Why hypocritical hype about Obama's pastor?

julia · 04-30-2008, 12:24 PM

The always excellent Jane Smiley:

So, You Want a Theocracy Now?
Jane Smiley April 29

Quote:

Lots of people don't like Rev. Jeremiah Wright today. The blogosphere is full of fear and resentment -- Wright is going to bring Obama down. Wright is going to remind white people that black people remember slavery, discrimination, and racism. Wright is going to remind white people that maybe God is not all that happy with them and the way they've treated black people. Wright is going to remind white people how difficult it has been for black people to survive in America. I don't know what's going to happen to Obama now, but for me, Wright's problem is not that he remembers and reminds us of the black American experience, it is that he brings God into the political marketplace.

Wright's expressed reason for speaking out (and possibly wrecking Obama's presidential bid) is that he feels he must defend the Black church from criticism. Right here is the trouble with churches -- they don't like to be criticized, and they don't think they should be criticized. If you criticize them, they tell you you are being disrespectful and sacreligious. It is not that the Pastor disagrees with you, it is that God disagrees with you and therefore you must be punished. Somehow, people are always more offended when they are told that God Himself is not on their side.

Isn't it interesting that there are so many churches in America who all more or less disagree with one another? Hagee hates and fears Catholics. Falwell hoped to see the end of public schools. Robertson declared that "Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians." Wright may be more correct about the history of Americans and black people in America than any of these pastors, but he is more like them than he is unlike them in that he sees attacks on him as attacks on the Black church, and he feels obliged to defend it. If Obama is required to repudiate Wright, then why isn't McCain required to repudiate Hagee? Well, only for this reason -- Hagee controls more votes. The fact of the matter is, all of the candidates have to pander to constituents who will not admit that in the last 70 years -- to say the least -- US policy has done a great deal of harm around the world and that that harm has aroused hatred and vengefulness toward the US. A candidate who won't admit or doesn't know that is the one who can get elected, but a president who can't admit or doesn't know that will continue to course of American destruction that Bush and Cheney have sent us down. Bush didn't know "why they hate us". Cheney did know, but didn't care.

The crossroads we find ourselves at was an inevitable one. I always knew some preacher would get some president or some presidential aspirant into big trouble. I naively hoped that it would be a rightwinger and his hate-spewing Robertson/Falwell power mongering hypocrite. I should have known it would someone who actually knows something about American history. But Obama wouldn't have this problem if Americans didn't have the idea that their president has to be a man of faith. If Americans thought that the president just had to be an intelligent and knowledgeable person, a competent policy wonk and an inspiring public speaker, Obama would be home free. But as an atheist, or an agnostic, or even someone who kept his beliefs to himself, Obama would have never had a chance. He could be ten times as smart and well-prepared as George W. Bush, but he would never get the votes. So, what Obama has been honest about his religious journey in a way that NO OTHER CANDIDATE HAS, and now even Bob Herbert wants him to abase himself for it. I'm sure Clinton's and McCain's pastors are going to come under similar scrutiny (Ha!). They should, because maybe if they did, the American people (and the press) would wake up from this madness of making politics about religion.

Update: As a result of Obama's smartly-phrased repudiation of Rev. Wright, I call upon John McCain to repudiate, in similar terms and at similar length, his relationship with Rev. Hagee, and for Hillary Clinton to openly discuss and repudiate her relationship to her Capitol Hill prayer fellowship led by Doug Coe. Among other things, According to Mother Jones, "The Fellowship believes that the elite win power by the will of God, who uses them for his purposes. Its mission is to help the powerful understand their role in God's plan." God's plan, according to them, seems to be "'spiritual war' on behalf of Christ". I, as a patriotic American, am at least as offended and frightened by anything Doug Coe and Sam Brownback are planning as I am by anything Rev. Wright is planning. Obama has repudiated Wright as forthrightly and gracefully as possible. Now I want the same from the others. The press must hold Clinton and McCain to the same standard as Obama. Hagee and Coe must go.

