Hillary Clinton's best chance (perhaps her only realistic one) of winning the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. president is Barack Obama's pastor.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ (some 9,000 members), where Obama has been a regular member for 20 years, is Obama's declared friend and "spiritual adviser" who married the Obamas and later baptized their two daughters.

Only recently has Pastor Wright made it to the mainstream media -- mostly due to Fox News (Bill O'Reilly), newsmax.com and ABC. One can see videos of his frenetic sermons on youtube.com, wearing strange robes that seem like designs out of Star Wars.

A SCREAMER

Pastor Wright is a screamer. By most criteria, he is also something of a racist. His church subscribes to what he calls the "Black Value System" which, by his terms, includes such as the following:

- The U.S. government "lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of colour."

- 9/11 was a consequence of American policies and was justified retribution for America's racism.

- "Israelis have illegally occupied Palestinian territories for over 40 years now," and Zionism is equated with racism, and Israel with old South African apartheid.

- White middle-class values are a ploy to "snare" blacks rather than "killing them off directly."

- Blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God Damn America."

These give an inkling of the thinking of Jeremiah Wright whom Obama, in his two books about himself, credits with moulding his thinking and outlook. It's even on record that Pastor Wright tells Obama (who agrees) that he may have to disassociate himself from the pastor as his campaign for the presidency builds steam.

The firestorm raised by the publication of these and other racist remarks by Pastor Wright (still downplayed by many mainstream media outlets) provoked the response from Obama that he "vehemently disagrees and strongly condemns" such views that "profoundly contradict my profound love for this country."

The condemnation doesn't answer how Obama could remain with such a church for 20 years and be so strongly spiritually influenced by the disseminator of such views. If nothing else, it casts severe doubts on his judgment.

As Obama keeps reminding Americans: "Words matter."

Pastor Wright's words are so extreme, so out of tune with what Obama says today, that one wonders how Obama reconciles them with his admiration for and friendship with his spiritual mentor.

Why is it that Pastor Wright's racial hostility and apparent hatred of America is only coming to light now? In one video he says "God damn America" three times, while his congregation roars approval.

Questions far outnumber answers.

BIGOTED ELEMENT

Of course Hillary's desperate campaign hopes to exploit the brouhaha -- which shouldn't be hard in working-class Pennsylvania. Beneath the civil veneer of American society lurks a bigoted element that may reject a black person being president, but dares not say so openly. Almost certainly, Jeremiah Wright's hatred will damage Obama.

Earlier in the primaries, when asked about the inflammatory statements of his mentor, Obama said he didn't think his church was "particularly controversial." He compared Pastor Wright to "an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with." In other words, Obama seems to depict Pastor Wright as being like the gruff grandfather (Alan Arkin) in the movie Little Miss Sunshine, who blurts out crudities and politically incorrect sentiments but has a heart of gold.

Pastor Wright is no Alan Arkin. Five years ago he preached "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human." Although Obama has reflected none of the racism and hatred that enmeshes Pastor Wright, Obama's wife, Michelle, also a Harvard law graduate, startled many when she announced, "For the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."

Is she too, under the sway of Pastor Wright? Again, he provoked controversy for giving a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, whose Nation of Islam is vigorously anti-Semitic. Wright's grovelling adoration of Farrakhan crossed the line.

When asked about this, Obama dissembled to Jewish leaders and said, "An award was given to Farrakhan for his work on behalf of ex-offenders, unrelated to his controversial statements." Journalist Ron Kessler has noted that Farrakhan refers to "Jews as bloodsuckers and whites as blue-eyed devils."

Whatever else, now that the Pandora's Box (or can of worms) of racism has been opened, Obama's church and his two-decade friendship and closeness to Pastor Wright will be examined -- even by his hitherto uncritical media acolytes.

CAN'T DODGE

Pastor Wright (at age 67, now retired) has refused to be interviewed by ABC News. Obama has repeatedly refused to be interviewed on Fox News. He cannot dodge the issue indefinitely, and will undoubtedly be questioned on an coming debate in Pennsylvania -- not to mention in the election campaign if he wins the Democratic nomination. Again, at very least, his judgment is flawed. And he's gotten a free ride. So far.

While some gloom has understandably descended on the Obama campaign over the issue, a burst of sunlight has given hope to Hillary. It's a safe bet she'll make the most of it -- or her surrogates will.

"God Damn America," indeed! The controversy continues.