Color before Obama's speech

Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:17 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
PHILADELPHIA -- The auditorium is tiny with about 187 seats by my count. The number of press inside the venue have been limited, with a large overflow for more press members in a separate room. So many media applied to be at the event that the campaign actually had to remove some names. When Michelle Obama entered and sat ath the corner right in the front row, photographers flocked over to snap her picture. he eventually got up and left. People from the community, all dressed in suits, are walking in clutching their tickets. Seats are assigned and tickets are hard to come by.

Aides are testing the podium, the teleprompter and the microphone repeatedly. Reporters are staying put afraid that their front row seat to one of the most compelling moments for the Obama campaign might be stolen.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Last time I checked, there was a separation of church and state. What Rev. Wright said was for the most part, true. How he said it was the problem. Everyone on here needs a reality check if they think that they have never uttered a racial remark or had a racial thought. I applaud Obama for tackling this head on. We should be a better country. Bush has destroyed the love we felt for our fellow citizens after what happened on 9/11.

Give me a break and concentrate on the issues.. (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:29 AM)

Everything that Obama has said for the past 30 minutes that he has been going on and on as usual, has nothing to do with America and ALL of the people, but rather the Black people.

All he is talking about is a Black Agenda.

He's not fooling anyone.

Rev. Wright said the problem with Obama is that he is not White enough, Rich enough, or Privileged enough.

First of all since Obama had a White mother and a black father, he's at least 1/2 White and 1/2 black.

Moreover, since he's related to Dick Cheney, that makes him more than 50% White.

Barack's not Rich enough? No he just lives in a two story 1.5 Million dollar mansion and sends his daughters to private school (not the public schools that he speaks of when he speaks of Black people)and ballet lessons and had a household income in 2006 of 1 million dollars. No that's not Rich.

Obama's not Privileged, that's not what Obama said in his bullshit on and on and on speach. He talks about how Privileged he and his wife and daughters are and have been.

F***ing Hypocrite.

Alfred Jackson, Greensboro, NC (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:30 AM)

Seirria I m sure you would enjoy the REVs remarks being the UNITER you obammawannabes all are.Might be uncomfortable when he ,the REV, gets to blaming you for all the african americans problems from murder, jobs to rap music and slavery ,I wasnt around for it but if you want now is the time to offer your apology for what your ancestors did to african americans,maybe the rev. will forgive you he sounds like a forgiving man.

kenn (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:30 AM)

twocanpete,

It doesn't matter whether they release additional tapes of Pator Wright or not, seeing as he isn't running for President.

While it is interesting to discuss the sermons, and how it affects Senator Obama's campaign, I can assure you that I will not be distracted from any of the other issues that are important to me by this new circus attraction.

Iraq, healthcare, the economy, and "the Clintons" "disclosure issues" . . .

A change is gonna come . . . America will not be "distracted" this time.

Obama '08

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:32 AM)

**TO JOCELYN - 11:07am

Jocelyn... just on Friday (3 days ago) Sen. Obama HAD stated to BOTH papers... that his envolvement with Tony Resko "was a bit more extensive" than first indicated...

Unfortunately, in the tune of $250,000 worth...
Ummm, Change we can believe in ??

What is he going to say when the Republicans get ahold of the WILLIAM AYERS association??

WAKE UP AMERICA (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:32 AM)

That speech was fantastic. I can't wait to have a president who speaks honestly and elequently to America.

Nick, Brooklyn (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:32 AM)

It is a good speech. A reasonable speech from a reasonable man. A man who is no more responsible for his pastors remarks than McCain is for his "spiritual supporters" comments about the "Great Whore" or the god given task of destroying Islam.
At the same time he did not disown pastor Wright, he disowned bad ideas.
Now we shall see what we shall see.

Obama '08

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:33 AM)

PLEASE...take a step back for a moment and realize that it's people like you that continue to cause race to be an issue. How are you any better than anyone else.
You expect perfection from a candidate? It won't happen.
You think Billary is perfect do your research...look up the associations she has had since the White House. Look up the PAUL v. CLINTON lawsuit.
Question yourselves why more superdelegates are not rushing to support her and her campaign. They know things you don't.
I'm sick of hearing about race and the racial slander that you all are so proud of doing.
Is this what America is all about, it's you people that are pushing others away and causing them to think negatively about you. Everyone is reading and watching....
God help you..

