PrintMay 1, 2008
The Real Reason Why Rev Wright Dissed Obama
On Tuesday morning, following Rev Jeremiah Wright's incendiary National Press Club appearance, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on ABC's Good Morning America that Rev.Wright "went out of his way to weaken Obama...I think Reverend Wright has a greater interest in his self-importance". Indeed Rev Wright is deliberately damaging Barack Obama-but for a more cynical reason than ego preservation.
For sure, Rev. Wright's supersized ego has boxed out Obama's ambition. But ego preservation pales when compared to Rev. Wright's real purpose -- keeping the pledge payments flowing and collection plates full. Wright's root agenda, in perfect alignment with the far left Democratic Party politics of indignation, has been to capitalize on the misfortunes of others, to stoke both race and class resentment, offer a platform and voice pipe for the permanently aggrieved all to fill his own coffers. Rev Wright has amassed the equivalent of a small fortune not by finding solutions but by recycling a permanent state of self-inflicted misery, despair and bitterness. His appeals to the perpetually aggrieved have been rewarded by their willingness to part with their treasure to hear their complaints, some imaginary the remainder of their own making, resonate from the pulpit and center stage at Trinity Church.
As a grievance monger, instead of problem solver, Wright never promises -- and would never promise -- actual solutions. Why would he? Solutions would dry up the money pipe. Why would the permanently aggrieved willingly part with their treasure to hear that their complaints have been fixed? They wouldn't. How could the politics of indignation be sustained when one of their own became the president of the United States? It couldn't.
Rev Jeremiah Wright's worst nightmare would be Barack Obama as president. Rev Wright's entire raison d'etre would evaporate. But this should come as no surprise. The politics of indignation, sans solution finding, fueling fund raising and fostering a permanent underclass voting block has been the far left modus operandi since Gene McCarthy, George McGovern and Jimmy Carter hijacked the Democratic Party from Scoop Jackson and Pat Moynihan.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright is but the most egregious practitioner of the far left's politics of indignation. The democrats' approach to the energy crisis is far more typical. The US could be energy independent in ten years if we resumed building nuclear power plants and drilling for oil and gas in Alaska and the offshore waters of the continental shelf and constructed new refineries. Moreover the bold target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 could be easily attained if every coal fired power plant were replaced by nuclear. Why won't the democrats agree to it? Because it is a solution. Solutions are not the foundation for fund raising by democrats, environmental extremists or global warming activists. And that's why Rev Wright has no interest in seeing Barack Obama as president. Because it is a solution.
Barack Obama may yet be elected president. If so, the politics of indignation will have run its course along with its money pumps. Grievance mongers, led by the likes of Rev Jeremiah Wright, may then have something legit to complain about, after all.
