As for other Repubs, they openly believe some of the offensive stuff coming out of their churches. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush’s church had some anti-Islam tendencies because Bush himself isn’t exactly a fount of tolerance when it comes to non-Christian religions.

I may agree with you Jaehwan but he should have tried educating people who thought that way and not try to sell some statement that things are different so don’t believe the hype. If there is a history of the US doing or being complacent in the harming of Blacks folks then he should have address it why that is not the case and saying things have changed doesn’t cut. (Particularly at his church since it was his church family.)

This is where the politics comes into play and also where he’s probably feeling something without saying it. In this case, I think he has to just sit and take it without being too conspicuous. After he is elected, he can say something, but before then, it’ll just drive wedges between the races, even if Obama is right, and then he’ll lose, which won’t give him the opportunity to do what he is capable of.

I’ve been bragging about reading an 800 page book on Abraham Lincoln, and Lincoln’s situation was much the same. While it isn’t clear whether Lincoln saw black people as equal to whites, it was pretty clear throughout his career that he wanted to get rid of slavery. He was planning to announce the Emancipation Proclamation for a long time because it was what he truly believed, but he knew that it was political suicide to do so without gaining some momentum, so he waited until the Union army won a major battle (Antietam) before announcing. The whole time, people like Salmon Chase and other members of his Cabinet were shouting at him and telling him to do something, but he kept waiting until he knew he could win it.

For Obama, I think the presidential victory is his major victory, and even then, he probably will have to wait before getting really serious about discussing race. Yes, it’s kind of jacked up and unfair, but it’s the way democratic politics often works. Politicians need to move lots of people at one time, and sometimes it takes a bit of momentum before everyone can jump on board.

…Nightshade, he shouldn’t have to quit his church…

…in elections to…

…he is not a scary…

Sorry rushing at work. I’ll be careful next time.

And I’m with Nightshade he should have to quit his church over politics but that’s what happens when there is a religious test for candidates. (I am so sick of religion being used in elections measure the morality of a person running for office.) I think my biggest problem with this is how it was perceived by my family and I know more than a few black folks; he left his church to make white folks feel more comfy. They know its part of the game but it still leaves a nasty taste in their mouth.

I saw something like this coming though because he has to look like he is a scary Negro to be elected. Hence why we get this nice little conversation of him being post racial.

On the other hand, if every church was as entertaining as Obama’s, I’d probably be going to church every weekend.