Rev. Jeremiah Wright. If there’s ever a monkey on Senator Barack Obama, this would be that proverbial monkey.  While I did not view the whole speech he made on Monday at the National Press Club, I did get the main press sound bites. Some of them were (quote NY Daily News):

“I do what I do. (Obama) does what politicians do,” Wright declared.

“So that’s what happened in Philadelphia where he had to respond to the sound bites, he responded as a politician,” Wright said.

 

But that was “Rev. Wright Light”. This is Rev. Wright, straight-no chaser:

“God doesn’t bless everything. God condemns something — and d-e-m-n, ‘demn,’ is where we get the word ‘damn.’ God damns some practices.”

“He is one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century. That’s what I think about him. … I am not going to put down Louis Farrakhan.”

“You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you.” I’m glad to get the full context on that because I had thought he was talking about chicken farming.”

Basically, he was clarifying statements he made that the media made a big deal every since February. And of course, the media eats this ish up like candy. To people that knows, Rev. Wright is not saying anything we don’t agree with. However, why did he decided to push buttons when he knows that the media was going to follow his every word? Better yet, who placed him there? Turns out a Clinton supporter named Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds organized the National Press Club event. She’s a former editorial board member at USA Today and she organized the event. Since she supports Hillary Clinton, it could be a way for her to open up a wound Obama tried so hard to heal.

However, damage was done to Obama campaign in two ways. The speech above was the first. The speech to follow this paragraph was the second.

I know that Americans are deeply concern about the remarks that my former reverend had made. And I know that their is a racial line that divides us all. However, let’s put this aside for just a moment. We are talking about a chance to vote for a different type of politics. Now, Reverend Wright is not running for President, I am.  And Reverend Wright do not represent my campaign or the issues that I’m bring to the table. This campaign have been about trivial issues when it should be about solutions to our problems in America. And I have a plan. It’s not the world’s best plan. We cannot accomplish a perfect world if I’m elected President. We cannot prefect America within my term. However, I can offer that step forward. I can offer that progressive thinking. I’m looking for solutions along with you, the citizens of the United States.

So, if you are going to judge me, judge yourselves first. If you want to vote for my opponents, vote for them because they can get the job done. Vote for them because they want to work hard for you. But will they work harder? No. The media is entertaining you with minor issues. They are looking for problems to cloud your judgement. And if you vote because you are voting on the characteristic of another person, then maybe you are not ready for change. If you want the same game, I’ll gladly step down and let Hillary Clinton and John McCain play the same game we all seen.

However, if you want a different game plan, a different playbook, you have to be informed. Is Clinton or McCain informing you of their plans? Does it match yours? Does my plans resonates with you? Does my actions, my example of not taking corporate interest resonates with you? Does my campaign, which is run by the people resonates with you? Because this campaign is bigger than myself. It’s bigger than the interests in Washington. The corporations cannot stop us. The rich lobbyist won’t stop this train from running. And the “politics as usual” will try to detour this train all the way to November. And when it comes down to it, it will not be a black issue, a white issue, a poor issue, a rich issue. It will come down to “who can get the job done?”

I give you three choices. You can pick a man who thinks he’s a maverick, but works closely with Bush and we might as well dub this Bush third term. You can pick a woman, who changes up her story, who bamboozled the system. Or you can choose a man who seen the issues from both sides of the fence. Who understands the needs of America and the world.

Because we don’t have time to play “politics as usual”. America can’t do it anymore, our brothers and sisters across the world can’t wait another four years. The troops in Iraq cannot wait 100 years. The earth cannot wait 50 years. Our economy cannot wait any longer!

We need solutions and we need them now! If you’re going to vote for any of my opponents do it because you don’t think I can do the job. Because you’re not voting for Reverend Wright.

1. It pushes them to think about the issues at hand and not the media tricks.
2. It makes them uncomfortable and really makes them serious about their decision.
3. It takes a lot of leadership and guts to give an ultimatum to the general public. Imagine if he took this stance on issues once he’s in office.

If he shows this type of stance right now (in a more diplomatic way), he will get the upper hand. He will not have to disown anybody or make apologies. And he will be virtually untouchable from now until November.

Hopefully, he’ll play this hand and force Americans to make up their mind and stop pussy footing around.