Obama Is A Fraud, And You All Know It
Like most of you all, I have followed the rise of Barack Obama with a great deal of interest. After hearing him speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention, I knew right away that Mr. Obama had the potential to be elected President at some point. I was extremely surprised though to see him run a successful campaign only four years later, while still barely out of the Illinois State Legislature.
Although he essentially said the same things liberals have always said, he said it with a positivity that was missing in most angry, hate-filled, and cynical left wing rants. He seemed like a good man, a fiscal liberal no doubt, but one with conservative values.
The apparent black separatism of his church seemed to contradict what he stood for though. I looked into that about a year ago, but later decided that it was not that big of a deal. In spite of the fact that I disagree with Mr. Obama on just about every policy issue, I have still praised him on several occasions. But no more!
I was duped, snookered, hustled, and so were you. Of course I never intended to vote for the man, but some of you did, and what is so shocking, is that you still do. It is really embarrassing, almost sick, to watch pundits and left wing bloggers, like Sean, GoldnI, and Tgirsch, bloggers that I respect and enjoy reading, defend this man as if they are lawyers and he is the client that they are stuck with defending. Having invested so much time praising this man, it’s as if they have too much pride to admit that they were snookered. So they defend him with idiotic references to George Bush and Bob Jones, or John McCain and John Hagee. When that logical fallacy doesn’t get them anywhere, they switch to complaining about the unfairness of guilt by association. It’s as if they have completely written off the concept of intellectual honesty, knowing that they would pounce on any similar close association involving a Republican or even Mrs. Clinton.
And yes this isn’t any association. As I said in the previous paragraph, this is a close association, a really close association. This isn’t some “crazy uncle” or some distant supporter, or staff member. This is his spiritual mentor, the man that married he and Michelle, the man that Baptized his child, the man that led him to Christ (the black Christ, not the Jewish one btw). Obama, who up to now seemed like an honest man, has proven himself to be a liar. The idea that he had never heard statements like this from his pastor in the last twenty years is absurd. Every single American’s intelligence should be insulted with that notion. Folks, these weren’t some secret videos uncovered by sneaky Republicans or Clintonistas, the damn things were in the church bookstore, right there for anybody to purchase and watch. Reverend Wright and his congregation were obviously proud of those statements.
Also, this isn’t some distant church leader. Lots of Catholics disagree with some of the Pope’s statements, Many Anglicans/Episcopals disagree with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Certainly there are many Methodists that disagree with the UMC. The Southern Baptist Church is a little different, being that every congregation is autonomous, but Bill Clinton was never judged on the basis of some statements made by the elected President of the SBC, and he shouldn’t have been. But if a pastor of his local congregation of twenty years, his spiritual mentor, and member of his staff, had stood in the pulpit and said that America deserved to be attacked, that black people sucked, that Jesus was Scots-Irish, and then shouted “God damn America”, he would have been judged harshly, and yes he should have been.
I realize that Obama made another good speech today. He is good at that, isn’t he? There probably isn’t a better speaker in politics. But at some point, this country is going to have to judge this man on what he has done, what company he keeps, and what type of person he really is. Up until now, we didn’t know much about Mr. Obama, except the fact that he “sounds good” and is a charismatic speaker. Now we do. Now we know that Obama is a fraud and a liar. Either he joined this huge, racist, hate filled Chicago church, because he knew that it would give him street cred in the racist black community, thus improving his chances of a political career, or he joined it and stayed in it because he believed in the hatred and racism spewed from the pulpit. Take your pick. Neither are good and both lead to the conclusion that the image he has cultivated in this campaign is BS. Obama is a fraud, and you all know it.
UPDATE: Tgirsch is now even saying that the comments were “no big deal.” Unbefreakinglievable! Click over and read my comment.
Jesus hung out with prostitutes to preach hellfire and damnation ot them, or he was availing himself of their services. Take your pick.
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What an idiotic, stupid statement. Not even worthy of comment.
