Going Out On a Limb

If O'Bama wins we all better watch more than are six........

Steven P Munsey A+, MCP, IASO Orange Park | Green Cove Springs munsey13@comcast.net

Headline: Obama in speech: Its time to move past racial stalemate

What!?, now that your views and views of your parish have been exposed, now its time?????  Not 2 weeks ago before this story broke, but now that you've been exposed for who you are and the people you associate, now its time to move past racial stalemate?????. (BARF Alert)  Little to late BAMA!

Steven P Munsey A+, MCP, IASO Orange Park | Green Cove Springs munsey13@comcast.net

Smuncey,

Obama has responded to questions on a particular situation that hapened in the past.  This has happened to pretty much every candidate to public office,  It's called a time line.  Why should he be held to a different standard that all other candidates, past & present have been held to?  Please elaborate.

RichK

Smuncey,

Why?  please elaborate.

RichK

This blog explains alot...

even beyond the fact that the country is infatuated and infected with not only American Idol syndrome, but charisma over experience and ability.

God help us.

CCC,

That's way too typical. Typical of the American Idol mentality.  I really expected more than that from you.  My bad, I guess.

RK

RK -

I'm agreeing with you, I believe we stand a good chance of suffering through Obama as President.  Clearly you were moved by his TV performance, so were others who vote. That part is scary... 

Others (not you I am sure) won't take the time to realize he is a minnow in the ocean when it comes to running a country.  They just see him as the savior and the country as his "kingdom" (his words).

Billary would be a breath of fresh leadership air compared to Obama.

Repeat - God help us

CCC,

I was not moved, at least not in the conventional sense, by his press conference.  I was, however, attentive by the fact that he, like many other politicians before him, who were confronted by suspicions, accusations, or questions, of some past event, went on to explain the events, how they reacted to them, in a very literate & provacative style, which apparently went beyond the understanding of some people. 

I did, however, feel some concern for some of my fellow bloggers.  Regardless of the many opinions, good & bad, by the opinionators, Barak did, indeed, stray off course from his original topic, or thread, if you will. Perhaps he somehow lost his focus.  On top of that, he used the tried & true method of comparison to put the situation into context for the simple reason of producing  a picture more clear than it would have been without it.  I know that this must be a bad thing because I have been told it is.  But then again, who am I to argue with one who shows a greater intellect than I or one who has attained greater intellectual credintials than I have?

Your have yet to elaborate on your statement comparing him to a minnow.  I would hope that you are able to enlighten us all with some particulars.  Facts, of course, would be preferable, if you can produce them.

RK   

Why On Gods Green earth are you guy’s starting so many Blogs about the same person. It makes it exstreamly hard to follow all the points of view on the same topic. What a mess. 

 8 Months From Now    

Going Out On a Limb   

 Controversial minister leaves    Obama campaign    

 Political "kingdom of faith" - religous left or right?    

Barack the magic negro

Winn,

The only explanation I can offer concerns the man who ripped off all of his clothers & jumped into a bunch of cactus.  When asked why he did this, he replied, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."  Thank you Steve McQueen.

RichK

I agree with Winn you guys are making the blogs on Obama Very hard to follow. I have several blogs I need to respond to and I don’t know which one I should do first, or if there is a point in trying to. Should I just put all of my thoughts in the last blog on going out on a limb, or continue and answer each one individually and hope all can keep up with the insanity in this. Maybe we can cut and paste it all into one blog, or just ignore all the rest and hope this will be the last bog written on the same topic. As Lilly would say Ahgggggggggg! I can’t take it any more. Please, Please, lets try and stay on task , and keep one thread on the same topic..    

This is in response to all the blogs on Obama. I prefer the Judge Judy test on truth, if it don’t make since it ain’t true. If I need to elaborate on this, just direct me too the blog that I  should reply to

First off - if your biggest problem is which blog to reply to, you are having a great life.

Second -

Minnow - very small fish,

Ocean - very large intimidating body of water, of which a minnow when placed in the Ocean is sure to become dinner. 

If said Minnow happens to be the leader of the largest country in the free world, then said country is now "up the creek without a paddle."  Please don't make me explain this one.

Obama, i.e. the Minnow - Experience, law school 1991, Senator since 2005, State Senator 8 years.  (2 points extra credit for suddenly seeing the radical dangerous ways of his church of over 20 years, kind of makes you wonder how long it would take him to recognize a nuke in North Korea?)

