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Obama Not Feelin’ the Love from Smiley

By Laura S. Washington

Now that Sen. Barack Obama has taken care of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Tavis Smiley appears to be the next black contender for an ‘08 smackdown with the presidential candidate. But this time, black folks are taking care of it on their own. Obama’s April was a month full of stormy Mondays, thanks to Wright, the senator’s former spiritual adviser… return to article

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  • Zoom OutZoom In Reader Comments (6)

    Page 1 of 1 pages

    Incisive analysis!  Everyday the Democratic primary is proving to be the quintessential “change election” as all the ego-driven, establishment “spokesmen” are finally getting their comeuppance.  That goes for the Clintons, the Sharptons, the Smileys and all the other fools who are financially invested in the status quo and who wish to maintain racial divisions so they might continue to pick the pockets of hard-working Americans.

    Germany Posted by littlefun22 on May 15, 2008 at 7:29 AM

    Anti-American rantings?

    Hilarious.

    How’s this for a new tagline?

    “In These Times—Home of totalitarian thought since 2008.”

    United States Posted by shmooth on May 15, 2008 at 11:25 AM

    What else would “shmooth” wish to call the irate and self-interested rantings of the so called “reverend” Jeremiah Wright?  I find the illiterate tagline of “totalitarian” to this respected journal particularly insulting.  Especially given this commentator’s willingness to defend and apparently embrace the words of a man who endorses the racist, irrational and otherwise laughable “theology” and “thought” of Louis Farrakahn.  “Shmooth” should be ashamed of him or herself.

    Canada Posted by littlefun22 on May 15, 2008 at 1:52 PM

    Now that Sen. Barack Obama has taken care of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright ...

    Or the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has taken care of Sen. Barack Obama.  Whatever.

    United States Posted by scorp on May 15, 2008 at 5:30 PM

    Only a totalitarian would be proud to describe themselves as ‘pro-American’, or to describe their detractors as ‘anti-American’.

    How limited does one’s scope of thought have to be to think like that?

    I thought that whole ‘hate-America crowd’ meme was reserved for right-wing hate radio. Did it just migrate over into the left independent press?

    Disagree with Israeli policy? Then you’re an anti-Semite, or anti-Jew, or anti-Israel, or anti-something-or-other.

    Disagree with US policy? Then you’re anti-American, or you’re part of the ‘hate America crowd’, or you’re a ‘leftist commy pinko’.

    Like I said - hilarious.

    That the author of this column and littelfun22 are not capable of understanding the irony of these ‘anti-America’ rantings is pretty funny.

    As for the quality of In These Times, it will not suffer greatly from this. Too much good, not enough bad. Yet.

    It’s obvious that the author of this opinion piece is very involved in defending Obama against any criticism - and she’s willing to use the establishment when it suits her purposes, and not when it doesn’t. It’s hypocrisy, of course, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s just a poorly-written, intellectually dishonest column. No biggie. Life will go on.

    Now, laughing off the death threats being made to Smiley’s family - that’s not something I’d be too comfortable with as a publisher—but In These Times is run by grown-ups - they can make their own editorial decisions.

    United States Posted by shmooth on May 16, 2008 at 2:43 AM

    Does any body know the skinny on tom joyners real feelings about
    Tavis pissing on obama on his show?I’ll bet there was no real love there.Kinda curious about the real scoop.

    United States Posted by headed on May 17, 2008 at 6:47 AM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

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