If you want to make this point in a convincing manner, then riddle me this: What in Obama’s platform, or in his record as US Senator, or in his record as Illinois State Senator, suggests that he secretly agrees with Wright on these issues? Oh wait, there’s nothing. Just cherry-picked lines from angry sermons given by an associate, when Obama wasn’t even present, and which Obama has categorically rejected.
At least you’re willing to admit that the sum total of your argument is a guilt-by-association attack, choosing to defend this only on the basis of the closeness of the association.
But at some point, this country is going to have to judge this man on what he has done, what company he keeps, and what type of person he really is.
I agree, at some point they’re going to have to do that. Too bad people like you are so eager to focus all their attention to the one in the middle, while totally ignoring the other two.
Tgirsch, he has done nothing. He has purposefully avoided voting on anything controversial. All he has done is make good speeches. That’s it. You are right, I do think the closeness of this association is important. The guy is like a father to Obama.
Also, since you conclude that Obama doesn’t agree with this stuff, then obviously he joined this big racist church only to gain street cred in the Chicago black community. And that’s good?
he has done nothing.
Your ignorance of his accomplishments does not mean that he doesn’t have any. Go forth and educate yourself. Now you might not agree with a lot of what he’s done, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t done anything.
The guy is like a father to Obama.
I disagree with my father on a whole host of issues. But people still get to hold my father’s beliefs against me?
obviously he joined this big racist church only to gain street cred in the Chicago black community
First, I disagree with the characterization of his church as a “big racist church,” so the rest of the sentence is essentially moot. As I’m sure I’ve pointed out before, my non-black wife is a member of a different church of the same denomination (United Church of Christ). If there’s pervasive racism in their theology, I haven’t seen it. And, in fact, you haven’t even provided any evidence of racism in Obama’s church, unless you consider allegations of racism to themselves be racist.
I’m not going to go out of my way to defend Wright. As I’ve already pointed out, some of his remarks were just plain stupid, while others were nowhere near as far out as some (like you) have claimed. Being a preacher, I’m bound to disagree with Wright on a whole host of issues. But Wright doesn’t concern me. Obama concerns me, in what he says, what he has done, and what he is likely to do. There’s simply no evidence that Obama agrees with or would act upon the more incendiary aspects of Wright’s preaching. Zero. Zip. Nada. So you have to hide behind the guilt by association attack, because that’s literally all you’ve got.
You berate us for our lack of “intellectual honesty” while pulling shit like this? Puh-lease!
Guys, just leave it. Obama crossed into territory in which the Glen Deans of the world are terrified to follow. He doesn’t want to hear the crux of the speech, the tough truth. Obama took a HUGE risk making this speech. It’s an incendiary topic addressed with little compromise and done masterfully. He might not win a single vote from the speech and could possible loose some votes, but he made it anyway.
Yea, Glen. If John McCain had been best buddies with the Rev. David Duke for 20 years and the good Reverend married him to his 2nd wife and baptized his kids, you know that tgirth wouldn’t be making a big fucking deal out of it, right? Right?
Don’t cherry-pick Crazy Uncle Dave’s lines from a few speeches, Glen. He’s done a lot of good for some people.
If Crazy Uncle Dave was helping him get elected at the local level and donating thousands to his campaign, and steering other people’s money to his campaign while preachin’ ’bout white salvation and separatism.
It wouldn’t even be a deal at all. Gateway Pundit had a great round up of the media hooha over the Bob Jones University speech. That was one speech! Jeremiah Wright was practically birthing his babies.
Maybe Obamessiah doesn’t believe everything he heard in the militant church he chose. Maybe he was just using them for the votes they could provide.
But he could no more disown his preacher than he could disown his white granny.
Maybe the biggest crime in all this is black people learning to worship the white man’s god. Or laughably, wanting to make the white man’s god black to make themselves feel more comfortable worshiping him. They said, “I’ll worship him but only if he’s the same color is me.”
