Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Rev. Wright and Barack Obama

I've been taking part in a discussion thread at the Field, where Al Giordono's been making some great posts. He's more half time but the discussion follows his viewpoints.

This is my comment about Rev. Wright.

I think that I’ve not heard a real black radical on the news for a long time.

I think it’s great that he’s been able to grab Moyers, National Press and the NAACP to make three speeches on black liberation theology.

Look - the Right uses it’s fringe to get things done. The racist southern neofederacy folks like David Duke say the worst stuff, and then Pat Buchanan takes the same platform, chops off two points, and there it is - David Dukes’ platform as the acceptable right wing of the Republican party.

Wheras the Left piles on their fringe. No no you can’t use them as a wedge… you can’t use them to seem moderate against - they actually try to take out this stuff.

If Wright can push the dialog left, well then great. If Obama the politican would rather run from the center, and might have to move left to placate the base whipped up by Wright, great. The Republican fundametals are SO CRAPPY this year that it’s a perfect time to get some populist movement.

Take Wright’s position - that an attack on him is an attack on the Black church - and don’t just say ‘not so’, ask yourself if it is an attack on the church? Remember that one of the things that Black folk in America don’t get to do is be righteously angry. So if they attack Wright for being ‘angry black man’ then they ARE denying a fact professed by the black church.

If you haven’t already, turn off the corporate media in your life. Don’t watch two hours a day of cable news. Make a few phone calls.