Obama still must explain ties to Wright
Tuesday May 6, 2008
The odds are with Barack Obama when it comes to the delegate count. But the odds are not good he will be able to explain Rev. Jeremiah Wright in a credible way. Wright has been heard only a few times by the American public. But in those few times he has been consistent. He has characterized the United States as a source of evil in the world, has said our government invented AIDS to kill African-Americans and said he believes 9/11 was richly deserved, given our foreign policy.
Obama's problem was he had two bad choices. The first was to remain loyal to the man who had been his spiritual mentor, the man who had married him and baptized his children. To do this he would have had to admit he found Wright to be the kind of pastor he would choose to have influence and spiritual direction over him and his family. It would have meant being open with the American people about his reasons for supporting a church and a pastor with such over-the-top beliefs. This choice would have shown loyalty and honesty, but would have been politically suicidal.
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