HarperLee · 04-30-2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

The always excellent Jane Smiley:

So, You Want a Theocracy Now?
Jane Smiley April 29

God, finally someone besides me is mentioning Doug Coe and Sam
Brownback! She forgot Rick Santorum.

CosmicRocker · 04-30-2008, 12:41 PM

what a great concept !!
separate religion from politics!!

julia · 04-30-2008, 12:53 PM

That's what Americans forget about this country:
The puritans are still here!!

mudwhistle · 04-30-2008, 12:54 PM

You guys are all trying to use the same talking point today. Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain didn't go to his church every week for 20 years, didn't ask Hagee to marry him, and didn't give money to him.

This spin doesn't work. And it smacks of desperation on the part of the Cult of Obama.

winthrop · 04-30-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudwhistle

You guys are all trying to use the same talking point today. Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain didn't go to his church every week for 20 years, didn't ask Hagee to marry him, and didn't give money to him.

This spin doesn't work. And it smacks of desperation on the part of the Cult of Obama.

Mr. McCain sought out Mr. Hagee's support, enthusiastically received it and enthusiastically accepted it. Look down, Mr. Whistle, your disingenuousness is showing.

julia · 04-30-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudwhistle

You guys are all trying to use the same talking point today. Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain didn't go to his church every week for 20 years, didn't ask Hagee to marry him, and didn't give money to him.

This spin doesn't work. And it smacks of desperation on the part of the Cult of Obama.

See, that's the hypocracy: who the heck did marry Mccain when he married his mistress once he left his cancer striken wife?

What church(es) does McCain give money to?

Millions would love to know.

Seems more like desperation on the part of the media and fixed news for a story.

julia · 04-30-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicRocker

what a great concept !!
separate religion from politics!!

Don't know if you are serious or not...?

guest1234567 · 04-30-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudwhistle

You guys are all trying to use the same talking point today. Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain didn't go to his church every week for 20 years, didn't ask Hagee to marry him, and didn't give money to him.

This spin doesn't work. And it smacks of desperation on the part of the Cult of Obama.

Mud, you and I don't talk but I do think these people make a good point. McCain actively sought out Hagee's endorsement. I think we can all agree that Hagee has said some really crazy shit to a whole lot of followers. McCain wants those followers votes. It was a purposely politically motivated action. I also happen to believe that McCain's actions are more reprehensible because he went into it with his eyes open in the 21st century.

winthrop · 04-30-2008, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guest1234567

Mud, you and I don't talk but I do think these people make a good point. McCain actively sought out Hagee's endorsement. I think we can all agree that Hagee has said some really crazy shit to a whole lot of followers. McCain wants those followers votes. It was a purposely politically motivated action. I also happen to believe that McCain's actions are more reprehensible because he went into it with his eyes open in the 21st century.

And Mr. McCain celebrates Hagee, et.al. for nothing more than political advantage. At least Mr. Obama hesitated to abandon his pastor for personal and sensitive reasons. If Reverend Wright has chosen to put his own ego on hold for a few months he and Mr. Obama may have been able to salvage a relationship clearly important to at least one of them.

04-30-2008, 12:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
CosmicRocker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: lost in a lost world Posts: 7,664 My Mood: Thanks: 126 Thanked 96 Times in 76 Posts	what a great concept !! separate religion from politics!! __________________ Try a little love. and it cant go wrong Get on the right thing My little love, you cant go wrong Get on the right thing .
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04-30-2008, 12:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
julia Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,470 Blog Entries: 7 Thanks: 232 Thanked 230 Times in 137 Posts	That's what Americans forget about this country: The puritans are still here!! __________________ The candidate does not speak for the campaign.
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04-30-2008, 12:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
mudwhistle Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 949 Thanks: 178 Thanked 34 Times in 20 Posts	You guys are all trying to use the same talking point today. Hagee is not McCain's pastor. McCain didn't go to his church every week for 20 years, didn't ask Hagee to marry him, and didn't give money to him. This spin doesn't work. And it smacks of desperation on the part of the Cult of Obama.
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