That is the question John B. Judis poses at TNR, though his analysis of the question is lacking in a key respect:
In several important respects, his campaign is like Smith’s rather than Kennedy’s. Just as Smith eschewed any discussion of religion, Obama largely stayed away from talking about race until it was forced upon him by revelations about his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Kennedy took control of the issue of his Catholicism from the start; Obama let the issue of race confront him.
In simply substituting race for Catholicism in the analysis, Judis overlooks that Obama’s Wright problem is one of race and religion.ÂÂ
As I noted on the day of Obama’s big speech on race, dodging the religious dimension of the issue only left it to linger in the public consciousness (and subconsciousness).  That the professional pundit class misses this caused them to misunderstand the thinking at the heart of Obama’s comments about small-town American’s clinging to the God and guns. But voters understand — or at least intuit — that the company he keeps and the statements he now makes stand in stark contrast to the faith-based appeals he made a centerpiece of his campaign early on, and to the image of as a post-racial Unifier he seeks to present even now. ÂÂ
The Wright problem blunts Obama’s ability to appeal to the faithful and partially explains why — as Judis himself has noted — Obama acquired the (non-)religious profile of the old McGovern coalition. Even in leaving the House the Wright Built, Obama had kind words for the people who hooted their approval of the race-bating, radical Left remarks made by Wright and Father Pfleger — consciously or subconsciously reminding voters that Obama spent the last 20 years among that crowd.
That is a problem that goes beyond race, and I do not know how Obama can confront it now in any way that benefits him.
(h/t Memeorandum.)
Update: Super-genius Matthew Yglesias argues that Al Smith did much better in 1928 than the Democrats did in 1924. Smith got more of the popular vote in 1928, but did far worse in the Electoral College. I do not think that is Obama’s goal this year.
Karl, Obama can no more repudiate those people than he can his road kill granny.
Dan,
Did you miss the O!ration last night?
Yeah, I missed the O!ration.
I never watch my TV, and the kids pick the programs. O! wasn’t at the top of their list.
Karl,
Ur much kuler wen u post gud stuf on O
i’m smart, you xtians.
Why do you fear Obama, you racist Rethuglican. When I came to this site, all I heard about was how this is classical liberal site. But since I refuse to read a book that might explain why Jeff refers to himself as a classical liberal rather than a liberal, I’ll just call you a neo-con.
O!
Did I miss anybody?
That is a problem that goes beyond race, and I do not know how Obama can confront it now in any way that benefits him.
I doubt you’ll ever figure it out. The answer lies just beyond the tip of your Jeremiah boner.
And in pops thor! I knew I’d forgotten someone!
That was thor’s way of saying he has no clue. Which we sorta knew already.
A fine scotch,
You had thor covered with the O!
Thank you to my grandmother, a typical white racist person, who helped raise me and is sitting in Hawaii somewhere right now because she can’t travel but who poured everything she had into me and who helped make me the man I am today.
Barack: Where white folks’ greed runs a world in need….it’s okay, so long as the proceeds benefit guys like me.
Clueless thor continues to be correct, first McCain and now Obama.
I repudiate your clues as false, KK.
Hutu or Tutsi?
No, wait. He’s a Belgian.
Predictions: What made-up racist incident will be staged by the O! faithful in the September-October time frame and blamed on Republicans?
Predictions: What made-up racist incident will be staged by the O! faithful in the September-October time frame and blamed on Republicans?
I do not think it will be staged. I do think that there will be numerous instances where snippets are taken out of context, and the DNC and Baracky campaigns do what they did in the primary, feign outrage, and then accept an apology not offered, to further the healing.
I don’t know, JD. Every election, we see anonymous fliers saying “vote Wednesday” or something in minority neighborhoods, supposedly “discovered” by “community activists” and held up as evidence of Rethuglican vote suppression. (Incidents of Democrats actually tried and convicted of slashing the tires of Republican “get-out-the-vote” vans are, of course, played down as “over-enthusiastic supporters.”)
Despite Sen. Obama’s early big wins he was not able to get a sizable number of Democrats on his bandwagon, nor get early support from the superdelegates. That indicates a lack of confidence in his campaign. This does not bode well for his campaign over the rest of the summer and onto the general election.
