In regards to the issues involved with Obama and the Trinity Church, there is some serious maneuvering going on. In the first place, every act taken by the various people involved since the story first appeared has been deliberate. Reverend Wright deliberately went to the National Press Club and the NAACP meeting and gave speeches with content he knew was inflammatory to a large number of people. He clearly enjoyed it, even reveling in it. The same thing can be said about Father Pfleger’s recent, deliberate appearance at the Trinity Church. From Wright’s and Pfleger’s points of view, it was the chance to show their beliefs and abilities to a television and Internet video audience literally worldwide. These men did not get where they are in life muting their voices or tamping down their views. These performances were the kind of opportunities speakers dream about, the chance to be seen and discussed throughout the world!
There are many people here and abroad that believe in and cheer Liberation Theology, and who also either agree with or encourage the Black Liberation Theology branch of the philosophy. They have now been thrilled by at least three spectacular demonstrations of the clearly highly skilled proponents of these views. Wright and Pfleger have also reached people who may be drawn into the radical allurements of these beliefs., and now they have a vastly wider marketplace for their books and videos. They knew exactly what they were doing.
As for Obama, either he believes the same way they do, and is hiding it, or he used Trinity Church and its community solely as a political and social expedient. If it is the former, and he believes some or all of these views, then he is a liar, and with these beliefs he should not be raised to eminence as a nominee for the presidency of the United States. If it is the latter, he surely knew that there would be problems with that association, and it raises several questions about his behavior as a politician and his ability to judge the effects of his decisions over time.
Whether expedient or belief, each time he has moved himself a distance from the Church and its flamboyant apostles, he has been ambiguous enough to leave room for both sides to believe what they need to, to remain his follower. One listener could decide that Obama has always used it as an expedient, but should be forgiven because in his position it was a way, over time, to gather the power necessary to enable him to do important work in a tricky community. Thus the good he could accomplish, his goals, were worth the deception. Equally, another listener could decide that Obama really does believe in some form of Black Liberation Theology, and should be forgiven because in his present position he needs to gather the power necessary to enable him to do important work in the tricky community necessary to elect him to the presidency. Either way, it would be expedience, but of the kind acceptable to the majority of his followers. Either way, his followers could convince themselves that he has had in the past, and now has in the present, to “play the game” to achieve the necessary power to carry out his ideals.
At the same time, it leaves open the question of Obama’s real views as he maximizes his following given his background. The recent speeches given by Wright and Pfleger give Obama the ability to play both ends against the middle. (By being so blatant about their views, they can at the same time reach people who might delight in such radicalism and who might join them and Obama.) Moreover, their blatancy gives Obama the “hooks” he needs to object to them in a public yet ambiguous way that emphasizes their views and yet embraces the ambiguity.
Given his background, with its factual and undeniable twenty-years of relationship to an inevitably troubling group, he has actually played his cards quite cleverly. The moment the videos of Wright became seriously problematic, the subsequent deliberate speeches by Wright and Pfleger gave Obama obvious ways to “separate” himself from first Wright and then Trinity, and at the same time do so in a way that allowed him the maximum benefit possible for the circumstances.
Wright and Pfleger did quite well for themselves, too.
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