firstly, of that group, i find Wrights general comments to be far, far less offensive than the lives and careers of Dobson, Fallwell, Robertson, etc. and i think you'll find that all of them enjoy vastly more political power than Wright, who's really just a local preacher and who's influence probably doesn't go much beyond a few neighborhoods in Chicago.
so if we are comparing these men to each other, Wright is by far the least offensive, both in content and in influence.
however, you are correct in pointing out that McCain's relationship with Hagee doesn't compare to what has obviously been an intimate, intellectual, 20 year relationship with Obama.
does this bother me?
i will say that there is much, much more to Wright than we are hearing. an example:
[q]But I was only looking at the horizontal level. I did not understand nor could I see back then the vertical hookup that my mother and my father had. I did not know then that they were thanking him in advance for all they dared to hope he would do one day to their son, in their son, and through their son. That's why they prayed. That's why they hoped. That's why they kept on praying with no visible sign on the horizon. And I thank God I had praying parents, because now some thirty-five years later, when I look at what God has done in my life, I understand clearly why Hannah had the audacity to hope. Why my parents had the audacity to hope.
And that's why I say to you, hope is what saves us. Keep on hoping; keep on praying. God does hear and answer prayer.[/q]
and, yes, i will make a racialized distinction, because i think that matters here.
i have less of a problem with a black pastor railing against an oppressive government -- one that during his lifetime had maintained Jim Crow laws -- versus white pastors picking on minorities in the name of Jesus, and then asking for your money, and then peddling their influence into political power.
i find much of what has been tossed around by Wright to be awful. if there is one thing i've been consistent on, it's been defending the US against the insinuation that 9-11 was somehow "just desserts" for certain foreign policy decisions, that we had it coming. Wright seems to think that. i don't. and i don't think Obama does either.
finally, what continues to impress me about Obama is, first, that he hasn't tossed Wright, the man, under the bus, and, second, that he obviously has friends around who do more than kiss his ass and tell him how wonderful he is.
wish our president did that.