re ungrateful, now we want reparations and universal health care - because the free health care we already get SUCKS! I went into this black church, and found people that hate whites as much as my racist grandmother (whom I have never forgiven) hated blacks. However, I disagreed with eveything the pastor said. For twenty years, a marriage, and two children raised in the church - but I digress... Black churches are a Black thing, and whitey just don?t understand. Don?t these crackers know that only whites, conservatives, and radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh can be racists? Oh, crap... Is this a hot mic? The racial hatred spread in whitey churches is just more nuanced. That talk of love, forgiveness and inclusion is just wack, yo. My candidacy is proof that race still matters, and I?ve been milking both sides of the fence the whole time... Bashing my pastor never fed a hungry child, housed a homeless person, or solved global warming - or anything else that Bush is at fault for. So LEAVE JERRY ALONE! Ashley is this white college chick that wants to do me, and she fed her mom mustard and relish sandwiches. She?s still a racist white person - but shhhhh... don?t let her know... Uhhhh... Hope & Change! Thank You... Thank You... Thank You... THANK YOU... THANK YOU!!! CLAP DAMMIT!!!"

Good Cliffs notes version, but an even shorter version would be: Whites are responsible for everything bad that has happened to blacks, even the way they think. I am the hope. Vote for me.

PS. We need to get past all of this nasty talk.

[Spunky]

" Now I look around, at the store, in my neighborhood, my church and wonder...do these black people I see around me think of me the way Jeremiah Wright does? Am I hated and reviled for being a white woman by black people?"

A few years back my daughter and family went to California for vacation. Coming home they took the wrong turn and ended up in downtown Oakland. Now having lived in California before she knew it was a black community but she had to go to the bathroom real bad so they stopped at a gas station. She found the bathroom locked so asked the attendant if he would unlock it. He asked her; "Do you have any idea where you are?" She said; "Yes, Oakland and I need to go to the bathroom. He said she couldn't use it and that they keep it locked because they find to many dead bodies in it. He told her she better hurry up and get out of there.

[Yaelle]

The worst thing I have ever heard in liberal Jewish congregations, from the bimah (pulpit, if you will), is the typical bias toward global warming, liberal programs, some Gore-Lieberman fawning. NEVER anything against a race or against America. In most congregations they pray for the country.

[Palladin]

The BIGGEST FATTEST lie:

“Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect.”

[LegalEagle61]

I have tried to reach out in my old neighborhood. But the misplaced anger that these marxists/socialists thrive on (and encourage) doesn’t listen to me. Try telling people to take responsibility for their life when so-called black leaders constantly tell them to blame someone else.

This is so true. It is the fault of the black leaders spewing this hatred, teaching this to their followers. Giving black people a sense of entitlement because of the past rather than teaching them to trust God, forgive the past, and work hard to rise above. It is essentially brainwashing.

The thing that really made me laugh at Obama's speech today was that he mainly addressed race as if THAT was the ONLY problem. I see the main problem as the hatred of America. When you couple it with the fact that Obama won't put his hand over his heart or wear a U.S. flag pin and the recent comments of his wife--and the fact that he refuses to sever ties with this man and the church--make me distrust his love for this country. Can you imagine this America hating Wright as his spiritual advisor if (and that is a big HUGE IF right now) Obama became POTUS? He loves him so much, he inspired him to write his book, why wouldn't he still consult with him? Very scary thought.

[Palladin]

Scary, indeed.

Just what kind of change does Obama have in mind for the rest of us?

This is the question that lingers today and throughout the rest of his campaign.

[stockstrader]

His "ELOQUENT, BUT OUTRAGEOUS" speech was a once in a lifetime (no hypberbole there at all),,,but most certainly a 'once in a generation' chance--to help close the divide between races. He blew it,,,,he blew it BIG TIME!!!!

A black man like Obama is uniquely qualified to tell the black pastors to STOP SPREADING RACISM, HATE AND VENOM in church (where Pastors carry considerable sway)!! He could have said, "IT MUST STOP,,,IT MUST STOP NOW!

Instead, he 'kicked the can further down the road'---by trying to indirectly justify black racism--telling us that "we just don't understand".

How sad. Sigh.

By not completely disassociating himself from a racist like Wright--he has legitmized what is said by some pastors in some black churches. How terribly sad.

This speech will play wonderfully in the black community, liberal MSM and democratic party,,in fact, it assures his nomination.

It will also play HORRIBLY with free-thinking people in the general election--and keep 'race baiting' on the front burner. How sad.

[Yaelle]

Guys, I need to tell you: Yes, some blacks around you either go to churches like that, or sit around family members / friends who talk like that. Most black people do not believe that stuff, though. EVEN IF THEY NOD THEIR HEADS AT IT IN CHURCH. They’ve heard it a lot and they go along to get along.

You might nod your head at a friend’s comment about illegals ruining the country (I would), but not wish your friend Jose who fixed your car at 3am to see that nod.

Most people of any race are like sheep and just go along. Don’t fear/hate the black people around you.

However, this pastor is VERY DANGEROUS because some innocent people will be driven to action like bin Laden for listening to this crap.

[TeleStraightShooter]

Depends on what you mean by "heal".

If you harbor a white guilt for past racial inequities that you had no part of, then the gospel of Obama might heal you with his forgiveness.

He can't heal me because I don't carry such guilt and don't have any racial hang ups like Obama does.

[gop4lyf]

Too bad he didn’t have the test.icular fortitude to bring his racist preacher on stage with him. Instead barry hussein osama probably gave the guy a paid vacation to anywhere in he world until Nov. 5.

[stockstrader]

His defense of Wright---because Wright has also done 'good'--can be applied to ANY of your favorite racists/dictators/leaders!!

Just 'fill in the name'--and I'm sure that you can----

First, put any hateful and venomous contexts in the 'perspective' of that racist/dictator,,,and

Second, find some 'good' done by the dictator/racist to justify 'looking the other way'!!

How sad.

[Yaelle]

His defense of Wright---because Wright has also done 'good'--can be applied to ANY of your favorite racists/dictators/leaders!!

There were still people in Germany a couple decades ago who missed how Hitler had the trains all running on time.