Redstate

See, no, he's not a fraud. And neither is McCain. Frankly, any RedState poster, as pure and brilliant as they are, if we were candidates would be making similarly stupid statements in live broadcasts. And we wouldn't be frauds. We'd be humans in an absolutely inhuman media machine.

I understand that y'all find Obama unappealing. I find McCain alright but wrong enough on certain things to really dislike. But Obama is also someone who I know, at a gut level here, isn't calculating this type of idiotic response. It just comes out when he's on a stupid talk show talking about something he'd rather not be talking about. He's wandering around a response and, oh darn, there it comes out on tape. It's a bipartisan idiocy.

(-2.75, -4.92)

because we wouldn't be in that position because we don't attend churches that preach hate.

Barack Obama is a fraud, one of the biggest ones to come down the pike in years. That's the bottom line.

For me, that's why his response hasn't mattered much to me. I am still trying to wrap my head around his choice to attend the church, his choice to become close to such a repugnant man, and his choice to put his children in such an environment.

And he doesn't even have the excuse that this was a lifelong church or community. He moved there. He could have gone to a diverse church or even a black church that didn't have a anti-America, black nationalist preacher.

I still think this hurts Sen. Obama the most in countering his claim to "transcend race." He choose to put himself and his family in a racial charged environment where they learn about how the White Man is trying to kill them with AIDS and terrorize the world.

If a Southern white politician's best man was an active KKK member, it wouldn't matter how they reacted when the news broke the story. The fact that for decades they were close despite the man's racist views would make most Americans question the politician's judgment... and doubly so if his main claim to the Presidency was being able to heal racial wounds.

No matter what hoops he jumps through now (nor how sincere those responses are) matter that much. And I doubt we will ever get an honest answer to the tough question: "Why did you choose to put yourself and your family in tutelage to someone who has racist and anti-American views?"

______________________________________
Donate to the Rs in Close Senate Races through Slatecard

...for the same reason so many atheistic or non-religious Republican politicians attend the churches -- some just as freakish (if non-racially so) as Wright's -- they attend every Sunday. Political expediency. I understand what Obama did, given his environment. Whatever, I would've done the same thing so I don't judge so harshly. But do most religious posters at RedState realize how much their God is being hijacked for political purposes, and how much they're being taken for a ride? I don't know. I don't think so. Religious involvement (well, at least the conspicuous trappings thereof) for political purposes is hardly something Obama alone owns.

(-2.75, -4.92)

so many atheistic or non-religious Republican politicians attend the churches -- some just as freakish (if non-racially so) as Wright's -- they attend every Sunday

You're definitely getting carried away with "moral equivalence". Sure, everybody's pastor has said something or another that a given parishioner might have a problem with, but to equate that with Wright's hateful anti-Americanism is divorced from reality.

Which prominent Republican politician's pastor rants about, say homosexuals, Moslems or pick your victim group, the way Obama's 20 year pastor rants about Americans? Name the most prominent, and document how his pastor is like Obama's.

No, being cordial to some kook at a public event isn't the same as sucking up to him for 20 years, and subjecting your children to his disease Sunday after Sunday.

Lumping in Obama's church with other churches is apples and oranges. I'm not an observant person at all but I've never been to a church that even came CLOSE to being what Obama's church is, let alone going political at all.* Don't paint this as a church-going issue, but as a "hanging out with an anti-American racist" issue. It doesn't matter if it's at a church or a laundromat. Take religion out of the issue and it may make it clearer.

Sure, many (perhaps most) candidates are disingenuous when they attend church while in office or on the campaign trail. At least they had the common courtesy to sit in one that didn't preach separatism, anti-Americanism, and hate. Obama made a 20-year error in judgment in picking this church.

* One of my beefs with my local Catholic Church is their delving into the politics of the Third World. I don't like it, but that's infinitely more palatable than the crap Rev. Wright spews.

"Where is the audacity of hope when it comes to backing the success of our troops all the way to victory in Iraq? What we heard last night was the timidity of despair. - John McCain

... on what he SAID; try focusing on what he .

He joined this so-called church twenty years ago; he married his wife in this so-called church; he baptised and raised his children in this so-called church; he stayed in this so-called church for twenty years, not last week, not last month, twenty years. And NOW he says he would have left if the "Reverend" Wright had stayed?

