You know a dude has gotten way more than his fifteen minutes of fame when the media gets all self-reflexive and starts asking, “Why are we still reporting about this guy?” Such is the case with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He has traveled the gilded parabola of fame, and is now careening back towards obscurity. Or is he? Many thought his ride ended several weeks ago when Obama gave his seminal race speech (mark where you were when it happened, the grandkids will be asking you all about it) and nailed down the differences between himself and his pastor. Or so we thought.
Just last week, Wright is on Bill Moyers’ program, delivering a fairly balanced assessment of what went down between himself, Barack and the media shit-spitters. I, for one, thought it was good that Wright was getting some sound bites out. According to Wright, he’s a pastor, his responsibility is to his congregation, his message is for his congregation. Why should he have to give up his First Amendment rights for another man’s bid for the presidency? Particularly when it has been made clear that he and Obama have different views on a number of issues. Can people not make the distinction, especially when it’s being spelled out for you, between Wright’s views and Obama’s? It was looking promising.
And then Wright started popping up all over the media like a one-man Whack-a-Mole. Now, what he’s saying is only mildly inflammatory (at best). But let’s look at where he’s giving these speeches: a panel in Dallas, a meeting of the NAACP, a National Press Club dinner. I think we’d all agree that these are not Trinity United Church in Chicago. If Wright’s responsibility is to his congregation, why is he not making these statements from the pulpit? He knows what he’s doing is jeopardizing Obama’s campaign, and yet, he keeps talking.
One of Wright’s colleagues, Rev. Eugene Rivers of Boston (who knows Wright personally) puts it best:
Unfortunately, Rev. Wright was overtaken by his own need for attention. The sad spectacle… was simply an extended ego trip that had no practical, political, policy or programmatic utility. That was pointless rhetoric which was ultimately narcissistic and just based on him trippin’.
It has also been reported recently that Wright was not invited to the rally where Obama announced his bid for the presidency. That’s an interesting twist in the story. Could it be that these are not the actions of a man who felt the need to defend himself against media attacks? Could it be, instead, that the Rev. is simply hating on Obama for a perceived slight? Wright is on an ego-trip (props to Rev. Rivers for using ‘trippin’ on morning network TV—fucking tits!) and apparently, he wants to go down in history as the man who cost the first Black presidential candidate (not including Jesse Jackson) the nomination. That is mad-haterish.
Just last week, Wright is on Bill Moyers’ program, delivering a fairly balanced assessment of what went down between himself, Barack and the media shit-spitters. I, for one, thought it was good that Wright was getting some sound bites out. According to Wright, he’s a pastor, his responsibility is to his congregation, his message is for his congregation. Why should he have to give up his First Amendment rights for another man’s bid for the presidency? Particularly when it has been made clear that he and Obama have different views on a number of issues. Can people not make the distinction, especially when it’s being spelled out for you, between Wright’s views and Obama’s? It was looking promising.
And then Wright started popping up all over the media like a one-man Whack-a-Mole. Now, what he’s saying is only mildly inflammatory (at best). But let’s look at where he’s giving these speeches: a panel in Dallas, a meeting of the NAACP, a National Press Club dinner. I think we’d all agree that these are not Trinity United Church in Chicago. If Wright’s responsibility is to his congregation, why is he not making these statements from the pulpit? He knows what he’s doing is jeopardizing Obama’s campaign, and yet, he keeps talking.
One of Wright’s colleagues, Rev. Eugene Rivers of Boston (who knows Wright personally) puts it best:
Unfortunately, Rev. Wright was overtaken by his own need for attention. The sad spectacle… was simply an extended ego trip that had no practical, political, policy or programmatic utility. That was pointless rhetoric which was ultimately narcissistic and just based on him trippin’.
It has also been reported recently that Wright was not invited to the rally where Obama announced his bid for the presidency. That’s an interesting twist in the story. Could it be that these are not the actions of a man who felt the need to defend himself against media attacks? Could it be, instead, that the Rev. is simply hating on Obama for a perceived slight? Wright is on an ego-trip (props to Rev. Rivers for using ‘trippin’ on morning network TV—fucking tits!) and apparently, he wants to go down in history as the man who cost the first Black presidential candidate (not including Jesse Jackson) the nomination. That is mad-haterish.
1 comment:
I was just reading about this yesterday on msn and then I caught myself...I don't care what this dude has to say. His actions and words clearly are clearly his own and he has every right to them...but I don't care what they are. He needs to back the fuck off or I'll head back down to Chi and have some words with him personally.
Post a Comment