In myth and literature disperate heroes often take a similiar path. Professor Joseph Campell first quantified then popularized this in his landmark book "The Hero With a Thousand Faces." In that book the monomyth is outlined in five steps: a call to adventure, a road of trials, achieving the goal, a return to the ordinary world, and applying the boon. Abraham, Herculeus, and Luke Skywalker were all given a call to a journey, they all faced trials, grew, changed, overcame, and applied. If Senator Obama's journey were to be put onto this continuum the last few weeks would inevitably been seen as his time of trials.
Barack Obama came from almost nothing, an obscure, mixed background, rose through academia, and eventually through politics. He accepted the call to seek the Presidency of the United States in the face of incredible odds. His meteoric rise was the stuff of legended, unchecked. It blazed its own path like a Roy Hobb's fastball. But then his tests truely began.
Questions of his patriotism arose when his pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright was seen on YouTube condemning America. Obama dispatched this controversy, like the killing of the many-headed hydra. But when he turned his back the heads grew back as before and struck. Who could have written that narrative? That a man Obama once considered a mentor would turn on his prodigy and attempt to strike a fatal blow? Et tu, Brute?
Wright siezed his moment in the national spotlight, gave a series of inflamitory interviews from Bill Moyers to an appearance before the National Press Club, at incredible and incalculable expense to Obama's campaign. The last thing the Senator from Illinois needed as his outspoken minister re-connecting him to fringe elements of society. Once again Obama was put to the test.
This time he repudiated.
His anger was broiling just under the surface, seething at the betrayal. As he explained on "Meet the Press" this morning, his decision to finally and unequivicabbly disavow his pastor was the result of Wright's decision to "double down" on his previous statements. Where Obama had once given the minister the benefit of the doubt, the minister took the opening to increase the doubt in voter's minds about Obama's judgement and perception of America.
The father had turned on the son, and the son had to strike him down.
Obama called Wright's interviews a "specticle." And used further strong language painting Wright's positions as absurd and outrageous. If it was Wright's goal to restore his self-image, Obama did him far greater harm than he had ever done himself.
What people like about Obama is that he seems reasonable and thoughtful. He is a man of incredible talent but it is also doled out in even-measurements. What people cannot stand about Rev. Wright and fanatical religion is that there is no limit. It assimiliates everything in its path into one perspective--an iron-clad black-and-white snare that allows for no grey areas, no real judgment.
Rev. Wright reprents so much of what is positive about religion--as an empowering force to for good in society, as represented by his church's community outreach and prison ministry. But he also represents so much of what is wrong with religion--an almost total disregard for anyone outside of its path, a source for division, and a catalyst for hatred. In this, Rev. Wright makes a compelling villian in our story--one with a nature that afflicts us all: the duality of man.
Showing posts with label Jeremiah Wright. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremiah Wright. Show all posts
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Rev. Wright's PR Campaign
Ever since he became a household name for his inflammatory sermons, Rev. Wright has been hard at work restoring his reputation. Apparently thumbing his nose at the free PR and the chance to have one of his own parishioners, and fellow African American, elected President of the United States, Rev. Wright feels it's more important to clear his good name.
In the vast scheme of things not that many people knew who Rev. Wright was before his sermons surfaced on YouTube and tagged Presidential hopeful Barack Obama with a campaign-changing blow. And, over the course of a few months, his name would have quietly faded into the background. Most Americans no-doubt were able to accurately parse his message, put it in proper context, and move on with their lives. The fringe 20% never would have got it anyway.
So, why is Wright working so hard to restore his image, at the potential expense of Senator Obama's? I'm sure the answer to this lies in the inherent narcissism and greatly exaggerated sense of self importance most ministers suffer from. Wright has been called everything from crazy to anti-American. And I say: so what? The man has a lifetime of Christian service on one side of the scales and a few minutes of YouTube on the other. Is it fair? No. And it's not unprecedented either.
