To Say That Obama Agrees with McClurkin is Asinine

[Bullet1987]

Everyone here knows Obama's views on gay rights issues. When he went to the Logo debate, he made them perfectly clear as did Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. Funny thing is, out of the Top 3...none of them have a very big difference in opinion on gay issues. Now, as far as this concert everyone here has to ask themselves "who is the audience?" It's a Gospel Tour first of all, and most people that listen to Gospel music love Donnie McClurkin. It's not a political meeting or forum, it's not Obama endorsing Donnie.

Now, I like a lot of McClurkin's songs...but I don't agree with his views. Though, if I had a chance to go see him at one of these venues I would. If I had a chance to see him speak at a conference on social issues...then hell no I wouldn't go see him. This is all about context...and Obama was not wrong for putting someone on a ticket that the VAST MAJORITY of the audience is going to dance and clap to. He was appealing to THEM. A lot of people say, "well what if David Duke came?" DD is universally hated by all Black people...so it would be stupid to schedule him. This is not a gay right's concert...so scheduling McClurkin is fine in the eyes of the said audience.

As far as the liberal blogosphere falling out of love with Obama...well fuck'em. I couldn't care less. The liberal blogs don't dictate whether or not a campaign succeeds or fails anyway...ask Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich.

Lastly, I haven't been able to watch the news lately since I'm on campus most of the day. Has the MSM or the pundits been talking about this? I'm telling you, if they ignore it...this will not hurt Obama nearly as much as I think a lot of people want it to. It'll definently hurt him on the blogs and sites like DU...but like I already stated, they don't dictate a campaign's success anyway.

[CTLawGuy]

1. you like his songs??

you must be a bigot. :eyes: Me, I do a thorough background check of everyone I come in contact with to make sure they have no unsavory views, including the guy serving me fries at McDonald's.

[vi5]

2. Honestly, it really does affect my opinion...

No, I don't think Obama is a bigot because of this. However I think he's putting his political needs before his values on this issue. I think you're right that he disagrees with this guy on GLBT issues. But he sees in him an opportuntiy to pander to this particular demographic, especially since polls show them cutting pretty heavily towards the Hillary camp. So o.k. Obama's not a bigot but he's employing the help of bigots to help him pander. Will it make me not vote for him? No. But it seriously dissapoints me. You mean there were no other popular gospel singers he could have gotten for this tour?

The David Duke analogy may not be applicable to this particular audience, but I have to ask if you'd be so forgiving if in an attempt to appeal to stodgy middle class white guys if he did a radio tour with Imus because "Well that audience doesn't have any problem with what Imus said about black people".

Again, this is a pretty silly issue overall but to dismiss people who are offended is wrong as well.

[denem]

3. I do not believe Bullet1987 is an Obama supporter

His posts tend towards offensive and inflammatory. There is no reason to throw more gas on the embers of this fire.

[Bullet1987]

9. Trust me, I AM an Obama supporter

and will continue to be. I've even given money to his campaign.

[denem]

11. If you say so

You have a peculiar talent for igniting anger and disdain towards your candidate.

[trotsky]

13. I'm inclined to believe you.

He seems to be doing far more harm than good to the Obama campaign. If he truly supports Obama, he'd be doing them a huge favor by shutting up.

[Bullet1987]

14. I don't work for the Obama campaign...

so that argument doesn't work for me. You're acting like I talk for Obama or something.

[trotsky]

15. Never said you did. You seem to have this terrible habit...

of putting words in people's mouths.

The net effect of your posts is to turn people AGAINST your candidate, is what many people are saying. So by all means keep posting, and driving DUers away from Obama if you wish.

[cosmik debris]

4. No, I don't!

You say: "...everyone here has to ask themselves "who is the audience?""

No, I don't have to ask that. I don't care who the audience is. What I care about is what the candidate says and does.

Pandering to the religious right is what he is doing and I find that offensive.

[Bullet1987]

7. Yea, and when has Obama stated that he agreed with McClurkin?

By that...you shouldn't have a problem with it at all.

[cosmik debris]

31. Pandering to the religious right is what he is doing .

and I find that offensive

He clearly has one message for the religious right and another message for the non-religious left. It is OK with me if he does that, but it certainly makes it problematic for me to support that kind of pandering.

[Bullet1987]

35. Get a grip...

all politicians pander. Stop acting like Obama is the first person to do it.

