Wrong. Initially, I WAS going to vote for Obama when he first came out. He seemed so inspirational. That was before he had a past and when nobody knew a thing about him because there was seemingly nothing to know. It wasn’t until later, when he began to have a past, that I realized that he was not what the media was presenting him as.

And you seem to not understand something, and I am not sure how it is you don’t get it. You claim to be a Republican, so it is not like you have a vested interest in being willfully ignorant. Still, here we go again with the explaining. I DO NOT BLAME OBAMA FOR WHAT WRIGHT SAID! No more than I blame a man who attended a KKK rally every Sunday for twenty years for what the head KKK member was saying. No, what I would blame him for was showing up at the rally, bringing his own children to that rally, choosing to be very close friends with the leader, choosing to have other, similarly unsavory friends, and marrying someone who is also questionable. What I blame OBAMA for are the CHOICES that he CHOSE to make. He CHOSE to go to a church that was BURNING with RACIAL HATRED for 20 YEARS. He CHOSE other things as well.

Here’s a version of something I wrote a few weeks ago:

I wish Obama would bow out of the race. I wish he’d go home with his wife and, together with their children, learn to love this country. To be grateful for all they’ve been given. And take a good, long look into his own heart. And with God’s help, learn to love the sinners who’ve wounded him throughout his life.

I wish he’d see America as a country, while not perfect, still a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Rather than try to change her, respect the wisdom of her founding, and be grateful that there have been – and stll are – men and women selfless enough to assure her security and our blessed freedoms.

And then when he realizes all these blessings, I wish he’d go back to Trinity United Church of Christ. And I wish he’d become the leader he says he is. I wish he’d become the “unifer” he’s claimed is his calling.

I wish he’d stand up in the congregation, and when they start to sing his praises (as I once saw on YouTube “Obama, Hallelujah”) he’d shake his head and say, “No.” I wish he’d turn and point to the Cross. And tell them, “There is the source of your salvation.”

I wish he’d tell them they’ve been told a lie. For it is not in lamentng our wounds and the “enemy” who has inflicted them that will raise us from our hellish existence, but in forgiving those who’ve sinned against us. As God has forgiven us our sins against Him.

If Obama were to do all this, and return to political life, I believe he’d have a record of leadership – and accomplishment – he could show us. Instead of a record of self-serving, politically motivated machinations.

For I think we’d see a different Obama. A different Michelle. And a different congregation. I believe they’d no longer look to government to provide for them or to give them what they think they lack; they’d realize that now they had all they’d ever need, no matter their circumstances.

And Mr. Obama would have a different political agenda. One that would earn my vote.

i shall assume he did not mean race, because that stupidity would make the question unworthy of an answer.

i will “admit” that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that could persuade me to vote for obama. he has a lifelong history that tells me he cannot be trusted, he is lost in his own skin and stumbling around looking for an identity, and what identity he has found has come from the horrendous choices he has made in terms of friends and mentors. in addition, he has run the most dishonest campaign i have witnessed (and i’ve witnessed 4 decades of them). he has shamelessly played the race card, while pretending that his opponents are the ones doing it. he has whined when the truth was revealed (how dare someone actually record his “cling” words and report them…).

obama has received more media support than any candidate could have dreamed of. msnbc has become the all-obama network and cnn is pretty close to that. they provide hour upon hour of free air time, fawn to the nth degree, come up with the spin for him if he hasn’t provided it. yet he thinks he’s been in a tough campaign.

there is so much more, such as rezko, auchi, ayers/dohrn, the new info about money laundering, etc. but the basic answer to hanley-smith-downs is yes – there is nothing that could persuade me to vote for obama. all the posturing and speeches and spin in the world cannot cover up the truth.

My reasoning? I believe in personal responsibility, I do not like people who play the victim. That is why I hold the pastor, the person who uttered the words, responsible not Obama. To hold Obama responsible for other people’s behavior goes against what we are suppose to be against. Therefore, something else must be animating this story for soo long!

I have never seen where we hold someone, even a political candidate, responsible for what someone outside his/her immediate circle has said or done. Nor do we hold the person responsible for something his neighbor did 40 years ago in which he did not participate.

I am a proud Republican, but this Rev. Wright, Ayers, stuff is precisely the type of politics that Obama is running against and people are voting for him. Obama has not played the victim(called for reparations and things of that nature) and his message is reasonating and if we want to win the White House and Congress then we better stop pointing the racial card finger at people while pointing one of our own!

To paraphrase….
OBAMA: “I can no more disavow Rev. Wright than I can the black community.”
OBAMA: “I’m shocked and disappointed. This is not the man I have known for 20 years.”
OBAMA: “…JUST WORDS?!”

Puh-lease, Steve!!! This has nothing to do with Monica’s ex-boyfriend’s “moment.” Bill Clinton did not spend 20 years choosing an intern as his mentor and consulting her as his policy and spiritual advisor. …and then claiming afterwards he had “heard nothing” and was “shocked! SHOCKED!!”

Obama is a dangerous charlatan, and those who make excuses for him are disgusting enablers, nothing less.

“Romantic experience.” Never would I have thought that would occur to you. The language of love and all.

But do tell, I’m so very curious: What does one say to a mirror?

>Believer:
When a man speaks truthfully, from his heart, words flow freely. He doesn’t labor – taking the greatest care – with every thought and word.

Support of Israel, maybe?
Hagee is a strong supporter of Israel.
McCain is a strong supporter of Israel.

Jews are glad to get whatever Christians they can to support Israel. They are grateful to Hagee for his support. Go ask them.

Now: What part of Wright’s value system lined up with Obama?
Afrocentrism?
Black Liberation Theology?

Here’s the problem with trying to talk to an identity-politics-jock. If you oppose their arguments or candidates, it can only because you are prejudiced against one of their identity groups–there are no other issues. You oppose tax cuts, you obviously favor the rich over the poor: you want free trade, you obviously favor management over labor; you oppose Obama, it must be because of his identity as a black. There are no issues that do not reduce to identity conflicts in identity politics. Therefore, for an identity-politics jock like Macey, as an opponent you arrive at the debate already defined as a racist, sexist, fat capitalist, whatever, when, ironically, identity politics is purely about racism, sexism, group identity cliches, etc.