Music -

I've been taking diaries on Kos and MyDD today in measure.  I've been wrting a good bit on Rev. Wright lately.  But after today, now is the time for me to speak up again. I'm in Religious studies and these matters mean a lot to me.  I was raised in the Black Church and attend a Trenton Black Church through this day.  I'm not terribly religious myself, but find belief valuable, and the community enjoyable.  After watching coverage and chatting with friends throughout the day I want to air my opinion.  Which is the opinion of most of my colleagues here in our Theological Community.  

It not about who or what played the race card, or when... We have to look forward.  Analyze paths to winning, and be somewhat pragmatic and honest about what could take place.  Somebody is going to feel slighted at the end of this process, unless Indiana ends it.  Here is what could happen:

1. Obama wins indiana it is over. Obama wins.  SUSA showed today that this scenario is somewhat less likely.  However, it still could happen.  The MSM were nearly certainly push Clinton out of the race if she loses Indiana.

In 2004 Bush won Ohio by roughly 120,000 votes over Kerry.  How did he do it?  General consensus is he upped evangelical turnout nationwide through ballot proposals - and Kerry's relatively poor fumbling on religious issues.  And, the GOP gamed the Ohio race. That is partly true, and I have an upcoming diary about religious voters in the 2008 election being the key swing voting block, but there was a bleep in the Ohio exit polling data which goes mostly unnoticed.  Generally people see a demographic group that breaks at a 90% level and simply write it off.  But elections are games of margins.  And in Ohio we saw an interesting margin develop:

Sen. Clinton has challenged Sen. Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas style debate.  Which, as a huge Lincoln buff I'm predisposed to like anyway - especially on the 150th anniversary.  But, if Clinton truly wants a debate in the style of Lincoln-Douglas Sen. Obama ought to take it.

Here is Clinton's Statement: "So here is my proposal: I'm offering Senator Obama the chance to debate me one-on-one, no moderators. Just the two of us going for 90 minutes asking and answering questions. We'll set whatever rules seem fair."  Though, as one commentator said today the person proposing Lincoln-Douglas debates is almost always behind.  The last person to do so was Mike Huckabee, before that Chris Dodd, before that Fred Thompson.

After last night's great interview HareMoor has given me permission to re-post a moving diary from TPM and Kos.

So when I saw the clips of the coming interview I have to admit I was rather scared.  I though Jeremiah Wright had thrown wood on the fire.  As many of you know were in plans to bring him to Princeton Seminary, and I was actively wondering if that was such a good idea.  After watching the interview I can't wait for him to come.  Several Theologian friends and I watched it, and I think we were all terribly impressed.  Bill Moyers gave one of the best interviews in recent memory - perhaps comparable to his interview with James Cone.

I don't see how anybody could dismiss Wright as an abject racists after watching this interview.  I realize that many many people will not see it.  However, the media elite will...and perhaps (as Moyers changed Iraq coverage) Moyers will change Wright Coverage.

This dairy may be out of line with the progressive community, but I have been giving the subject of Tax Exempt Status for Churches a lot of thought in the wake of Sen. Obama's campaign.  Currently a Church, that is a Church Body or Pastor on stage, cannot endorse a political candidate or ballot proposal without loosing their tax-exempt status.  Many in the progressive community our quite pleased with the 501C rules in the wake of George Bush's religious voter outreach.  However, this was not always the case.  

It is a sad day for American Politics when a man's pastor is used against him.  And, honestly, I thought I would not see this from the republican party.  If anybody has the contact information of the people who but up this ad - that is Linda Daves - I would like to call her, and have some friends at Princeton Seminary and clergy members call her.  Here is the North Carolina GOP ad -