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Wednesday, August 20, 2008 12:00 AM

Debunking anti-Obama e-mails

Error-filled chain e-mails designed to scare voters away from Barack Obama are circulating widely on the Internet. Salon deconstructs a pair, one smearing the candidate, the other his wife.

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  • Wednesday, August 20, 2008 10:40 AM

    @ Patrickvashon: In all justice, I think you have to separate Michelle from Barack.

    The question still remains unanswered, why did he sit in that Temple of Hate for 20 years? When he finally separated himself it was only by his handlers prying his hands off Rev. Wright's Robes.

    Because in some aspects of his life, he is essentially passive and conflict-avoidant. I am reading his first memoir and that comes across so clearly. If there is conflict, he leaves the room or mentally separates himself from even the issues themselves. This is what makes him so ... fluid.

    He is also quite able to overlook differences -- even very stark differences --he has with others in order to stand outside the situation and adopt a stance (one might say shield) of dispassion.

    This can be an advantage in some situations and a disadvantage in others.

    He greedily took what he could learn from Wright that was useful, but it was his lack of true connection that allowed him to later walk away. It would be impossible to say to what degree Barack Obama shared the beliefs of his pastor, or even to what degree he shares the beliefs of his wife.

    I suspect that even she does not know.

    You say you enjoy hate sermons and other things of a similar nature. Obviously you get some satisfaction from the activity beyond the intellectual stimulation.

    Actually no. I am a Unitarian-Universalist and the particular church which I used to attend was relentlessly cerebral. Also, I missed many sermons on purpose. Instead, I became a religious education director and, since classes with children ran concurrent to the sermons, I happily missed sermons.

    Not unlike the guy that goes to strip joints there is satisfaction beyond the level of artistic appreciation.

    I wouldn't know. I don't go to strip joints. Do you?

    Is it the same satisfying experience for Barack? Do Reverend Wright and Father Pfleger say out loud what is in Barack's heart.

    I suspect sometimes, but I have no proof of it. Let us not forget that Obama initially began attending the church for political reasons.

    Michelle was there more regularly than Barack and she exposed their children to that poison.

    No. Not if the Sunday school was at the same time as the sermons. Few churches encourage small children in services. That is one reason why they have child care and classes for the children. We have no way of knowing what the children learned. I would quite interested to know.

    This transcends "e" mails and poison pen letters, it is far more serious and fundamental, why did he keep going when even his pal Oprah decided to leave because she was uncomfortable with some of the sermons. Too many questions too few answers.

    Maybe Oprah is more proactive. Remember that Obama's first memoir is about a search for identity. I suspect he is still searching. Obviously he could learn something from Oprah about marketing oneself. Oprah's success is dependent upon her white as well as her black audience.

    But to return to my original thought, when one makes Barack Obama responsible for his wife's beliefs and statements, one essentially does to the Obamas what was done to the Clintons, which can be summed up in the term Billary.

    If is a sexist assumption that a wife must think as her husband. Wouldn't it also be a sexist assumption that a man must think as his wife?

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