Preachin' Politics?
Of course, in my official capacity as the Pastor of a local church, I am not allowed to stump for any particular party or candidate. They call what I have an ‘unfair advantage’ in politics – a bully pulpit with influence and sway over people’s thoughts. Scary. From my vantage point, it seems actors like Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn, celebrities like the Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen and personalities like Oprah Winfrey have far more influence and sway, but no law serves to stifle their political rhetoric.
If I manage not to endorse a candidate, I can share my thoughts in general. So, here's some fun! I’ll try to make my way through the swelling ranks of Presidential hopefuls over the next several weeks, sharing my thoughts. First up: Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
Perhaps you’ve heard the sound byte of Senator Ted Kennedy’s 2005 guffaw, referring to the Illinois Senator as Osama Obama. Rush Limbaugh’s creative people were so tickled by that they created a parody song to the tune of ‘La Bamba’ that is sure to be played over and over as election season approaches.
People may not know how to say his name, but they know his face. That is thanks to the daily press coverage that follows this media darling. Consider for a moment how many times you’ve seen his face or heard his words on CNN in that last month. Now ask yourself, how many times have you seen or heard Mike Huckabee (Arkansas Governor also tossing his hat in the ring)? I rest my case. The media loves Obama. For the moment.
Obama identifies himself as a liberal Democrat. He continues to strongly voice his opposition to the war in Iraq, calling it “a botched and ill-advised military incursion into a Muslim country”. He also continues to court very liberal groups that bring with them serious electoral clout. But, interestingly, most of the African American politicos have not aligned as soundly behind Obama, some (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for instance) have hinted that he is not as vocal on Civil Rights issues where African Americans are concerned as he should be. They have noted, while Obama hasn’t worked hard enough in Civil Rights to satisfy many African American voters, his Senate record shows that he has worked tirelessly for the rights of Muslims in America. Oops.
Where his faith is concerned, Barack Obama identifies himself as a Christian. He says of his faith: “It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear,” he explained. “But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.” Sounds good to me. Still, in recent weeks he has been facing tough questions about his Muslim heritage – his father and grandfather, the two men after whom he was named, were devout Muslims. Obama speaks of a respect for all religions, and a desire to see an “America that is not considered a Christian nation, but a tolerant nation.”
They say you can find out more about Barack Obama at his website www.barackobama.com although when I poked around I couldn’t find much content. It’s early in the political season. My suspicion is that, like all the other Presidential hopefuls, he’s waiting to see what polls say he should be passionate about.
Returning to the man's name, if I were a betting man, I’d bet the name Barack Hussein Obama would be a long-shot to win the Presidency. To people in the South especially, and for those who don’t see the War on Terror as ill-conceived, electing a man named Barack Hussein Obama to be President would be akin (good Southern word) to electing someone named Scooby-Doo to be dog-catcher. Then again, in politics stranger things have happened – say Ted Kennedy as the Chair of a Senate Ethics Committee.
What do you think?
Next up… Republican Governor Mike Huckabee. Who?
If I manage not to endorse a candidate, I can share my thoughts in general. So, here's some fun! I’ll try to make my way through the swelling ranks of Presidential hopefuls over the next several weeks, sharing my thoughts. First up: Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
Perhaps you’ve heard the sound byte of Senator Ted Kennedy’s 2005 guffaw, referring to the Illinois Senator as Osama Obama. Rush Limbaugh’s creative people were so tickled by that they created a parody song to the tune of ‘La Bamba’ that is sure to be played over and over as election season approaches.
People may not know how to say his name, but they know his face. That is thanks to the daily press coverage that follows this media darling. Consider for a moment how many times you’ve seen his face or heard his words on CNN in that last month. Now ask yourself, how many times have you seen or heard Mike Huckabee (Arkansas Governor also tossing his hat in the ring)? I rest my case. The media loves Obama. For the moment.
Obama identifies himself as a liberal Democrat. He continues to strongly voice his opposition to the war in Iraq, calling it “a botched and ill-advised military incursion into a Muslim country”. He also continues to court very liberal groups that bring with them serious electoral clout. But, interestingly, most of the African American politicos have not aligned as soundly behind Obama, some (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for instance) have hinted that he is not as vocal on Civil Rights issues where African Americans are concerned as he should be. They have noted, while Obama hasn’t worked hard enough in Civil Rights to satisfy many African American voters, his Senate record shows that he has worked tirelessly for the rights of Muslims in America. Oops.
Where his faith is concerned, Barack Obama identifies himself as a Christian. He says of his faith: “It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear,” he explained. “But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.” Sounds good to me. Still, in recent weeks he has been facing tough questions about his Muslim heritage – his father and grandfather, the two men after whom he was named, were devout Muslims. Obama speaks of a respect for all religions, and a desire to see an “America that is not considered a Christian nation, but a tolerant nation.”
They say you can find out more about Barack Obama at his website www.barackobama.com although when I poked around I couldn’t find much content. It’s early in the political season. My suspicion is that, like all the other Presidential hopefuls, he’s waiting to see what polls say he should be passionate about.
Returning to the man's name, if I were a betting man, I’d bet the name Barack Hussein Obama would be a long-shot to win the Presidency. To people in the South especially, and for those who don’t see the War on Terror as ill-conceived, electing a man named Barack Hussein Obama to be President would be akin (good Southern word) to electing someone named Scooby-Doo to be dog-catcher. Then again, in politics stranger things have happened – say Ted Kennedy as the Chair of a Senate Ethics Committee.
What do you think?
Next up… Republican Governor Mike Huckabee. Who?
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Politics, Campaign 2008
Labels: Politics