Interestingly enough, Jesus went misunderstood to the point of crucifixion, as did most of his early followers to execution. Central to the Christian message is that you may never be rewarded for your good work here on earth but you will be rewarded in heaven. Thus, work that much harder, and don't concern yourself with the temporary recognition. It was that type of motive that allowed Jesus to say "by their fruits you will recognize them." And Paul to say, "Work as if you were not serving people but the Lord." Wright's ministry speaks for itself, and the people he has helped stand for themselves. Nothing can take that away, and the rest shouldn't matter.
But such "turn the other cheek" advice flies in the face of ministers who helm mega-churches, and have private lines to presidents (Rev. Wright counseled Bill and Hilary Clinton). In those cases the image is what matters; it is everything. The brand is the very bread these ministers live on. Why else do they work feverishly to keep the outside of tomb clean?
Wright was always Obama's biggest liability. And when things exploded, Obama deftly handled the issue by giving an uplifting and empowering speech on the subject of race. It was perhaps his greatest moment so far, and one of the finest of any politician in the last 50 years. In doing so Obama did not repudiate his longtime pastor, or disown him for the trouble he had caused. Instead he referred to him as family, walking a fine line between understanding and agreement. Obama had done himself an obvious political favor, but not at the cost of the very person who had become his one liability. Wright, on the other hand, in a recent interview with Bill Moyers, stated flatly that Obama was speaking as a politician--saying what needed to be said to a specific audience.
Wright put together a solid career as a pastor, and prior military service as a Marine, and, most importantly, a life of integrity as a Christian. His legacy will stand in Chicago, and in the black community, regardless of anything he says on PBS or in other national interviews. Rev. Wright may have been handed an injustice, after all his service, but it pales in comparison to what other Christians have had to suffer for Christ. And the greater injustice would be to undermine Obama's image for the sake of his own. Obama's stage is national. Wright is in the hands of God. Obama, unfortunately, must be judged by men.
In the vast scheme of things not that many people knew who Rev. Wright was before his sermons surfaced on YouTube and tagged Presidential hopeful Barack Obama with a campaign-changing blow. And, over the course of a few months, his name would have quietly faded into the background. Most Americans no-doubt were able to accurately parse his message, put it in proper context, and move on with their lives. The fringe 20% never would have got it anyway.
So, why is Wright working so hard to restore his image, at the potential expense of Senator Obama's? I'm sure the answer to this lies in the inherent narcissism and greatly exaggerated sense of self importance most ministers suffer from. Wright has been called everything from crazy to anti-American. And I say: so what? The man has a lifetime of Christian service on one side of the scales and a few minutes of YouTube on the other. Is it fair? No. And it's not unprecedented either.
Interestingly enough, Jesus went misunderstood to the point of crucifixion, as did most of his early followers to execution. Central to the Christian message is that you may never be rewarded for your good work here on earth but you will be rewarded in heaven. Thus, work that much harder, and don't concern yourself with the temporary recognition. It was that type of motive that allowed Jesus to say "by their fruits you will recognize them." And Paul to say, "Work as if you were not serving people but the Lord." Wright's ministry speaks for itself, and the people he has helped stand for themselves. Nothing can take that away, and the rest shouldn't matter.
But such "turn the other cheek" advice flies in the face of ministers who helm mega-churches, and have private lines to presidents (Rev. Wright counseled Bill and Hilary Clinton). In those cases the image is what matters; it is everything. The brand is the very bread these ministers live on. Why else do they work feverishly to keep the outside of tomb clean?
Wright was always Obama's biggest liability. And when things exploded, Obama deftly handled the issue by giving an uplifting and empowering speech on the subject of race. It was perhaps his greatest moment so far, and one of the finest of any politician in the last 50 years. In doing so Obama did not repudiate his longtime pastor, or disown him for the trouble he had caused. Instead he referred to him as family, walking a fine line between understanding and agreement. Obama had done himself an obvious political favor, but not at the cost of the very person who had become his one liability. Wright, on the other hand, in a recent interview with Bill Moyers, stated flatly that Obama was speaking as a politician--saying what needed to be said to a specific audience.
