Views of Obama's pastor reflect black U.S. tradition

[GGReporter]

In one sermon he uses the phrase: "God damn America," anathema to many in an intensely patriotic nation. The impact of his words is magnified by his raised voice and the grainy quality of much of the video. Obama, an Illinois senator, attended Wright's church for two decades. His association with the pastor poses a problem because it casts doubt on his judgment, raises questions about his patriotism and undermines his reputation for honesty, according to commentators.

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[nathangdad]

It may be black tradition but he might as well have thrown
a hand grenade into the living rooms of the indepdendent
voters. Check the CNN poll this morning (Thursday).

[Brother Bob]

Never heard a sermon like that in my church! Thank God!

[elmer fudd]

yet after all that he is still at the top of the poles with Clinton!

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by elmer fudd

yet after all that he is still at the top of the poles with Clinton!

Who? The pastor? Didn't know he was running...

The people screaming the loudest about this are the same people who were calling Barak Obama a Muslim last month, and telling us we can't vote for anyone whose name rhymes with Osama.

Personally, I don't care who he listens to in church. I see no evidence that he personally has ever said anything like that, or tried to introduce any laws or policies based on some loudmouthed preacher's words.

[TXplt]

I certainly am no Obama fan, but I consider this a non-issue in the election of the president. To be honest, It sickens me how we cower away from words and run around like little schoolkids when someone says something "inappropriate" or "offensive" on any side. We're Americans, and a part of that is a right to say stupid things at times. If that earns you a bust in the chops, you fall into the "had it coming" category. End of story. A fired up preacher says a bunch of stupid things to make a point. Who cares ? It just blows his credibility.

[Deersniper]

Domestic surveillance at its best?. Or a typical Clinton trick? None of them deserve to be President, not even McCain. This country is too good for that mess.

[JohnnyRebel]

Well, most of what the guy said was true... Hillary probably has never been called a nigger and she certainly doesn't know what it's like to be a black boy growing up in single parent home.

I think that Obama's campaign "leaked" this video because before everyone questioned his Christianity and his patriotism. Now, he got 30 minutes of free airtime the other day defending his church of 20 years while standing in front of 8 American flags... now we no longer worry about him being a Muslim or his patriotism.

[LarryO1970]

Originally Posted by troy2000

Who? The pastor? Didn't know he was running...

The people screaming the loudest about this are the same people who were calling Barak Obama a Muslim last month, and telling us we can't vote for anyone whose name rhymes with Osama.

Personally, I don't care who he listens to in church. I see no evidence that he personally has ever said anything like that, or tried to introduce any laws or policies based on some loudmouthed preacher's words.

You don't care that he spent the last 20 or so years with someone who feels the way that pastor does? People are a product of the company they keep. Search for your proof... Obama (NOT Osama) knows it would be political suicide to attempt anything like that, so your proof will be very elusive if not never found.

... In my mind, he is still better than Hillary... that witch is only out to glean power from the people, not give it back to the people where it rightfully belongs. Her character... is skewed being married to a convicted felon, a sexual predator and a purger. She apparently finds no fault in that. What does that tell ya?

I'm certainly not voting for a Democrat. I like my 2nd Amendment rights more than any Democrat...

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by LarryO1970

You don't care that he spent the last 20 or so years with someone who feels the way that pastor does? People are a product of the company they keep. Search for your proof... Obama (NOT Osama) knows it would be political suicide to attempt anything like that, so your proof will be very elusive if not never found.

... In my mind, he is still better than Hillary... that witch is only out to glean power from the people, not give it back to the people where it rightfully belongs. Her character... is skewed being married to a convicted felon, a sexual predator and a purger. She apparently finds no fault in that. What does that tell ya?

I'm certainly not voting for a Democrat. I like my 2nd Amendment rights more than any Democrat...

I'm willing to bet that every person reading this has someone in his life as racist as that preacher of Obama's.

It might be a relative or family member; it might be a friend; it might be a co-worker; it might just be the bartender at your favorite watering hole. I'll bet almost all of you let it slide without confronting them, especially if it's someone you otherwise like. That doesn't prove you agree with them, although I suppose you might...

Last I heard, Bill Clinton hadn't been convicted of any felonies. And please don't tell me that "if you or I had lied in court like that, we'd still be in prison." You can sit in any family court, small claims court or other civil court in the country, and hear bigger lies than his before the judge takes his first potty break. It's almost unheard of for someone in this country to go to prison for perjury, unless they've plea-bargained down to it in return for getting major criminal charges dropped.

That doesn't make lying to the judge right, but let's keep a little perspective here. My wife told me at the time, "if you're ever enough of an ***hole to pull that kind of crap on me, you damn well better be enough of a gentleman to at least lie about it."

If Hillary gets the nomination, I'm probably voting for McCain. If Obama gets it, I haven't decided yet. But choosing between McCain and Obama will hurt a lot less than choosing between Hillary and Rudy Giuliani would have...

[LarryO1970]

Originally Posted by troy2000

I'm willing to bet that every person reading this has someone in his life as racist as that preacher of Obama's.

It might be a relative or family member; it might be a friend; it might be a co-worker; it might just be the bartender at your favorite watering hole. I'll bet almost all of you let it slide without confronting them, especially if it's someone you otherwise like. That doesn't prove you agree with them, although I suppose you might...

