Patterico's Pontifications

6/1/2008

L.A. Times Finally Understands What Was So Offensive About Wright — Now that Obama Has Resigned from Trinity Church

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General — Patterico @ 1:23 pm



Back in March, when Obama initially had to deal with the controversy over his pastor’s remarks, the L.A. Times minimized their incendiary nature. As I noted on March 15, the relevant L.A. Times article on the topic:

doesn’t even bother to tell readers that Wright screamed “God damn America!” in a sermon, or that Wright suggested America deserved to get attacked on September 11.

This article focused on other less incendiary remarks, and tried to draw a parallel between that controversy and the McCain/Hagee controversy.

It was weird that the article didn’t even mention the “God damn America” statement. Even the editors, in a later editorial, said they could tell right away that this phrase was the real issue:

When the first tapes of Wright began making the rounds, it was quickly clear that they were bad news for Obama — rarely do presidential candidates enjoy the sight of their mentors shouting “God damn America.”

How odd, then, that one of the paper’s first stories on the controversy omitted any mention of that particular clip.

It is true that articles and opinion columns in the paper since that time have mentioned that “God damn America” language — such as an article that tried to explain away Wright’s statements as springing from a complex tradition of black churches. But I never saw an article that clearly coupled the “God damn America” language with the noxious sentiments about September 11, in the way I did in my March 15 post.

That is, until today.

I guess, now that Obama has resigned from his church, the L.A. Times feels it’s now okay to make it clear exactly what the controversy was about:

Wright can be seen in Internet videos shouting “God damn America” and asserting that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were brought on by U.S. foreign policy.

Oh, was that the problem, then?

What’s going on here? Is it OK to make this clear now that Obama has fully disassociated himself from the church? Or is it just that the L.A. Times initially just didn’t grasp what was so offensive about Rev. Wright, whereas conservatives like myself instantly understood?

Whatever the reason, now that Obama has resigned, the paper now seems to understand what the problem really was.

13 Responses to “L.A. Times Finally Understands What Was So Offensive About Wright — Now that Obama Has Resigned from Trinity Church”

  1. Perhaps the Times is just now hearing about these sermons, and is shocked. Much like Obama’s shock when this first came to light in March.

    Kevin Murphy (805c5b)

  2. At least he’s not bitterly clinging to his church anymore. Hallelujah!

    Al (b624ac)

  3. What will the LA Times have to say if the alleged tapes of Michelle Obama should come out of her ranting on about whiteys? Oh, the wife should be offlimits to political hardball? Would that also apply to leftwing attacks on Cindy McCain as a thief and junkie?
    It would seem to me that latest poll showing only 31% trust Obama on national security would be a big nail in his coffin. Will the media even delve into ACORN, Ayers, Black Power, Rezno et al? Will many whites vote for the mulatto because of racial guilt?

    madmax333 (185fbf)

  4. The LAT did invent the double standard in PC-ness, didn’t they?

    Patricia (f56a97)

  5. I am just watching that video and i am shocked beyond words. How can he say “God damn America!” And why is everyone in the church hooting and so excited? This is so outrageous. I am so livid and deeply offended by this. And Obama stayed all those years under this kind of toxin without objecting once to it? How can he convince me that he does not share those same views? This is unbelievable. Obama must leave this crazy house of whackys and denounce this Rev Wright right now or he is going to lose my support…..Oh wait,…he has. Silly me.

    love2008 (5189d2)

  6. If anyone in the MSM actually believed in God, it’s likely that they too wanted God to damn America; i.e., they didn’t find Rev. Wright’s statements to be all that outrageous. I am always amazed at the number of U.S. citizens that want this country to be “cut down to size.” I am not one of them.

    Dick (2c2fd4)

  7. I think the L.A. Times has been remarkably consistent: Obama’s position is their position; if he changes his position they change theirs to match.

    Missed It By THAT Much (785da6)

  8. But .. but Obama made that brilliant speech in Philadelphia .. so why the need to break with Trinity ?

    Neo (cba5df)

  9. Don’t you all yet realize that America is the greatest sin against God? One of Obama’s mentors said so, which means it must be true.

    Bradley J Fikes (1c6fc4)

  10. The L.A. SLIMES only finds how vile JEREMIAH WRIGHT is after ICKY OBAMA leaves his church JUST ANOTHER LIBERAL PLOY BY A LIBERAL LEFT-WING NEWS PAPER

    krazy kagu (9312f9)

  11. Perhaps I’m out of step with the rest of the world but to me the issue was never about some idiotic comments made by Rev. Wright. Rather, the thing that caused me so much discomfort was that the congregation’s reaction to a steady stream of nutty, hateful, racially divisive and outright racist rants was not one of shocked disapproval or outrage but, rather, one of gleeful agreement.

    Rev. Wright and Rev. Pfleger may have been speaking from the heart in their comments but they also knew full well their outrageous statements would find a welcoming audience. I don’t know if Mr. Obama was so clueless that in 20 years’ attendance he was unaware of the race-baiting vitriol being spewed regularly from the pulpit or if, his public comments to the contrary, he really has no disagreement with the divisiveness so openly embraced by the the congregation at TUCC. Neither option is very attractive.

    Tom the Barbarian (f48f8c)

  12. or if, his public comments to the contrary, he really has no disagreement with the divisiveness so openly embraced by the the congregation at TUCC.

    TTB, as soon as we ask ourselves to point out exactly the differences between “Frank” Marshall Davis…and Jeremiah Wright (Farrakhan, Meeks, Moss, Ayers & Dorhn)…we can answer the question.

    There is virtually ZERO difference.

    Sen. Obama did not stumble upon Jeremiah Wright. He studied the selections, over a period of time, spoke with a number of people….and THEN SELECTED Wright. It was precisely BECAUSE of the politics, not in spite of it…by his own words.

    The connection to Ayers through Annenberg and Woods foundations…are not by happenstance or accident.

    Follow the footpath from “Frank” through the radical professors, to Wright/Farrakahn, Meeks, Pfleger, Ayers & Dorhn, ACORN…there is no mystery tour here. It is a steady diet of the same worldview.

    Now, the trick is…get him to man up and admit it.

    cfbleachers (4040c7)

  13. The LAT has to twist itself into more contortions than the CPUSA did between the Summer of ’39, and the Fall of ’41.

    If they only had a bed-rock of belief, they wouldn’t have to search so hard for an identity.

    Another Drew (8018ee)


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