Mr. Obama fails to persuade me that he rejects Rev. Wright’s anti-American message, because his wife, albeit with less (public) vituperation, clearly agrees with Rev. Wright. Until the handlers got hold of her, she made it quite clear she has always been ashamed of this country. Perhaps I have just missed it, but I have yet to hear him say that he does not share her feelings. His refusal to wear a flag pin, to put his hand over his heart for the flag, indicate that in fact he agrees with her. If he doesn’t agree with her, his failure to appreciate the symbolism of those actions is remarkable in a man of his vaunted political astuteness. Meanwhile, the speech on Tuesday appears to have the desired effect of being all things to all people, judging from the multitude of interpretations present even in this small sampling.
