Friday, March 14, 2008

Choose your nutty minister wisely...'cause Pat Robertson ain't alone

The appearance of Sen. Obama's minister on UTube shouting "damn America!" is a preview of what we can expect next October if Obama heads the ticket. (In context of his sermon he was apparently trying to communicate that it is difficult for African Americans whose community have been victimized by our legal system to feel that God should bless the US, but somehow context gets overwhelmed by the rhetoric.)

The problem -- historically -- with unvetted candidates -- new to the national scene or otherwise not closely drilled by the press -- is that they can only "self-define" so long. Then others get to start defining you: Snoopy in a Tank, Friend of Willie Horton, Swiftboat Coward,etc.

13% of Americans are convinced Obama is a Muslim. His response is that he is a Christian whose minister inspired his book, married him, baptized his kids -- and shouts damnation down on America -- but only as a rhetorical device. Preaches like the ayatollahs, but doesn't really mean it.

(Exerpt of sermon damning US, Pix of Obama in (any) pew. "You can't choose your family, but you do choose your minister .. and you choose your minister because you share his beliefs...." How will that commercial go over in Missouri in October? Someone already heard the line on talk radio.)

It is possible that the Repubs can screw up the economy so badly that we can win anyway, but the truth is that surprises like this are why we have superdelegates.

3 comments:

craig said...

"but the truth is that surprises like this are why we have superdelegates."
And I always thought it was to keep the "unclean masses" from having their voices heard.

Phil Cardarella said...

Actually, those superdelegates were elected by the masses -- just not necessarily directly in caususes or primaries. I distinctly remember voting for Claire -- and for my committeeman, who got to vote for the State Committee, etc.

The purpose of superdelegates is to keep the lemming wing of the Party from pulling another "McGovern" -- great guy, eloquent speaker, carried Massachusetts. If a candidate gets enough pledged delegates, the Supers are irrelevant. If not, you have to wonder about his chances in Nov -- and that's where they have the responsibility.

Obviously, this time no one is going to have a majority, so they need to decide who is the better bet to beat McCain -- and least likely to go down badly if things go awry.

craig said...

"the lemming wing of the Party"
So that is what you think of Obama supporters?
While you are correct in stating that most of the superdelegates are elected on some level by the people. What you fail to realize is that the vast majority of voters don't understand the Democratic party's intricate and archaic rules that give these officials 6000 times more power than the average citizen.
It is funny how you feel that the Florida elected officials, who knew full well the implications of their decision to hold their primary early, shouldn't be held to party rules, but the average voter should have vast knowledge of the rules.