Last I heard, Bill Clinton hadn't been convicted of any felonies. And please don't tell me that "if you or I had lied in court like that, we'd still be in prison." You can sit in any family court, small claims court or other civil court in the country, and hear bigger lies than his before the judge takes his first potty break. It's almost unheard of for someone in this country to go to prison for perjury, unless they've plea-bargained down to it in return for getting major criminal charges dropped.

That doesn't make lying to the judge right, but let's keep a little perspective here. My wife told me at the time, "if you're ever enough of an ***hole to pull that kind of crap on me, you damn well better be enough of a gentleman to at least lie about it."

If Hillary gets the nomination, I'm probably voting for McCain. If Obama gets it, I haven't decided yet. But choosing between McCain and Obama will hurt a lot less than choosing between Hillary and Rudy Giuliani would have...

Bill Clinton was a convicted felon pardoned by Jimmy Carter... a result of his dodging the draft. You probably do not believe a word I say, so look it up.

Lastly... as for racists, I have no time for them and do not keep their company. Do you?

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by LarryO1970

Bill Clinton was a convicted felon pardoned by Jimmy Carter... a result of his dodging the draft. You probably do not believe a word I say, so look it up.

Okay, I looked it up. It's such a blatant, unbelievable lie I'm surprised you swallowed it. Think about it: how can you be a convicted felon if you've never been charged with a felony, much less been tried and found guilty? I guess you're like Dan Rather and that forged letter about Bush's military service: you wanted it to be true so bad, your brain temporarily shut down...

Originally Posted by LarryO1970

Lastly... as for racists, I have no time for them and do not keep their company. Do you?

Of course I keep the company of racists. I don't seek them out for their beliefs, but if I ran off everyone who says politically incorrect things about other races, it would get kind of lonely around here.

I also have relatives from the South who are old-school racists, even though they're exemplary people in most ways. They're a product of their times and their environment, and I'm certainly not going to change them in their old age. I don't disown them; I just avoid the subject.

[LEE3370]

This was not just about race. This was also about hatred of America.
I could never set and listen to someone put down our great Country like that preacher (?) did without voicing my opinion. I would get up and walk out at the least. What about all the children that are being taught to hate America by listening to him?
What are you going to say to a five year old when they are back home after church and he/she starts singing and asks God to dam* America?
There are enough churches around the world teaching children to hate America without having them do it here and calling themselves Christians.
A person can not listen to that for twenty years and not be affected by it.
Obama compaired it to his grandmother making racial slurs. His grandmother was not standing in front of a very large group of young and old people and putting down America.
I don't need someone to tell me "what he meant". I heard what he said.

[Dickie d]

This election has sunk deep into the depths of the sewer. It is about race even though both camps deny it. The preacher was absolutely wrong and should be condemned for what he said, I'd have got off my couch and dropped him like a hot iron if he said that in front of me. I am surprised that no one calls Obama what he really is, maybe we are losing our vocabulary. He is NOT black, he is NOT white, he is a mulatto.

[billy]

Originally Posted by troy2000

Okay, I looked it up. It's such a blatant, unbelievable lie I'm surprised you swallowed it. Think about it: how can you be a convicted felon if you've never been charged with a felony, much less been tried and found guilty? I guess you're like Dan Rather and that forged letter about Bush's military service: you wanted it to be true so bad, your brain temporarily shut down...



Of course I keep the company of racists. I don't seek them out for their beliefs, but if I ran off everyone who says politically incorrect things about other races, it would get kind of lonely around here.

I also have relatives from the South who are old-school racists, even though they're exemplary people in most ways. They're a product of their times and their environment, and I'm certainly not going to change them in their old age. I don't disown them; I just avoid the subject.

this deserves more than just a +1 ! ! !

[LEE3370]

" maybe we are losing our vocabulary"
No, Dickie d,
The white folks have lost the right to utter certain words. Other races can say anything at anytime about anyone, but the white race has been limited on speach.
Never in my life have I been a racist. I have partied with, got drunk with, puked with a lot of folks of different races, but now I am getting a feeling of being pushed into a corner.

[billy]

all kinds of things bug me.
i try not to dwell on them.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by Dickie d

This election has sunk deep into the depths of the sewer. It is about race even though both camps deny it. The preacher was absolutely wrong and should be condemned for what he said, I'd have got off my couch and dropped him like a hot iron if he said that in front of me. I am surprised that no one calls Obama what he really is, maybe we are losing our vocabulary. He is NOT black, he is NOT white, he is a mulatto.

You're right about the loss of vocabulary, Dickie. It's part of what I consider the dumbing down of America's literacy, and of its use of reasoning and language in general.

As far as the actual word mulatto goes, though, I think it died a natural death because there are so few "pure" blacks in the country today. Almost all of them are at least a little white, and general usage has just started labeling anyone with a noticeable amount of black ancestry as black, period.

[Taurus Fan]

If I had the resources I'd print up a few million bumper stickers that say: "GOD DAMN AMERICA! VOTE FOR OBAMA". I think it'd be a moneymaker and it's straight to the point.

[BattleRifleG3]

I have known a number of black Christians and while some may lean liberal, I can't see them tolerating this kind of thing. So I contest the statement that this is typical of black churches.

As far as its association with Obama, I don't think Obama is either a Christian or a Muslim. I think he, like many people and tons of politicians, goes to church out of social obligation and doesn't really get serious about the message. Of course some pastors don't get serious about the message either.

I still don't think he would be worse than Hillary, so I'd save the bumper stickers for the general election.