This Is What Obama is Trying to Change

So let's look at how politics is being played here in 2008.

Because a "church bulletin" overseen by the Barack Obama's former pastor gave an award to Louis Farrakhan, Obama faced weeks of criticism and outrage. He was questioned about Farrakhan multiple times in debates and other venues.

Hillary Clinton even said this at the last debate:

CLINTON: It is clear that, as leaders, we have a choice who we associate with and who we apparently give some kind of seal of approval to. And I think that it wasn't only the specific remarks, but some of the relationships with Reverend Farrakhan, with giving the church bulletin over to the leader of Hamas to put a message in. You know, these are problems, and they raise questions in people's minds.

Today we learn that Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, one of Hillary Clinton's absolute top supporters and surrogates in this campaign (and particularly in Pennsylvania) once gave a speech praising Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam:


So you would think, under these new rules where we answer not only for anyone we've met in our life, but also who our friends have lavished praise upon, that Hillary Clinton will now have to face weeks of outrage and criticism. After all, her top supporter in PA praised Farrakhan!

But for some reason I don't think things will happen that way. There is a double standard at play, and Barack Obama is given none of the common sense leeway that most politicians receive.

Andrew Sullivan:

One thought that this video inevitably raises: what if Obama had ever said such a thing or been to such an event? Given what we know now about this campaign, would it not be the conventional wisdom that it would be the end of his candidacy? And yet, Rendell is still a pillar of the Democratic party, central to the Clintons' Pennsylvania strategy, and praised as a classic old-style white ethnic pol. I don't imagine his credibility or reputation will be affected one iota by this. Even if it were Rendell running for president this year, I don't think this video would have Hannity and O'Reilly and Steyn and Coulter in a lather.

What do we learn from this? That Obama has to be even more distanced from these things because he's black. That's all. Race matters. The double standard endures. And the MSM perpetuates it. As do the Clintons.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Hillary to "reject and denounce" Rendell, or to even criticize him. She's white, Rendell is white, therefore there is a different standard at play. It's the same thing with McCain and Rev. Hagee, or McCain and his other radical Republican pals. They can do or say anything and the press won't bat an eye. But if Obama even knows somebody who said or did something controversial, well then he'd better make an explanation or by golly nobody will vote for him.

This is how politics is being played in 2008. And this is what we have to change.