With a week separating us from Obama’s Race speech, we can look to the real lesson it taught: Barack Obama lacks the personal courage required of leaders.

Since the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy reached the tipping point with The O’Reilly Factor on Thursday a week ago, Obama has pointed many fingers and blamed many people, including his “typical white person” grandmother. But most politicians dodge blame. What demonstrates Obama’s remarkable lack of courage was his direct dealings with a man he professes to love: the Rev.

Obama admits that he witnessed Wrights vituperations against whites and against America. Obama claims such speech offends him. I’ll grant him that, finally, he’s admitted the truth.

A leader, though, would have confronted his mentor in private. A leader would have attempted to spare his friend additional embarrassment. A leader would have risks their friendship to save Wright’s soul and reputation. A leader would have. Barack didn’t.

Other men are tested under battle in uniform. Some are tested with the loss of a child or when only their own honesty separates them from great wealth. In Obama’s case, it seems Providence tested him with Rev. Wright’s outspoken race hatred and anti-patriotism. But the child-senator from Illinois proved to be too timid, too weak to help his friend see the light. Instead, Barack placated and enabled Wright’s great weaknesses until those weaknesses consumed the both of them.

Like all weak men, Obama will fade into the scrap heap of history soon. He will be forgotten, and it’s too bad–he offered something, just not enough.

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