What Obama *should* have said...

[busymom]

I believe Obama made a tactical error last night. I think he should have acknowledged that he knows Wright sometimes leaps off the deep end. He could have done it in a humorous way....a "he is a great friend and supporter, but I've often disagreed with him on certain issues. The good thing about our friendship is that we can disagree with each other and still maintain a relationship."

By saying he hadn't heard the inflammatory statements, etc he hurt himself.

[Texas Hill Country]

1. absolutely true.

[busymom]

2. It would have turned it into a non-issue, I think

We all have friends/family members who can be a little bit out there but we ....luv 'em anyway.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. I have to agree. nt

[JoFerret]

4. That might have been a good tactic

That way he stays loyal to his friend, father-figure, mentor, pastor whatever.
This way he stabs him in the back.

But every which way - if he is the nominee - this is playing BIG at the republican convention and into the fall.

[busymom]

5. I just think

he could have turned it into a non-issue even for the republicans by acknowleding his wacky *uncle* and then pointing out some of the mainstream good things he has gotten from being a part of the church.

Now it's too late to backpeddle on it because he has already put the "I never heard these things" stuff out there...

[JoFerret]

6. And that gets translated in to "he's lying"

He is untrustworthy and etc.
Plus turning his back on the close friend etc.

Meanwhile - this does become a dilemma for Hillary to.
This mess means to many that Obama cannot win in the fall. Is that fair or right? NO.
If Hilary overexploits this mess she is seen as being destructive to the party and etc.
On the other hand - we MUST win in the fall.
We have to have a dem in the WH.

[MojoMojoMojo]

11. and LIED saying it

[Orangepeel]

7. Maybe. But Obama is talking specifically about those two sermons we keeping seeing clips from

the 9/11 one and the Hillary Clinton one.

I think that your suggestion might have worked because Wright seems silly to me. I know from reading more about his life that he is an intelligent and admirable man who has fought for social justice all his life and sometimes uses inflammatory rhetoric in his sermons. But in clips from those two, he just seems like a George Jeffersonesque buffoon.


(Or maybe Obama could have used Ronald Regan's tactic and said that although it now seems to be true that Wright said inflammatory things, in Obama's heart it's not true! :D )

[Texas Hill Country]

8. no, he was more general than that.

[Orangepeel]

9. I don't agree. He said "these controversial statements" several times.

he never said "any controversial statements."

He did say "always preached a social gospel" but "social gospel" can incorporate a lot of different things, including poverty, health care, law enforcement tactics, etc.

[Quixote1818]

10. Thats exatly right. nt

[democrattotheend]

12. He has said that in the past

All he said last night was that he was not present for those particular sermons that are in contention. But he has said in the past that he doesn't agree with everything Wright says and that Wright is like the crazy old uncle who says things that make you cringe.