Why McCain Should Welcome the Reverend Wright / Hagee Comparisons

Many Dems welcomed the news of Reverend Hagee’s vile remarks and Senator McCain’s rejection of his endorsement as way a to offset the damage done to Senator Obama by Reverend Wright. However, this is a comparison that benefits the McCain campaign. The reason being that there is no tie between Senator McCain’s views and Reverend Hagee’s views. The questions for Senator McCain are about how his campaign seeks endorsements, and if proper vetting occurred. Senator McCain never attended Hagee’s church, and never condoned his remarks, so while the association may be a little unsettling for the campaign it does not speak to who Senator McCain is as a person.

Reverend Wright is a different story. Senator Obama attended his church for 20 years, and after seeing Reverend Wright’s recent press conference it is virtually impossible to believe that Senator Obama did not know the types of sermon’s he was giving. Attending Reverend Wright’s church for such an extended period of time shows a willingness for Senator Obama to either condone or accept the views of Reverend Wright. Senator Obama even graced the cover of the ‘Trumpet’ the church newsletter, the content of which provides more evidence that Reverend Wright’s extremist views were not isolated speeches, but were part of the doctrine of his church. The questions for Senator Obama center around who he is as a person, what he believes, and the manner in which he conducts himself. The primary question being whether he joined the Trinity Church for political gain, or if he actually subscribes to the ‘Black Liberation’ theology that the church openly preaches.

While the two candidates may both now have ties to an embarrassing pastor, the similarities stop there. There is a real reason why Senator Obama has not been able to shake the Reverend Wright issue because it leaves open questions about Senator Obama as a person. The reason Reverend Hagee has caused significantly less trouble for Senator McCain is because the questions aren’t about him as a person, they are about whether his staff did enough research.

Picture from Bizzy Blog