It's popular for white commentators, for whom black people are merely theoretical, to wonder when Barack Obama will do something that will distance himself from black people. After "black America" is known kyrptonite to any successful endeavor. So here we have Richard Wolffe arguing that Wright represented Obama's Sista Souljah moment:
For a campaign that had little comment on Wright's media blitz on Monday, Obama's press conference was a complete reversal. Many pundits have wondered aloud why Barack Obama has not had a Sister Souljah moment in this campaign, evoking Bill Clinton's 1992 repudiation of the hip-hop star's inflammatory and racist comments. In Winston-Salem Obama went far beyond Clinton's criticism, disowning his former pastor—and running the risk of alienating a community on the South Side of Chicago that has been among his most ardent supporters.
Uhm no. No disrespect to my South Side brothers, but last time I checked, the "South Side of Chicago" didn't qualify as a national voting bloc. What Wolfe wants to say--but clearly has no evidence to prove--is that in dissing Wright, Obama showed his distance from black folks. Except that most black folks--and I bet most black folks on the South Side--think that Wright's performance on Monday was off the wall.
More to the point the "Sista Souljah moment" is the province of white folks who basically regard black people and the fight against racism as some sort of political tool to garner the votes of other more thuggish whites. There is a certain amoralism to all of this. In the minds of the MSM there's this idea that whites who, quite frankly, hold Obama to a higher standard because he's black are the real Americans, the beer swillers, gun-toters. This is when you see that the modern press does not exist to expose demagoguery but to be funnel for it.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Can you imagine Obama taking a shot of Hennessey with a bunch of brothers at a local bar for a photo op? Or if he offered to pay for a round of Miller Genuine Draft to show how he can connect with the "common man"?(recent Hillary stunts in PA) Unfathomable . . .
And this:
"This is when you see that the modern press does not exist to expose demagoguery but to be funnel for it."
Too True . . . .
I dont know if it was a sister souljah moment, but it was definitely political posturing. Which was perfectly acceptable under the circumstances. Obama knew who Rev Wright was and the stuff about "this is not the man i knew 20 yrs ago" is weak as hell. I mean, its plainly ridicoulous to pretend otherwise.
Saying that, Obama had the right, not cause anything Wright said was shocking to me, but it'd definitely scare the hell out of voting blocks Obama needs and potential Presidents cant really be endearingly "out there" ( at least to me) like Wright is.