I'd just like to point out that you're the second poster today to have conflated my remarks with those of another poster. The second half of your post quoting the "comet vomit" remarks, with no attribution, leaves the impression that these remarks were mine. They weren't, and in fairness, you should have acknowledged this.

sigh...don't you think that maybe, just maybe, he ran this past his grandmother? Told her "hey gramma, here's my speech I'm going to give. Do you have a problem with that?". Do you really think she didn't know about her being mentioned in this speech? Do you really think he wouldn't predict that this one minor point would be jumped all over by his detractors?

I'm not sure why the "sigh" is necessary.

I have no idea what may have transpired between them before this speech. He probably did speak to her, and I'd imagine on her end if you love someone, you will try to help them in any way possible.

My original point was that the actions of his grandmother are definitely not comparable to those of Wright.

Sinnard's just a retard just takin' a shit..

An average Joe? The type of guy you'd like to kick back and have a beer with at the bar?

Just like George Bush, the Blueblooded Bonesman that was also perceived as quite the regular Joe, "one of us normal folk".

Turned out pretty well for him.

Thank goodness, no, not like Bush.

y

No seriously, the impression I get is essentially one of shared humanity. Quite frankly, Barak doesn't seem to make the effort to be the "guy you want to have a beer with" and it's to his credit. The "have a beer with" scale needs to be abandoned.

And are your really comparing what Rev. Wright said (not did, but said) to raping boys and girls?

Heck, it might have been better IF the Catholic Church advocated man-boy-love...at least those poor kids would have had a heads up!

why not??

sweet home alabama, what a moron. One short paragraph in the speech spoke of Israel, and Obama spoke the truth that radical muslims do want the state of Israel to cease to exist. that's it. He did not condone Israeli actions in their entirety. He state they are an important ( I believe he said stalwart) and that is so. Do you think he doesn't understand the Palestinian issue, the Gordian knot of our time, far better than McLame or Hillary? You conflate him with LIeberman for that one sentence. Wrong.

It is okay for Catholics to remain and worship at churches where priests sexually abused young boys. The same Catholics who voted for W. Bush and led us into war. No one is asking these Catholics to stop attending their churches, and here we ask Obama to stop attending his church because of his pastor’s comments

That's a great argument, because Catholic Priests molest children on the pulpit while giving a sermon.

And that Warmongering Pope Benedict, what a Cheeleader he has been for the Bush Administration!

It is okay for Catholics to remain and worship at churches where priests sexually abused young boys. The same Catholics who voted for W. Bush and led us into war. No one is asking these Catholics to stop attending their churches, and here we ask Obama to stop attending his church because of his pastor’s commentsThat's a great argument, because Catholic Priests molest children on the pulpit while giving a sermon.

And that Warmongering Pope Benedict, what a Cheeleader he has been for the Bush Administration!

disingenuous and calculated. Obama's point was: look, my granny said these racist things and I didn't ditch her! but the standard is set higher for ditching one's grandmother. If she's just espousing some off-color opinions, we all would tend think, oh that's granny for you. Not: I'm severing my relationship with granny. Why? She gave birth to your mother or father.

In contrast, ditching one's pastor is ok if a lower standard is met. A pastor is just some guy you picked to be in your life one day because you decided that liked what he said. The standard for parting ways with one's pastor is: he says things that I think are morally wrong and with which I disagree. Why listen to a pastor that you think is saying morally abominable things? Don't people attend sermons seeking moral guidance in the right direction?

I decided to ditch my pastor when he wouldn't shut up about inequality of the sexes and giving as much money as possible to the Church. Yes he said some nice things about loving thy neighbor, turning the other cheek, etc. Inspirational things. But I didn't want to listen to the garbage. This is what Obama should have done if he thought some of Wright's stuff was garbage, which it clearly was, e.g. the US invented AIDS to kill Third World people/ African Americans. I wouldn't sit around and listen to this.

Obama's grandma must be well aware of the sentiments her grandson expressed in this speech, and surely she doesn't object.. not least because he already wrote about all this in 1993, in his first book. Which has sold quite a few copies by now...

It is okay for Catholics to remain and worship at churches where priests sexually abused young boys. The same Catholics who voted for W. Bush and led us into war. No one is asking these Catholics to stop attending their churches, and here we ask Obama to stop attending his church because of his pastor’s comments

Because grandmothers (or grandfathers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, etc) shouldn't have to live in fear that everything they have ever said to a family member will be scrutinized in a public forum. Pastors are prepared for this.

-- Jane Minty

Your assuming he never discussed this issue -- or this speech! -- beforehand with his Grandmother.

I doubt he really blindsided her and that she was sitting at home stunned and saying, "I can't believe he is saying these things about me on TV!"

I'm sure that, yes, he has spoken to her about some of her comments and attitudes in the past (presumably the distant past) and that she has more than likely changed her attitudes withthe times. Obama's point about America not being static would apply here.

Sure, she probably made offhand remarks in the 70's around Obama -- but I believe she no longer believes those things she once did so many decades ago.