How would the media report the story if Obama visited a mosque?

[zulchzulu]

I'm just guessing totally out of the blue, but what do you think web sites like Drudge would publish?

[cbc5g]

1. It would be like Kerry's windsailing on Drudge

I hope he doesn't give them that picture. The media will play it forever.

This is a media that will POUNCE on anything that could make Obama look bad. We've seen it the last 8 years what they do to Dems to win.

I'm very skeptical of the media in this country. They had the Kerry face lift story going in 2004, the bike spandex picture, the windsailing picture, the skiing picture where they said he knocked down a secret service agent, the bin ladin tape 4 days before the election etc. They'll try something on Obama whether it's a Bin Ladin tape endorsing Obama or whatever, but I'm expecting something, sadly.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Like Rabid dogs on steriods......

until their heads exploded.

[Kahuna]

31. Pretty much. It would make Rev. Wright look like a day in the park. nt

[Drunken Irishman]

3. I'm sure they would report it in a more subtle way.

Maybe get a Republican talking head on to suggest some of the members Obama is speaking to are potential terrorists. Then they would ask over and over again if this makes Obama seem more like a Muslim in the population's eyes. See, this is what the media does best.

They'll attack, attack and attack Obama if he does not go to a Masque, trying to force him into it because the bigger story for them will be if he does, in fact, attend a service there. If he does, then they can ask over and over again if it will hurt him in the general. And that's how they'll do it in a subtle manner. Ask over and over again if ______ will hurt him and the people will start believing it is going to hurt him.

Will Rev. Wright hurt him? Well the polls suggest it won't, but why do they keep asking this question? They still ask this question! And it's because they want to plant the seed of doubt. Well damn, if they keep suggesting it could hurt Obama, maybe there is a reason it SHOULD hurt Obama.

And there you go.

[anonymous171]

4. They want a Dukakis-style photo-op. Obama will not give them one.

[NYC_SKP]

5. The attacks come in the form of questions.

They all do it, I see Anderson Cooper and Blitzer do it way too much and it's SOP on FOX, of course.

"Innocent" questions. Just questions. That's what journalists do.

"Terrorist Fist Jab?" Just a question.

"Obama mosque really cover for terrorist cell?" Just asking.

They're just asking questions....Gawwwd, why can't you leave them alone?!

[NatBurner]

9. i'm glad i'm not the only one that noticed this:

"Anderson Cooper and Blitzer do it way too much"

they'd make horrible poker players

[zulchzulu]

6. Of course, they treated Gore well when he visited a Buddhist temple

That was quite the media distraction...

[Orsino]

7. Fox: "A gesture of unity? A terrorist house call?" n/t

[KittyWampus]

17. so far, your suggestions seem most likely

[Labors of Hercules]

8. Depends on whether it's after November 5th or not.

just sayin.

[TheDonkey]

10. LMAO.

honestly though, that is not far from the truth. I feel bad about this conundrum Obama is in. I think he should meet with muslim leaders but maybe on a nuetral site is necessary and with many other visible surrogates. The media is just salivating for him to have a Dukakis type moment they can use to frame him as truly.... "exotic"

[zulchzulu]

11. As much as I thought the image would be humorous...

...I would not expect Drudge (the beginning of the Repig Echo Chamber) to not have his site look pretty much like I made in Photoshop.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. Sen. Obama did meet with a prominent Shiite Muslim leader in Michigan in May

Many right-wing blogs did run with it. But it got little traction:

http://bp3.blogger.com/_L6pDyjqqsvY/SC7uaItbHpI/AAAAAAAANsI/h2W7yFNCz4Q/s400/Imam+Hassan+Qazwini+and+Obama.jpg
Imam Hassan Qazwini, head of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, met privately with Sen. Barack Obama at Macomb Community College on May 14, 2008

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS05/80515096

Local Muslim leader met privately with Obama

By NIRAJ WARIKOO • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • May 15, 2008

A Muslim leader from Dearborn met privately with Sen. Barack Obama during his Wednesday visit to Michigan.

Imam Hassan Qazwini, head of the Islamic Center of America, said in an email that he met with Obama at Macomb Community College. A mosque spokesman, Eide Alawan, confirmed that the meeting took place. During the meeting, the two discussed the Presidential election, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Iraq war, according to Qazwini.

snip:"Born in Iraq into a long line of Shi’ite clerics, Qazwini and his family left for Iran to escape persecution under the regime of Saddam Hussein. He later moved to the U.S. and become head of the Dearborn mosque, one of the largest Shi’ite Muslim centers in the U.S.

Qazwini has also met several times with President Bush and other elected officials."

link to full article:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS05/80515096

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. If both President Bush and Nancy Pelosi can visit Mosques.........

The Islamic Center of Washington DC is a beautiful mosque that houses items donated by many of the Muslim countries that have embassies in the area. Turkey donated much of the beautiful tile work seen on the walls....September 27, 2001

http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-photos-m9281-p29049-President_Bush_visits_Mosque.html


US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enters inside the historic Ommayad Mosque during her tour of downtown Damascus, Syria, Tuesday April 3, 2007.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-04/04/content_843088.htm

[1Hippiechick]

14. On radio and tv (sorry)

[KittyWampus]

15. #1. Obama Campaign should publicize a CONTEST predicting the headlines and reactions

winner gets to have lunch with him.

