Editor's Blog File

Barack Obama’s speech Tuesday put in perspective the ugly and outrageous comments by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The ideas and sentiments the Rev. Wright expressed aren’t terribly new; we’ve heard them all before. And most of them aren’t terribly out of line as opinion: The United States has been rough on blacks; it doesn’t deserve black support; the country brought Sept. 11 upon itself.

There are less inflammatory ways of and even logical arguments for saying those same things, and many others have done so. It’s more the way he said them and the excessive, hateful language he used.

In this time and place, it won’t do Sen. Obama much good to say, “I didn’t say those things; I don’t believe them, but the Rev. Wright was kind to me in other areas.” His long-time pastor could well cost him the nomination for president, and if nominated, it is even more likely to cost him the presidency.

I’ll develop this idea more fully in my Sunday column. Let me know where I’m wrong, and I’ll try to address it either here or in the column.

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