I think Obama just didn't kick this tire before he selected Warren.
But there is a bigger issue looming here.
He came to faith in an African American social gospel church and that has been the extent of his church going experience. He broke with his pastor during the campaign and is now looking, legitimately looking, for where to go next for spiritual sustenance.
It is really hard to mix religion and politics.
He reached across the racial and theological divide to get a sprinkle of religion in his swearing in ceremony and Rick Warren is blowing this out his wazoo. For himself and for the whole Evangelical community.
I think this whole thing is lose lose and it will piss Obama off so much that even though he will go through with the convocation, he will then turn his back on ALL religious faiths conservative and liberal alike, except for the purpose of political manipulation and the most personal of issues.
I think you will not see religious leaders of any kind getting close to Barack Obama even if that means forgoing the spiritual sustenance he needs.
(brain storm: Jimmy Carter could become his prayer partner)
But as for Rick Warren, he slurs himself rather nicely, without your help, don't you think?
I was kinda neutral about the guy until I heard him on some late night religious broadcast by some end-of-the-world-is-coming-let's-get-ready-for-the-rapture-and-rebuild-the-temple-in-Jerusalem-to-hasten-the-second-coming weirdo.
Now this.
Why do people adulate such narcissism? I remember when Don Mummaw blamed his downfall on the effect that adulating fans had on his psyche. In a way he was right. For their own good, narcissists should be put in solitary confinement and completely ignored.
If Pastor Rick were my only example of a Christian, I think I would be a Christophobe. It's the thousands that look to him for guidance that are really scary. Maybe it is time for a new name?
Obama would be wise to keep his personal faith, personal from here on. He just has to ride this one out. I hope he learns something from this.
Mmkay, here're three fronts on which the Warren pick (and the Obama camp's refusal to talk about it, thereby leaving the rest of us to draw our own conclusions) is bad, if not offensive (apologies to others who brought it up already):
1. Obvious smack in the face to the LGBT voters who supported Barack. I REALLY hope that he's not naive enough to think that The Gay is a reliable Democratic voting bloc, 'cause it ain't. A lot of lower-my-taxes/bomb-the-SOBs conservative gays hold their noses and vote for the Democrat, since at least there's a chance for equality. Take away that hair's breadth of difference, and a lot of The Gay (and their campaign contributions) will figure they may as well vote Republican, since at least they will hate The Gays to their face. And the sad truth is, Barack can alienate The Gays and not pay a significant electoral price for it. MESSAGE SENT: whackadoodle conservative evangelicals > LGBT supporters
2. Pastor offensiveness ratings. I was saddened that Barack and Michelle had to throw Jeremiah Wright under the bus, but I chalked it up to the realities of politics in the US (a Sunday School teaching lifelong Baptist lost to a divorced astrologer-consulting Hollywood actor because the latter was more "moral"). Now, another pastor who says controversial things AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO SO ("I wouldn't want to take a relationship between a man and a baby girl and call that marriage either"), with whom the Obamas have no relationship other than being lied to repeatedly during the campaign, is given the place of honor. Aside from how well the Obamas know both pastors, what are the differences between Jeremiah Wright and Rick Warren? They're both against AIDS and poverty. Let's see... one's black, one's white. One's UCC, the other is megachurch evangelical. One's offensive comments aren't kosher on TV, the other's are still considered acceptable in polite conversation. MESSAGE SENT: White evangelical who says controversial things about unpopular minority > black UCC who says controversial things about the majority.
3. Boneheaded buzz management. Barack Obama and his campaign were amazingly good at keeping the media on message during the campaign (compare the leadup to naming Joe Biden versus Sarah Palin). Now, instead of talking about Barack Obama or his cabinet picks, the media is talking about Rick Warren all the time. I never thought I'd thank Rod Blagojevich for anything. MESSAGE SENT: Rick Warren > The Obama Administration
Also an aside: Bill Clinton had Billy Graham do the invocation TWICE, and it didn't do a damn thing to help him with evangelicals, even long before the intern went to pick up an order from Pizza Hut. And Rick Warren is no Billy Graham.
Arrogant, self-serving, Jesus-Pimp (expletive).
ReplyDeleteI still have confidence in Barack, but his naivete' really showed in this instance.
Perhaps he'll learn. Perhaps not.
I certainly hope so.
I do wonder if Obama underestimated the heat surrounding this choice. My hunch is that he wants to let the people fight it out.
