Obama's pastor speaks for himself on Hannity & Colmes

I'll admit we've been pretty tough on Barack Obama's church and his pastor both on Illinois Review and in Star columns, but Dr. Wright's "ineffectiveness" and "belligerence" on Hannity & Colmes Friday night were noted by even the ever-balanced Reverse Spin Dan Curry (here).

Since December, IR has been building a case as to the concerns we have about a-man-who-would-be-president who has been active for 20 years in a church that teaches the controversial and separtist black liberation theology. 

As broadcast on Friday night . . .

Comments

[Bruno]

Fascinating! It is usually Hannity that badgers, interrupts, and makes it difficult to get one's point across.

Here, he begins his usual MO, and runs into someone who is even better at it than he is.

This was enlightening only in that it exposed some one unwilling to engage in an actual conversation, which is strategically stupid.

The pastor had an opportunity to assuage fears about where they are coming from, and might have convinced many. Instead, it turns into Hannity v. Hannity Clone.

No one benefits.

[Ellen of News Hounds]

It's very clear in the video that Hannity was more interested in branding Rev. Wright and, by extension, Barack Obama, as a racist than he was in hearing Rev. Wright's explanation.

Hannity obviously had not bothered to learn anything about the black liberation theology he was criticizing - no, condemning and smearing - and still would not let Rev. Wright finish answering his own questions it. This, one night after a guest questioned whether the church was really Christian or, instead, "worshipped African things black?" http://www.newshounds.us/2007/03/01/fox_news_tries_to_paint_obama_as_black_militant_pagan.php

It's no wonder Dr. Wright was feisty. He knew what he was in for and the kind of unfair fight that would be throw at him. It's business as usual with Hannity on "fair and balanced" FOX News. What you call "badgering," I call giving tit for tat. And good on him for not being intimidated by the bullyboy.

Also, you might want to double check your facts. That interview on Hannity & Colmes aired last Thursday, March 1, not Friday.

[Bruno]

...and another thing...

My biggest beef with the Hannity style (on radio and TV) is that if he'd just let his "targets" speak, they'd do all his work for him.

If A) America generally is center-right (I think it is)

and

B) Far left and centerleft people are allowed to speak instead of being cut off or badgered

THEN

C) People like Hannity would be more persuasive if they give their "targets" as much rope as they need to hang themselves.
____

If Hannity did his homework, and actually KWEW about this "liberation theology" mummery, he could have...

A) done a more enlightening segment

and

B) knocked one out of the park re: Obama's church.

But in the "coming up to a hard break" world of TV and Talk Radio, the glib denunciaton is the high percentage play.

[notquitehip]

You guys all know that Hannity, Colmes, Limbugh, Coulter, Franken, etc are entertainers, right? Politics is their shtick, not their expertise.

They are not journalists, so they are more interested in ratings than accuracy or proper debating technique. Fact-checking is not their "thing", audience reaction is.

[John Ruskin]

Yeah right notquithip. Because msm media (like CBS) has such a great track record of fact checking themselves.

Please! You're an amateur dude. Go play in a sandbox blog for a while. Get some experience before you play with the big kids.

[Señor Limpio]

I agree with notquitehip, but I tar Hannity, Franken, O'Reilly, Olbermann, and most of the cable talking-heads with the same brush. A pox on all their houses.

The Media are a mess. We need people who are serious about admitting their biases, and giving us information without a foodfight. As biased as they are, the Washington Post and some other papers do a pretty decent job.

[Ralph W. Conner]

