What would be said if Obama said...

[butterfly77]

that he was a Muslim...

[JackintheGreen]

1. It would end his presidential aspirations

[Poll_Blind]

2. But he's a Christian. n/t

PB

[sui generis]

3. and on that note

why on earth should he feel compelled to talk about his faith either way?

Either way, I'm really starting to agree that religion is just an embarrassing relic of our past. The fact that it keeps surfacing at all in the administration of DEMOCRATIC government is horrifying.

[butterfly77]

4. I agree ...

but we know how the rightwing's mind's work...they will use anything to bring out the bigots and religious zealots...

[Phredicles]

5. How about if Obama said...

"There are a whole lot of people on DU with WAY too much time on their hands."

[butterfly77]

6. What's the problem

you don't like the question...Do others have too much time on their hands when they ask provocative questions...

[Phredicles]

7. I just don't see how probable it is; why WOULD he say so?

Is there any real reason to suppose he is Muslim?

[FrenchieCat]

9. His dad was Muslim...hence his name......

which may be good enough for the RW. They don't need much ya know! Think of the Kerry "Joke" or the Dean "scream" to get the drift.

It will get oogly.....But how oogly, we won't know for a while....but it will most likely be a "whisper campaign" similar to the 2000 McCain innuendos that help defeat McCain in the primaries....although the RW might wait till the general election.

It certainly is something for us to be aware of, and not shrug it off a la Kerry circa 2004. :(

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1189687/posts

I think that someone whose name is one letter removed from “Osama” and whose farther was a Moslem will obviously be starting with some serious disadvantages. And, while I’m at it, I’ll also ad that there are (unconfirmed) rumours that Obama himself is secretly a Muslim. Now, I don’t believe them but, if Obama ever runs for President, I won’t mind spreading them. Yes, read that again just to be sure that you read it right: Adam Yoshida dislikes Barak Obama so much that he is willing to spread rumors about his being a Muslim regardless of whether there are confirmed at all. The truth of them would appear to be completely irrelevant — all that matters is whether they serve Yoshida's political agenda.

Yoshida is considered by some to be little more than a crank, but he has been published by Insight Magazine so he can't be dismissed as completely unrepresentative of conservatism. Is it a "conservative value" to try and use a person's alleged adherence to Islam to harm him politically?

It's interesting that Adam Yoshida would write about how Barak Obama is such a lousy politician and would make a lousy candidate for president. After all, if such criticisms are true then it hardly seems necessary to spread unconfirmed rumors in order to harm him. If he's really so bad then either he won't win future elections or, if he does, his bad service will only end up hurting Democrats in the long run.
http://atheism.about.com/b/a/129729.htm

[butterfly77]

17. So it has already started...

I didn't realize that they were already questioning his religion...

[butterfly77]

16. I don't believe he is ...

My point is that they are giving the new congressmen a lot of grief because he is a Muslim and he didn't want to take his oath of office on the bible...I was just thinking how the rightwingers would play this if he was...

[Tyrone Slothrop]

11. Well, it's not really provocative

Obama's not a Muslim so it's pretty damn unlikely that he'll ever come out and say that he is.

It's about as provocative as asking "What if Bush came out and said that he's Jewish???"

Hypotheticals are rarely worth discussing; hypotheticals without even the most basic grounding in reality or fact are utterly pointless.

[butterfly77]

18. So why are you discussing it...

[MrCoffee]

21. now there's a valid question!

this thread should die a quick, obscure death.

[uppityperson]

8. What would be said if Obama said he liked kittens?

[butterfly77]

19. Rightwingers would say he is a member of PETA...

and call him a librul nut...

[KamaAina]

10. What if Keith Ellison ran for President some day?

somewhat less hypothetical; we'll have to see how he does in Congress first, though.

We already know how Glenn Beck would react :puke , but what about human beings who walk upright? How would they react?

edit: some day; no way he runs in '08!

[BuyingThyme]

12. What if Obama called you a secularist,

and adopted Bush's faith-based rhetoric?

[butterfly77]

20. He would be wrong...

[BuyingThyme]

23. Yes, he is very wrong.

[Dora]

13. What would be said if I said this post is flamebait?

His spiritual practice is no business of mine, nor ours, nor the government's.

[MrCoffee]

14. you'd get a standing ovation and cries for an encore

[butterfly77]

22. What if I said , I don't give a damn what his religion is....

I like Obama...

[otherlander]

25. It shouldn't matter.

But it does. That's the point.

[Dora]

27. See, but it doesn't, and that's the point.

The OP is asking people to debate the merits of a hypothetical falsehood.

We should be debating the merits of nonhypothetical realities.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. It would certainly call into question Article VI, section 3, of the Constitution,.

"no religious test shall ever be required, as a" qualification to any office or public trust, under the "United States."

Or, at least, the reality and validity of it.

[butterfly77]

24. What I want to know from you all is...

why this is flamebait,and why you are getting so angry because I asked this question. Are you afraid if it is asked it will affect him running in some way?

[LoZoccolo]

26. Because if someone has time to respond to this thread...

...then they have time to call up their local Democratic Party office and find out how they can help doing something real.

[butterfly77]

28. How do you know that they don't...

Can't this question be asked and can't I be politically active as well. There is another reason, but seems as though everyone is beating around the bush...

[pinto]

29. Locking.

Do we really need to give space to RW innuendo? They've got plenty of press on their own. We're going to lock this. Thanks.