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Edited on Fri Mar-21-08 05:57 AM by Onlooker
I think by and large guilt by association doesn't work that well, especially since Republicans have routinely associated themselves with religious leaders who have made offensive remarks. Scheuer (who called for the violent overthrow of the US), Falwell, and Robertson, have been courted by Republican Presidents and candidates in the past, and Hagee (who called Catholicism "a godless religion of hate") endorsed McCain. Wright has said many wonderful things over the years, and his worst comments were mild compared to the many gross remarks by right-wing fundies (e.g., ""I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you." Randall Terry; gays are "part of a vile and satanic system will be utterly annihilated," Jerry Falwell; etc.)
But, I saw on a right-wing blog that Obama "threw his grandmother under the bus," and then I did a search for a comment he made about his grandmother being a "typical white person." It is being promoted on every right wing blog in a big way, and a search on Google news shows it is getting considerable play. While most of us understand what Obama meant, he certainly spoke carelessly, and it's easy to see how his comment was insulting to some.
Now, let's not run away from this mistake like we ran away from the Wright issue months ago when Clinton supporters (and some Obama supporters) were expressing concern about Obama's church and minister. Had we confronted the issue then, Wright might not have been an issue in the last two weeks. Do you think Obama's comments about his grandmother pose a serious political problem for him in that they allow the right to play the race card by using Obama's own words? How can Obama put this issue to rest?
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