He’s lost/loses votes when up against Clinton. It will be interesting to see how he fares when its not woman vs. man, white vs. black.

And andrew sullivan has some interesting thoughts on why he picked Trinity. Worth a good read.

This is surely the spin here. The Chicago press has had no trouble showing that Obama picked his church in a bid for street cred for his “community organizing” activities. It also seems clear that Trinity was deemed acceptable because of its peculiar ideological component…and not the clarity of its “theological vision.”

And as for Obama’s potential to “lose the black vote” all I can say is any candidacy for national office that is contingent upon winning 90%+ of the black vote and not having that slip to a mere 75%+, is skating on some pretty thin ice indeed. Obama’s most pressing need was always going to be to appeal to moderate white voters…whoever didn’t realize that on Obama’s staff should be fired.

Dos: Do you really believe a 26 year old has that kind of judgement when it comes to picking a pastor? Do you really think he believed back then that something like this would play such a large role? Obama needed a father figure, and he found one in Rev. Wright. Misguided or not, one can hardly blame him for a decision made at such an age.

That said, I think it finally gives Obama an opening to put an end to all this. While the right ring neo-cons are spinning it as a empty political move, I think that reason heads (vs. Rush’s ditto heads ) see it for what it is – a painful seperation between a man and his pastor. This time limits the Wright gate to another week or two for the republicans as we move into the GE.

Remember how that was supposed to be a seminal moment for our democracy?

Is it safe to say it was woefully inadequate to the actual situation? Sure, having a balanced discussion about race in America is an important thing to do. But the issue was NOT the entire history of race relations, it was a single lunatic. Obama’s not playing that one straight has rightly come back to haunt him.

ON another unrelated note if Justin or any other Donklephant team member sees this: Is there any reason Bloglines isn’t recognizing your RSS feed anymore?

I think Obama got ticked off at being stabbed in the back by a friend he defended

That is what happens when you pick insane, evil assholes for friends…the friendship hardly ever works out. A lesson that Obama should seriously take to heart in dealing with the middle east — a place where Wright’s kind of inflamatory stupidity and bigotedness is the norm. Again, the issue is only partially about the relationship itself between Wright and Obama — the issue is more about Obama’s poor judgment manifested in being friends (voluntary family) with someone like Rev. Wright. 20 years…and he didn’t know — strains credulity doesn’t it.

I think Obama got ticked off at being stabbed in the back by a friend he defended