Wright put together a solid career as a pastor, and prior military service as a Marine, and, most importantly, a life of integrity as a Christian. His legacy will stand in Chicago, and in the black community, regardless of anything he says on PBS or in other national interviews. Rev. Wright may have been handed an injustice, after all his service, but it pales in comparison to what other Christians have had to suffer for Christ. And the greater injustice would be to undermine Obama's image for the sake of his own. Obama's stage is national. Wright is in the hands of God. Obama, unfortunately, must be judged by men.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Getting fooled again
A few weeks ago Frank Rich wrote a column in the New York times that, among other things, compared Hillary Clinton to George W. Bush in managerial style and judgment. Since then Hillary has unleashed what has become known as the "kitchen sink" strategy, dubbed for throwing everything available at front-runner Barack Obama. The strategy, though wide-ranging, is surprisingly simplistic in its approach. The main component of the plan is also Bushian in nature.
One could make the argument that the Bill Clinton nomination in 1992 elevated campaign tactics to a new level--with the induction of a 24/7 "war room" to handle press questions and disseminate negative information on opponent George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush appeared slow and weak, while the Clintons stayed ahead of the attack curve. These tactics did not go unnoticed by the Republican party which took eight years to catch up. By 2000 Bush junior was vying for the White House, and at his side were people like Karl Rove who could not only cripple other Republican candidates, but negate Democratic heavyweights like Vice President Al Gore.
After 9/11 those Rovian tactics found their muse in the form of shadowy terrorists, rogue nations, axises of evil, and illegal immigrants--all things nebulous, subversive and alien--designed to scare the hell out of white America and drive them to the polls to vote for those who could save them. The Clintons, eying the White House again in 2008, have shown themselves exceptional political students. As Barack Obama gained momentum they got busy sowing the seeds of fear and tapping into white America's unrelenting xenophobia.
First, Bill Clinton rejected Obama's win in South Carolina as purely racial--noting that even Jessie Jackson won there not once, but twice. Then, after a lackluster Super Tuesday in-which Hillary not only did not win the nomination, lost her lead among delegates, the Clintons focused on Texas and Ohio and began scaring the daylights out of blue collar white workers.
Pictures of Obama in native Kenyan garb appeared on the Drudge Report. (Drudge claims they arrived via the Clinton camp.)
Meanwhile, the Clintons began painting the good citizens of Ohio and Texas as unfortunate victims of outsourcing.
Too painful to admit reality, that jobs have been lost because labor workers priced themselves out of the market and did not make themselves competitive enough, job losses were instead attributed to NAFTA, the evil trade agreement that allows our products to be made by Mexicans. Never mind that those Mexicans often work in appalling conditions with no insurance so we can, and do, buy their productions on the cheap. And never mind that NAFTA itself was enacted by the Clintons. As we have discovered over the last eight years the discontent and anger of the scared white voter knows no reason and no bounds.
Finally, there was the "red phone" add White children are sleeping soundly in their beds, yet something is amiss. Mom is alert, peering into their rooms to make sure everything is fine. But outside, somewhere, something is happening. There is a burglar in the proverbial bushes. The hedgerow surrounding the suburban house has been breached. Barbarians lurk at the gates. But fear not, Hillary Clinton is there to take the call and avert a national crisis of some unknown origin.
Hillary, vowed to go to Washington and fight. Against what, no one is really sure, but that's not the point. There's a lot of anger out there, a lot of uncertainty. It's the type of thing that can give fruit to an Iraq war, and give reason to a candidate gone mad. Barack Obama may just be the candidate who represents too much uncertainty. While Hillary has been a familiar white face we have recognized all these years.
And to no big surprise, all of this all worked. Obama's momentum was halted and both Ohio and Texas swung Hillary's way.