[cosmik debris]

43. self delete, it's not worth it.

[terrya]

5. No one said that he did.

No one said that Obama shared the same views as "Donnie" (I'm finding it interesting that some people around here sound like "Donnie" is their bestest friend)

[LWolf]

6. Obama agrees with McClurkin.

Perhaps it's not a good idea to call me asinine to my face; my pacifism is wearing thin.

I don't really think Obama agrees with McClurkin, I just think he's willing to sleep with anybody to win.

I DO think that calling people "asinine" is not a way to influence anyone. It's a way to get people to fight with you.

What, exactly, will verbal warfare accomplish for you?

[Bullet1987]

8. It IS asinine because Obama DOESN'T agree with him

and people here and elsewhere are acting as if he does.

[LWolf]

45. So ignore the point and continue to

make friends and influence people. Good job. :eyes:

[soleft]

10. What if Obama went on a book tour with Don Imus or Bill O'Reilly?

Would it matter that he didn't agree with them?

[trotsky]

12. Good thing no one is saying that then, huh?

Why is it that you only have these strawmen to argue against?

What people are saying is not that Obama is a bigot, but that he is allowing a bigot to participate in these campaign concerts.

The best part though is that even if it's not registering on major media outlets, it IS causing a whole lot of Obama supporters like you to sweat it so much that you HAVE to keep posting these lame-ass excuses and defenses.

[terrya]

16. The Obama campaign made a stupid, boneheaded decision

to hire a nasty bigot on a fundraising event. The GLBT community are getting up in arms about that. Senator Obama has GLBT supporters who donate to his campaign. I hardly think they're pleased with this right now. Senator Obama and his campaign has a problem right now with the GLBT campaign and GLBT supporters of Barack Obama.

This is fixable. Senator Obama can fix this. And we wish that he would.

None of the above even remotely translates into "Barack Obama agrees with Donnie McClurkin".

[Bullet1987]

21. The GBLT community is not going to the concert

People who listen to Gospel music are...

[terrya]

24. Quite a few of the GLBT community writes checks to the Obama campaign.

And they are supporters of Senator Obama. And they are upset that their candidate would countenance the campaign hiring someone for a fundraising event who says that homosexuality is a "curse". And a champion of the "ex-gay" movement, which seeks to "cure" homosexuals. I'll try to educate you on this. Gay people don't like to be told that they are "sick" and that they need to be "cured". And for a Presidential campaign to hire someone like that pisses them off. Can you possibly understand our outrage about this?

[Bullet1987]

37. Firstly, stop saying he hired him

as if Donnie is now working for the Obama campaign. He's part of a group of individuals who will be performing at a gospel concert. He's not going on the campaign trail with Barack.

[terrya]

41. Did "Donnie" volunteer to do this?

Did "Donnie" approach the Obama campaign to volunteer to do this? Out of the goodness of his heart? Someone in the Obama campaign hired him for this event. And since it IS the Obama for President campaign, one would think Senator Obama might have some input in this. Since, you know, the name "Obama" is affiliated with it.

[gratuitous]

17. Who is the audience? I am

And when I see a candidate voluntarily making his appearances with a bigot, I impute those bigoted views to the candidate. I'm funny that way, I guess. McClurkin keeps dressing up his views in different language, trying to find just the right tone for his bigotry, but I've heard it all before in all its tiresome variety, and it still boils down to a judgment on the bigot's part that some people are not entitled to full participation in our society. And whether it's Ann Coulter spitballing about denying women the right to vote or some "gospel" singer talking about slamming the church door in someone's face, it's still ignorance and bigotry.

And I don't have to like it, no matter how it's presented.

[Bullet1987]

20. Your the audience?

So only YOU are going to one of the concerts? If you're really going at all?

[gratuitous]

26. Uhm, the word you're looking for is "you're"

And that's right; I am the audience for every candidate at every appearance. We're in what is known in some circles as "the Information Age," and the days when a politician could say one thing at the Rotary Club and something else entirely at the union hall are gone forever. If a candidate wants to pander to religious bigots, I'm going to hold him accountable for that even if I'm not physically in the audience, whether that candidate is going to Bob Jones University or sharing a stage with Mr. McClurkin.

