By now, you, like I, have read and heard countless interpretations of this week's biggest political news cycle. That is, Jeremiah Wright's appearances at an NAACP function, and at the National Press Club, and his one-time mentee, Democratic Presidential candidate Obama's desperate attempt to finally distance himself from this ravingly lunatic, hate- and racism-spewing minister.
As I discussed these events yesterday with my business partner over lunch, I expressed my one signal reaction to Obama's first halting rejection of Wright and his speech. Ironically, my partner had read the transcript, so he couldn't compare his own reaction.
That reaction of mine is this. Unlike every other speech I have seen Obama give, this one bore none of his trademark lilting, rhythmic, preacher-like enthusiasm-building or even clever writing.
Instead, I think we saw the real Obama- groping for words, unsure, shocked, off-balance, unfocused, dazed, overwhelmed and feeling abject desperation.
Gone were the rolling tempos of Baptist preacher-like constructions in his verbiage. Instead, he looked down, up, and around a lot. As if searching in vain for somewhere or someone to supply him with the politically 'right' response, now that his staff's cost/benefit calculations had unmistakably shown that Obama now had to throw his former pastor, Wright, under the bus. And then implore the driver to floor it.
Maybe the insecurity, fumbling and lack of focus we saw on Tuesday and Wednesday in Obama's speeches on the subject reflected his own shock at having been revealed to be just another politician after all.
Sure, some of the usual Democratic strategist suspects championed his speeches and argued that he was 'Presidential,' decisive, and mature. But the truth is, his former mentor/minister deliberately and callously labelled Obama as a politician 'doing what politicians do.'
Thank you for that, Jeremiah. You finally seem to have spoken truth to power-on-the-make.
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