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Judgment?

Most of the comment I?ve seen about Obama?s relationship with his ranting, raving minister misses the point, as do his various replies yesterday. The point isn?t whether he agrees with Rev. Jeremiah Wright?s anti-American, Farrakhanian fulminations; it?s his judgment in choosing him as a pastor and mentor and remaining in close association with him for 20 years, until he realized the association might cause him political problems.

That passive, unquestioning association with a race-obsessed church, of course, calls into question Obama?s desire and/or ability to ?transcend race,? one of his strongest appeals to many of his supporters. And his recent denial that he had heard any of Wright?s rantings is positively Clintonian (see my discussion of the ?Clintonian Denial Style?) in what it doesn?t deny:

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign.

Obama here denies only that he ever personally heard ?[t]he statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy.? But could he have been a church member and devoted follower of Rev. Wright for 20 years and not heard of them? Could he really have been oblivious all those years to the reverend?s extreme views?

In his response to Hillary?s red phone at 3:00 a.m. ad, Obama said:

?We?ve seen these ads before. They?re the kind that play on people?s fears to try to scare up votes,? Mr. Obama said. ?I don?t think these ads will work this time, because the question is not about picking up the phone. The question is what kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone??

What kind of judgment did Obama show in his 20 year association with Rev. Wright? In the unlikely event that he really was oblivious all those years to the content of Wright?s race-based theology and anti-Americanism, can he be trusted to take the measure of ?the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea? with whom he promised ?to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of [his] administration??

Full post as published by Discriminations on March 15, 2008 (boomark / email).