#2. Obama should then go ahead and do it.

In other words, make the Media a freaking joke and USE them.

[Alexander]

27. That's a very unique and clever idea.

I would love to see them do that.

[fifthoffive]

16. Has McSame visited a mosque?

Why is it incumbent upon Obama to visit a mosque? Is it just a double-dog-dare?

Does every candidate have to visit one synagogue, one mosque, one evangelical Christian church, one Catholic church, one Druid gathering, one Unitarian fellowship, one Rationalist philosophical discussion, one Native American sweat lodge,...?

[Douglas Carpenter]

19. there are 7 million Muslim-American citizens in the U.S. (only 24% are Arabic)

There are approximately 3.25 Arab-American citizens in the U.S. (70% if whom are Christian)

http://www.allied-media.com/AM /

http://www.allied-media.com/Arab-American/Arab_demographics.htm

Thanks to George W. Bush most now vote overwhelmingly Democratic.

The largest single concentration of both is in the state of Michigan

But aside from the point of election strategy, I would hope very much that part of the change that we can believe in is a change toward the politics of inclusion and a change away from the politics of racism, bigotry and exclusion.

[liberalfella]

18. The media would pounce, raising doubts on his Christianity

They would make a big deal out of a simple visit to a sacred house. It's the way the corporate media operates.

[1Hippiechick]

20. Obama is not going near ANY church until after January...he said as much after the Wright debacle

I know you are talking about visiting, and he was talking about church attendance, but I still think he will stay away from any church, mosque, synagogue, etc. during the campaign

[NYC_SKP]

22. Shrewd. I can't blame him.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

And I just knew that he'd be accused of throwing his church under the bus if and when he left, and be chastised for staying if he had.

[1Hippiechick]

24. BTW, your dog looks very similar to my little Maltese/terrier mix....

[NYC_SKP]

26. Ginny's a darling, but don't know the breed.

Norfolk terrier is the closest I find.
She's an adopted pet, found on the streets.

Post a picture of your dog if you have one, I'm curious!

[1Hippiechick]

28. Heeeeere's Dusti!

The day we found her


Found in a flowerpot urn on our front porch January 19, 2008, 5:15 a.m. - Someone put her there, knowing that we would take care of her (we have greyhound statues on the stoop, and are very active in greyhound rescue (we have 3 racetrack rescues). Took Dusti to the vet that same day, and she weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs. 4 ounces. Vet estimated her to be about 3 months old. We genuinely tried to find owners - contacted vets offices and left info. She has been nothing but pure joy, and the greys absolutely ADORE her!


Here is a pix of one of our greys, Rosie, meeting Dusti for the first time.



My husband's mom holding her about a month ago - color is REALLY distoted (so much for my editing skills)
She is actually predominantly ecru in color now - chest pure white - cost is long, divided down her back and hangs straight midway down her spine where it develops a little wave. The tips of her ears are still rust-colored, and she weighs probably about 12 lbs - vet says she will not get any larger. I'll send you a pix after she is groomed on Sunday, if you'd like. I've looked in the forums for a pet discussion, but couldn't fine one.

[NYC_SKP]

29. What a warm and fuzzy puppy find story!

Both dogs look great, yes please send a post-groomer pic, I'll put post something more of Ginny (she's about 9-10 pounds).

[1Hippiechick]

30. Would love to see more pix of Ginny - Norfolks are an expensive breed!

can't figure out what I did wrong in Photobucket that made the pix so large?!?!?

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. He actually gave a speech at a church on Father's Day:

Obama Sharply Assails Absent Black Fathers
By JULIE BOSMAN

CHICAGO — Addressing a packed congregation at one of the city’s largest black churches, Senator Barack Obama on Sunday invoked his own absent father to deliver a sharp message to African-American men, saying, “We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception.”

“Too many fathers are M.I.A, too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes,” Mr. Obama said, to a chorus of approving murmurs from the audience. “They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.”

The speech was striking for its setting, and in how Mr. Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, directly addressed one of the most sensitive topics in the African-American community: whether absent fathers bore responsibility for some of the intractable problems afflicting black Americans. Mr. Obama noted that “more than half of all black children live in single-parent households,” a number that he said had doubled since his own childhood.

Accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, who sat in the front pew, Mr. Obama laid out his case in stark terms that would be difficult for a white candidate to make, telling the mostly black audience not to “just sit in the house watching SportsCenter,” and to stop praising themselves for mediocre accomplishments.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/us/politics/15cnd-obama.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

[1Hippiechick]

25. Wasn't that awesome!?!?

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. You can bet that he won't visit oen fo those before election day

[TexasObserver]

32. Teaser that would run 200 times: "Barack Obama at a Mosque. Is he really a Muslim? Story at Six!"

CNN would run that teaser 200 times, and have one story of 15 seconds saying "oh no, he's not Muslim."