As some of the posters have noted, a lot of Americans are just now paying attention to the controversy over Wright. Those who have been paying attention are NOT Obama’s target with his denunciation of Wright. The casual political observers, who depend on the major networks for their news (who have barely reported Pastor-gate to date), are who he is counting on in order to take full advantage of his shot at a do-over.
Obama fumbled the ball a month ago when he gave a speech that gave Wright a pass on the exact same dispicable stuff that he denounced yesterday. If Wright had simply disappeared for the remainder of the campaign then the slow bleed damage to Obama from his relationship with Wright would have continued through November. But by coming back into public view Wright gave Obama a second shot to distance himself from the radical preacher and to condemn his racist rants, which Obama did in clear terms yesterday. (Whether or not that was Wright’s plan is certainly a good question. Was he trying to hurt of help Obama?) In any event, Obama hit a much better tee shot with his mulligan and it will likely salvage his campaign…against Hillary.
Now, are Obama’s comments denouncing his former pastor believable? Absolutely not. Wright didn’t say anything this week that he hasn’t said for twenty years. He is who he has always been, and both Barack and Michelle Obama have bought into the rhetoric he has dispensed from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ. The ONLY difference in last week and this week is that Barack has seen the light when it comes to the political radioactivity of this nitwit. So Barack finally SAYS the right thing. But there is no reason to believe he actually means it, and he is months (if not years) late in ACTING upon his supposedly passionate disagreement with Wright’s views.
Nevertheless, most Democrat voters (especially those Super Delegates who may have been second guessing whether he should be their nominee) will be taken in by his slick words…and that is exactly what he is counting on happening. And that is why his “do-over” will work to secure the Democratic Party nomination.
