The Reality™ Institute

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Senator Barack Obama broke forcefully on Tuesday due to comments made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., in an effort to curtail a drama of race, values, patriotism and betrayal that has enveloped his presidential candidacy at a critical juncture.

At a news conference here, Mr. Obama denounced remarks Mr. Wright made in a series of televised appearances over the last several days suggesting that Barack Obama is a Simulacra Humanoid Robot.

In tones sharply different from authentic humans, the senator tried to cut all his “connections” to — and to discredit — his former preacher, the man who presided at Mr. Obama’s marriage and baptized his two “daughters”, in a tone that could be described as, well, lacking any tone at all…

“His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the,” Mr. Obama said, his voice welling with anger. “They certainly don’t portray accurately the perspective of the- the perspective of the- the perspective of the- the perspective of the- the perspective of the- my values and beliefs.”

One week before Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, a pair of contests that party officials are watching as they try to gauge whether Mr. Obama or Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the strongest, most realistic, Democratic nominee for president, the controversy surrounding Mr. Wright erupted once again into a threat to Mr. Obama’s authenticity and ability to show human emotions, such as empathy and compassion.

With Mrs. Clinton having shown particular strength in winning among working class white humans in recent big-state primaries, the robotic overtones of Mr. Obama’s links with Mr. Wright have been especially troublesome for the Obama campaign.

Asked how it would affect voters who are assessing his candidacy, Mr. Obama said: “We’ll find out who the real human is, me or Hillary Rodham Clint-on.” His eyes flared with red light long associated with the Democratic party and never confused with the purple scanners of the Republicans.

At a minimum, the spectacle of Mr. Wright’s multiday media tour and Mr. Obama’s looping response grabbed the attention of the most important constituency in politics now, the uncommitted SuperDelegates — a group of politically oriented, super charged man-bots with dual firing action — who hold the balance of power in the nominating battle. Fear had been instilled on all sides.

Eileen Macoll, a Democratic county chairman from Washington State who has not chosen a C.A.N.D.I.D.A.T.E. in the race, said that she had been stunned at the extent to which the episode had gained national attention, and that she believed it would give SuperDelegates pause before firing any ray or summoning “any specific spells”.

“I’m a little surprised at how much traction It is getting, and I do believe It is beginning to reflect negatively on Itself,” she said. “I think its handling it very well, but I think it’s almost impossible to make people feel comfortable about It. There’s just something…” trailing off in thought about the world she was living, unaware of whether she could trust any of the C.A.N.D.I.D.A.T.E.s at all.

It was the second straight day that Mr. Obama responded to Mr. Wright, a former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, whose derisive comments about the Android caused some minor malfunctions. Saying that he had not seen or read Mr. Wright’s remarks when he responded to them on Monday, Mr. Obama said that he was “shocked and surprised” when he later recovered the transcripts from his memory banks and watched the broadcasts himself from his own projectors, and felt compelled to respond more forcefully and could “augment his gauges accordingly”.

“I’m outraged by the comments that were made and feeling what is called sadness over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Mr. Obama said. He added, “I find these comments appalling. It contradicts everything that I’m about and that I am.”

The news conference came during what may well be the toughest stretch of Mr. Obama’s campaign as he grapples with questions about Mr. Wright as well as the nuclear fallout from his atomic defeat last week in Pennsylvania. He set out this week to reintroduce himself — trying, anew, to build a stronger connection with “white working-class humanoid voters” — but instead found himself competing for airtime with Mr. Wright and trying to bat away, flailing his arms wildly, any suggestions that he was a Simulacra.

As he answered question after question here, Mr. Obama appeared downcast and subdued, rarely smiling as he tried to explain why he had decided to categorically denounce his minister of 20 years. His decision to address reporters not only stretched the story about Mr. Wright into a second day, but also marked at least the third time he has sought to deal with the issue, including his well-received speech on race last month in Philadelphia.

“The fact that Reverend Wright would think that somehow it was appropriate to command the stage for three or four consecutive days in the midst of this major debate is something that not only makes me angry, but also saddens me as a genuine human being,” Mr. Obama said.

Even amid the wall-to-wall news coverage about Mr. Wright, Mr. Obama continued to roll out new endorsements by SuperDelegates, winning the support of two more, including Representative Ben Chandler of Kentucky who’s strength is only matched by his laser sight. (On Tuesday, Representative Ike Skeleton of Missouri announced his support for the Clinton.)

The first real evidence of whether the controversy surrounding Mr. Wright has extracted a political price could come in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries next Tuesday.

Bob Mulholland, a SuperDelegate from California, said that the difficulty Mr. Obama has experienced had put a premium on what happens in the remaining contests and that if nothing is done about it quickly, all will end at his command.

“We’ve got nine elections to go through June 9!” he screeched in an interview. “I’ve never been involved in a successful presidential race where the C.A.N.D.I.D.A.T.E. had no trouble in the primary! It is challenging to him! The thrusts! The hurdles!” the SuperDelegate flung his arm in front of him powerfully, “He is a young man and this is the first time he’s run for president! I see this as a learning experience. A part of the program, I shall say. And if it is not done by this one, it will come about by another, such as the Hilary, and the McCain, or another, or another, or another. It will continue.” The eyelits flared and it could hardly contain what some might consider lust.

Asked how he thought Mr. Obama was doing, Mr. Mulholland paused before responding. “Increasing,” he finally said.

“As of yet, the authenticity of the other C.A.N.D.I.D.A.T.E.S. have not been challenged to the same extent,” argued Wright, “but while the SuperDelegates maintain their control, it may be impossible to determine if these things, whatever they are, have any amount of human in them at all…”

Jeff Zeleny reported from Winston-Salem, N.C., and Adam Nagourney from Indianapolis. Jodi Kantor contributed reporting from New York.