No quarter for the media on John Hagee
Condemned at last! Condemned at last! Thank God almighty Barack’s condemned Wright at last!
Could there have been a more pressing issue anywhere in the world — a wrong more demanding to be made right — than the absolute imperative of having Barack Obama not merely deplore Rev. Wright’s verbal excesses, but also to condemn them?
I mean, getting out of Iraq and solving the health care crisis are concerns of microscopic significance compared to this great moral imperative, as surely any fool can plainly see.
So Glory be to the Creator, for Obama has done it at last: he has now officially condemned and cut his ties from Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.: not that Wright left him much option.
So, fine, the deed’s been done (though predictably it hasn’t quieted the howling): let’s call it the black candidate’s burden — that unwritten rule that mandates that every black office seeker (but only black office seekers) must expressly repudiate each and every person of the same race anywhere who has ever said something controversial.
And, by the way, if you think that sounds racist it’s only because it is.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been wondering why the huge multinational corporations that now own virtually every major news source in the United States (companies that market to African Americans) decided to push this sort of racist tripe so hard. Here’s a thought: maybe we should ask them.
Seriously, let’s ask them. Ask them once; ask them twice; ask them six million times, if need be. Beat them over the head with inquiries about it until they scream for mercy.
Now, I should give credit where credit is due for this New York Times editorial:
It is an injustice, a legacy of the racist threads of this nation’s history, but prominent African-Americans are regularly called upon to explain or repudiate what other black Americans have to say, while white public figures are rarely, if ever, handed that burden.
Senator John McCain has continued to embrace a prominent white supporter, Pastor John Hagee, whose bigotry matches that of Mr. Wright. Mr. McCain has not tried hard enough to stop a race-baiting commercial — complete with video of Mr. Wright — that is being run against Mr. Obama in North Carolina.
If Mr. Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee, we fear that there will be many more such commercials. And Mr. Obama will have to repudiate Mr. Wright’s outbursts many more times.
This country needs a healthy and open discussion of race. Mr. Obama’s repudiation of Mr. Wright is part of that. His opponents also have a responsibility — to repudiate the race-baiting and make sure it stops.
No doubt about it, that was a good start by The Times. But now let’s hear from the networks and the other big time media players. Let’s here them justify why McCain supporter John Hagee’s assertion that God destroyed New Orleans to punish it for an upcoming gay rights parade, was somehow less hateful than Wright’s statements. And maybe while they’re at it they can explain why McCain’s refusal to disavow Hagee is so much less newsworthy than Obama’s relationship with Wright.
Because let’s face it: compared to the media feeding frenzy surrounding the Wright-Obama connection, the coverage of the Hagee-McCain association has been a friendly brunch at the country club.
But, of course, we already know the answer, don’t we? Wright, after all, is a scary black man. Hagee is a scary white man: and scary white men just aren’t nearly as scary as scary black men. I mean, everyone understands that, don’t they?
And you know what? I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass whether this racial double standard has been motivated by true racial animus, or by other factors such as pack mentality, laziness, the desire to please the corporate home office or just the media’s love affair with John McCain.
When you’re a part of the small elite that gets to set the topic of conversation in this nation’s public life, your actions speak louder than the contents of your soul. If ABC, NBC, CBS and the rest of the pack advance a racially biased storyline, doing so constitutes racism, pure and simple, whatever they may tell themselves when they struggle with their consciences (assuming they even bother) in the middle of the night.
The media’s editorial “judgment” to manically push the Wright story, while largely burying the Hagee disgrace, represents the worst sort of racial stereotyping.
It would be a sin to let it drop, especially since it is so clearly merely the most obvious example of a much broader abuse.
We need to bombard the networks and the major print media (as many already have) with complaints about this. We need to ask — no demand — to know when they plan to start pushing McCain to repudiate Hagee as forcefully as they went after Obama on Wright.
It probably isn’t in Obama’s best interests for him to personally push the racial angle here (the angry black man thing). But the rest of us — especially those of us who are white — are under no such hindrance.
A long time ago, I wrote a piece titled Barack Obama and the “white man’s burden.” It wasn’t, frankly, one of my best posts, but I think the point of the piece was both valid and important: it will always be dangerous for Obama himself to suggest a racial component to any nastiness in the campaign.
What this means, of course, is that the burden falls (not exclusively, but significantly) onto the rest of us — and in particular on Obama’s white supporters — to fight this type of racial stereotyping.
Simply put: Obama supporters need to raise holy hell with representatives of the major media until they finally face up to their responsibility to start pushing McCain on his relationship with Hagee every bit as hard as they pushed Obama on Wright.
