By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer

Posted May 1, 2008— The saddest part of the recent shenanigans by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright will be that if he succeeds in derailing Sen. Barack Obama’s journey to the White House  he will have shamed himself, the Black clergy and Black America, all in one fell swoop.
   
Yesterday my blog was swamped with theories of why Wright went so wrong.  Some folks feel Wright was an instrument of the opposition to Obama’s candidacy, but everyone was curious about Wright’s motivation.

Not me, I think it was as simple as jealousy.  

Donna wrote in my blog, “The good Rev. is showing his true colors! He has shamed all of us in his betrayal and backstabbing of one of his own, Obama.  This man is speaking and doing the White man’s work for him.”

Donna isn’t the only one questioning the motives of the retired pastor. But what if – faced with retirement and the reality of a less public future – he envisioned each public appearance as his last grandstand.  That may explain why each event became more animated, more gregarious and more inflammatory. 

Everyone I spoke with today had a theory: Some blamed Sen. Hillary Clinton’s camp, because Wright was seated next to former USA Today columnist Barbara Reynolds, a Clinton supporter, who actually organized the event.  Reynolds is also on the National Press Club board.

Some suspect the Republican Party had offered Wright a future in the party in exchange for eliminating Obama from the competition.  I was reminded of the Rev. T.D. Jakes,, the pastor of a Dallas megachurch, who aligned himself with President Bush at a crucial time in the last presidential election.

But I think this was all about Wright.  He’s from a different time and a recalls a different reality.  He can’t see the future of a Black man like Obama because of what he witnessed in the past. 

And that’s the sad part.  Even though he’s preached for progress, he didn’t recognize it; protested for justice, he couldn’t distinguish it; and prayed for equal opportunity but failed to acknowledge it, even when it was right before his eyes.   

Comments (150)