The Evansville Courier Press calls Obama a “standup guy” for his thoughtful response to the hysteria generated by the inflammatory remarks by his former pastor. The editorial board notes that the standard response is to “cut that person loose quickly and completely and head on down the road and never look back.” Instead of following the standard play book, Obama took the opportunity to reject the statements but explain that he knew too much more about the man to reject him completely, any more than he could reject completely a member of his family, even if that family member does say loopy things.
I liked this aside in the editorial:
Obama could have been forgiven for a trace of self-pity. It seemed he had only just finished knocking down rumors that he was Muslim and had attended an Islamic school, and now he was being pressured to distance himself from the Trinity Church of Christ pastor who performed his marriage and baptized his children.
Instead, as Jon Stewart noted on The Daily Show, Obama chose to talk to us like adults on the subject of race in America.
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