The more that Jeremiah Wright talks, the better for Obama.
This morning's abstracts of his speech to the National Press Club has begun a wave on the Right of both more concentrated dismissal of him and desparate linking of him to Obama. The first was Laura Ingraham who's now telling jokes about him but recognizing his talent (mutual shill appreciation society) and noting that Wright is going to be doing a Martha Stewart Show. The second was Dennis Prager hanging up on a caller who refused to admit that the Wright-Obama connection is so very legitimate for political debate. The third was some wag at the NYT or WaPo, I forget which, giving some details with incredulity, especially on the Zionism question. The fourth was Andrew Sullivan backtracking his tangential support.
All this says to me is that Wright has finally been given his chance to shine and has revealed himself to be exactly what he is. The more he becomes a living breathing representation of himself, and the less he becomes a series of extrapolated soundbites, the more Obama can breathe. That's because it gives him plenty of time to diss Wright in realtime, which ultimately matters.
Wright has gone ahead and done himself in as trying to represent The Black Church. It's only going to bring more approbation on his head, if the theological discussion takes off at all. Now finally the media and the conversation has gotten to where I suggested it should have gone six weeks ago. What is the black church and how should it be interpreted? Specifically, what kind of spiritual person is Obama and what does it mean for his politics? All this hooey about 'judgment' has been piling on, as I said.
Reasonable people, clearly in the minority, who may have been skeptical about the '20 years' litany, will now have to take a nationally exposed Wright's comments against a nationally exposed new dismissal from Obama. That will work in Obama's slight favor, depending on how long Wright himself can stay in the spotlight. Again, I'm predicting a politically astute Obama doing the right thing for his campaign. If he's smart, he can start highlighting actual members of his policy wonks on a point by point review of Wright's boners, ala -- "people like Rev Wright think X about Israel, my policy wonk Joe has been working with the Israeli government for 20 years etc. and this is how I will deal with opposition to my Israel policy..." Blam. Let's see if Barry is that smart.
Next I'll be listening closer to Wright himself and see exactly where in the rabbit hole he has gone.
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