Clinton - i.e. the Whale - Experience, law school 1973, Senator since 2000, First lady extraordinaire.  If dropped in the middle of the ocean, lumbers around but survives. (2 points extra credit for her First Ladyship - she had to see or hear at least something useful)

McCain - i.e. the Shark - Experience, Senator since 1987, House of Representatives 1982-1986, Baddest Navy Captain around 1981.  If dropped in the middle of the ocean, not only survives, but pretty much rules the waves. (20 points extra credit for being old, I mean, experienced and wise.)

If we could put aside the political timing, religious affiliation and respective candidates' Oval Office abilities for a moment and consider the speech from the perspective of race relations in today's America, he actually had something worth listening too.

The media jumped on his granny story, how passing black men on the street scared her and how she often used racial epithets in the presence of her half-black grandson, who she loved dearly.

That's where America is right now.  As individuals we know, trust, appreciate, like and love individuals of various races.  But collectively, we're still afraid to pass each other on the street.  Among our own, whatever our own happens to be, the prejudices expressed in racial epithets are not uncommon.

That's a fairly telling anecdote of where we are nationally.  Instead of embracing the similarites and celebrating the diversity, as racial groups we choose fear instead.  We've come a long way from blatant segregation of my youth, but we're not where we could, should or will eventually be.

Obama did give us a different perspective of race in America, something with a little more substance than Rodney King's "Can't we all just get along?"  Since just about everyone agrees, from whatever their own perspective may be, that race relations is still a problem that manifests itself in many ways, it would be a shame to lose the opportunity for that discussion amid the partisan presidential politics.

Michael S. Mann

OneMann;

Loved your post. I had not looked at the speech in that light. Excellent points. I still don't want him for a President but it has nothing to do with color.

It kind of reminds me of at least one other subject here on the blogs:

Gays and gay marriage. Why is it that people must be so afraid of them? Why is it that they don't think it is discrimination to ban anything that even resembles marriage for them?

Why is it that someone would make the comment that Democrats think that AIDS is spread by lack of government funded research? It must be due to the Gays right? I guess Polio, Smallpox, Rubella and any number of other diseases weren't stopped by government funded research either.

Mike Heemer

Finder,

Another interesting topic.  We have touched upon it a while back.  Short answer, it's a mixed bag of a contradictory information base, misinformation & probably disinformation, hubris, fear, & human nature with healthy doses of just plain ignorance & yes, I'll say it, stupidity.  As stated, that was the short answer.  JATFUR.

RichK 

Mike,

You make alot of good points but in pointing out that the media chose to highlight that portion and run with it let me turn it back around towards it's author.  The news said Obama wrote his own speech this time, why did he use that particular story in his speech?  You really can't know what was in his mind at the time anymore then you can really know the motives of the press on every single action.  Perhaps it was merely the "personal story" of it.  Could be he's a man who just adored his Grandmother and her fear (assuming the story is true) made a mark on him emotionally that he carries with him.

Then again, maybe it was said for effect and nothing more.  In some ways I admire the man for disowning himself from the statements made by his spiritual mentor while not disowning him outright.  On the other hand he was a Public Official back when the statement was made in 2001.  I would be alot more impressed if there had been some sort of stand taken when that particular sermon was uttered, and perhaps there was but none that were recorded. 

I agree that race relations are still a problem, but it's a problem that is contributed to on both sides of that divide.  There would be a reaction 10 times the size of this one had that Pastor been a white man and had spoken the same exact words except for replacing the words white with black.  It would have made headlines when it happened not 7yrs later. We've gone so far overboard in trying to do whats right that at times it leans in the opposite extreme and you aren't just dealing with discrimination, you're also dealing with reverse discrimination.  I've seen it at work in my own experiences within goverment employment.

It's an alarming chain of events.....His wife is just now proud of being an American, he wants to build a Kingdom, feels placing his hand over his heart in allegiance to this country a gesture to be ignored at will and his Preacher hates the USA and white people. 

Marsha

Thank you for saying what so many of us want to say, but somehow when you say it there is no backlash of excuses.

His speech yesterday was eloquent, charismatic, and downright one of the best 'speeches' ever given - if graded for a speech/drama class.  However, it was full of statements prefaced with (paraphrasing here Solo) good intentions and then strung on with buts and howevers...

Bottom line is that no matter what he said in substance (which really was on race relations, not his militant pastor and his own comments), - how in the world can a guy who can't even stand up to his pastor (who he has equated to his uncle, advisor, etc...) over a 20 year period be expected to lead this country? 

