In order to believe Obama’s statement from Friday, you have to swallow that
A) he somehow missed every single “controversial” sermon
AND
B) not one of his fellow church-goers said “Hey Barak, you missed a real stem-winder last week.”

He never claimed he missed every “controversial” sermon. Only that he was not in church on the day Wright gave the sermon that has gotten so much airplay.

You’re misstating things either because
A) you haven’t bothered to understand what was actually said
OR
B) you’re intentionally lying to support your case.

“God damn” is now an expletive worth noting?

I’ve seen a lot of comments about Wright lately, but actually little which quote what he actually said. Those quotes which I have seen I don’t match with the description you provide. The appear to me to be someone pulling no punches while pointing out hypocrisy and double standards. Perhaps a message we’d rather not here, but not one that doesn’t have a firm basis in the real experience of his parishioners.

SaveFarris, can you get em a link to the comments by Wright that you are particularly referring to? I’d like to see if there is more he’s said than what I’ve found so far so that I can see if I get your point of view.

Perhaps because to a lot of the people there, his words have a kernel of truth to them.
How’s about you go back and listen to what he said again, perhaps with your eyes closed and honestly tell me he’s completely crazy.

So you won’t be voting for John McCain then? Or is it IOKIYAR

Take a look at the audiences in the videos. They’re not recoiling in horror. Noone is shocked. Noone is saying “Wow, I never thought he would saying anything that incindiary!” These are NOT unexpected beliefs that Wright holds. The entire congregation is cheering Wright along. Which tells any sentient human that what he is saying ISN’T coming as a surprise to those that attend his church.

Wright holds some extreme views. And those views are directly antithetical to Obama’s stated platform of unity and togetherness. You can’t “bring red states and blue states together” if you’re taking your religious cues from a man who preaches the same type of hatred as Wright does.

In order to believe Obama’s statement from Friday, you have to swallow that
A) he somehow missed every single “controversial” sermon
AND
B) not one of his fellow church-goers said “Hey Barak, you missed a real stem-winder last week.”

Either Pastor Wright is a Marlon Brando-calibur of actor who was able to hide these opinions from Obama (and ONLY Obama) or Obama is lying when he says he had no idea what this guy was about.

“Questioning” implies doubt. And naturally, you run away from the question again. Typical.

In the case of your Grandfather, you didn’t CHOOSE to be related to him.

No, but I choose to talk to and associate with him.

Wright isn’t Obama’s “crazy ol’ uncle”. Wright is a man Obama CHOSE to follow, CHOSE to lead his marriage ceremony and baptize his kids, CHOSE to name his book after one of Wright’s sermons, CHOSE to donate over $20 per year to his church.

Thank you for missing my point entirely. My point was how mature adults take the good with the bad in many things, including people. Instead, you argue against my choice of example. Noice work.

It is possible to like and admire someone and not agree with them 100% of the time.

This is what I was talking about.

Really? It’s a binary, black and white, one or the other? Really?

Is there no room in your view of personal relationships, particularly those that span decades, for gray? I love my wife, but damn if there aren’t things about her that piss me off.

Let me repeat what I’ve said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

THAT’S what it says about Barack.

emphasis mine.

Now should anyone care what you think? You wouldn’t vote for a Democrat no matter what anyway. It really doesn’t matter what he believes, you’ll vote for anyone with a (R) after their name.

There’s two possibilites: Either Obama really does support this type of divicive, hateful rhetoric that seeks to find blame instead of work toward solutions and that his whole “uniter” stchick is just a con …

… or he knows ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the man he’s known, revered, donated money to, and followed for his entire adult life, seriously calling into question his judgement and intelligence.

I leave you to decide.

For example, I disagree with my grandfather on many political issues, but I still love and respect him.

In the case of your Grandfather, you didn’t CHOOSE to be related to him. It was simply the hand you were dealt. Wright isn’t Obama’s “crazy ol’ uncle”. Wright is a man Obama CHOSE to follow, CHOSE to lead his marriage ceremony and baptize his kids, CHOSE to name his book after one of Wright’s sermons, CHOSE to donate over $20 per year to his church.

You can still respect a person and not do all that other stuff. But Obama did. Those are not the actions you undertake with a non-relative who makes statements you “vehemently disagree” with.

Hmm. Yeah, that’s racist. It’s racist in the right-wing reframing of “racist” in which black people who complain about racism and discrimination are racist. So here I am, a black man, looking at this quote and thinking about what happened in Central America and Los Angeles in the late eighties. I’m thinking about the rise of the prison/industrial complex, and the fact that we have more people in prison than any other country on earth. I’m thinking about that JPI survey that details the truly astounding disparity between whites and blacks in state prison admissions on drug convictions. I’m thinking about how, in U.S.-occupied Afghanistan, the opium poppy crops are flourishing more than they have in years. Then I’m thinking about Central America and Los Angeles again.

Yeah- God Bless America.

1. Just because someone respects a person doesn’t mean they agree with EVERYTHING that person believes. For example, I disagree with my grandfather on many political issues, but I still love and respect him. Now, what you also need to understand is that just because you have the mentality of a 3 year old where respect = worshipping the ground they walk on, doesn’t mean that everyone else has that same mentality.

2. Seriously, Ferris, why do you hate America so much? I’ve asked this many times, but you keep running with your tail between your legs. Care to answer?