That’s rich.
Yea, slavery ended with the civil war but they kept them on Jesus’ plantation didn’t they?
Imagine if Bill and Hillary Clinton brought their daughter to the church of a white racist spewing hate for 20+ years, got married by him, gave him money year after year, had him baptize little Chelsea, and then put him on Hillary’s campaign.
Imagine the audacity of racism.
Brian:
Come on, you’re seriously going to compare Reverend Wright to David Duke? And then expect people to take you seriously? Wright is no saint, but Jesus effing Christ, get some perspective!
Not even worthy of comment.
Well, I’ll do it for you, then… ’cause I can understand why you want to stay away from your own words, making that guilt-by-association-followed-by-false-dichotomy strawman to rot in the rain.
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I don’t think it’s that hard of a comparison to make. They both subscribe to nutball conspiracy theories. They both have succeeded at financially exploiting racial separatism among sheeple and hold race seemingly above all else.
The difference is that Duke had to wear white robes and a hood and Wright got to wear black ones without the hood. Maybe a little African scarf or a dashiki.
Don’t get lost on that comparison though. Surely there was something else wrong with that post.
Obama weaseled out of condemning any actual comments. He said that he condemned any comments that people thought were controversial.
“Controversial” and “nuttier than a shithouse rat” are not interchangeable.
Guilt by fucking association is someone taking a picture of Jack Abramoff and them at a grip-and-greet.
This guy is his fucking mentor.
All your buddies in the Conservative Media are deciding that this conversation is over though. They are in for a surprise come election time.
Not that they have anything to worry about as McCain is going to pick Lispy Graham as his running mate.
All your buddies in the Conservative Media are deciding that this conversation is over though.
What was that you were saying about “nutball conspiracy theories”? Have you had you andi-CDS shots, yet?
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The difference is that Duke had to wear white robes and a hood and Wright got to wear black ones without the hood. Maybe a little African scarf or a dashiki.
Wow. Just, wow. Let’s focus on the attire, and ignore what the organizations actually call for. Here’s a hint: Only one belonged to an organization whose mission is the complete subservience and/or elimination of other races. But if that’s too fine a distinction for you to pick up on, then there’s probably not much point in engaging you.
Obama weaseled out of condemning any actual comments. He said that he condemned any comments that people thought were controversial.
Uh, he also addressed them specifically:
“Controversial” and “nuttier than a shithouse rat” are not interchangeable.
Wait, weren’t you a Ron Paul supporter?
Obama’ church and Rev. Wright are equal to any white racists. Rev. Wright is a racist Tgirsch. He is a racist. He hates the United States. Get that through your head. Obama was not associated with this guy casually. He was really closely associated. He was like a father to him. Like a father and father are different. You can’t choose your biological father, but you do get to choose the mentor who is like a father. Obama chose a racist piece of shit like Wright. That says something about Obama, whether you admit it or not.
Tgirsch, there is a big difference in a denomination and a local congregation. If your wife had heard sermons like that in her church, she would have probably walked out. Would she not?
Speaking of intellectual honesty. How about this quote from Obama concerning Don Imus.
Oh but that was different. Right? Seems to me that Imus’s comments were tame compared to Wright’s. Not to Barry though.
He hates the United States. Get that through your head.
‘Cause Glen Dean says so! I read it right here! It must be true!
Mention smallpox blankets = “Why do you hate America?”
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“God damn America. The chickens have come home to roost.” It takes an idiot to think that he doesn’t hate America.
Rev. Wright is a racist Tgirsch. He is a racist. He hates the United States.
Err, what evidence do you have to support that claim? One out-of-context quote from a years-old sermon? Judging him on that basis would be like me calling you a racist because you’ve repeatedly used the word “nigger” on your blog over the past several days.
Let me riddle you this: Besides the recent YouTube clips going around, have you ever heard any of Reverend Wright’s sermons? Have you read any of his writings? After a few sound bites, you’re willing to dub him a “racist piece of shit?” Wow, I’m in awe of the Christian love, forgiveness, and understanding here.
