[lbo-talk] Juan Cole on the other sides of Rick Warren

[John Thornton]

W. Kiernan wrote:
> That's real nice and all, but here's how I read Obama's invitation to 
> Warren.
>
> Remember back in August Warren invited Obama and McCain to a 
> supposedly non-partisan, spirituality-leaning debate, whereupon Warren 
> sandbagged Obama by declaring that no pro-lifer could vote for Obama 
> 'cause Obama sides with the pro-choicers, i.e. Satan and his demons.
>
> Now Obama has invited him to attend his coronation.  "Nice sandbag 
> there, Rick.  I guess you wanted me to lose.  Come watch me take the 
> oath of office.
>
> "No, wait, come _participate_.
>
> "You can be very, very ecumenical, in accordance with our grand, 
> inclusive American traditions, which would be nice, and which would 
> offend the heck outa all your fundamentalist supporters.
>
> "On the other hand you can do that old 'wow-ee how we hate all 
> infidels, most particularly them ka-wheers' bigotry, whip out your 
> mean, looney exclusionist shtick before the wide eyes of the grossly 
> disapproving majority - you know, that big solid majority which 
> elected me - whilst the tall, serious man calmly and superiorly frowns 
> down upon you, as I do so very, very well.
>
> "Either way will be all right, Rick.  See you there."

I know that one of the wonders of Obama is that people seem to quite 
easily project their ideas onto him but isn't this taking things just a 
bit too far?
The idea that Obama is giving this asshole enough rope to hang himself 
is ludicrous.
Obama loves this guys work in Africa and that trumps his gay bashing 
completely as far as Obama is concerned.
Obama was/is in favor of denying constitutionally protected rights for 
queers anyway, remember?
Picking centrist and center-right cabinet members and advisers was all 
expected but for something like the official incantation to the gods 
that is economically and militarily meaningless it wasn't considered an 
unreasonable expectation not to have a giant bigoted homophobe selected.
Obama failed to meet even that low expectation.
This was an asshole move by Obama and there is no reasonable way to see 
this otherwise.

John Thornton