Rev. Jeremiah Wright has finally broken has silence. After weeks of staying silent and letting the story play out into political history, he has brought it back to the forefront in dramatic fashion. But for democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, his “friend” now seems much more like an enemy. However, if the media were truly paying attention Wright’s weekend vanity tour should help the senator more than it hurts him.
Since the reverend’s comments first came into the public’s view weeks ago, the media and Obama’s opponents have done all they possibly can to confuse where Wright’s words end and Obama’s begins. Despite the dozens of times the campaign has spoken out against them, the media has decided that whatever nonsense comes out of Wright’s mouth is the responsibility of Barack Obama to answer to them.
But if you saw yesterday’s bizarre appearance in Washington, you would see once and for all that whatever place Rev. Wright held in Sen. Obama’s heart or mind years ago he is not in that same place now. What we saw yesterday was a man hell bent on destroying his so called friend’s political future. Time after time he denigrated and insulted Obama for a cheap laugh. Whatever friendship existed before, it has clearly been tossed aside now.
If Obama really wants to sever these ties with which the media and his political opponent insist on binding him to Wright, he should use this opportunity not only to denounce Wright but to strike back. Because if Senator Obama does not feel now, after being run through the mud yesterday by a man looking to bring him down, that he should get aggressive and defend his integrity then perhaps it would be fair for voters to question his resolve.
Posted by David McBride, marketing director at American Public House Review
