Obama and Farrakhan
Co-blogger T-Steel already offered his take on this subject today, but I wanted to give my own musings on whether and what Obama needs to see regarding his pastor’s praise for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
I do want to briefly digress to note that I think T-Steel’s example of his ex-murderer friend is somewhat in-apt. I certainly agree that T should not be forced to throw his friend under a bus if he ran for office. After all, his friend has rehabilitated, paid his debts, and has reintegrated into society as a full and productive member. But it would be different if his friend were still out killing people, and the problem with Rev. Wright is that he still apparently believes, right now, that Farrakhan is a figure worthy of praise and respect. If Wright had abandoned this belief years ago and it were being dredged up now as an attack ad, I’d totally be on board. But unlike T-Steel’s friend, there is no “ex” in Wright’s problem, and that changes the calculus significantly.
opinions powered by SendLove.to
5 Responses to “Obama and Farrakhan”
I'm with you. Obama saying he “strongly condemns” the words of Loui F isn't going to cut it.
Until Obama flies to Illinois and gives his pastor a good ole Glascow Kiss I'll wax indignent.
Cohen's column was one of the most insulting pieces I've read in a long time. As a Jew, I know exactly what's going on here. Clinton is trying to raise the specter of Louis Farrakhan and potential Obama anti-Semitism in order to make Obama less palatable to Jewish voters who make up an important part of the Democratic Party. This appears alongside dubious emails sent to “Jewish voters” suggesting Obama is a Muslim who went to a madrassa. The ridiculous part of this is that Cohen admits himself that Obama rejects Wright's opinions on Farrakhan. If Cohen wanted a direct quote from Obama to that effect, why didn't he just ask him? Surely Obama would have given it to him.
Of course, the answer is that Cohen didn't want an answer from Obama putting this piece of mendacious slime to rest. Like concern trolls on the internet, the point here is to raise dishonest and insidious charges, just so the targeted campaign can e forced to deny it. The real question is: did Clinton's campaign ask Cohen to write this garbage, or did he write it on his own?
I can agree my comparison may be somewhat in-apt YET that wouldn't save me in these toxic times. Imagine is someone digs up a photo of one of my friend's victims. Then a “family member” says that the victim was lead astray by “monsters” like my friend. MSM and bloggers pick up on the story and then what? Well I'm out defending or condemning my friendship.
A fair point, T, but I need no persuading that contemporary American politics are toxic. The difference is that I sympathize a lot more with your actual friend and your actual situation as it would be demonized, than I would with your hypothetical still-killing friend.
Would you vote for a Presidential candidate (not your candidate for village supervisor, mind you )who refuses to end his /her membership in a golf club that
declines membership to Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, etc?
His expressed “disagreement ” with the “views” of Wright/Farrakhan is not enough. As a candidate for President, not village dog catcher, he must
quit that church.Make a clean break. But he will not do it. Why should he? He is the media-made Messiah.
braham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, told the Jewish Week that Obama should confront Wright, whom he described as someone who “embraces, awards and celebrates a black racist.” If Obama is unable to change Wright's mind, he should leave the church, Foxman said.