Stephanie (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:34 AM)

Obama is done.

patty,sd,ca (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:35 AM)

He lied about not knowing his long-time pastor's views on these subjects or even hearing a whiff about what was said. How I am supposed to believe him when he says he loves this country or anything else for that matter? Nah, I'll pass.

Patty,sd,ca (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:36 AM)

Dear Senator Obama; We understand that you will not dis-own your former pastor and mentor of 20+ years. That's ok America will now dis-own you, for what you are. A fake.

John Smith, Pittsburg, Pa. (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:36 AM)

Barack Obama has reduced this white girl to tears today with the truth and beauty and reality of his words.

I refuse to let the hatred of others take that away from me.

Even as a 32 year old white woman born into a position of financial plenty. I am moved.

Sa, Petaluma, CA (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:37 AM)

Obama's speech was amazing. He inspires me. I look to him as a true leader.

Hillary and McCain are tired, old and FINISHED! Neither of them could ever deliver a speech like this and lift up the country. This country deserves much more than cynicism. It is time for change.

Obama -now more than ever!

ShkrGrl, OH (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:39 AM)

Wow. That was the best speech I have ever heard. America needs this man to be our president.

Billy, MI (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:39 AM)

HOME RUN! BARACK OBAMA READY FOR DAY ONE...

TN DAVE (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:39 AM)

So according to Obama Rev Wright's anger is OUR fault? And we need to look beyond that and give him a pass for associating with this hate monger b/c his anger is real and America is to blame? He just wants out of this by saying let's move on. America won't move on from this. The media might, but America will not. He takes no responsibility for his actions other than to make it about "Race in America" and that makes it ok. Playing on the white guilt. EVeryone should read the piece in the WSJ today about Obama being a bargainer and the okie doke he is doing on America. THE most intelligent pice on why Obama has gotten where he has. The media said this had the potential to derail. It DID derail him.

Harrison (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:43 AM)

Obama is toast,

The GOP will tear him to shreads...

Thomas, Slidell, Louisiana (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:44 AM)

OBAMA is DONE... OVER and FINISHED. When you loose TRUST with the American people, it is VERY difficult to get this back... if at all.

TRUST is the single value Americas really care about and NEED now most. HOPE does not pay my bills; car insurance, mortgage, health insurance..

BUT TRUSTING in someone to help make things right DOES... and Obama has totally 100% lost this, not only are the chickens NOT coming home to roost, neither is TRUST !

NO MORE TRUST (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:44 AM)

Judging from the tone of the responses, Slick Willie and Hillary should be proud. Their subtle (sometimes not so subtle) introduction of race into the campaign appears to have worked. Read the comments on this blog and see if many of them don't appear to be purely racist and bigotted remarks.

And where is the next primary? Right - Pennsylvania. The home of Ed ( a black man can't win) Rendell. That is a real Democrat for you.

MBM, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:44 AM)

Lori--Pat Buchanan is the ONE voice who actually doesn't just lay down for Obama. You got the rest of the media, god help us Hillary dems, but give us Pat.

Nancy (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:44 AM)

Am I weird? I am white and I didn't see anything that bad in Rev. Wright's clips. It seems to me a pastor should hold society accountable for its actions. We did bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after all, and Black people in America endured slavery and discrimination for decades. These are just facts. I don't see how ignoring the truth is patriotic.

Amy B Portland, ME

Well Amy, you are part of the 10-15% of the 'Hate America First' crowd that Newt Gingrich talks about. You are part of the set of people that are the hard left of this country that believes that America started the AIDS epidemic, are totally responsible for what happened on 9/11, that the country is run by rich white men, and that we are the most racist country in the world. Make sure to pay your membership dues, they come due the first of every month.

Lance Easterly, Albany NY (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:45 AM)

<< Previous

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=778482