Frank Schaeffer: Obama Was Right To Pick Warren

[Political Tiger]

I'm pro-Obama, pro-gay rights. I'm a former once burned, twice shy, ex-evangelical, son of a founder of the Religious Right, now a writer excoriated by the right as a traitor. And Let me tell you why Obama is -- again -- wiser than his critics in picking Warren to pray at the inauguration.

Unlike his lefty critics lamenting Obama's ideological impurity, the President-elect is actually positioning himself to help gay rights. That is because he is going to actually govern, not stand on the sidelines complaining. As such he needs to do all he can to soothe the idiots, when it comes to the tough social/political issues that are the residue of 30 years of culture wars.

In inviting Warren, President-elect Obama is sending a signal that as President he is going to stick with resolve to doing the tough things when it comes to using some political capital on behalf of the gay community. He knows symbols are important and is softening the blow for the vast number of evangelicals to whom Warren -- who, may it be noted, looks to me like a fatter, weirder reincarnation of Jerry Falwell, literally -- is a hero.

As noted by Jim Wallis in his "Hearts and Minds" Sojourners post (December 19, 2008) a leading evangelical -- Richard Cizik -- who is progressive on environmental issues and gay rights, was just fired from the vice presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals for only daring to say he is warming up to the idea of gay civil unions.

<....>

Here's the point for all you progressives that only talk to yourselves and haven't a clue about the "other" America: in a country where a national evangelical leader is fired for just voting for Obama, and thinking friendly thoughts about gays, the new progressive president has his work cut out!

If you all -- if we -- bitch each time Obama makes a strategic move, we are just shooting ourselves in the foot. Pipe down, and give him a chance. And by the way, America faces bigger problems right now than the window dressing at the inauguration.

Progressives are too used to failing. Stop worrying about little battles, you just won a war. It's all about real results now, not words, and not symbols. It is time to think like winners. The issue now is governance, not symbols.

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/obama-was-right-to-pick-w_b_152330.html

[aquart]

1. Hey, if it gets his bigot congregation to abandon him...

...because they ain't taking this as a compliment. They're taking it as a flat out betrayal. Which cheers me right up.

[kstewart33]

2. Thank you for this post.

Schaeffer is right on. I hope that all members of our DU gay community will read this.

[NWHarkness]

3. Man, that is some Grade A condescension there. n/t

[Mojorabbit]

7. yep nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. "Stop worrying about little battles"

That is a very interesting quote from the article and it says everything about it.

This writer thinks gays should be thrown under the bus and that they're just a little battle - an unimportant one that people should just ignore a while and instead focus on the "important" battles.

[mzmolly]

21. That's not what the article says at all. The little battle is who's speaking at the inauguration.

The larger battle is one of human rights for all, which the author pointed out.

[rpannier]

5. What an incredibly condescending article

The article implies that only people from large cities who have no understanding of small towns or rural America are upset by this decision.

My family lives in a town of 700 people (I live in Korea)
My mother's family were all farmers until the early 1920's and then we got a few teachers and construction workers.

[Mist]

6. I got the idea that Schaeffer was referring to the "window dressing at

the inauguration" when he used the term "little battles."

[Political Tiger]

8. That's how I read it too. n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Yeah, but does a sign saying, "Queers not welcome," really count as window dressing?

[Political Tiger]

10. I have not seen this sign

Where is it posted?

[Pirate Smile]

15. It's not.

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Please tell me you're smarter than that.

[Political Tiger]

17. I was being facetious

Like I'm sure you are by having a Paul Wellstone avatar considering he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act...

[FiveGoodMen]

18. DOMA's the one BIG thing I hold against Wellstone

It's just that there's more to dislike about almost everyone else.

Sorry if I misinterpreted your post.

[Cattledog]

11. Schaeffer is correct.

Symbolism is nothing more than Mysticism. I could care less if someone got up there and spoke in tongues , started rolling around on the stage, and spontaneously combusted.

[crone]

13. actually it someone got up there and spoke in tongues etc...

... Cattledog,it would be quite entertaining! The spontaneous combustion part would be a bit scary though. Perhaps we should get David Blaine to deliver the invocation!

[crone]

12. you only win the war by worrying about the little battles...

one battle at a time. For as long as it takes.

Don't tell me to stop worrying or to shut up in expressing the outrage I feel for my Gay Brothers and Sisters, and for myself as a woman, and for my daughters. I voted for this guy. I worked hard for this guy. He is employed by *me* ( and the rest of us) and I have an obligation to let him know about issues I feel so strongly about- and his handling of same. It's my job.

[Golden Raisin]

14. On behalf of all the progressives who

"haven't a clue" I'd like to thank Mr. Schaeffer for pointing out the error of our ways. :sarcasm:
Seems like that particular fundy chromosome, you know the one --- the "My beliefs are 100% right and everyone else is clueless and going straight to hell" chromosome --- still is twisted pretty tightly around Mr. Schaeffer's DNA strand despite his "conversion". His article contains quite a hefty dose of the snide, condescending, dismissive assumptions I associate with the Fundies who live in the "other" America that Mr. Schaeffer lectures me I know nothing about.

[Cha]

19. Wouldn't it be grand if

this were the start of changing the laws in America to give everyone equal rights?

[southernyankeebelle]

20. Agree

Well I think our gay friends need to cool it because it will turn some people off. The right already demonizes them already and gays do not need to play into their hands. Obama needs to pick and chose his battles and so do gays.

[RainDog]

28. that's what Martin Luther King heard too

when he would not back down on civil rights.

the bigots in this nation will NOT come around until the law forces them to. it's that simple.

[mzmolly]

22. Excellent considerations.

Thanks for sharing this.

[otohara]

23. Will Warren Allow Gays in His Church Eventually?

because right now, they are not welcome at Saddleback. No homos, no "unrepentant" homos according to the good Reverend Warren.

http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/story/rick_warren_explicitly_bans_unrepentant_gays_from/

[KG]

24. this man understands nothing about progressivism and the struggle for economic and social justice.

progressives didn't 'win a war'. the dems got a president elected. not even close to the same thing, since obama is decidedly not a progressive. the fight should go on unabated.

just another steaming pile from a sit-down-and-shut-up authoritarian. piss on him.

[TankLV]

25. Yeah - SURE ya are bobby - keep telling yourself the bullshit you're spewing...

NEWSFLASH: YOU'RE NOTHING YOU SAY YOU ARE.

YOU'RE NOT "PRO-GAY RIGHTS"..

"lefty" - "lefty critics"...umhuh...riiiight

says all we need to know...

We know WHAT you are - does ASSHOLE ring a bell?

[Two Americas]

26. so insulting and innacurate

"Lefty critics?"

"ideological impurity?"

"Stand on the sidelines complaining?"

"All you progressives that only talk to yourselves and haven't a clue about the 'other' America?"

"Bitch?"

"Pipe down?"

[Skittles]

27. it's fucking disgusting

:thumbsdown:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

29. Great article! and NO it doesn't mean we should stuff our anger

the black and white thinking here is driving me nuts---- talking about the good that can come of this does NOT mean the writer is saying we should stuff our disgust at Warren and hypocrites like him!!

I'm excited because now, what we all KNOW is beginning to get NOTICED. THIS what we have WANTED!

This is GOOD.