People leave churches over the new colors of the choir robes for goodness sakes!

I agree with the fact there is some admiration for disowning the comments, but still insisting the man is his friend.  He needs to remember though if you are running for President - your friends are fair game. 

Especially ones that it took public scrutiny, public outcry, and risk of losing your political ambitions to finally disagree with their statements.

And in the vein of comparisons, what will it take for "President" Obama to come to the realization for issues far more important to this country than an outspoken pastor?

CCC,

Just a small clarification, if I read you correctly, you made it sound as though it was Obama who initiated this subject.  I don't think so Tim.  If I'm wrong, I apologise in advance.

RichK

Sorry if that came across that Obama brought this subject up.  I probably did not link the last two sentences well enough (great grammar huh?).  Far from it, Obama only wanted this subject buried on the next to last page behind Paris Hilton's latest antics.

What I mean is that it took a public outcry, well as much of a public outcry that you will probably ever see against Obama, and a risk of him losing all political aspirations, for him to denounce the radical and dangerous beliefs of his pastor, mentor, uncle-figure, once-campaign advisor, and all-around influencer. 

My hope is that if he is eventually called "Mr. President," it won't take the same reaction for him to come to his senses (common sense by what most in this country seem to think) over issues far more important to this country than his pastor.

I still say he got a free ride over his own comments - which he failed to address in his speech.  He also failed to "take blame" for supporting such a dangerous radical for all those years. 

Instead he turned it into a "I have a dream" speech, brilliant really.  And in my previous comments about American Idol, the same crowd that is spellbound by Idol was likely spellbound by the speech - and by his charisma.

There are more than just two sides to this divide.  More than ample prejudice is present and common within every race and against every other race.  When that prejudice ceases to be individual and becomes manifested in common practice, it can become discrimination.  hat's when it eats away at society's ability to bridge the divide. 

It was indeed an eloquent speech about the most divisive characteristic of our nation.  The timing is pretty poor, though.  If he weren't running for president, nobody'd be listening to him.  But he is, so that's the only context in which people can listen to him.  Either way, the eloquence, and national challenge to become a better America regardless of politics, is lost in why he spoke - the politics of the presidency and religion.

Michael S. Mann

CCC,

Es no problema, baby.  I just had to clear that up.  I've been doing my best, against my better judgement, to listen to the opinionators.  It makes my eye hurt.  It's a sensitive eye.  By & large, I've come to two conclusions.  #1.  And this is the biggie.  In my opinion, O should have headed this off at the pass when he first came across it.  That also seems to be the general consensus of those on the right & left.  Personally, I think it is a no brainer.  #2.  And this surprises me, is that if you use the Olympic scoring system, ie, throw out the highest, throw out the lowest, they all pretty much had the same remarks.  They showed some of the good, the bad & the ugly.  As I said, I threw out the condemnations & the high praises.  Personally, I was a bit surprised.  My first impression was right after the speech when I listened to Brit Hume & Major Garret on Fox.  Yes, you heard right.  I told you before, I always keep tabs on the competition & the enemy.

Overall, with the system I empoyed, I think a fair evaluation was put forth.  IMHO, I think that O will weather this.  Many politicians have weathered much worse.

I will question your interpretation of his "supporting" what his pastor said.  Absence of commentary is not necessarily support. I would also question the concept of his being given a "Free ride."  After all of this, in the past few weeks, how would you describe a free ride?   JATFUR.

RichK

First, CCC & Rich - this is better than Hannity & Colmes (seriously).  CCC, homerun with "Minnow, Whale, Shark" comment.  (Rich - I DO know you "get" homerun.)

Congratulations to Obama for grabbing the real 3rd rail of politics - race.  This is a no winner for him.  Or, if handled like a live grenade, maybe a homerun.  I wish him the best.  America needs to pull this demon out of the closet of political correctness, beat the living hell out of it, and move on.

It's only been a couple of days since "the best speech on race in this generation" (per CNN), and politicians everywhere are stepping on land mines (John Kerry, et al).

Quick - pick up the rug, and sweep this dirt back under it.  I sure hope not.  I'm looking forward to a real, heartfelt discussion on why we, the American society, can not get beyond skin color.  It's real.  This man is half white, half black.  Does the color of his skin matter at all as to his ability to be President?  I don't want Obama to be President (see "Minnow, Whale, Shark").  But I hope that by running, he helps us move closer to true color blindness.