Barack Obama just actually explained that he is not a muslim. That he goes to church. That he wasn't schooled in a Madrassah. That he rejects Lewis Farrakhan's weird version of anti-semitic race-based politics. That he knows nothing about the Watergate break-ins . . . sorry, wrong scandal.
I am ashamed to live in a country where this was actually a question in the debate.
Given the things Obama's minister has endorsed, the Farrakhan bit of the question is legitimate.
Anthony, a priest at a Catholic church I attended was recently convicted of having sex with a minor.
I want to take this opportunity to state that I am against having sexual relations with minors. I hope that clears up everything for anthony.
Megan,
You may want to read about Obama's pastor (from Mickey Kaus) before being ashamed about living in this country
http://www.slate.com/id/2165717/&#obamapastor
The Farrakhan bit seems quite the fair question.
I'm glad Obama made these clear statements about these things and where he stands.
One last thing though. I want to know how many years he was going to weekly sermons and sitting listening to the racist, black supremacist pastor ranting on about these topics. Five? ten, fifty, hundreds? I want to know. If Obama heard such things with regularity why did he still attend? Because the church was closest to his house, or what?
I meant how many years AND how many sermons within those years he attended. This is important because the pastor is clearly a very race-centric preacher. I want to know why Obama chose to keep going to the extent that he has declared the pastor to be his "spiritual mentor." Surely it was at least dozens of times.
Sam, what's noticeably absent from your list of questions is what proportion of the preacher's sermon were racist and black supremacist. A declared afro-centric stance on a website doesn't equal weekly racist sermons full of fiery hate for whitey. And while honoring Farrakhan with an award does appear to endorse his racist pronouncements, Farrakhan has also done a lot of positive work in the black community telling black kids to stay in school and away from drugs. An award is not necessarily signing onto a black supremacist agenda.
Buying into the media's and the wingnut's characterization of the preacher, which is guaranteed to be scandal-seeking, as you seem to have done, is just as bad as buying into the "Obama is a secret muslim" meme. Well, if you're going to be a swiftboater, best to get in early, I guess.
The Rolling Stone piece is pretty well known.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13390609/campaign_08_the_radical_roots_of_barack_obama/2
The usual Jeremiah jeremiad:
"Fact number one: We've got more black men in prison than there are in college," he intones. "Fact number two: Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run!" There is thumping applause; Wright has a cadence and power that make Obama sound like John Kerry. Now the reverend begins to preach. "We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns and the training of professional KILLERS. . . . We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. . . . We conducted radiation experiments on our own people. . . . We care nothing about human life if the ends justify the means!" The crowd whoops and amens as Wright builds to his climax: "And. And. And! GAWD! Has GOT! To be SICK! OF THIS SHIT!"
Then there's the fact that just last month the church's magazine picked Farrakahn as an Honored something or other.
This isn't just 'some black preacher'. This is Obama's sounding board, the guy who was going to be introducing Obama at his campaign kickoff until the Rolling Stone article came out and he belatedly realized what a disaster the guy was.
Oh, and by the way:
"I am ashamed to live in a country where this was actually a question in the debate."
Ooooooooooh, the drama.
It's so cheap.
Obama has gotten off easily on his chosen religious background up until now -- a lot easier than Romney has for the faith he was born into.
The Farrakhan thing is a diversion. Of course, the media pick it up because it has a Jewish angle. But the church Obama's chose to join matters.
Read the whole thing.
LOUIS Farrakhan. I'm ashamed to subscribe to a magazine where the writers can't even spell the names of public figures correctly.
Of course, Obama, since he is loving and black, shouldn't even have to deny that he agrees with Louis Farrakhan. Even though his "spiritual mentor" presented Farrakhan with a "lifetime achievement award."
Whereas Ron Paul, since he is angry and white... ah, never mind. Megan, your courage is conspicuous. And not for its presence.
Living in DC, befriending the people you have, and working at The Atlantic has really changed you Megan. Though The Economist was the start of the downward slide. Too bad that you are becoming a conventional leftist in all things (Goolsbee is not a good or useful economic thinker, and to have a supposed libertarian like him...)
Obama's spiritual advisor is a vicious racist who is friends with vicious racists. But the mormon has to answer why he didn't leave his church because they only integrated 35 years ago.
The average person is of average intelligence and probably intellectually a bit lazy. And half the population are dumber than that.
The media is made up of a lot of average people and doesn't do a very good job of presenting information to people in a clear and unbiased way.
So average to dumb people read/watch shallow, biased news designed to sell commercials.
And you're surprised that they're misinformed?
People do and say and belive stupid things all over the world. At least our media is incompetent in a non-systematic manner and not incompetent in a government controlled way like it is in a lot of countries.
I've seen man on the street interviews in European countries that reveal a similar level of stupidity that such surveys show in the US.
Good thing you weren't around in the 60's, or you would crap your pants hearing Kennedy explain his first allegiance was to America, not the Pope.
All this rhetoric is just great to hear. Finally,
people are starting to understand what Obama is all about. His "Hope a dope" defense isn't going to get him out of this one. Even a Googy Head
liberal has got to be troubled by this disaster.
Stick a fork in Barrack, he is done.