From what I've read, Barack Obama is very thoughtful, and concerned about how well a government serves it citizens. That's not to say that he's always necessarily right.
Obama's words seem to reflect positively in contrast to Wright's harsh rhetoric.
My father is half African-American (just like Senator Obama), so he is essentially considered a black man; my mom is half Irish, half German, so I came out as mostly a white guy (the African part shows up more in my sister, who has a Latino look to her). I have been raised white, but my father was raised black, and asking him about Senator Obama, he said that it's just how some of those pastors are, spewing rhetoric like that, perhaps from old age or who knows what, it doesn't mean that Senator Obama agreed with it or not, in his view. He voted for McCain, but he isn't "anti-Obama."
Not sure what I think, as I know when I was once watching Larry the Cable Guy (the comedian) and he pulled out a guitar with the Confederate flag, to which then the opposite happened, my father got highly offended and walked out of the room; me, I was okay with it because I didn't think Larry meant it as being racist, I figured it was just a "Southern pride" type of thing.
One thing regarding Senator Obama's books, in them I doubt he would have been wise to write the kind of rhetoric that Reverand Wright spews, even if that is what he felt; wouldn't be the ideal way to begin a political career!
But I wish Senator Obama would have explained his relationships and alliances better.
My parents are in their seventies and I still gain new insights into their personalities every year. So, point 1). is a false conclusion. Knowing someone, even for many years, does not suggest that you know everything about their views or deepest held biases.
Well it could be a false conclusion then. But also knowing people for many years usually means you get to know them pretty well.
Also, as people age, they change. Among your options, you didn't include: Wright is getting a bit whacky in his old age; Wright has grown less idealist and more bitter over the years, both of which seem likely to me.
Perhaps.
Your are also ignoring the history of black activism. Wright represents the past - the days when there were severe injustices againt blacks.
Yes; he needs to realize these are modern times then.
Finally, are you suggesting that any expression of white racism is synonomous with being a KKK sympathizer, or a Nazi? There is no distinction between a personal bias, and the desire for lynchings and gassings?
No, I am saying that just as Reverand Wright gave Farrakhan, a noted racist, an award, if a white political candidate had such a minister or pastor who gave some KKK or Nazi or white racist an award, and the politician had a long relationship with that pastor/minister, don't you think the media would have grilled them?
One of my grandfathers spews racist rhetoric all the time. My grandparents on the other side are hard core christians who think anyone who has not accepted jesus as their savior is going to hell. They also feel sorry for black people and mexicans because they think they are obviously not as smart and industrious as others. My own parents are semi-racist even. These are my own family. The people whom I grew up around and shaped who I am and how I think. What do you think that says about me?
Well if they're family you grew up around, that's a little different. If they are people you go and meet as an adult and start a twenty year relationship with, who knows.
On my dad's side of the family, which is coal black (he had a black mother, and white father, but his siblings had the same mother, but a black father) his ex-wife before my mom was a member of the NAACP.
On my mom's side, some parts of the family are racist unfortunately, and since she is part Germany, part of the family even fought on the German side during WWII! (this part is not the racist portion though).
Families can be crazy!
The other thing about Senator Obama that got me is when he was speaking to that group of multimilionaires and billionaires in San Francisco and talked about "bitter Americans who cling to their guns and religion." It just seemed very elitist-sounding, as if he had a "We big city elites must do our best to help those poor, miserable, destitute middle Americans who cling to things like guns and religion (because only people with problems find joy out of guns) and who are like sheep and need the maternal-like guidance of us, the elites."
But hopefully Obama is a good man and will be a good president.