ReplyDeleteI think Obama just didn't kick this tire before he selected Warren.
ReplyDeleteBut there is a bigger issue looming here.
He came to faith in an African American social gospel church and that has been the extent of his church going experience. He broke with his pastor during the campaign and is now looking, legitimately looking, for where to go next for spiritual sustenance.
It is really hard to mix religion and politics.
He reached across the racial and theological divide to get a sprinkle of religion in his swearing in ceremony and Rick Warren is blowing this out his wazoo. For himself and for the whole Evangelical community.
I think this whole thing is lose lose and it will piss Obama off so much that even though he will go through with the convocation, he will then turn his back on ALL religious faiths conservative and liberal alike, except for the purpose of political manipulation and the most personal of issues.
I think you will not see religious leaders of any kind getting close to Barack Obama even if that means forgoing the spiritual sustenance he needs.
(brain storm: Jimmy Carter could become his prayer partner)
But as for Rick Warren, he slurs himself rather nicely, without your help, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI was kinda neutral about the guy until I heard him on some late night religious broadcast by some end-of-the-world-is-coming-let's-get-ready-for-the-rapture-and-rebuild-the-temple-in-Jerusalem-to-hasten-the-second-coming weirdo.
Now this.
Why do people adulate such narcissism? I remember when Don Mummaw blamed his downfall on the effect that adulating fans had on his psyche. In a way he was right. For their own good, narcissists should be put in solitary confinement and completely ignored.
Rick who?
If Pastor Rick were my only example of a Christian, I think I would be a Christophobe. It's the thousands that look to him for guidance that are really scary. Maybe it is time for a new name?
ReplyDeleteObama would be wise to keep his personal faith, personal from here on. He just has to ride this one out. I hope he learns something from this.
Shouting out "Christophobe" is one step away from the war on Christmas crowd.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I can't imagine Jesus in any of these circumstances.
He wasn't much of an excluder as I see him, but hey that's just me!
Mmkay, here're three fronts on which the Warren pick (and the Obama camp's refusal to talk about it, thereby leaving the rest of us to draw our own conclusions) is bad, if not offensive (apologies to others who brought it up already):
ReplyDelete1. Obvious smack in the face to the LGBT voters who supported Barack. I REALLY hope that he's not naive enough to think that The Gay is a reliable Democratic voting bloc, 'cause it ain't. A lot of lower-my-taxes/bomb-the-SOBs conservative gays hold their noses and vote for the Democrat, since at least there's a chance for equality. Take away that hair's breadth of difference, and a lot of The Gay (and their campaign contributions) will figure they may as well vote Republican, since at least they will hate The Gays to their face. And the sad truth is, Barack can alienate The Gays and not pay a significant electoral price for it.
MESSAGE SENT: whackadoodle conservative evangelicals > LGBT supporters
2. Pastor offensiveness ratings. I was saddened that Barack and Michelle had to throw Jeremiah Wright under the bus, but I chalked it up to the realities of politics in the US (a Sunday School teaching lifelong Baptist lost to a divorced astrologer-consulting Hollywood actor because the latter was more "moral"). Now, another pastor who says controversial things AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO SO ("I wouldn't want to take a relationship between a man and a baby girl and call that marriage either"), with whom the Obamas have no relationship other than being lied to repeatedly during the campaign, is given the place of honor. Aside from how well the Obamas know both pastors, what are the differences between Jeremiah Wright and Rick Warren? They're both against AIDS and poverty. Let's see... one's black, one's white. One's UCC, the other is megachurch evangelical. One's offensive comments aren't kosher on TV, the other's are still considered acceptable in polite conversation.
MESSAGE SENT: White evangelical who says controversial things about unpopular minority > black UCC who says controversial things about the majority.
3. Boneheaded buzz management. Barack Obama and his campaign were amazingly good at keeping the media on message during the campaign (compare the leadup to naming Joe Biden versus Sarah Palin). Now, instead of talking about Barack Obama or his cabinet picks, the media is talking about Rick Warren all the time. I never thought I'd thank Rod Blagojevich for anything.
MESSAGE SENT: Rick Warren > The Obama Administration
Also an aside: Bill Clinton had Billy Graham do the invocation TWICE, and it didn't do a damn thing to help him with evangelicals, even long before the intern went to pick up an order from Pizza Hut. And Rick Warren is no Billy Graham.