Reputation stems from what you do and say when others are watching; character stems from what you do when no one else will know.

He is worse than a mere politician, he is a fraud and a hypocrite.

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

...on what he SAID; try focusing on what he DID.

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

Batman says it best in Batman Begins...

"It is not who I am underneath, but what I *do* that defines me."

We should hold ourselves, and our politicians, to the same standard.

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Is it because I is black? - Ali G

Unfortunately, the average American doesn't seem to care that he did this.
He is the annointed one, chosen to save u s from ourselves. We mustn't let anything get in the way of that.

The media have been trying to pick the president for along time. Remember last summer when Hillary got magazine cover after cover? They treated her as inevitable. Now they are treating Mr. Obama the same way. If not for You Tube and the rest of the web, they would have gotten away with it; watching Rev. Wright directly has an impact that will last a long time.

Is this Mr. Obama's Chappaquiddick moment?

Fan of
http://www.scragged.com

about the MSM. Are they cheerleading for Obama because they are simply mesmerized or because they are afraid of being accused of racism if they tell the truth?

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

Even many in the conservative media, like The Weekly Standard, had very nice things to say about Obama.

I think what's been happening is that Obama seemed to be so different than the usual black leaders in the Democratic Party--talking about unity and consensus rather than racial grievance--that there was a real tendency on the part of both liberal AND conservative media to meet Obama halfway. Or even more than halfway.

Obama seemed to be a real novelty--he didn't talk like Conyers, he didn't talk like Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. And America liked the idea of having an African-American who wouldn't keep shaming white America. So a lot of folks were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Colin Powell had been popular too for the same reason, but he is in the "wrong" party to run for office this year.

and know it, they always claim it is something everyone does.
Please tell me of one mainstream Republican who has been a part of a church based on racist precepts and whose leadership is blatantly racist and hate mongering. and no, you do not get to redefine 'hatred' so that anything said against the lefty talking points is 'hate'.
While you are at it, please come up with a more original excuse.
And stop the gratuitous use of 'y'all'. Condescension does not make you more interesting.

Actually, I use y'all more often than not. And so when I'm writing casually how I would talk (as opposed to a report or my taxes or whatever) I tend to type it or write it. But then I usually delete it or cross it out, anticipating comments such as yours in which I'm called a fake. So, whatever. I think I clean up my y'alls enough to satisfy anyone.

As far as excuse making, my original comment tagged Barack's excuse as "nitwit hypothetical excuse making," so. The comment of mine you're responding to is one where I objecting to another commenters portrayal of Obama as a fraud, and where I said I felt Obama wasn't fraudulently calculating this nitwit hypothetical excuse making. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

As far as Republicans and racist churches, I would view anti-gay or anti-Catholic sermons/documentations as equivalents. But that wasn't really ever my point, and I'm really not sure where you got it. My point was (a) both candidates suffer from talk show syndrome, whereby stupid responses are generated on live TV and in another comment (b) Obama attended the church for political reasons, the same as many Republicans. I'll admit that (b) isn't really fully thought out. But I wasn't talking about Republicans attending evil churches for political reasons. I was talking about politicians attending church for political reasons.

(-2.75, -4.92)

"b) Obama attended the church for political reasons, the same as many Republicans."

Did Obama ever say it was politically motivating for him to join and than stay at this racist hate filled church? No he did not....but good of you to punt the ball for him.

Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion

...it's sort of cute when you assume everyone, at all times, will sacrifice their own God-given reasoning for the sake of the party line. But sometimes people make up their own minds.

(-2.75, -4.92)

...phrases to keep regional. I use them myself, and I was born in NY and grew up in NJ.

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

...and probably based on a rather prejudiced assumption that people who actually say "y'all" don't use the computer or write much of consequence.

(-2.75, -4.92)

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

Truly, are there words in the English language more musical than "you people"?

Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. --Voltaire

I use it all the time.

absentee

I lived in the south quite a bit, as a northerner it was neat to listen to the differences in pronunciation of the same words I used.

Phonetic differences, if I am smart enough to make it look like it sounds to a Yankee.

oil=all
acorn=akern
pecan=pacon
use guys=ya'll

And to be fair, our accent was equally hard to interpret. But, we all had fun, ribbed one another and got along just fine, with one exception I won't get into now, it'll start a threadjack.

