Doug Wead, the evangelical former advisor to both Bush presidents, wants to know more about Barack Obama, specifically about his middle name:
The Obama dream is intoxicating but who is he? Has he really been vetted? And why can’t we say his middle name? Barack Hussein Obama? We can say James Earl Carter and no one is offended. We can say William Jefferson Clinton or George Herbert Walker Bush. Why is everything so off limits with Obama? What’s behind the Hussein?
Doesn’t mean he is bad or that there is necessarily something that will disqualify him. The American people can be very tolerant. We elected Grover Cleveland even though he fathered a child out of wedlock. But as Rudolph Giuliani can testify, we do want to know everything. There is no such thing as a private life for a public person, at least the premier public person in our society, our president. We want to know. And that does not make us voyeurs or bad people or judgmental or racist. It makes us smart….
When we learned that Mel Gibson’s father was a Holocaust denier it put a whole new wrinkle on the production of The Passion. It didn’t mean we wouldn’t go see it or that we don’t like his movies. The Patriot was amazing. But it was instructive to know. So what does Obama’s father have to say about life and Islam and the world? And what does his stepfather think? What do his cousins think? What do his friends from Indonesia think? What are we afraid to hear? Why should we wait and hear it after it’s too late and he is the president? Why not now? Doesn’t mean we won’t vote for him. Just means we want to know.
What do you think? Has Obama, including his and his relatvies’ experiences with Islam, been properly vetted? Should his relatives be vetted?
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posted February 26, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Dan, Obama is old news. I can’t believe I’ve scooped Blog O Meter. Not a word here on the Simms candidacy?
Paul – originalfaith.com
posted February 27, 2008 at 4:35 pm
if you want to know, read just a bit of “dreams from my father.” or look at his family tree at the chicago sun.
his father died and left he and his mother when obama was very young.
his step father died as well. it sounds like you need to pick up the book. it’s at the library.
also, obama is christian.
besides, i know a lot of muslims. they aren’t terrorists. i know the current administration has tried to convince everyone that muslims are terrorists. terrorists are terrorists and they come in all varieties.
i think you need to put on your global thinking cap. it’s the new world.
posted February 27, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Maybe a Christian with a Islamic name will tone down the hated toward America. If the terrorist think that we elected one of hteir own as president maybe they will look for someone else to attack. I know that when we went to Bosnia and Kosovo to PROTECT muslims, they took no heed of that.
My belief is that if GWB died today, Dead-eye Dick would declare martial law and make war on everybody. Solet us keep everyone safe until Jan, 2008. Whatever choice the people of America will be by far better that the last one they made.
posted February 28, 2008 at 11:17 am
There are obvious reasons why conservatives want to hammer away at Barak Obama’s middle name, Hussein. They want to play on the fears of the American people. They want the American people to think that he’s a muslim when he’s said on more than a few occasions that he is a Christian. His mother converted to catholicism. They also want to try to make a connection between Sadaam Hussein and Barak Hussein Obama as if he’s of that character ilk. While it’s true that many presidents have been referred to by their whole names, rarely, if ever, was it referred to in a disparaging way. I’m going to predict that the American people are going to see through the thin veil of the racism of the Limbaugh’s, the Cunningham’s, the Hannity’s, the Savages, the Coulter’s, the Ingram’s and all of their character in the coming election.
posted February 28, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Does anyone else find it ironic that Obama seems to be leading among American Muslims at the same time that he’s calling the false rumors that he’s Muslim “scurrilous” and that his supporters are denouncing those who use his middle name? At some point, should Muslims say, ‘Wait a minute–why are you trying so hard to distance yourself from a a Muslim heritage?’ It seems like quite a gentleman’s agreement they have going.