This week, Geraldine Ferraro dismissal of Obama as a flavor-of-the-month candidate. She ruminated that this month the flavor is black, and America is "caught up in this concept" as she said. To think that this statement, by a well-handled, politically savvy trailblazer was not intentional is to be totally ignorant.
And that brings me to Obama's minster, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose name alone not only sounds concocted but hearkens back to the Salem witch trials. Imagine Obama's misfortune at having to attend a church for twenty years where the minister shouts things like "God damn America!" from the pulpit. Obama has every right to attend what ever church he wants, and the rhetoric of Rev. Wright, which resonates with so many disillusioned African Americans, may be what keeps Obama grounded. There are millions who are hurting and broken and Wright taps into that spirit and Obama listens. Still, that comes with a steep price when white America begins listening in.
What does Wright have to do with Clinton? It plays right into her tactics. The Wright issue is huge, and any Obama supporter had better understand that. It is huge for the very reasons I mention above. As Obama himself pointed out in the wake of the Ferraro attack, "I think that if anybody was looking for the quickest path to the presidency, they would not say 'I want to be an African-American man named Barack Obama.' I do not think that is in the handbook for running for president."'
Obama says this for good reason. If there is any doubt about the precarious chances an African-American faces when getting elected to a federal position, one only needs to look back on the voting history of this country. Then, give that person a foreign-sounding name. A name so atypical all you have to do is say it to make the many whites cringe. Barack Hussein Obama.
And Now that very person is introducing himself to the country, and is, to many, a man educated in a madrassa, a man who when in Kenya does as the Kenyans do, a man who happily attends a radical black church. He has been painted that way not just by bigoted and agitated right-wing radio hosts but also by the Clinton campaign. This was a calculated ploy to show Clinton as the more trustworthy candidate. Because, in-comparison to Clinton, who seemingly has been around forever (many would say far too long!) Obama is the unknown. To many nervous white voters he is becoming a shadowy and therefore untrustworthy candidate.
You could tell in his rebuke of the Rev. Wright Obama knew he was walking a fine line between a black community with whom most of Wright's message resonates with, and a white community that finds the comments deplorable. So, what is a man of God to do? What Obama should have done was not put Wright on his staff, and should have done as much as he could to distance himself from what he knew, even a year ago, was a potential problem. One wonders what asset Wright was for Obama that outweighed his obvious liability. Maybe Obama was a little stunned at how distasteful his minister sounded to many Americans. Not good when many will rely on what they think they know rather than the unknown. A perfect voting block for calculating politicians.
One could make the argument that the Bill Clinton nomination in 1992 elevated campaign tactics to a new level--with the induction of a 24/7 "war room" to handle press questions and disseminate negative information on opponent George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush appeared slow and weak, while the Clintons stayed ahead of the attack curve. These tactics did not go unnoticed by the Republican party which took eight years to catch up. By 2000 Bush junior was vying for the White House, and at his side were people like Karl Rove who could not only cripple other Republican candidates, but negate Democratic heavyweights like Vice President Al Gore.
After 9/11 those Rovian tactics found their muse in the form of shadowy terrorists, rogue nations, axises of evil, and illegal immigrants--all things nebulous, subversive and alien--designed to scare the hell out of white America and drive them to the polls to vote for those who could save them. The Clintons, eying the White House again in 2008, have shown themselves exceptional political students. As Barack Obama gained momentum they got busy sowing the seeds of fear and tapping into white America's unrelenting xenophobia.
First, Bill Clinton rejected Obama's win in South Carolina as purely racial--noting that even Jessie Jackson won there not once, but twice. Then, after a lackluster Super Tuesday in-which Hillary not only did not win the nomination, lost her lead among delegates, the Clintons focused on Texas and Ohio and began scaring the daylights out of blue collar white workers.
Pictures of Obama in native Kenyan garb appeared on the Drudge Report. (Drudge claims they arrived via the Clinton camp.)