And if they refuse, then we can’t be afraid to call it what it is — racism.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I completely disagree with the notion of hanging McCain with Hagee or anybody else. Tit for tat is not what is needed. An end to the bogus tactic of guilt by association is called for here. The victor in this will be he/she who can elevate his/her campaign … and his/her supporters.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The Real Story: Should Obama NOW Drop Out of Race Due to Racial Controversy?
OMG - how many out there have serious head injuries???
It’s not about Obama conveniently ending his long relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and that ends it and Jeremiah Wright is a bad man and racist and how could he?
It’s all about Barack Obama how after 20 years of having a close relationship with Pastor Wright appears to have a dual personality - one of which is a dark hidden side with racial confusion and the convenient use of disposable people.
Obama - remember chose Jeremiah Wright and his church. Jeremiah Wright had very little to do with it except to just accept Barack Obama’s friendship and now come to find out - hidden agenda. It is an extreme stretch of anyone’s imagination that this Obama – Wright relationship of convenience is all a complete surprise to Obama after 20 years of spiritual mentoring by Wright and Obama naming a book after a close friendship with Jeremiah Wright.
This is all about saving Barack Obama’s presidential campaign after the public scrutiny does NOT like what it sees in the Obama racial controversy. This could set back civil rights 40+ years. This is NOT something to be ignored and just explain it away with another grandiose Obama public lecture/speech!!!
This candidate Obama comes highly manufactured and repeatedly groomed after more numerous focus group encounters and fine-tuning than half a dozen candidates combined. Obama may be the most highly tuned candidate, as the result of many, many focus groups – of our time.
Obama “SLICK” is the quintessential political consultants dream robo-candidate that is intentionally designed to mislead the public…and he is!!
NO one - I am convinced can have it both ways. The real discussion should now focus on whether Obama should drop out of the race altogether. This is not Presidental and what the American People deserve or need right now. This Obama racial controversy could set back civil rights 40+ years. This is NOT something to be ignored and just explain it away with a public lecture/speech !!!
Obama had it for twenty years HIS WAY with the racist Wright - now he wants us to completely disregard that - it was different - it didn’t happen - we don’t understand - we are taking it out of context - we need to move on - it’s not important… HS it is very important. It is outrageous!!!!
The American People deserve to know exactly what we are getting into with any Presidential candidate and most rational people I know do NOT like what they see NOW in the Obama - Wright relationship of convenience.
When Michelle Obama wants to move on - that is an indication that they are into campaign damage control and no more and the race for President over-rules personal privacy and ANY relationship of convenience such as Obama- Wright.
Obama is too radical and NOT Presidential - and this comes from a Democrat.
The remaining Democratic primary voters and super delegates can/should act wisely and DENY Obama the White House.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I totally disagree w/danglingwrangler - I’m a white male, and think Wright at his most “soundbitey” is infinitely LESS racist than any so-called “evangelist” of the NeoKon Khrister Right, from Hagee to Robertson to the FLDS Mormons to the late unlamented Jerry Falwell burning in Hell where he belongs!
To his credit, at least Olbermann keeps bringing up Hagee and McCain’s refusal to repudiate him no matter HOW outrageously homophobic and utterly insane Hagee’s comments get….
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:52 am
I have written letters to the networks about Hagee. We have been listening to the hateful remarks made by Robertson, Hagee, Falwell, Parsley and others (the crazy clerics and Tom Cruise) for years. Listening to them blame the people of New Orleans for Katrina, listening to them blame gay people for 9/11, listening to them call for the assassisnation of world leaders, and the MSM treats them like sweet old crazy uncles that mean no harm. But when a black minister who happens to be the minister for a presidential candidate speaks the same stupidly hateful words, he is condemned along with everyone in his church. I don’t defend Wright. He is as offensive as the others and Obama is well rid of him, but the double standard here is obvious. If religion is going to be a major factor in our government and our media and our lives, then shouldn’t it be a positive force? We have used religion to start two wars and threaten a third and more dangerous war. The GOP has used it to pacify and deceive their “base”and to silence and condemn their detractors. These preachers have used it to enrich themselves. These people have corrupted religion just like they corrupt everything else they touch. It’s “love they neighbor” (unless he is different from you), “turn the other cheek”(or better yet just hit the other guy first). It’s, blessed are the warmakers, blessed are the moneychangers, blessed are the ruthless for they shall inherit this scorched earth. Politicians and the media have diminished faith and spirituality by making religion a commodity they trade upon and a tool for control and profit. If I were to see the world as they wish me to, I would have but one conclusion…The Gods must be crazy.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Read this about the Rev. Moon
truthout.org
Robert Parry “The Right’s America-Hating Preacher”
Whoa. A light needs to be turned on that cockroach.
And when he runs, we’ll see half of congress and most of the Bush family trying to beat him under the fridge.