A Pilgrim’s Digression

There is a conspiracy theory floating around the liberal blogs today that the Monday “spectacle” of Jeremiah Wright appearing before the National Press Club was a Clinton Dirty Trick.

The theory got its start at the New York Daily News with an op-ed by Errol Louis. Louis points out that the person who organized the Wright speech, Barbara Reynolds, is “an enthusiastic Clinton supporter.” Louis quotes from Reynolds’ public writings, in which she is critical of Obama and offers praise to the Clintons, as evidence that there might have been something underhanded at play on Monday.

The implication of Louis’ op-ed is that Obama has been set up, if not by the Clinton campaign, then by a die-hard Clinton supporter at the National Press Club. The timing of Wright’s remarks, coming just before the Indiana/North Carolina primary next week, has been so damaging that it must have been a coordinated knee-capping. Perhaps the Clintons even ordered the hit.

There are some holes in this theory, however, and I am going to try to widen those holes not just because I am a newly minted Clinton supporter. There is some basic illogic to the charge that the Clintons directly or indirectly prompted this hit on Obama by his former pastor.

The first discrepency in the conspiracy theory is provided by Louis himself. He quotes Reynolds, Wright’s supposed enabler, as writing on her blog that she actually likes the Reverend Wright, and much of her anger at Obama is directed at him because he has betrayed Reverend Wright.

The problem with conspiracy theories is that they always take the most complicated answer to a “mystery” as also the most reasonable answer, and this is rarely the case. In the Reynolds example, the most obvious answer as to why she would invite Jeremiah Wright to speak is that she likes him and feels that he has been maligned.

Quoting Reynolds, “It is a sad testimony that to protect his credentials as a unifier above the fray, the senator is fueling the media characterization that Rev. Dr. Wright is some retiring old uncle in the church basement.”

Reynolds has responded to the controversy, denying that she is “a Clinton surrogate.” The National Press Club has also responded, stating that the Wright speech was planned well before Wright became the gunshot wound to the head of the Obama campaign.

I would add to that, advising people to keep in mind that Monday wasn’t the first time Wright spoke. He was on a press junket for several days prior to the Monday event. Presumably he could have lit the fire that has torched Obama’s campaign bus at any one of the interviews or speeches he has given. Wright could have made his comments to Bill Moyers, or in front of the NAACP Sunday night.

It is mere coincidence he saved his most incendiary remarks for the National Press Club event on Monday, an event that coincidentally was organized by a Clinton supporter. Coincidence is both father and mother to conspiracy theories.

My personal opinion is that Wright was paying back a personal vendetta with his speeches. I make that judgment based on the damaging personal attacks he launched against Obama in his comments. Wright probably feels betrayed by the way in which Obama keeps distancing himself from the Reverend. He probably doesn’t like being characterized as the crazy Uncle. He probably thinks Obama has been patronizing and rude, considering all the help Wright has given Obama’s political career in Chicago. Thus Wright pays Obama in full by sabotaging his Presidential campaign. It’s sad that such a tragic end comes down to such a venal motive, but that may be all there is to it.

All that said, if the Clintons or a surrogate did provide the stage for Wright to perform his public knee-capping of Obama, it would not surprise me. That is how the Clintons roll. Reverend Wright himself said it, Bill Clinton “rides dirty.” John McCain can expect the same kind of treatment when Clinton is the nominee, and if he’s not scared, he ought to be. I think before it’s all over, we’re going to know all of Johnny’s dirty little secrets.

That kind of ruthlessness is one reason I am now supporting the Clintons. By virtue of her tenaciousness, and maybe some dirty politics, Clinton is the only one left standing who can beat John McCain in November.

Really, when you think about it, Obama got off easy. He will never be able to run for President again; his reputation is tarnished; his life and career are relegated to footnote status. But he’s alive. He’s lucky he has such a high profile, otherwise he might have ended up like Vince Foster instead of Nancy Kerrigan.