I think he’s more of a Pat Paulsen
– Well Rezko, Obama’s long time hustler friend and campaign financier, was just convicted. Hell of a way to spend the day after the “big win”.
– Tony won’t have to worry about that “side yard” though. Obama’s already mowing it for him, and promises to keep it neat while hes “away”.
On third thought, make that a Belgian Waffle.
“Obama’s long time hustler friend and campaign financier”
Too long. “Obama’s Chicago scumlord financier” Save the pixels!
I keep seeing an AP article circulating today about how other countries are atwitter with the ascension of the Obamamessiah (He Who Shall Stop The Rise Of The Oceans) to the Dem nomination. Happy happy, joy joy, etc.
Did I ever tell you all about my (only) favorite Oprah anecdote? In an article in “Forbes,” she recounted that after her first agent negotiated her contract with the local ABC affiliate, everytime she encountered station management, he or she was sure to compliment her agent, saying what a great guy he was, etc.
To which Oprah said to herself, “Wait a minute – this guy is supposed to be representing ME. Why are all those people he’s representing me AGAINST so happy with him?” Next time out, she hired more of a prick to represent her, and got a lot more money and control in her next deal.
I’d say that’s a parable for the current situation, wouldn’t you?
(Might I also add that I will now refer to “Super-genius Matthew Yglesias” as such, with a full Wile E. Coyote “Super-Geeeenious” pronounciation. It’s too perfect.)
…how other countries are atwitter with the ascension of the Obamamessiah…
It’s the soft, hard power of his face. Like a majestic crème brûlée. But runny.
That is a problem that goes beyond race, and I do not know how Obama can confront it now in any way that benefits him.
Maybe he should just cowboy up and begin to defend BLT publicly. I mean, if it’s true, isn’t it time we ignoramuses in flyover country got hip to it?
I’m suspicious about this mega-beloved granny.
If she made him who he is today and he owes her so much, why isn’t she living under his roof where he and ‘Chelle can help take care of her?
Any mention of Jeremiah Wright or the TUCC will of course be dismissed as baseless by reason of racism.
Of course.
Some rules going forward:
1. All criticisms of Sen. Obama should be only on “substance”, “the issues”, or “policy”. Which is to say, you may only judge him on the things he says he will do, but has not actually done.
2. All other criticisms are “distractions”.
3. A corollary: if your substantive criticism reflects badly on Sen. Obama, it will be reclassified as a “distraction”.
4. Any discussion of Sen. Obama’s character, beliefs, or temperament, and how they might bear on the execution of stated policy, will be considered a “distraction”.
5. You’re a racist.
Thank you for your time. Please file out the back, and collect your complimentary American flag lapel pin, which you may wear at such times as Sen. Obama considers appropriate.
People who don’t like Christians are as untroubled by Obama as the Palistinian activists who hear him making pro-Israel comments to AICPAC.
If a Republican presidential candidate had been under the Rasputin-like influence of a Christian preacher for 20 years the people who fret about Christian influence in politics would be going batshit crazy, but they are not concerned about Obama because they sense that, for Obama, the religion serves the politics, rather than the other way around.
#27: Cowboy, if you lived in Hawaii, would you move to Chicago?
Even the government of Israel talks to the PLO leadership.
Israel says it is committed to two state resolution.
Is every israeli government official anti-Israel ?!!
I as a Jew remember being beaten because of my faith by Catholics in NY as a child–our family moved to rural Pennsylvania-I got the same treatment from Protestants.
80% of the Arabs in this country re Christian- the right wing anti-Arab press has caused hardship for this group-which by the way is 75% Republican-provides 2% of the Republican vote and 5% of its dontions.Read the Arab-American press -every anti-Arab blip causes an Arab Christian child to come home bloodied.
We are all learning about American Euro-Christianity
Stop trying to convert people you can’t accept in the first place.
The Arab-Christians were Christians before Europeans and represent the oldest Christian community in the world.
Got links for any of this Jerry? The right wing anti Arab press or the bloodied Arab children?
perfect
I have entered as accident but this site so funny