This is finally Obama’s “Sister Soulja”moment.
The term has been misused many times out of – intentional lack of understanding of what happened.
Clinton criticized a black rapper for advocating violence against white people (see myiq2xu comment for exact quote).
The political significance of the moment was that the statement went against a member of his loyal base – because principle was more important than politics.
Similarly, Obama was driven by an actual murder – not mere advocacy – to speak against his loyal constituency – the fundies. Notice how carefully he qualifies his condemnation. Before even addressing the murder he is careful not to offend them
However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.
He first makes sure to let us know he considers fundies patriots.(“as Americans”)
He makes sure to use “our differences” as to include all of us in his views (i.e – this is about abortion, instead of health and reproductive rights, and it’s all so difficult, no wonder some lose it)
He then makes the point that”abortion is a difficult issue”
Only after all those qualifiers does he finally get to the “murder is bad” part
In fact, last summer when campaigning, he courted them behind closed doors
This month, the Illinois senator held a closed-door meeting in Chicago with almost 40 Christian leaders, including evangelical heavyweights such as the Rev. Franklin Graham, publishing magnate Steve Strang and megachurch pastor Bishop T.D. Jakes.
Obama’s campaign is also launching a grass-roots effort, tentatively called Joshua Generation, with plans to hold concerts and house meetings targeted at young evangelicals and Catholics.
WaPo feels confident to say that there was a disagreement about abortion behind those close doors. After all, there is no transcript and the video that got out where Obama spells out the fact that he opposes abortion at min 1:50 mark has been dutifully removed due to terms use violation.
And with the renewal of the pledge at the Notre Dame speech and the recent declartion that choice is not a freedom , how surprising can it be that some extremists took it to mean hunting season on “abortionists” was open?
The only thing that surprises me is that they managed to drag him to make a statement.
This is the guy who managed to stay silent on proposition 8.
This is the guy who didn’t ask his SCOTUS pick her position on Abortion.
This is the guy who said abortion had nothing to do with women’s freedom
But apparently all the coordinated fuss over the NY trip wasn’t enough to distract from the storm caused by this latest fundie murder occurring in a church. Right to life groups denounced it, so Obama HAD TO carefully speak as well.
15 comments
June 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm
cwaltz
I’d argue that he waited for all those groups to make their statement to make his because it was almost like their doing so meant he had permission to do so.
June 1, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Minnesota
I am waiting for Obama to say that he is actually “Pro-Life” even though he does think that women have a right to chose. He has flip flopped on every other issue–that the people who have been polled have a majority opinion on. When I heard that a majority of people were pro-life, I was waiting for Obama to go that course as well. I wish he would take a stand and STAND for that (whether I agree or not). It is so hard to talk about him, because he changes his opinion all the time.
I was reading “The Mixed-Up Chameleon” by Eric Carle to my son last night, and I couldn’t help but think of our leader.
June 1, 2009 at 1:51 pm
JoseyJ
Great diary – thanks!
June 1, 2009 at 6:12 pm
sister of ye
I don’t think Obama changes his opinions so much as he doesn’t actually hold any sincere ones. He’ll state whatever is convenient or advantageous for him to say on a particular day, just like coordinating his shoes with his suit.
“Let’s see … 2:00 p.m. fundie meeting, okay, I’m pro-life. 4:00 p.m. meeting with NARAL, okay, I’m for freedom of choice.” And the most important stance, “They’d both better cough up the money and endorsements.”
And a doctor who died for his convictions? Totally outside of Obama’s self-serving comprehension.
June 1, 2009 at 6:39 pm
nyc
i love NYS, you are awesome.
.
June 1, 2009 at 7:57 pm
huh
I thought T.D. Jakes was an ” ‘Arch’-Bishop” by now……… ??
June 1, 2009 at 8:23 pm
insightanalytical
I picked the last of my peaches today. This sort of thing suppresses my constant urges to tell this guy to F*CK off!
It also helped make me forget for a few moments about my finances and Geithner getting laughed at by Chinese students.
I’ve posted a huge picture of these magnificent peaches over at IA (link to Open Range Ramblings where the picture is). Some are the size of softballs.
Peace
June 1, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Adrienne in CA
Not to mention the intentional ambiguity he injects in the first sentence, leaving the reader to interpret whether his shock and outrage was sparked by the cold-blooded murder of Dr. Tiller, or the fact that it happened in a church.
Reminds me of the weird phrasing he (his statement writers, really) used when claiming he’d never heard sermons like that from Rev. Wright “while I sat in the pews of Trinity .”
Only liars need that much detail.
*****A
June 1, 2009 at 9:58 pm
myiq2xu
Sister Souljah advocated violence against white people, not just cops.
“If Black people kill Black people every day, why not have a week and kill White people?”
June 2, 2009 at 4:19 am
edgeoforever
Thank you. You are right. That illustrates the political significance even better.
June 2, 2009 at 1:19 am
Cathy in Ks.
I live in the state where Dr. Tiller was murdered. Although I consider Dr. Tiller’s murder a terrible tragedy and the murder committed by an individual who was very disturbed, I am not surprised at what happened. Dr. Tiller was not just a doctor who performed abortions. He was one of the few doctors in the entire nation who performed very late term abortions. I’m not defending President Obama here, but I do think, his cautious statement was a wise decision in this instance.
Also Dr. Tiller’s clinic has not been without its shadows. One of the more disturbing stories is that of a 19 year old woman with Down’s syndrome who apparently had a “multi-day” abortion several years ago. She died from sepsis. The clinic later was found not responsible for her death by I believe the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.
Those groups who are rushing to “canonize” Dr. Tiller as some martyr for women’s rights are I think premature. Yes, he was a doctor but he also was a businessman. A small but well-known portion of that business was involved in the controversial procedure of very late-term abortions.
June 2, 2009 at 3:41 am
Zee
It’s “controversial” only to ignorant people like you, Kathy. Such abortions aren’t elective surgery that women solicit from “business” men. These are wanted pregnancies, gone tragically wrong.
June 2, 2009 at 4:25 am
edgeoforever
Zee pretty much covered this – but I simply cannot let such a post unanswered. At least you used “late term” so, I’ll pose this question to you:
What kind woman do you Cathy – think – changes her mind about having a child after carrying 6 months or more???? This “partial birth abortion” – starting with this name – is the most ridiculous straw man fundies came up with.
June 3, 2009 at 9:06 am
Mrs. Bucket (that's pronounced Boo-Kay!)
RE: “He makes sure to use “our differences” as to include all of us in his views (i.e – this is about abortion, instead of health and reproductive rights, and it’s all so difficult, no wonder some lose it).”
That is the exact psychological trick Adolf Hilter (and most tyrants – whether in the work place or a government) use. It is know as “shared responsibility” and is used to send the message “If I go down, you all go down with me.”
O = 0
June 23, 2009 at 6:26 am
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