You might all do well to find out the nature of African American opinion that is not knee-jerkily seduced by Obama’s rhetoric or candidacy. I for one have been a McCain supporter since Fred Thompson quit, but it doesn’t change my feeling that a large number of Right critics have protested too much. As I have said, no honest supporter or critic of Obama should view his candidacy as a referendum on American race relations, and yet here is the full bloom of dishonest ‘disinterest’ bending over backwards to demonstrate absolute faith that Wright is a prima facia racist and that black strains of liberation theology is the coming of the Fourth Reich. Is there anyone serious at all in this criticism, people who have, perhaps read Obama’s book?

Calmer heads will realize that the materiality of Wright’s bigotry is nothing more or less than offensive speech for oversensitized people who feel like they have to claim their race and gender victimhood validated. All those who last week were telling us that Multiculturalism was crap are now reminding us that they are white men. I said to hell with those afraid of Imus and I say to hell with those afraid of Wright.

It is an embarrassment to see people who have in the past three years, written perhaps 1000 words or less about the black church in America suddenly appear so prescient.

All that said, while I am not particularly interested in the worst soundbites of the past two decades played out in excruciating detail any more than I am in finding out what Spitzer’s professional paramour actually looks like – I do recognize where the outrage is coming from. Jeremiah Wright is outrageous. As somebody who has spent several years asking whitefolks if they were willing to make racism illegal, I understand fairly well what people consider crime and what they consider piling on. Some consistency would be in order. This is class three racism. Next.

We are all products of our upbringings and are full of different biases and preconceptions. I’m no different. I try to be honest about it, especially to myself, which is often the hardest thing of all to do.

And Obama is no different. I feel for Obama. Growing up mixed race must have been hell at times for him. I understand his need to fit in somewhere as he grew up, in his search for an identity.

I think the reason I was so stung by his comments about his grandma, was that I believed he was better than that. Maybe I’m being too hard on him regarding that statement. It’s hard to be objective when emotions are so strong. (Like I said- I can be very wishy-washy.)

Vince has neither the ears to hear, nor the eyes to see. And I’m sorry for him.

I’m also sorry for Mr. Obama. Had he taken the time, as you have, to look into his own heart for his motivations; and been as honest as you’ve been – with himself and us – this election might have traveled a far different path.

So, one comment (made in a lousy interview with Philadelphia AM sports guys, I thought I’d add), disappears your stupid idea that you’d vote for a guy based on his race, and you imply I am a simple-minded bigot?

What nerve you have. Unlike you, I never once thought of voting for Obama based on race. A huge reason for me, actually, is his work with backbencher Dick Lugar on loose nukes.

And nice try flaunting the high-and-mighty “independent” line. My assumptions about you are based on the nature of this blog(led by a man, Roger Simon, who has at turns implied that Obama is a secret bin Ladenist and an anti-Semite) and its comments section which, by its tone, seems to lead to the domination of discussions, rather than the fostering of them.

John McCain is a good man whose 2000 candidacy electrified me, but he’s going to have to go a long way to recapture that fire. McCain Obama should be quite a thing to watch.

You are one of the loveable ones.

Yours is a voice needed to be heard by people like Vince. I hope they’re listening.

There is not a lie in you.