DailyViews: Editorial

Obama gets fiery baptism

Whether it is a true epiphany or a politically expedient conversion, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama appears to finally be divorcing himself from the fiery, divisive preacher who once was his religious mentor.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, former longtime pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ that Obama has attended since 1992, had lain low for several weeks after the caustic contempt for the United States that he spewed in some of his sermons got out to the public. But he came back in recent days with what might be described as Wrighteous indignation, taking swipes, in turn, at his critics, at the U.S. government that he sees at the source of heinous conspiracies, and even at the Illinois senator who, on March 18 in Philadelphia, so eloquently stood up for the messenger while disagreeing with the message.

Wright, defending himself this week, reiterated his belief that HIV, the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), was a U.S. government-created attempt to commit genocide against minorities. He railed again against America as having imperialistic notions. Wright also held himself up in inordinately high regard, saying those who criticized him were slamming all black churches.

Even more startling was when Wright attacked Obama at the senator’s core. While Obama has been light on details of how he would carry out his plans as president, he has heavily invested in concepts that have sparked a loyal, energetic following — a hope for a more unified nation that would be realized through a political leader who cut from a different cloth than all the others.

Wright painted Obama as just another pandering politician who’d say anything to snare another vote and, even worse, as someone who secretly shares Wright’s outlandish views.

“If Senator Obama did not say what he said (when Obama initially rebuked Wright’s statements in Philadelphia), he would never get elected,” Wright said. “Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls.”

And that may have been the fatal blow for their relationship.

“What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for,” Obama said. “And what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. ... I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he’s done enormous good. ... But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS. ... There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced.”

For the Obama campaign, this Wrighteous indignation could not have resurfaced at a worse time. His campaign was still feeling repercussions from Wright’s previous rants. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is enjoying a bump from her big win last week in Pennsylvania and could make up more delegate ground in Indiana and North Carolina, where Wright’s tirades won’t go over well with working-class voters.

Obama said he gave Wright, the man who conducted his wedding and who baptized his daughters, the “benefit of a doubt” in Philadelphia, and that compassion could cost him the nomination. If Wright’s world view and his were so diametrically opposed, Obama should have cut ties then and there.

Now, Obama has to convince nervous Democrats — specifically the party elite who comprise the superdelegation that will actually determine the nominee — that he’s electable.

More so, he has to convince voters that Wright is wrong about him, that he isn’t a hypocritical politician who has cloaks enmity for America a false sunny persona to acquire political power.

One thing is certain. However this election turns out, Obama has been baptized a second time by the minister he once called a friend. And this baptism was definitely by fire.

The Albany Herald Editorial Board

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