"..they expressed a profoundly distorted view ... a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam."

Obama has the delegate count in his favor. What he needs now is to wrap up the super-delegates, and the way to do that is to convince them of his electability. Sentiments like the one above show clearly where he thinks the mainstream of the country and even the mainstream of democratic party are these issues.

Such a sentiment is also important in that it plainly expresses that Write's thinking on Israel is incorrect and at least hints that it is paranoid and extremist. It's a big deal for a left wing politician to express such a view, and the more so in a speech that is bound to be regarded on the left as historic and seminal.

I don't have any illusions about the source of this. Primarily it's the beginning of Obama moving to the middle both to attract super-delegate votes and to begin his general election campaign. Standard political maneuvering. But I'm very pleased with it.

but again this is standard Obama stuff, which is to try to embrace both, or all, sides fully. Try to give everybody what they want and hope they only notice the parts that are meant for them.

It was a great speech.

I'm angry and upset at the revelations about Wright. Obviously we'd all know about the associations with Farrakhan but until the tapes were aired and the full impact - with that "oomph" as you're hit in the stomach with this rage - and raw nastiness - and humor - humor laced with hatred and despair - until the tapes came out it didn't really sink in.

That said - I suggest people screw up their courage, travel to the nearest cold, big city in winter - and visit neighborhoods in the poorest sections of town. You'll see a different world, a world within view of the gleaming towers, but separated from them - from the hopeful people who live and work there - by miles of despair.

Maybe only people who've not only been there but who've been cold, poor and desperate, will ever be able to really forgive the anger. I'm not sure anything can ever really expunge the hate. But maybe Obama is making a few strides in that direction.

...Sophia, you mean poor, downtrodden types like Oprah ;-)

According to NPR this morning, Trinity was/is the church for the Black community's movers-and-shakers, up and on the move opinion leaders. I can see why...in the videos, the music looked great!

That said - I suggest people screw up their courage, travel to the nearest cold, big city in winter - and visit neighborhoods in the poorest sections of town. You'll see a different world, a world within view of the gleaming towers, but separated from them - from the hopeful people who live and work there - by miles of despair.

If I wanted to know what Roger Simon was fighting for during the civil rights movement, I could go to Silicon Valley and talk to my husband's boss, Kelley, who is black. Or I could talk to the chairman of the board of directors and CEO of the company, John Thompson. He's black too.

Civil rights activists were fighting for equal opportunity for blacks - and from what I've seen, that equal opportunity exists. They have the opportunity to get rich and they have the opportunity to make a pig's breakfast of their careers by making stupid mistakes and by being faithful to idiots who will tear them down.

We should give Obama the same consideration we'd give to a white politician who faithfully stands by a racist religious leader.

I think Oprah left that church ages ago? That said - and with all respect for Obama and his attempts to understand, absorb and balance all these conflicts within himself, and explain them - why did he stay?

I'm really torn guys.

Part of me understands this and the far larger part says there is no excuse.

Beyond that it's clear people need to communicate better. The fact that so many find Wright and Farrakhan both comforting and acceptable is a big problem - and so is the ongoing poverty and despair that afflicts so many. We should take pride in the strides made so far, but continue reaching out to those who haven't made it yet.

Yesterday, California's governor announced plans, due to budget and economic shortfalls, to cut funding for education. That's simply disastrous. It can only perpetuate these woes, especially as Americans are now confronted with global competition.

Heh. Roger Simon reports that Stanley Kurtz is making fun of him:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDkwZDhmM2Q3ODYyMTJhMTA5MmVkOTM4NTg5YmRmMjQ=

:)

Which is punditry, which is parody?
You decide. Links below.

Exhibit A:

Preacher Calms Dem Fears of Obama's Faith

(2008-03-19) — The latest presidential poll shows that public exposure to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s racially-charged, anti-American preaching has allayed Democrat voter fears about Sen. Barack Obama’s evangelical Christianity.

“Until mainstream Democrats heard Rev. Wright’s remarks,” said an unnamed pollster, “many were troubled by Sen. Obama’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ and his regular church attendance, which are generally-accepted indicators of mental weakness and deep-seated bigotry.”

However, the source said, now that Democrat voters know that Sen. Obama’s pastor essentially preaches mainstream progressive talking points, they seem more willing to tolerate the Democrat candidate’s Christianity.

As one survey respondent said, “At least he’s not some kind of religious nut, like George Bush, trying to force his god delusions and twisted morality down our throats.”

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Exhibit B:

Bargaining is a mask that blacks can wear in the American mainstream, one that enables them to put whites at their ease. Bargainers make the subliminal promise to whites not to shame them with America's history of racism, on the condition that they will not hold the bargainer's race against him. And whites love this bargain -- and feel affection for the bargainer -- because it gives them racial innocence in a society where whites live under constant threat of being stigmatized as racist.... Mr. Obama's extraordinary dash to the forefront of American politics is less a measure of the man than of the hunger in white America for racial innocence....

Thus, nothing could be more dangerous to Mr. Obama's political aspirations than the revelation that he, the son of a white woman, sat Sunday after Sunday -- for 20 years -- in an Afrocentric, black nationalist church in which his own mother, not to mention other whites, could never feel comfortable.

How does one "transcend" race in this church? What could he have been thinking? Of course he wasn't thinking. He was driven by insecurity, by a need to "be black" despite his biracial background.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Exhibit A: the inimatable Scott Ott
Exhibit B: biracial journalist Shelby Steele

Meanwhile I'd like to remind my navel-gazing stateside bretheren that there is a global Islamic revolution going on.

Remember?
Remember?

Links:
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2920
http://drsanity.blogspot.com/2008/03/inauthentic-self.html

Wonderful post indeed. You write in a lucid manner that is easy to understand even for newbie like me. Keep the good work going by continue writing. I have already subscribed to the RSS feed of the blog and look forward to reading more blog posts in the future.