Senator Barack Obama filed divorce papers against Reverend Jeremiah Wright on the grounds of irreconcilable differences one day after his pastor of 20 years appeared at the National Press Club, even though Wright’s substance and style had not really changed.
What had changed was that the national press had become critical of the former pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, obsessing about him after the softball interview by PBS’ Bill Moyers and glowing comments by CNN’s Roland Martin following Wright’s Sunday speech at the NAACP dinner in Detroit.
Some who had once defended Wright’s Afro-centric theology as normative prophetic preaching turned on him. Bashing Wright became acceptable on cable TV news programs. Scorching and unrelenting criticism played a decisive role in forcing Obama to claim he never knew him.
More interesting than how the politicos and pundits debate the Illinois senator’s decision to severe ties with the Chicago preacher and its impact on the presidential race is what will be the reaction of the so-called Christian Left who supported Obama by justifying Wright’s liberation theology. Will they too pile on against Wright? Will they defend him? Or will they rationalize Obama’s action on the grounds of political necessity?
Read my lips: I can no more disown him than my own …er …