This is not to say Barack has never been critical of Wright. He has. He disinvited Wright when he was anouncing he was entering the race “together with 15000 of his closest friends”. But the bond they shared for the work they did for the poor was far greater. Remember also the Wright sound bites, like the story of Prof Bill Ayers only became an issue and pronounced when it became clear that the smear tactics of having Barack merely described as a “black candidate” failed. These soundbites came largely from a conservative media like Fox’s Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the likes of Rush Limbaugh on radio. Some of these soundbites are as old as seven years “The chicken are coming home to roost” and others even older but only now do they really find airtime.

These conservative pundits are trying to clean their image after what seemed like an attempt to put a good candidate down and hence making appear as if they some Barack. Barack is very weary and aware of the “Bradley effect” particularly after New Hampshire.

Barack didn’t play to popular politics and disowned his pastor when everybody wanted him to, during his Philadelphia race speech. Infact he equated him to his own white grandmother. The recent events are different. Wright had any right to defend and explain himself, but he came out and he didn’t do that. He attacked Barack. You might remember his performance explaining why he couldn’t have been Barack’s spiritual mentor. This was just pure lights, camera action for him. Barack had only one option left to him. Disavow the hypocrite. Wright wants to continue blaming America, and he knows how committed a community worker Barack is and with Barack in the helm, these arguments might loose a place in American politics.

Indeed Barack is Black, but there is no way any candidate running on race basis can win the election. This is to say the reason Clinton is winning over middle class America is because of the history and the memory they have of Clinton administration. These voters are almost similar to black poor who even though it is clear the ANC doesn’t think highly of them, they still vote the ANC because of the stability and the peace the ANC is giving them. Crime was already here. The other races in South Africa are only feeling it more because the police which protected them exclusively is spread thin and shared with the other races.

Yes, Barack Obama has more pledged delegates, and it seems unlikely that HRC will ever overtake him but there is still the issue of Florida and Michigan which HRC won, but there is a reason why these two states don’t (or not counting now) count and I’m sure you have been keeping abreast of these issues and are well aware of the goings on.

If Barack becomes the nominee (as most of us believe he will), he will be the first black presidential candidate. The other black candidates such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and others have never been party nominees and in the true sense have never been presidential candidates.

Now whether America is ready to elect their first African-American or even Women for that matter president is another question.

The concerns with Barack Obama is that he is inexperienced, which indeed is true, he is the first term senator after one other term in the Illinois state senate. He’s not been doing well with the largest group of American voters, the working class american (some color collar, I forget which?). But these voters are generally the base of the Democratic party and it is hard to imagine them voting the conservatives (republicans) whose policies are usually not so favourable to them, come November. If he becomes the nominee his choice of VP becomes very crucial, in winning this constituency. Some names have been suggested, Governor Rendell of Philadelphia (a HRC supporter) and HRC herself.

However, I do not think race will be the issue here though. I remind you that the independent candidate tends to compete for the same votes as the Democratic Party.

To me it would seem the Americans are now ready to cross the color or gender divide and hire the best “man” for the job, and I respect them for this.

The problem is that Obama has sought out the pastor precisely because he was known as the most radical preacher on Chicago’s south side and then he willingly continued to associate himself with Wright’s church for twenty years. Obama’s guilt is far more than association – it’s more like endorsement.

I think Wright WANTS Obama to loose – helps confirm his prejudices? Jealousy ? Trying to build up a cult for himself? Anther narcissist perhaps?

Good show Traps.

Joe Manyoni, Canada.