As to Imus, just exactly what is it that Wright has said that is akin to Imus’ “nappy headed hos” remark? And in any case, given that Wright no longer has any standing in the Obama campaign, not even an honorary one, just exactly how is Obama being hypocritical here?
It’s obvious that I’m not the one who needs to get stuff through his skull here. Maybe you’re still licking your wound from the thorough ass-kicking you received over at Lean Left, I dunno.
No, Glen, it takes an idiot to rip a comment out of context and pretend that’s the sum total of a man’s opinion.
People who really hate America say stuff like “[Our enemies] never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
By the way, by your standard, I suppose you’re willing to go on record as saying that Jerry Falwell hated America, and that Pat Robertson hates America too, right? In the wake of 9/11, they said almost exactly the same thing, you know, as have countless others on the Christian Right. (And McCain willingly went to campaign at Falwell’s university. I’m sure you’ll be quick to condemn him for this, and demand that he immediately denounce and sever all ties to the Christian Right.)
Stop the presses: Preachers sometimes say stupid shit, just like anyone else. Whether or not we should judge their character based on those stupid statements depends in large part on their actions and their larger pattern of behavior.
But see, here’s the thing. For all your protestations of intellectual dishonesty, you are the one who’s being profoundly intellectually dishonest. To you, it wouldn’t matter if Rev. Wright had spent 99.9% of his life and career meaningfully addressing issues of poverty and liberty in both word and deed. You just heard him say “God damn America,” and that’s more than enough speck in his eye for you to condemn everything about the man. Presumably because that’s what Rush or Sean or Hugh told you, and that’s good enough for you.
[…] Glen Dean: This isn’t some “crazy uncle” or some distant supporter, or staff member. This is his spiritual mentor, the man that married he and Michelle, the man that Baptized his child, the man that led him to Christ (the black Christ, not the Jewish one btw). Obama, who up to now seemed like an honest man, has proven himself to be a liar. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
Amazing Tgirsch. Some things just don’t fit into any context. You know that though. You’re sinking, arguing for you client. Good job, I guess.
He loses for sure now. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Super Delegates stole the nomination from him now. Gosh what a riot that would cause.
“God damn America. The chickens have come home to roost.” It takes an idiot to think that he doesn’t hate America.
Just as an angry parent might say the same about a wayward child whose behavior has finally brought the child negative consequences, the parent obviously would be saying this out of hate for the child. Right?
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Glen,
I agree with you 100%.
JP,
Anyone who says “God d*mn” clearly hasn’t read the Bible…Read Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
tgirsch,
You’re just an idiot - a degenerate who believes whatever oozes out of the Glow-worm’s mouth…If you wanna judge people by actions, judge Obama for lying and for staying put in a church for 20 years where they spout vile, hate-filled rhetoric and copy-and-paste articles written by Islamic Terrorist “media editors” into their “Pastor’s Pages”…(If you don’t believe me, check out BizzyBlog.)
tgirsch,
Here’s a more direct link.
I get back and this comment thread’s done asploded.
a) wtf is anti-CDS?
b) I have never been, never was, never will be a Ron Paul supporter. My record’s pretty clear cut on that one. Like a chainsaw through virgin timber.
c) These weren’t isolated comments made by Wright. Obama new what he was and he played into it. He vaguely denounced comments after people started making a big deal out of them. If it wasn’t for the Internet, Wright would still be helping him run his campaign.
d) Why Leanleft? Was 90degreeangleleft not available?
Some things just don’t fit into any context.
Nice dodge. You’re good at dodging points when they hit the mark, I’ll give you that.
He loses for sure now.
Nah. The only real votes he’s lost over this are small-minded bastards who were never going to vote for him in the first place. They were just looking for an excuse to admit it, is all.
