LA Times Today: Obama Not To Be Trusted, Doesn't Hate Arabs!!

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Mark Penn may be gone but his spirit lives on.

A major piece in today's Los Angeles Times reveals that Obama may face political problems because Arab-Americans "consider him receptive despite his clear support of Israel."

This is all part of the continuing effort (especially in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh these days) to paint Obama as something less than a friend of Israel.

This is nothing new.

But this article hits new lows. It produces no evidence whatsoever other than that Obama has had Arab friends, attended Arab dinners, and is believed by Arabs to feel "empathy" toward Palestinians. In other words, Obama is not to be trusted by Jews because some Arabs like him.

Pretty crazy. I used to work for Sen.Carl Levin, a Jew and a strong supporter of Israel, who is a close friend of the Arab community (in part, because he represents more Arab Americans than any other senator). I've seen Carl at Palestinian dinners (last year I saw him at one with Condi Rice). In fact, Joe Lieberman, not exactly an enemy of the State of Israel, has always gone out of his way to keep an open door to Arab-Americans, Palestinians and others.

In other words, this article is utterly bogus. Yes, Obama has empathy for Palestinians, just as he has empathy for Israelis. The man is naturally empathetic which will help repair some of the damage inflicted to our country's image by the current xenophobic administration."

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[polichick]

1. You can tell Barack's mom was an anthropologist...

He doesn't see anyone as "The Other."

[aquart]

4. LOL! That's the woman he's not angry with?

Although she abandoned him to his grandparents so she could pursue that calling? Taking his sister?

And he was also abandoned by his Muslim father?

Yeah, kids love that kind of thing.

[polichick]

5. She didn't "abandon" him - he asked to stay with his grandparents...

...so that he could go to school there. It was just discussed on msnbc this morning.

His mother gave him the great gift of being able to see and understand all cultures ~ it's exactly what we need in a president. Anthropologists tried to warn Bush before he went into Iraq, but there was no room in his agenda for wisdom.

[Shaktimaan]

9. amazing!

His mother gave him the great gift of being able to see and understand all cultures

Yes, but Hillary's mom gave her heat vision and McCain's taught him to turn invisible.
Seriously, there's just no such thing as being able to see and understand all cultures. It is arguably impossible for an outsider to fully understand even a single culture that's very different than his/her own, no matter how much time is spent studying it.

I'd say that Obama is smart enough to understand that he doesn't see or understand all cultures, and that it is this trait that sets him apart from W. Actually, I think W is much smarter than we usually give him credit for, he's not stupid by any stretch. I just think he doesn't give a shit.

[polichick]

13. Actually, you're wrong...

People who can see and understand cultures have an open-minded view of other ways of doing things ~ rather than the typical American ethnocentric view. Without the belief that your way is the right way, it's not hard to understand other cultures. Coming from parents of different cultures, as Barack did, I was naturally drawn to socio-cultural anthropology and chose that for my MA studies. For me it's a great joy to step into another culture and respectfully take part.

You're also wrong about Bush ~ his mother taught him to see people of color and poor people as not quite human in the way they were, which was absolutely clear by the comments she made after Katrina. This world view explains the lack of urgency he felt toward the people of New Orleans, and also why he had no problem bombing an innocent brown population and doesn't relate to the troops and their families, who mostly come from less advantaged backgrounds.

Mothers and fathers (& others) teach us how to look at others in the world at a very young age.

[cali]

12. ridiculous and offensive post.

And ignorant. His mother certainly did not abandon him. As a teenager, when his mother decided to leave Hawaii, Obama asked to stay with his grandparents, so he could continue attending Punahao. Furthermore, why the hell would you bother emphasizing that his father, who did abandon him, was Muslim? Just what does that have to do with anything, except your ugly bias?

[bemildred]

2. Anybody Foxman doesn't like must be doing something right. nt

[Meshuga]

6. That's a pretty dumb and senseless observation n/t

[bemildred]

8. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. nt

[Meshuga]

11. It occurred to me

That a person who made such dumb comment probably did not think it through enough to post such stupidity but would eventually realize how stupid the comment was thus taking it back. However, you have proved me wrong. :puke:

[bemildred]

14. Being wrong must be a very common occurrence for you.

Please accept my sympathies.

[Meshuga]

15. Yes, It is a sad...

...that it is indeed a common occurrence that I am wrong about people like you (i.e., erroneously thinking that you would acknowledge the stupidity behind your original claim). Perhaps I should stop being so optimistic about people having any sense of shame.

[bemildred]

16. Yes! You keep your streak alive! nt

[Shaktimaan]

17. Actually, I'm with wiggles on this one.

Anybody Foxman doesn't like must be doing something right.

Come on, you're better than this. After reading your posts for over a year I am certain that it isn't even a sentiment you agree with yourself. I'm surprised you're spending so much energy defending it.

[bemildred]

18. Actually, Foxman is a big enough asshole that it makes sense to question anything he says.

I don't think you will get much traction arguing about how I should not spend time trading insults with Mr Dribbles if that's what he wants to do and it amuses me.

[sarge43]

3. He refuses to hate someone just because of a label.

As Dear Molly would have said, "Good on him."

[madrchsod]

7. he sees both sides of an issue--

that seems refreshing after almost 8 years of insanity...

[ProgressiveMuslim]

10. Well he hasn't done jack shit to EARN the friendship of Arab Americans

but he's the only hope. And let's face it, and in his great race speech, his equation of the Palestinian national liberation struggle with "Islamic extremism" was tremendously disappointing.

But in spite of all that, something about his fundamental decency is appealing.

[Vegasaurus]

19. Obama says he will not meet with Hamas

because they are a terrorist organization.

He doesn't hate Arabs, he hates terrorists. Smart man.