Obama Religious Ties Are 'Manna From Heaven' for GOP

June 2, 2008— -- The racially inflammatory remarks of a second preacher connected to Sen. Barack Obama have reignited a divisive racial debate that undermines his candidacy's unifying theme and appears to be hurting his chances in the general election this fall.

"This is manna from heaven [for the GOP]. ... It raises the risk factor around this young man who would be the first African-American president," NPR senior political analyst Juan Williams said today.

"People identify Obama as young, energetic, telegenic, intelligent, talking about change and unifying the races. Then the second thing that comes to mind is, 'Gee, what about this Rev. Wright? What about Father Pfleger? Why is he associated with these people who are so inflammatory and mean-spirited and even racial?'"

Williams was referring to a recent sermon by the Rev. Michael Pfleger, an Obama friend and white Catholic priest who, while visiting Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ recently, openly mocked Hillary Clinton as predominately black churchgoers cheered him on.

"I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show," Pfleger said, impersonating Clinton and then feigning tears to an enthusiastic audience.

Obama, who said he was disappointed in Pfleger's "divisive, backward-looking rhetoric," quit Trinity United Friday, where he has been a member for 20 years. Obama cited, among other things, the uproar surrounding this most recent incident and the earlier comments by the church's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

"Barack Obama's favorability ratings have been sinking, especially with the swing voters as we head toward the general election: white women, Jews, Latinos; it's a real problem," Williams said.

A recent Pew poll shows that the Democratic presidential candidate's lead has slimmed dramatically to 47-to-44 percent in a hypothetical general election matchup against presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona. The tightening coincides with a dip in Obama's favorability ratings, which have slipped 8 percentage points to 51 percent since late February, just before the Wright controversy broke.

Pfleger also said during the sermon that "racism is still America's greatest addiction. ... I also believe that America is the greatest sin against God."

Some black church leaders and other supporters said that to understand these kind of comments and the positive reactions they elicit, one needs to understand that this is a church forged in repression and forced separation.