Kristol's typo is understandable. When my hands are shaking with rage, I often make mistakes, too.

perhaps in a merit based society, one that isn't so steeped in affirmative action practices for the idiot sons of influential old white guys, this amateur would be a stringer for some small time weekly, instead of polluting a major newspaper with his careless incompetence...

The biggest mistake here is not "camapaign" but "I regret the error."

What a joke!!!

Where are all those people who were so exercised about the Beauchamp affair?

Total digression and I am sorry to dstract you from Kristol: but did you ever see a small independent movie with Maggie Gyllenhaal  called Sherrybaby. It is as unsentimental, and tough-minded and as well acted as can be imagined, and complex too?

Just asking?

If not I'd say it is a must see.

It's immaterial if Obama was present at one specific hatefilled sermon. The senator voluntarily chose to affiliate with a church where ministers used the pulpit to tear down America rather than build unity. If the idea of building a new America that transcends race is so important to Obama, how could he have tolerated what he heard.

Sometimes ancient texts speak a truth that is relevant for our times; for example, "Keep yourself far from an evil neighbor..." (Pirkei Avot 1:7) Commentators teach that this verse warns that if we affiliate with evil neighbors, we might be influenced by them. Was Obama influenced by ideas taught by Rev. Wright? One piece of evidence suggests he was: Candidate Obama regularly spread the false claim, learned from Wright, that more black men were imprisoned than on college campuses. What other misguided ideas have we not heard?

miceelf, they're combing through old speeches by Rev. Wright, trying to find instances of racialist backmasking.

"One piece of evidence suggests he was: Candidate Obama regularly spread the false claim, learned from Wright, that more black men were imprisoned than on college campuses. What other misguided ideas have we not heard?"

If that's the worst thing you can come up with then I don't think we have much to worry about.  Obama also  believes in the separation of church and state which is something I could not agree more about and makes me indifferent about what goes on in his church.

I don't think the sermon was tearing down America, I find that incredilbly simplistic and self-serving. Strong critiques of this country can be the most patriotic act one can do.  

I think he thought he was strengthening America by holding it accountable to it's promise. Sometimes black folks of his generation are just angry, often for good reason, but not always, I'm not romanticizing anything here.  I just accept that there are some things I will never understand about growing up black in that era and how it may have affected me.  The anger does not scare me or make me mistrust. I j ust try and hear it and take it in.  I work with alot of young adults of color here in the city and their views are almost a different planet from Wright's, there's no sense of magic realism there (there is a story-telling part of African American culture IS this fantazmigoric take on things at times ala AIDS was a govt .conspiracy - I wouldn't be surpised if he brought up ghosts and spirits too).  He's very much a snapshot of a specific generation.

I don't agree with everything he said and find some of it deeply offensive (I live in NY and was 20 blocks from the World Trade Center and I'll just leave it at that, I wanted to find Jerry Fallwell and rip his spine out), but I agree completely with his outrage at the prison industrial complex - attacking that evil is exactly what Jesus would have done.  He's certainly entitled to have his say just as we are entitled to disagree, sometimes vehemently.

But this prissy overly touchy ofay white people faux outrage is really eye rolling stuff, funny even.  

Someone get out the smelling salts, I have the vapors!  Angry blackpeople!  Scary!

here's what that typo was SUPPOSED to say:

(there is a story-telling part of African American culture that IS this fantazmigoric take on things at times ala AIDS was a govt .conspiracy - I wouldn't be surpised if he brought up ghosts and spirits too)

Pastor Wright in hs own words:

“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes three-strike laws and wants them to sing God Bless America.

“No! No No!

“God damn America … for killing innocent people.

“God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans.

“God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme.”

“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki. And we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye,”

“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because of stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own backyard. America is chickens coming home to roost.”

“The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”

btw: I love the pretentious title:

"...Second Time Farce ..."

You should make it clear to your readers that you were quoting Marx. Of course, if people you knew you were comparing this election to the “Eighteenth Brumaire” people would die laughing.

Ignorance is bliss sometimes; often it just keeps you from knowing that a joke is being made.

wylile you are  naive to believe that what goes on in Rev. Wright's church isn't relevant to public policy, or that his views about social justice don't  influence his congregants. The whole point of black liberation theology is to make social change. Have you slept through the last  decade in American politics, when Christian fundamentalists tried to legislate their religious beliefs on abortion, evolution, and end of life issues? Guess what, those ideas sprouted from religious conviction taught by ministers in churches.

Furthermore, because you could not refute the evidence I cited that Obama has digested some of Wright's  outlandish claims, you attempt to minimize it. My point still stands.

Wandreycerl... I don't fear these ideas or worry they will become mainstream. I cite them because they call in to question Obama's assertion that he is a candidate of change, a politician who can transcend race and unite Americans. Face it, the myth has been shattered.

rebml,

Your posts are really a load of crap, the worst sort of ranting nonsense.  "The myth has been shattered."  Did you write that yourself?  What myth?  I'd rather have jacksondyer calling me names than read your nonsense.  At least I get a good laugh.  

Black liberation theology is not running for office.  A particular person with a particular set of beliefs is.  What his pastor says is some evidence of what he believes, but his own clear and unequivocal statements, combined with a long history of behavior congruent with his words, is more than enough to rebut the weak inference that can be drawn from his association with Wright.  Not that you care.  You simply would like to see the country behave as if Wright and Obama were the same person.

There is no reason in the context of this election to gave a damn what black liberation theology is about.  On the other hand, I do believe the that boogey man is coming to get YOU.  I would hide under the bed if I were you, at least until November.

rebml?

really? is that what you think is going on?  Does Obama sound like black liberation theologist when he speaks/wirtes?

This bullshit about not being able to say negative things about the USA and what has happened to this country in the past is a pure Republican play, "get out the flag police, your right to free speech has been suspended until you say something nice about our holy land".  We need people like Wright to offer his take on what's going on in the world - it makes people think!  So what if it's outlandish - he's an old guy and he probably tired of the all the crap he's seen and a bit senile to boot.  He can say whatever the hell he wants - heck he's a Pastor, he's been telling all kinds of stories all his life.  Obama is a pretty smart guy though, he understands all this, he knows where to draw the lines.

I see your Wright and raise you one Hagee.

The government didn't create the AIDS virus, and the Catholic Church is not the Great Whore.

Let's call it a draw, OK?