Meanwhile, the Clintons began painting the good citizens of Ohio and Texas as unfortunate victims of outsourcing.
Too painful to admit reality, that jobs have been lost because labor workers priced themselves out of the market and did not make themselves competitive enough, job losses were instead attributed to NAFTA, the evil trade agreement that allows our products to be made by Mexicans. Never mind that those Mexicans often work in appalling conditions with no insurance so we can, and do, buy their productions on the cheap. And never mind that NAFTA itself was enacted by the Clintons. As we have discovered over the last eight years the discontent and anger of the scared white voter knows no reason and no bounds.
Finally, there was the "red phone" add White children are sleeping soundly in their beds, yet something is amiss. Mom is alert, peering into their rooms to make sure everything is fine. But outside, somewhere, something is happening. There is a burglar in the proverbial bushes. The hedgerow surrounding the suburban house has been breached. Barbarians lurk at the gates. But fear not, Hillary Clinton is there to take the call and avert a national crisis of some unknown origin.
Hillary, vowed to go to Washington and fight. Against what, no one is really sure, but that's not the point. There's a lot of anger out there, a lot of uncertainty. It's the type of thing that can give fruit to an Iraq war, and give reason to a candidate gone mad. Barack Obama may just be the candidate who represents too much uncertainty. While Hillary has been a familiar white face we have recognized all these years.
And to no big surprise, all of this all worked. Obama's momentum was halted and both Ohio and Texas swung Hillary's way.
This week, Geraldine Ferraro dismissal of Obama as a flavor-of-the-month candidate. She ruminated that this month the flavor is black, and America is "caught up in this concept" as she said. To think that this statement, by a well-handled, politically savvy trailblazer was not intentional is to be totally ignorant.
And that brings me to Obama's minster, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose name alone not only sounds concocted but hearkens back to the Salem witch trials. Imagine Obama's misfortune at having to attend a church for twenty years where the minister shouts things like "God damn America!" from the pulpit. Obama has every right to attend what ever church he wants, and the rhetoric of Rev. Wright, which resonates with so many disillusioned African Americans, may be what keeps Obama grounded. There are millions who are hurting and broken and Wright taps into that spirit and Obama listens. Still, that comes with a steep price when white America begins listening in.
What does Wright have to do with Clinton? It plays right into her tactics. The Wright issue is huge, and any Obama supporter had better understand that. It is huge for the very reasons I mention above. As Obama himself pointed out in the wake of the Ferraro attack, "I think that if anybody was looking for the quickest path to the presidency, they would not say 'I want to be an African-American man named Barack Obama.' I do not think that is in the handbook for running for president."'
Obama says this for good reason. If there is any doubt about the precarious chances an African-American faces when getting elected to a federal position, one only needs to look back on the voting history of this country. Then, give that person a foreign-sounding name. A name so atypical all you have to do is say it to make the many whites cringe. Barack Hussein Obama.
And Now that very person is introducing himself to the country, and is, to many, a man educated in a madrassa, a man who when in Kenya does as the Kenyans do, a man who happily attends a radical black church. He has been painted that way not just by bigoted and agitated right-wing radio hosts but also by the Clinton campaign. This was a calculated ploy to show Clinton as the more trustworthy candidate. Because, in-comparison to Clinton, who seemingly has been around forever (many would say far too long!) Obama is the unknown. To many nervous white voters he is becoming a shadowy and therefore untrustworthy candidate.
You could tell in his rebuke of the Rev. Wright Obama knew he was walking a fine line between a black community with whom most of Wright's message resonates with, and a white community that finds the comments deplorable. So, what is a man of God to do? What Obama should have done was not put Wright on his staff, and should have done as much as he could to distance himself from what he knew, even a year ago, was a potential problem. One wonders what asset Wright was for Obama that outweighed his obvious liability. Maybe Obama was a little stunned at how distasteful his minister sounded to many Americans. Not good when many will rely on what they think they know rather than the unknown. A perfect voting block for calculating politicians.
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