Wright's communique, Obama's travails

Obama has been under the misunderstanding that Mr. Wright has taken the podium to defend himself. Wright disabused everyone of that notion as soon as he took the podium and spoke more about the Black Liberation theology and responded to what he perceived as an attack on the black church. That he chose to defend the black church all by himself, speaking for entire communities and its traditions and the diversity within those traditions, frames the largeness of the ego and need to satisfy that ego, more than an honest attempt to start a conversation on race.

Obama is doing his part to clarify. But everything he said at the press conference sounded weak. Obama said "The man I saw yesterday was not the man I knew for the past 20 years." It sounds like a bizarre account of either how shallow their relationship was or how bad his judgment has been in keeping this relationship.

Obama said in Philadelphia, "he cannot disown this man no more than he can disown the black community or his own grand mother". He may have made this move to keep his image as a faith bound person. The controversy at that time was limited to a caricature that was bound to run out of steam and Obama saw an opening to come out of it as a transformational, post racial candidate. After yesterday's press conference by Mr. Wright, it is strange to see Obama treat Mr. Wright as someone he does not even recognize. The whole episode with Mr. Wright is hardly over, if the size of Mr. Wright's ego is any indication.

Although as an aside. In Obama's press conference he made very little reference to Mr. Wright's body of work. Even when Obama disagrees with McCain 100% he makes sure to begin his criticism by saying how he respects McCain's military service. Obama, with regards to Mr.Wright, has decided there cannot be any lingering doubts as to how far he is willing to go to distance himself from Wright.