[Diane95]

He's the smartest person left in the race. I agree with him on many, maybe even most, issues. He's of my generation, and I like the idea of retiring the boomers from their leadership positions. He's a lawyer. His background will be very helpful in foreign relations. He exudes leadership qualities that do not appear to be all about his own ego (unlike the other two candidates).<br><br>
I remain troubled by his lack of relevant experience, but putting that in the context of the other contenders, it's not so bad.<br><br>
His wife is actually younger than I am and that freaks me out a bit. Not about them, but about my own aging. I can be forgiving, however. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[Diane95]

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that his preacher is either racist or hateful.

 

[Diane95]

You'll first have to give me an example of something you found hateful or racist in the pastor's remarks.

 

[Diane95]

I'm not clear what's hateful about this. He is suggesting that the hate felt towards the US (that resulted in the attacks) stems from US action in the rest of the world. You may disagree with him, but he's not fomenting hate. And in fact, many of us had a similar reaction -- certainly, I have no problem telling you that in addition to shock, grief, fear and compassion for all the friends I have in NYC, I also thought, "Shit, it's all coming back to haunt us now." And many people wondered why it had taken so long.<br><br>
Someone who is a better Bible scholar than I has already pointed out that this echoes some refrain in the Bible about damning wrongdoers. In any case, explain to me what's hateful about it? It's certainly not incorrect to say that the US has treated black people pretty darn awfully. It doesn't strike me as hateful to express outrage and anger about that treatment.<br><br>
Again, not hateful or racist. Perhaps incorrect, although it's a conspiracy theory shared of longstanding and shared by many. And not all that crazy when you put it in the context of things like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Study_of_Untreated_Syphilis_in_the_Negro_Male" target="_blank">Tuskegee Experiment</a>.<br><br>
And let me be clear -- it's not about whether I agree or disagree with him. It's that I disagree with the characterization that any of this is "hateful" or "racist." He doesn't say, "****** needs to die for all he's done!" which would be pretty hateful. The closest is probably the "God damn America" thing, but even that is not some irrational hate, but rather a reaction to a very specific set of grievances (and, of course, expressed with some rhetorical flourishes).<br><br>
If that's the worst he has said in his 20 or 30 years of preaching, then I find it hard to understand the outrage as anything other than people looking for something to be outraged about.

 

[Diane95]

Nothing at all? Really? You agree with everything that's been done in this country's name?<br><br>
Honestly, I think Obama was very eloquent about how one can both be very proud of this country's promise, and of many things it has accomplished, while still acknowledging the many bad things we have done (slavery, genocide and colonialism all come to mind).