The Right Is Wrong and Other Responses to Obama's Trayvon Martin Speech

The most talked about responses to Obama's speech on race.

Obama Remembers Trayvon - Obama delivers a surprisingly personal speech in response to the George Zimmerman verdict. (Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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People Are Talking - President Obama's deeply personal speech about Trayvon Martin and race in America has sparked a national conversation. It became the topic on every talk show the moment he left the White House briefing room. Here are 10 of the most talked about reactions. – Joyce Jones(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Louisiana State Representative Cedric L. Richmond. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

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Rep. Cedric Richmond - "That’s me on a daily basis, and especially when I’m home in New Orleans and I’m dressed down," Rep. Cedric Richmond said on CNN's State of the Union. "As a black man, it is very, very frustrating and you build up an internal anger about it that you can’t act on."(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Photo By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Sen. John McCain - "What I got out of the president's statement, which I thought was very impressive, is that we need to have more conversation in America," Sen. John McCain said on CNN's State of the Union. "I need to talk to more of my Hispanic organizations in my state. I need to talk to more African-American organizations." (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Sen. John McCain - "What I got out of the president's statement, which I thought was very impressive, is that we need to have more conversation in America," Sen. John McCain said on CNN's State of the Union. "I need to talk to more of my Hispanic organizations in my state. I need to talk to more African-American organizations." (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Michael Steele - Before entering politics, the former Republican Party chairman considered becoming a priest. He even studied at a seminary in Villanova for a time before deciding to pursue marriage and a career in law instead. But Steele still holds his Catholic faith close to his heart — and his policy positions.(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for People)

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Michael Steele - "It's not the wrong moment to inject race. I think race is a part of it. … It is an underlying theme or feeling that particularly the African-American community takes away from that, and it has to be addressed. You just can’t leave it on the table because you don’t believe it's there," former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele on NBC's Meet the Press.(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for People)

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Ben Carson - "[In] inner city communities, if it’s late at night and you’re walking along and somebody starts following you, that’s a serious issue and you know that immediately," conservative pundit Ben Carson said on Fox News Sunday. "And you go into a fight or flight mentality. That may not happen walking in a gated community in Palm Springs."(Photo: REUTERS /JONATHAN ERNST /LANDOV)

Photo By REUTERS /JONATHAN ERNST /LANDOV

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Sean Hannity - "Now the president's saying Trayvon ‘could've been me 35 years ago,’" Sean Hannity said on his radio show. "This is a particularly helpful comment. Is that the president admitting that … he was part of the Choom Gang and he smoked pot and he did a little blow — I'm not sure how to interpret because we know that Trayvon had been smoking pot that night."(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for WSB Radio)

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Sean Hannity - "Now the president's saying Trayvon ‘could've been me 35 years ago,’" Sean Hannity said on his radio show. "This is a particularly helpful comment. Is that the president admitting that … he was part of the Choom Gang and he smoked pot and he did a little blow — I'm not sure how to interpret because we know that Trayvon had been smoking pot that night."(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for WSB Radio)

Dana Perino - "When a president speaks, it’s to multiple audiences," said Dana Perino, former press secretary to George W. Bush on ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos. "So from the prism of self-defense, when you think of a young mother whose two-year-old son was shot in the face by the two black teens who approached her in Atlanta, and that baby has died. Why do presidents choose to speak about one case and not the other?"(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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Dana Perino - "When a president speaks, it’s to multiple audiences," said Dana Perino, former press secretary to George W. Bush on ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos. "So from the prism of self-defense, when you think of a young mother whose two-year-old son was shot in the face by the two black teens who approached her in Atlanta, and that baby has died. Why do presidents choose to speak about one case and not the other?"(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) - The Ferguson Grand Jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown is a miscarriage of justice. It is a slap in the face to Americans nationwide who continue to hope and believe that justice will prevail. This decision seems to underscore an unwritten rule that Black lives hold no value; that you may kill Black men in this country without consequences or repercussions. This is a frightening narrative for every parent and guardian of Black and brown children, and another setback for race relations in America. My heart goes out to Michael Brown's loved ones and to the loved ones of all the Michael Browns we have buried in this country. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Rep. Marcia Fudge - "I think that the president said what he believed. He tried to make people understand that this is not just about some kid with a hoodie. But I think also we have to look at the fact that there is a broader discussion that we need to have. Yes, we need to have a discussion on race, but we also need to have a discussion on how we are treating poor and minority people in this country," said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Marcia Fudge on NBC's Meet the Press.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Tavis Smiley Goes Off Over Pres. Obama’s “Slippers” Statement  - Following President Obama’s “slippers” statement at the CBC dinner, one of the biggest critics of the speech was Tavis Smiley. The talk show host used his program to blast the president for his choice of words to the caucus and, in essence, to Black America.(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Tavis Smiley - "[Obama] did not walk to the podium for an impromptu address to the nation. He was pushed to that podium — a week of protests outside the White House, pressure building on him inside the White House pushed him to that podium. So I'm glad he finally arrived. But when he left the podium he still had not answered the most important question: where do we go from here?" said PBS host Tavis Smiley on NBC's Meet the Press.     (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Cornel West - "The personal will not be enough. We need policy and we need some serious truth-telling about our racist criminal justice system" said Princeton professor Cornel West on CNN. "I applaud his words, but I’m still waiting for action."(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Photo By Scott Gries/Getty Images

Chris Wallace - "Is George Zimmerman a diversion from the real issue, the real threat facing young African-American men?" asked Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.(Photo: aul Morigi/Getty Images)

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Chris Wallace - "Is George Zimmerman a diversion from the real issue, the real threat facing young African-American men?" asked Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.(Photo: aul Morigi/Getty Images)