Perhaps you racist white liberals and conservatives have only one option to rid yourselves of your delusionary white guilt: vote Obama 2008 and prove how far we have come as a hopelessly racist nation. The first fundamental step is to realize that God may be black: to wit, Mr. James Cone the resurrection?
From Independent Publisher
Twenty years ago, when the civil rights and "Black Power" movements were at their peak, James Cone introduced a revolutionary theology based on the African-American experience of oppression and the quest for liberation. The book brought a new perspective to theology in the United States. Cone contends that theology grows out of the experience of the community; the community itself defines what God means. Western European theology serves the oppressors; therefore theology for African-Americans should validate their struggle for liberation and justice. In seven brief chapters, he argues passionately that God must be on the side of oppressed black people and develops the concept of a black God, noting: "To say God is Creator means ... I am black because God is black!" The anniversary edition recognizes Cone's contribution to U.S. theology with a 50-page section of critical reflections by six leading theologians including Gayraud Wilmore, Robert McAfee Brown and Rosemary Radford Reuther. Cone responds to these commentaries in an afterword. The foreword points out Cone's influence on Latin American liberation theology. The interplay among text, commentaries, afterword and preface provides a lively discussion and analysis of developments in black liberation theology over the past two decades. The book should be read for the clarity with which it demonstrates the relationship between theology, oppression and liberation, and for its historic importance in raising the consciousness of its readers about the possibility of viewing God from a black perspective. Anyone concerned about U.S. social history, liberation theology and racism will find the book of interest. It is particularly suitable for university and seminary libraries.
###
But Ralph sez:
Presidential lumber fars further away from this black politically correct tree.21st century African-Americans do not need a colored God to save them from the damages of white supremacy. Yes the KKK is a Christian organization too (according to their website and firey props), but we labor too long on diviseness when our mixed-race prince is supposed to be about a new type of politics, right?Why are we continuing to pay for a debt we no longer owe?
Let us all take a deep breath and witness to the fact that America is all religions,good and bad, and all philosophies good and bad. Tolerance and diversity are the watchword. Not continued self-esteem courses for blacks-only to repair imaginary damages of Post-traumatic shock from slavery and Jim Crow. Jesus saves regardless of his color or ethnicity. That is the true liberation theology in which God Himself(Herself) is freed (at last ) from the man-made straight-jacket of racial categorization.
Ralph

[Lakishia]

Thank you Ralph you just gave us the true feeling of how whites feel about slavery.
"Why are we continuing to pay for a debt we no longer owe?" Your race have never ever taken ownership for slavery. This statement alone confirms that if you felt like this in 2008, how did your grandfather and his father probably felt.
"Not continued self-esteem courses for blacks-only to repair imaginary damages of Post-traumatic shock from slavery and Jim Crow." This statement is just plain ignorant Ralph, comments like this also further confirms the lack of accountablity for slavery in America, I am sure if someone should you pictures of a loved one hanging from a tree you probably would be mortified if there was a once of compassion in your heart.

[Get Real]

You have got to be kidding me. Liberation Theology??? How about the bible. Read the Bible and get your guidance from the bible. Do not rely on church, religion, or Democrat/Republican. Rely on the Bible. WOW some of the comments are very sorry and I will pray for all of you. Hey TRY THE BIBLE. It says nothing about race color creed. It says love thy neighbor as thy self.

[HELLO]

I think all of you suck. I am a retarded black asian miget mungral. You guys are argueing about stupid crap. I am going to kick your ass. We Brazilian migets have feeling too. I think the red and white candy canes rule. The color ones are communistic. I like chocolate with no nuts. I bet all you guys like nuts. You nut lovers

[ajthetruth123]

HANNITY AND COMBS NEEDS TO BE BANNED FROM TV THEY ARE TOTALLY RACIST. THEY ARE BASHING OBAMA AND ALL BLACK CHRUCHES. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. FOX TV NEEDS TO BE BANNED BY THE FCC!! LAWSUITS WILL FOLLOW.

[ajthetruth123]

FOR THE PAST 3 WEEKS BLACK AMERICA,NAACP, AND MILLIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WATCHING HANNITY & COMBS OBAM BASH & BLACK CHRUCH BASH, REV WRIGHT BASH, and minority bash!!!! FCC IS QUITE AWARE OF THIS AND SO ARE THE MILLIONS OF LAW SUITS THAT WILL SHORTLY FOLLOW BY MINORITIES. FOX STOCKS WILL DROP and GO BUST. H&combs WILL BE NO MORE. SO KEEP ON BEING PURE RACISTS. BY THE WAY INVITE OREILY AND RUSH OVER FOR LUNCH. YOU SHOW IS ALMOST FINISHED AND SO HIS FOX!!!

[Brain]

I think that Hannity is the real Racist!!!

[J.Johnson]

ajthetruth123 and Brain,
You are right,if Obama loses because of this
Racist-Hannity,not only will a lawsuit be
coming,but the 50's and 60's will return.

[Jane]

I hope Obama loses.
We don't even know him. His ties to Farrakhan are not tied to America.
I like Reverend Wright, but am disappointed in his failure to forgive the whites for slavery. Get over it already!
I wouldn't vote for McCain if they paid me, I won't vote for Obama because we don't even know this person. He, sitting under Wright for over twenty years and claiming to be unaware of Wright's views, is either lying, or he never went to church during those years, and didn't speak to anyone in that church.
I don't believe him.
A vote for McCain is a vote for war, killings, blood, funerals, tears, sorrow, fatherless children, starvation, widows, grief,pain,confusion, sad children,bankrupt economy, more countries hating us.... and the list goes on.
I will have no part of it.
I want the war to end, the gas prices lowered, the disappearing honeybees problem addressed, and Bush to go back to Texas and take Hannity with him.