What Obama faces in Alabama (and probably everywhere else)

[Mark]

This past Friday, one of my hardworking, white female Christian co-workers was seated next to a stack of magazines that belonged to someone else. On top was the latest issue of Time, with Barack Obama on the cover.

Being forever diligent in trying to measure the pulse of the masses in these economically depressed parts - where folks often cling to guns and religion - I pointed to Obama's picture and nonchalantly asked, out of curiosity: "You like him?" I had no idea how she would respond.

With no hesitancy whatsoever, she replied: "No, I don't like him. He's a Muslim."

"No, he's not", I countered. "There's still a lot we don't know about him, but he's repeatedly denied being a Muslim."

"Well, he IS one," she continued, unfazed. "And his brother is a very militant Muslim."

We were interrupted at that point.

[Haruo]

And being a Muslim is a reason a person should not be liked? Well, I've never been to Alabama.

Ever wonder what the fallout would be like if, shortly after the convention, Obama announced he had undergone corrective surgery and was now female?

Just daydreaming...

Haruo
who expects to vote for the male, Christian Obama

[Mark]

[Mrs Haruo]

......And Oregon has a town called........Boring

[Cathy]

[Haruo]

[Lamar Wadsworth]

[Lamar Wadsworth]

[KeithE]

Eclectic (AL) is eclectic. I'm sure it has it's share of red neck Alabamians. But it is also home to my son/daughter-in-law's best friend, Amy Person-Parks (a female Methodist Minister) and really very progessive in virtually everything.

I can attest to Boring (OR) . I have a cousin who lives there and he is by far and away the most boring of my relatives. Good guy (newly retired old folks home adminstrator) but hardly says a word.

Yesterday I substitute taught a group of older ladies (Psalm 51) here in Alabama. The subject of original sin came up. I expressed a view that says basically we all have urges to sin, be selfish and we all have urgings from God through the Holy Spirit to do right and follow God's leading. One newly widowed lady (husband was a good friend of mine) said Osama Bin Laden did not have one drop of good in him - he was Muslim and killed 1000's of Americans. (I faught the urge to bring up 9/11). Also she said she had it on good authority (an email) that Obama was really a Muslim in hiding and therefore did not have a drop of good in him. Other ladies objected that they thought Muslims could go to heaven and that Obama was the most Christian presidential candidate they have seen in their lifetime. I tried to change the subject, but I think I lost control of the class when I said even babies have urges to be selfish; all descended on me.

Mark is right, Alabama is an interesting place to live.

[Cathy]

[Sandy]

That's the result of the kind of propaganda that usually backfires, or creates major backlash. One of the reasons McCain has backed away from using anything related to Jeremiah Wright or Trinity Church is because he realizes the potential damage that could do to his campaign.

I don't figure Obama is planning to carry Alabama, though the Democratic primary turnout there was a record this year like it was pretty much everywhere else. He will easily carry enough states to rack up well over 300 electoral votes, though.

[Cathy]

[William Thornton]

Quite a few times, Mark, I have corrected people who have asserted that Obama is a Muslim. I always add the tag that in my view Obama has a pretty good Christian testimony. When is the last time you heard any other democrat since Carter say that they "came to faith in Christ" (I believe that is how Obama put it)?

While I am not hearing any real racist stuff over Obama, I am appalled that several people bring up the A word, not as a threat but just as a prediction.

[Dave Roberts]

Is Al a majority Black state? If not, how close is the racial divide?

The latest in this is that Obama is technically a Muslim since his father was a lapsed Muslim. Gee, if someone in my family was a practicing Christian three generations back, does that make me one? If so, the road to heaven just got easier

[ET]

[Haruo]

[Stephen Fox]

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Georgia just might surprise some of the prognositicators this time around. I just learned that my aunt Earline--the same aunt who had a dying duck fit because I asked a black man who had been friends with my father 50+ years to be a pallbearer at his funeral--plans to vote for Obama. She is finally sick of the Repubs with McCain talking about a Hundred Years War in Iraq, and she was not for Hillary because (Independent Baptist that she is) she doesn't believe that a woman should be in authority over men.

[Stephen Fox]

Lamar:

Please get Aunt Earline and Taylor Branch's brother, Randy to read this Packer article coming pristine with the endorsement of Stephen Fox and Brandt Ayers.
And if you can come over and go to Memphis next week for a two night stay, I'll drive if you can go half on gas.
Honestly would be honor to all of us if you could get some RAndy Branch comments and other Heritage members; get their comments on the Packer article and share with the board.
Question now is, if Willard Willis were still with us, could he grasp the Obama Moment???

[Jonathan]

One of my college roommates was from Inez...a good friend of his family was a Mike Duncan (also from Inez) who is now RNC chairman.

[Stephen Fox]

[ET]

[Stephen Fox]

Here is a progressive blogger in North Georgia engaging the retired military community there on the matter of Inez, Kentucky.

http://georgiamountainsandbeyond.blogsp ... thern.html