Obama’s speech is out at Drudge and reading it I find it lacking. Maybe in person it was not so bad, but most of us won’t be listening to it or seeing it. Most of will have to simply read it. The first problem is the history lesson on this great and imperfect nation. Obama comes of sounding like he is the only one on a journey to perfect the union, to move beyond the divisions and hate:

This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.

Sadly, this is not what we got from listening to Obama’s pastor, Rev Wright. Furthermore, we are all trying to do this – not just Obama. What is telling is Obama admits he was not truthful when he claimed not to know about Wright:

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

It is a little late to finally admit the truth – sort of. The fact is this should have been followed up with a statement about how Obama was wrong in trying to shove this mess under the rug through lies and denial. In fact, Obama tries to defend the dark side of Wright with some leftover good characteristics:

But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God’s work here on Earth – by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

You can read this and include George Bush, or Billy Graham, or many others. The difference is with these people there is no anti-American hate, no racial hate. Even Hamas is known to do good deeds. These acts cannot be traded for hate or crimes or divisiveness. Obama has a tin ear – we are done with the racists and the hyper-partisans. We don’t want them to be associated with us as Americans. You can be good in the beginning and turn bad in the end. There is no excuse – but Obama tries to say there are excuses and mitigating circumstances. As long as someone helps one person they are free to rail against others? Not likely.

Obama failed and now his campaign is going to limp through a terrible summer. And there will be anger from some small areas of the African-American community at his downfall. Obama tried to equate Wright as a symbol of the black community. I know a lot of blacks who would not agree.

My children live in a wonderfully colorblind world were friends are friends. I too don’t even notice the race or ethnic background of people I meet. I could care less how deep or shallow the tan is. Rev Wright is the kind of person who will destroy this wonderful world my kids and I live in because he injects hate and distrust and race. He is a relic of an America long since gone which should never come back. And Obama doesn’t get it. We won’t go back to Wright’s world. Which means we cannot follow Obama, because his baggage is too high a price to pay.

BTW, the answer was actually simple. Here is what Obama should have said: “Wright is wrong, dead wrong. I am still trying to convert him to the modern world. Unless he joins us in the modern world there is no place for his lingering hate. We have the seeds of a new world in the younger generations, they are moving away from racism and there is were we will find hope. I should not have tried to pretend I was unaware of his problems, that was wrong and I ask forgiveness of America. He is a friend I am still working on”. It is not all that complicated.