How Obama inspired me to write my first post

but I too was extremely disappointed by the Mcclurkin strategy of the Obama campaign. I was disappointed by the whole "Gospel Hour" part of the tour. I think it's a mistake, made by a candidate who could otherwise be one of my top contenders. In fact, it moved Obama from my number 2 choice to about number 4.

As for you, faren fleming, you are right - God made you who you are and didn't make a mistake. I don't consider myself Christian, but I am amazed at the arrogance of a human or group of humans who claim to know God's will. How sad that some feel they should marginalize you and so many others just to feel better about themselves, or even worse, just to get elected.

Welcome to BlueNC. Great first post. I front-paged it because of the issue it addresses, not because of the presidential politics. I also added the "teaser" to the post so that it reads as a whole if people come in the front door.

You did a great job.

Thanks for voicing your opinions.

I am also having similar feelings about the Obama campaign. I am glad I have not given them any money because if I did I might have a case of buyer’s remorse now. Not just about this McClurkin thing, but how the campaign has kind of been a dud in general. I read Obama’s book and he has failed to continue where it left off and he is losing me (so much I don’t think I want to give $50 for my wife and I to hear him speak on the 1st). I am not ready to support Hillary in the primary yet, but am starting to lean towards Edwards more and more.

I think Obama made a classic mistake in hosting a gospel hour in the south. I think that many people outside the south think we are a monolithic culture dominated by Southern Baptists and that we all are beholden to the church. True, the christian denominations still are huge but we are seeing more and more non christians in our areas.

I had the chance the table at the Piedmont Pagan Pride festival last month and our Jewish Community Center here in Charlotte hosted the last clergy breakfast.

We are becoming more and more diversified in our spirtual paths in the south and I for one find this wonderful. I belong to two congregations, an episcopal one and a uu one, each meets a need and I cherish the relationships that I am able to foster within each one.

Bigotry in the name of religion has a long history, not just in the south but since the beginning of organized religion and I find this troubling.

Who you love should NEVER be an issue, EVER!

Just, welcome.

One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I believe that I am created in God's image and that my homosexuality is part of who I am. It is not a choice or a sin that I need to be delivered from, nor am I, in any way, offensive to God. I AM That I AM and that's all there is to it.

Thank you, Faren and welcome to BlueNC. I hope you will join us to chat often.

Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.

Faren Fleming. Hope you'll hang around.

I'm white, female and a very solid Edwards supporter. I am Christian, (though if I sat down with local preachers and priests and described by spiritual beliefs in detail, they'd most certainly declare me NOT Christian) and I am gay. So are most of my dearest friends ... Christian and gay, that is. One of those things is by choice, the other is not. I really like Obama, and was really confused by the choice of entertainment he made and disappointed in his choice of how to handle the foot in mouth situation he found himself in. I admire his basic goal of trying to help each side understand the other more clearly, but I don't really need an explanation for being told I need a cure like a person with an addiction does.

That attitude always takes me aback when I hear it. When was the last time anyone heard Obama's love for Michelle or Bill's love for Hillary or John's love for Elizabeth referred to as an addiction?

As much as I admire the goal of bringing people together, (lord knows we need it), it seems to me that it will be really hard to take a strong stand and lead on tough economic, trade and constitutional issues when a man's primary goal in life is to get people to play nice together.

I know that was snarky. I just think there's a line, and trying to "understand" a bigot's bigotry and let him wear it proudly is OVER that line.

I feel, as you have well stated, that this was a very large mistake by Mr. Obama as a Presidential candidate, and as a person who has expressed in his past writings and speeches the viewpoint that "hope" is what is needed in this world.

This incident has not brought any hope to the discourse, but quite the opposite.

North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!

I know it's a wedge issue. I know that Republicans win elections when they scare the crap out of us and call it terrorism, when they mention the A-word, when they bring up "the homosexual lifestyle."

Civil rights, women's rights, the rights of the people of the world not to be bombed by us for the benefit of corporate oil and defense contractors.

Are these things so hard to stand up for? If the greatest promotional minds of the Democratic party can't figure out how to frame these issues for the swing voters, then we don't deserve to be in power.
 
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Monday he is "disturbed" by some of gospel-singer Donnie McClurkin's views toward homosexuals, a day after the prominent Obama supporter lashed out at critics for calling him 'anti-gay.'

"It's true we had a controversy...a gospel singer was singing at a gospel concert on our behalf, he was one of many, and he had some views that were anti-gay," the Illinois Democrat said during an MTV/MySpace forum. "I am disturbed by those views and I have said publicly that I have disagreed with them."

Some of my very close relatives are gay and I completely agree that it was a mistake to include Donnie McClurkin in this gospel tour. However, I have been an Obama supporter and this one thing is not going to change my mind mainly because I know that Obama's views are completely opposite of those of Donnie McClurkin.
Mistakes get made in campaigns and plenty have been made by other Democratic candidates.
Welcome to the BlueNC community Faren Fleming.

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