David Paterson Must Go

(-2.75, -4.92)

on what the meaning of apologize is :-)

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

comparing the treatment of Wright to "lynch mobs"

There were real lynchings going on in my lifetime (and I'm not THAT old). You're talking about the physical brutalization, humiliation, torture, and public murder of a man for his skin color.

Wright's being publicly pilloried for a lifetime of taking cheap shots in front of an uncritical audience (and a video camera). This must be, at worst, discomfitting. It's also well-deserved.

It's just amazing to me that a black man in a position of moral leadership would demean the ordeal of the lynch mob in such an eggregious manner, simply to avail himself of a cheap oratorial device.

Say hello to the new cheap-shot artist, same as the old cheap-shot artist.
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"You can't save the Earth unless you're willing to make other people sacrifice" - Scott Adams (speaking through Dogbert)

there's this other rev, Manning that we've read about. He was on Hannity last night and the world got a good dose of what is going on out there. One thing he said is ringing really clear...when asked about his hate speech, he and others fall back on "listen, I've been preaching for X years" some 20, some 30...whatever. Like that is supposed to make it better, preaching hate for 20+ years.

Here's the real kicker, the new Rev at BHO's 'church' looks to be about mid thirties, maybe late 30's. And there he is, in all his youthful glory, picking right up where Wright left off. Our questions should be direct at the AA community...what the heck is going in on your communities where preaching the word of God now means preaching hate. It's that simple...like GC said...direct questions.

Can anyone tell me that BHO children have not been exposed to hate of white people...Barack?...anyone?

" Got to love the Lord for making things like that."
Morally Compromised

He's sorry, not for what he did or didn't do, but for the fact that it is causing him a problem.

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

the language, I don't recall anyone saying they can't believe those things, or that hey can't use that kind of languge.

The crux of the issue is that Obama sat there and accepted it because it is expedient for him to remain silent. Don't lose sight of the real issue; judgment, not language.

John
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Why would God invent something like whiskey? To keep the Irish from ruling the world of course

...to where I have advocated eliminating Jeremiah Wright's First Amendment right to be a racist bigot.

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

I'm not referring to anything you've said specifically Moe; it's my opinion of what I've read, heard, and watched over the past two weeks. Something wrong with that?

And by implication, the rest of the commenters on this thread, none of whom were attacking Wright's 1st Amendment right to be a racist bigot. You have a problem with people who are? Excellent. Go bug them about it.

I'm glad that we had this cleared up: aren't you?

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

Interpret it as you wish, doesn't change my thinking one way or the other. Enjoy your day.

Just make sure that it doesn't get in the way again of you being a responsible commenter here.

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

Forgive me, but I am a bit bewildered by your comments.

You said:

I'm not referring to anything you've said specifically Moe; it's my opinion of what I've read, heard, and watched over the past two weeks. Something wrong with that?

You are not referring to anything Moe said, but you said it in response to what Moe posted in his blog. Considering you did not hit "reply to this" to indicate you are responding to someone else, who else would you be referring too?

You also said you said it in response to what you read and heard. That is fine. Moe just asked for a link to determine where you heard it. It is very unfair to the people here that you make a blanket characterization to what "they have been saying" and you can point to one instance.

Your opinions are fine and welcome to be expressed (within limits), but it is not unfair to ask you to back up your accusations of what others may have said, or posted.

However, this is just my opinion.

Wubbies World, MSgt, USAF (Retired):
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(""The only reason that some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.")

" But we should not act like we've never heard this before. We have heard it many times, in many places, under many different circumstances."

We have not heard it from a man so closely tied to someone who stands a very fair chance of being the next POTUS. Important distinction to keep in mind.

One has the right to be offensive.

There is no right to not be offended.

I'm pretty sure that you and I both agree on those two.

Here's the tricky part.

One does not have the right to have people not be offended.

Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. --Voltaire

If their church is racist, it's just 'typical' of black churches. If grandma is racist, she's a 'typical' white person. I guess it makes sense that everyone in his circle sees everything through the lens of racism.

I don't think his kids have much of a chance of being 'post-racial'. Much less he or Michelle. If anything, they are consumed by race.