If Mr. Obama wants the votes of folks who are fans of Mr. McClurkin and his peculiar brand of hatred (a peculiar brand that I'm very familiar with, no matter how he tries to cloak it), then he can kiss my support good-bye. I don't hold any brief for any one candidate on the Democratic side of things, and I've seen a lot to agree with and a lot to disagree with for practically all of them. It seems to me that Obama is picking a particularly unwise and wholly unnecessary fight by getting mixed up with the likes of Mr. McClurkin at all, and this one is a deal-breaker for me - no ifs, ands or buts. Surely there are other "gospel" singers who don't come with the ignorance and bigotry of Mr. McClurkin; I know five or six persons personally I could recommend, though they probably don't have the following Mr. McClurkin does, but who offer a far more complete and accurate vision of the message of Jesus, one that doesn't shut the church doors against people.

[Bullet1987]

34. Again, if you're not going to the concert

then you're not part of the target audience. And it's not to say that everybody going will even agree with his political views. Hence me bringing up the fact that I'd go if I could.

[gratuitous]

44. So . . .

What I hear you saying, then, is that Obama should go ahead and pander to bigots when he's amongst bigots, but I shouldn't pay any attention to it, because he'll be nice and up-front with me when he's in my presence.

So, which Obama represents the true one; they can't both be representative of his political view as a candidate. And since one of those views represents an existential threat to me, my family, friends, and church, I have to say that I'm not comfortable giving him a pass for associating with the likes of McClurkin.

Sorry if that offends your tender sensibilities.

[msongs]

18. they are both against gay marriage. on that, they agree nt

[TechBear_Seattle]

19. Yeah! Anyone who is pissed at Obama appearing on stage with hate-mongers is an ass!

We gay people have no f-ing right to piss and moan at Obama's apparent endorsement of hate-filled bigots who has openly endorsed our destruction. How DARE we speak out! We should just shut up and do as ordered because, who else are we going to vote for? The Republicans?

Shame on us. :spank:

[bigwillq]

22. If Don Imus

made an appearance at another DEM nominees campaign stop how would the Obama camp feel? :shrug:

[IndianaJones]

23. this is perhaps the most idiotic defense of bigotry and hatred I have ever seen. nt.

[FlaxieB]

28. You Support Hillary and you are calling Obama a bigot when the Reverend Harold Mayberry

has the similar views Is this the pot calling the kettle black. If that is the case wouldn't you think Hillary is a bigot? Or better yet, it is okay for her to associate with Him. Your views are only one sided?

[IndianaJones]

29. I didn't call Obama a bigot. I find his association with one disgusting though. nt.

[bigwillq]

36. What about Hillary's association with a bigot?

:shrug:

[IndianaJones]

39. I find it disgusting as well. nt.

[bigwillq]

40. That's good to know.

Thank you for your honesty. :thumbsup:

[PurityOfEssence]

25. Yet there he is.

Hittin' the road with the Snake Oil Medicine Show and ropin' in the faithful is MUCH more important than some piddly minority.

One is judged by the company one keeps, it's as simple as that.

[FlaxieB]

30. Reverend Harold Mayberry = Hillary

One is judged by actions. Not the company you keep. You are friends with someone down the street. Prior to you knowing him he killed someone. Later you find out about this. Are you the murderer?

People are judged by actions. Not because they are associated with somone.

[IndianaJones]

33. I am disgusted by her association with him as well. nt.

[closeupready]

27. I thought you said the other day that it was funny, and you were laughing about it?

???

[closeupready]

32. And also, do you NOT have a problem with Obama's giving tacit support to McClurkin and his views

given how publicly McClurkin seems to promote them???

[Bullet1987]

38. He's NOT giving support to his views

by having him SING at a concert amoung people who LIKE him!!! Geez, why is that so hard for people to wrap their minds around???

[closeupready]

42. Doesn't matter. It would be a similar thing if they invited Ashcroft to sing America, the Beautiful

Or Karl Rove to pantomine. Granted, that's a ridiculous example, but the point is, even though they are just performing, they are giving support to what that person stands for, as well, if that person has made public comments or made policy in support of a certain view. McClurkin has done so.

I agree that this issue is not the end of the world, but on balance, with all the other gaffes and missteps, Obama does not yet have the political savvy needed to win. Which doesn't mean he wouldn't make a great president, but Howard Dean would have made a great president had it not been for his lack of political savvy.