Eric:
Anyone who says “God d*mn” clearly hasn’t read the Bible…Read Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Hey, dumbass, “God” isn’t a name, it’s a title. “Yahweh” is the closest English representation to the name of God, and that’s what you’re not supposed to take in vain. And by the way, “taking in vain” doesn’t mean cursing with it. It means using it at all. That’s why we instead use titles like God, Lord, etc.
You’re just an idiot - a degenerate who believes whatever oozes out of the Glow-worm’s mouth
Uh, “Glow-worm?” I have to say, that’s a new one on me. And no, I don’t believe everything he says, any more than I believe everything anyone says. That doesn’t mean I can’t call bullshit on trumped-up guilt-by-association arguments when I see them.
Paul:
I’m supposed to take you seriously when you don’t even know the difference between “new” and “knew?” OK, I admit it, that was cheap.
a) CDS = Conservative Derangement Syndrome
b) My mistake.
c) I don’t think Obama “vaguely” denounced anything. He categorically denounced a couple of entire classes of statements. If anything, his denunciations were broader than necessary in this context. And to my knowledge, Wright never had anything more than an honorary role within the Obama campaign.
d) I don’t own the web site, I just blog there.
Eric:
One more thing: The primary offensive thing I find in those church newsletters is that the pastor seems pretty clearly to be engaging in partisan politicking, and that’s a clear violation of their tax-exempt status. The IRS should investigate. But railing against racism and the Iraq war hardly qualifies as egregiously offensive in my book, even if the language is, at times, incendiary, or difficult for sheltered whites to swallow.
tgirsch:
Are you seriously a preacher??? “Jesus Effing Christ”??? How could you even put that in with his name? Your vocabulary doesn’t sound like a preacher. Maybe you should stop admitting that fact b/c you may cause more harm than good to the kingdom of God. Nothing that you say is of any value to me and I’m sure other Christians now. You can say don’t judge and blah blah blah, but the bible also tells us to beware of false prophets and to judge them by the fruits that they bare, and yours are not so great!
If I were to “bare” my “fruits,” that would probably get me arrested…
And no, I’m not seriously a preacher, nor have I ever claimed to be one.
One more mea culpa: You’re right, I shouldn’t have used “Effing,” because everyone knows his middle initial is H.
***And no, I’m not seriously a preacher, nor have I ever claimed to be one.***
* Being a preacher, I’m bound to disagree with Wright on a whole host of issues. But Wright doesn’t concern me. *
Those were your exact words on your very first response to the blog. No wonder you are defending a liar. You happen to be one yourself. Figures!!!
Whoops, crappy wording on my part. What I was trying to say there wasn’t that I’m a preacher, although I can see how you’d read it that way. What I meant to convey was that because Wright is a preacher, I’m bound to disagree with him on a whole host of issues. I’m an atheist, you see. A better phrasing would have been:
And for the record, that was in my second response to this blog post.
(I commented in this post once before, and dozens of times elsewhere on this blog.)
[…] dissonance”. Glen Dean (over at tennesseefree.com) identifies some of the angst being felt by those who had concluded that Sen. Obama represented a […]
e) My name’s not Paul.
f) Obama is the devil and eats babies.
tgrisch:
Well, good to know you aren’t a preacher, but sad to know you are an athiest. Just to think of all you have to lose “if” your wrong. Just to think all us Christians have to lose is living a good life. If you athiest are wrong you risk eternal damnation in hell. I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to take that big of a gamble.
Using levitra for eczema…..
Levitra no doctor. Levitra. Levitra and sperm count. Levitra online consultation….
The Pascal’s wager nonsense.
Anon, what if you’re wrong, what if the Orbiting Teapot is the One True God? Guess you’ll be spending eternity as a teabag.
An example of using the “Lord’s” name in vain would be to say, “give me money in the name of the Lord to help the orphans”, and then take the loot and buy a personal yacht. The commandment refers to exploiting “the Lord” for personal gain, not phraseology. Of course, you won’t learn that from the clergy.
Hmm. Makes sense I guess.