Why McCain Isn't Using Jeremiah Wright
Posted by Joe Rivett on 10.26.2008
Many Conservatives don't understand why McCain isn't playing the Jeremiah Wright card...
I feel like the only person that understands why McCain doesn't want to play the Jeremiah Wright card.
The first reason McCain isn't playing the Wright card is that McCain is an honorable man. Does that mean he has campaigned like a saint? No. However, you can usually take him at his word. Maybe he is afraid it will start a race war or maybe he isn't comfortable attacking one's religion.
The second reason is that Wright confirms Obama is a Christian. I've had a couple people tell me they believe Obama is a Muslim. I simply respond by saying, he was at Jeremiah Wright's church for twenty years. Sounds like a Christian to me.
The third reason is that it is dangerous to attack someone's religion. While Wright made a couple outlandish comments, I'm sure everyone has heard their pastor say something stupid. If McCain were to attack Obama on his religion, he would be attacking Christianity and McCain has enough problems with religious Christians. I thought one of McCain's biggest mistakes was to mock Obama as the Messiah because I felt it was showing a disrespect for Christianity in general. Mocking someone for using Christian themes in their speeches is not wise.
The fourth reason is that McCain and Palin have had their own pastor difficulties. McCain called Falwell an agent of intolerance in 2000 and that was before he blamed 9/11 on liberalism. McCain later on gave a commencement speech at Falwell's university. McCain also welcomed the endorsement of John Hagee who is an anti-Catholic bigot. In addition, Palin does not need more embarrassing Youtube clips of her being blessed against witches and God supporting us in Iraq.
Lastly, Jeremiah Wright is old news. It will provide red meat to the base but independents are concerned about the economy. If McCain uses Wright, he will look desperate and it will not work the way Ayers has not worked. The only chance McCain has is for Obama to say something really awful. McCain is about to enter a stretch in the campaign where he will increasingly worry more about his legacy than trying to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.
In the end, I think reason number one is the most likely.
i think the main reason he doesnt use wright is because of palin's witch doctor.
Posted By: rey (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 03:02 PM
How does Wright confirm he's a Christian? There is nothing about that nutcase church of his that is based on the NT. All it is is a "Christian" version of the Nation of Islam.
Posted By: Chris Connolly (Registered) on October 26, 2008 at 03:11 PM
I thought the second was slightly silly until I saw the comment above me. Do people really think that Islam is covertly infiltrating institutions and disguising itself as Christianity? People are fucking stupid.
I think it's reason four myself.
Posted By: Rich (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 03:21 PM
How does Wright confirm he's a Christian? There is nothing about that nutcase church of his that is based on the NT. All it is is a "Christian" version of the Nation of Islam.
Posted By: Chris Connolly (Registered) on October 26, 2008 at 03:11 PM
For the billionth time, he is NOT a Muslim, get over it. Anyone with a little knowledge of religion knows that Islam, Judasim, and Christianity have the same basic premise. The difference is how each religion goes about stating how its beliefs should be shared.
As for the article, good analysis. I also believe that it might have something to do with Wright serving in Vietnam. I remember reading an article stating that McCain respected Wright's service in the marines too much to bring up a subject that, quite honestly, would not be a huge deal now seeing that it was debated to death already. Besides, listen to what the man was speaking about. I don't exactly agree with everything said or its tone, but a lot of the BS that this nation has put minorities and the poor though has made a lot of people angry, and sadly a lot of it was the truth.
Posted By: Koron (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 03:38 PM
I think that Wright being old news is the strongest reason. As someone else said (maybe on this site, maybe it was elsewhere), McCain has no new attacks because Hillary Clinton threw EVERYTHING she could at Obama. With nothing new to bring up, McCain can only re-hash things that people have already heard and made a decision about in regards to its impact on their vote.
Posted By: Scott B (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 05:11 PM
I think he doesn't bring it up because its old news. He should have played dirty and hammered this from the start. It's too frickin' late now.
Posted By: Manbearpig (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 05:25 PM
I agree with you that it's McCain's sense of honor. He didn't want to run a dirty campaign--he just thought, from bitter experience, that it was the only way to win. And he was genuinely hurt by John Lewis' comments comparing him to George Wallace.
I read your articles every day and they're the best I've found.
Posted By: constance (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 06:30 PM
"McCain has enough problems with religious Christians."
As opposed to atheistic Christians?
Posted By: Dave (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 07:03 PM
If he was going to use it, he should have hammered it when it first came out.
The story has died, and if he tries to bring it up now he'll seem like hes grasping at straws in desperation.
It would be like if Obama tried to rehash the story of McCain's alleged affair with the camaign worker/lobbiest.
Old news, move on to policy. Oh yeah, McCain's policies are wht got him on the wrong side of the polls.
Posted By: Ed (Guest) on October 26, 2008 at 08:40 PM
sitting in church for 20 years doesn't make one a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage would make one a car. If J. Wrights message is that strong; then we should be absolutely terrified of any member of that hate mongers congregation
Posted By: guest (Guest) on October 27, 2008 at 08:22 AM
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