The silver lining to the Wright issue is that the idea that "Obama is a Muslim" has been shattered.

[mikelewis]

Permanently... For good or ill, this "scandal" has erased the question in America's mind about the religious affiliation of Senator Obama... thank goodness. Not that it should matter what his religion is... I personally don't care if he was a Muslim or is a Christian... it's who he is a person that is important but the xenophobic nature and bigotry against Muslims in general was not helping Barak in this race and that issue has just dissolved as a slanderous and incorrect innuendo in November.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. This is true

and McCain can't make much of an issue of Obama's association with a controversial preacher when he's cozying up to the likes of Hagee and that other freak whose name I can't recall right now. Like someone else said here, wouldn't it be refreshing if all the candidates were atheists and we didn't even have to think about this stuff. It really is irrelevant.

[MNDemNY]

2. Your right, it will now shift to "Obama was a Muslim, now a black separatist."

You know that's were it will head.

[me b zola]

8. I think that the voters will repudiate all of that that bigotry at the polls

...that's where this bus is heading. Beep-beep.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Being a "secret Muslim" is far more damaging, IMO, than being

a black guy who attends a Christian church, even with an angry black pastor. Few who look at Obama see "white-hating anti-American radical"--especially since he's half white, for God's sake. It's ridiculous.

[Ytzak]

4. A friend from Oklahoma sent me that stupid report yesterday...

The Write issue will exist alongside everything, and the same people will believe he is both a wierd Christain cult fringer and a Muslim fanatic bent on destroyig the US. We are not dealing with stellar intellects.

[MediaBabe]

6. That's a fact

I KNOW people who think Black = Muslim in some weird kind of way. Like Christian doesn't cancel out Muslim if you are Black. It kind of gives me brain fade when I try to figure it out so I don't. But I don't imagine those votes were ever Obama's anyway.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. You forget the ability of the rightwing to hold contradictory "truths" at the same time.

He'll be the radical family-hating Muslim who follows a black separatist America-hating form of gay-friendly apostate socialist Christianity.

Never underestimate the ability of the rightwing not to learn, and not to face facts, and not to be consistent in their thinking.


In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing now about how Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago is actually a Muslim church following Osama bin Laden.

[Uzybone]

7. There is no silver lining

so now its good news that the ignorant fools who once thought he was a Muslim may now think he is an anti american racist? Are you serious?

People will vote for Muslims (see the Minnesota senator) over anyone who subscribes to "god damn America".

Obama needs to shake this story off of him fast.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. You are assuming the muslim thing is all Saudi/Indonesian type Muslim

Unlike the nonsense about Barack's name and family history, Pastor Wright actually provides a talking point link from Barack to "Muslim" (Not a VALID link, by a guilt by association political link)

Anyone involved in inner city community work ends up working with the Nation of Islam to some degree. Though not my cup of tea, there's no doubt the NOI does some good community work, and has areas of common cause with Christian black churches. For instance, the Million Man March was a "Muslim" organized event, though was widely supported in black Christian churches.

In a black urban community, particularly in the swath of America from Chicago to New York, you are likelier to meet "Muslims" through church work than you are by hanging out in a bar.

I know that NOI isn't "real" Muslim, like "scary foreign Osama Bin Ladden Muslim", and you know it. But to brain-dead swing voters as Muslim is a Muslim is a Muslim.

Pastor Wright is tight with Louis Farrakhan, visited Momar Quadaffi, and paraphrases Malcolm X in his sermons. That's more actual connection to anything calling itself Islam than any of the asinine "His father was a Muslim" emails.

Barack Obama has precious little to do with Islam, but he has more connections (however slight) to something that calls itself Islam than the average American does, and the connection is through his Christian church.

Yes, it's ironic. And no, I am not expecting a lot of nuance from Republicans about the differences between the completely American home-grown Nation of Islam and the largely foreign religion of Islam.

I don't know what the average American thinks when he hears, "Nation of Islam," but it's probably not real sophisticated.

[K Gardner]

10. I'm convinced now more than ever that you are on the wrong message board.