JEREMIAH WRIGHT TO THE RESCUE

Just a few weeks ago Barack Obama seemed on track to win the Democratic nomination. He had more votes than Hillary Clinton, more delegates, more endorsements by super delegates, and he was way ahead in fund raising. Democratic leaders were calling on the New York senator to drop out of the race so that the party could come together and prepare to fight the Republican candidate. When clips of Jeremiah Wright’s speech God damning America started appearing on the Internet, the Illinois senator gave a masterful speech in response to it. He was able to project his ability to see both sides of the race conflict. People were saying that the contest of Obama’s to lose.

And right away he started lose it. Hillary was expected to win in Pennsylvania, but the outcome might have been closer if it had not been for Barack’s comment that when small town people (poor whites) became bitter, they turned to guns and religion. Whoops! It was not only probably wrong factually, but it was certainly impolitic. Hillary called him an elitist who didn’t understand working class people. Then we see her on television in a bar with mug of beer and then with a shot of whiskey, while Barack goes to a bowling alley and throws a gutter ball. People wonder why he doesn’t wear an American flag in his lapel. Maybe he’s lacking in patriotism, particularly when you consider Wright’s comments damning America and Michelle Obama’s statement earlier in the campaign that for the first time in her adult life, she is proud of America.

A flag in the lapel is no true measure of patriotism, of course, but part of being a politician is creating an image. It wouldn’t hurt the Illinois senator to wear a flag pin in his lapel or to be seen hoisting a mug of beer.

Anyway, just at this crucial moment, Jeremiah Wright comes to the rescue. The reverend has been popping up all over the television. He mimicked JFK’s New England accents and LBJ’s Texas accent, charging that no one told those men that they spoke bad English. Black children, however, who speak Ebonics are told that their English is incorrect. He insisted that attacks on his statements are not an attack on him or on Barack Obama but attacks on the black church. Huh?

All Barack Obama needs now is an endorsement from Dick Cheney.

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

For the past week Barack Obama has been taking flak because he suggested that lower middle class whites were embittered by their lack of power. Because of this they turned to guns and religion and animosity toward people who didn’t look like them. He lost some points in that statement.

Big Bill said the Hillary “misspoke” about coming under fire in Bosnia because she was old and tired. Hillary loses some points for the misstatement. Bill loses lots of points and has to sleep on the couch—again.

Hillary brought up Barack’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright, who made anti-American statements. Both Hillary and Barack lose points, Barack for a suggestion of possible insufficient patriotism, Hillary for the perception of negative campaigning. Wright is old news, and Barack had already eloquently responded to the issue.

Hillary points out that Barack served on a board in Chicago with former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers, now an English professor. (You have to be suspicious of English professor no matter what their background is.) Hillary looks as though she’s grasping at straws. When Ayers was part of the Weather Underground, Barack was eight years old. Anyway Big Bill had pardoned some members of the Weathermen.

Who won the debate? John McCain, no doubt about it.