Obama vs Wright The politics of "change"?? Hardly

I've been trying to stay out of the Obama/Wright fray as it's covered non-stop in other blogs. But there's a couple of nagging problems I had with Wright's media blitz on the talking head shows over the weekend.

Theories raised were a false excitement by HRC and GOP supporters alike about how this "dooms" Obama's campaign. Even now, CNN commentators are spinning that Wright appears to be engaging in deliberate sabatoge of his "friend".

Others were saying Wright was deliberating sinking the Obama ship of "hope" in order to resurrect the race card and strengthen his position as a civil rights leader to a newly outraged black community.

And I could not disagree more with both theories.

Wright was poised to be the albatross around Obama's neck thru the ensuing primaries, and the general election. Were it to affect BHO's popular vote, it narrows the gap between HRC and BHO. The DNC rightfully could make a strong case to thru the nomination to HRC via superdelegates based on electoral college strength of the states she won because of a very narrow popular vote.

This "steal" from Obama then becomes less an outrage, and a logical progression for the DNC in order to secure the WH. The majority of DNC voters and the media cannot feed the civil rights movement legitimately since the call was then so close.

I firmly believe that there was a tacit agreement between Wright and Obama to stage a public divorce that would benefit both.

______________________________________

UPDATE: A planned strategy? Not so far fetched afterall. This distancing was predicted by Wright himself in an April 30th NYTs story.

Mr. Wright, who has long prided himself on criticizing the establishment, said he knew that he may not play well in Mr. Obama’s audition for the ultimate establishment job.

“If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me,” Mr. Wright said with a shrug. “I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen.”

END UPDATE
_______________________________________


For Wright, slated to release a book with his new found fame later this year (unknown release date), he gains a notoriety that could fuel sales for the "inside story" of their relationship.

For Obama, it's perfect. A public divorce forever removes the albatross from the DNC issue list... all prior to the upcoming primaries so as not to threated his presumed popular vote win. And it considerably lessens it's impact in the general. In fact, his "change" of heart would probably endear him in the voters' eyes. Much "soul searching" and heartache at severing relationships with one he revered for years. Add to that the public sympathy at being the "victim" of a long time friend and mentor.

____________________________________

UPDATE: Already Jimmah Carter calls BHO "courageous". Margaret Carlson says "Wright was disasterous" for BHO... "until today". Howard Fineman says this makes the pledged BHO supers more secure, and won't scare the unpledged away now that Wright is history. da spin is fast and furious. And all in Obama's favor. Just as planned
END UPDATE

________________________________________

That "public divorce" has now begun with Obama's breaking news press conference today.

"I have been a member of Trinity Church since 1992. I have known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years," he said at a news conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "The person I saw yesterday is not the person I met 20 years ago."

Obama said he is outraged by Wright's remarks that seemed to suggest the U.S. government might be responsible for the spread of AIDS in the black community, and his equation of some American wartime efforts with terrorism.

"What particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing," said Obama, who added that Wright had shown "little regard for me" and seemed more concerned with "taking center stage."

Obama said Wright's comments were not only "divisive and destructive," but they also "end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate."

snip

"I cannot prevent him from making these remarks," but "when I say I find these comments appalling I mean it. It contradicts what I'm about and who I am ... It is completely opposed to what I stand for and where I want to take this country."

In a break with previous comments, Obama focused his criticism on Wright the man, and not simply his remarks.

Obama said he gave Wright "the benefit of the doubt" before his speech on race relations.

"What we saw yesterday from Rev. Wright was a resurfacing and, I believe, an exploitation of these old divisions," Obama said.

snip

He said he had not spoken with Wright since the minister's Monday speech, though he would not rule out a conversation with him in the future.

Obama said his relationship with Wright may have suffered irreparable harm. "There's been great damage," he said. "It may have been unintentional on his part, but I do not see that relationship being the same after this."

Obama effectively, and firmly, steps back. He remains a member of the church, however this poses no problem as Wright is no longer the pastor.

This campaign ploy is clever, and deliberate. It is also overlooked as the political move it is by the media. However I also believe that, behind the scenes, there is no relationship change with Wright. It was a cooperative effort in order to best benefit both on their respective paths.

This, of course, shows Obama to be no different than any other politician. The quintessential opportunitst who says and does anything to be elected.

It also puts a serious crack in his pride of "judgment"... playing the public "dupe", victimized by his friend and mentor who, BHO says, effectively hid his true beliefs for a couple of decades.
_________________________________

UPDATE TWO: A poster over at AJ's Strata-sphere turned me on to this March 18th blog post by Amy Holmes on National Review's The Corner. Now this is a woman who was truly prescient, save the launch of operation "The Pastor Plan".
END UPDATE TWO
_____________________________________

This is not the only crack in the Obama armor. His insistence that he is a man not emphasizing race and division is clearly belied by his own campaign site.

While over there, checking in on his "spin control" blog (under the "Learn" menu, titled "Know the Facts"), I noticed a category called "People". Silly me... I thought this was the campaign staff involved and never checked it.

But I wandered in and found a complete list of "people", neatly categorized by class or race. Classes/races includes:

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
African Americans
Americans Abroad
Environmentalists
First Americans (that's the native Americans to the rest of us...)
Generation Obama
Kids
Labor
Latinos
LGBT (Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender)
People of Faith
Students
Veterans
Women


Whoa... no class for me as "white community".... I feel oppressed. Just "Women". But I think of myself as an American, not a "woman" fighting mythical obstacles. And I have worked most of my life in a male dominated field, sans hitches or glass ceilings.

But that's not the half of it. Each "category" of class/race has it's own blog devoted to them. And entirely different posts from the general Obama blog.

All I can say is, for a guy that touts "unite", he has a nasty habit of categorizing Americans. And this continued penchant for dividing us is directly opposed to his promises of unity.