I don't think that ridculing Palin's bizarre religious practices is a winner

[MrScorpio]

There's a razor thin margin of folks who would otherwise vote our way, except that they would take criticism of things like speaking in tongues as unfairly opposing religion in general.

Instead, we should praise the fact that we live in a society that embraces religious faith and as Democrats we are tolerant of her seemingly unusual beliefs.

We can harp on her Dominionist predilections until the cows come home, and all it'll do is wall off potential Obama voters.

Regardless of her beliefs, there are plenty of other traits that make her unfit for VP.

[KittyWampus]

1. Unless some 527's want to start pushing some of the more outrageous crap her pastor said.

However, I agree with you.

I do think she and her husband's support of AIP should become common knowledge.

[Shine]

2. I agree....to a point.

Without appearing "ridiculing", but still informing voters of how much her governing style is influenced by her religious faith, i.e., asking voters to "pray for the pipeline" and seeing the Iraq War as a "task from God", it's possible to score some points.

But you're right, there are PLENTY of other traits which make her unfit.

Namely, the LYING she consistently engages in. I guess she's the perfect political soul mate for McSame. :eyes:

[chelsea0011]

3. I agree with you wholeheartedly, however, if she starts speaking in tongues

during the VP debate I'll be concerned.

[Shine]

4. heheh.

at which point, Obama could say: "In what respect, Sarah?" :rofl:

[HughMoran]

5. I thought it had a "cancellation effect" on Obama's preacher, nothing more

Beyond that I think people may be missing the hypocrisy aspect of this story - in a big way!!

Let's not set ourselves up for a massive backlash 527 ad from the other side.

[MrScorpio]

7. These people have already rationalized that Wright is wrong and the AOG is right

These are white people who think that Wright is unAmerican and will refuse to recognize the hypocrisy.

It's like banging one's head against the wall.

On the other hand, if we embrace her "faith" we'll create the meme that we stand for religious freedom, even for our opponents. We reinforce the importance of faith in one's life.

The best thing to do is diminish the Wright controversy by not allowing it to come up, because in any for or fashion references to it only hurt us.

[stillcool]

6. I don't ridicule her faith..

Instead I tell people that I am scared shitless of the Right Wing Religious Fanatics, especially one that is a VP pick by an old man that can't seem to say no to anyone.

[kayell]

8. I think the bigger problem is that it has diverted us

from spending time and energy on the main target - McCain. We need to spend our time on targeting the head.

McCain can't win on issues. We need to focus on the economy, the threat of more war and more money we don't have spent on war.

Yes, I got totally sucked into the Palin situation. She is SO despicable, so horrible. I've come to believe that they picked her specifically for how polarizing she is and very, very deliberately to keep our attention diverted from McCain.

[flamingdem]

9. I like the SNL mention of dinosaurs

very subtle

[progressivebydesign]

10. Tough call. I think her religion IS important, because she's an extremist.

It taints her worldview and she makes POLITICAL decisions because of it. I wouldn't ridicule speaking in tongues, tho it is a sign of some type of hysteria or psychosis. But so much of her own doctrine comes from her extreme beliefs.. and her beliefs are what drive her policy decisions.

It's a slippery slope, but her religion cannot be fully discounted. It affects us all. The problem is that her religion is not happy letting other people do and believe what they want... their whole thing is evangelizing and telling people how to live their lives. Now if she was a just "Christian" and not "A Christian" that would be different. There is a distinction in how they approach what others say and do in their private lives. Jimmy Carter is "christian", John Ashcroft was "A christian" (and same brand as Palin -- remember all the shit he did in the name of his beliefs?)

Ridicule is not appropriate, but a FULL understanding by all voters of what her religion wants to force on others, is totally appropriate.

[Lars39]

11. Can't agree....not when one of those predilections is wanting to establish

a theocracy.

[MrScorpio]

15. My thinking is that if we get those folks for us, we will

And she doesn't get a chance to establish a theocracy

There are things for domestic consumption and stuff we tell them that they want to hear

[City Lights]

12. I'm fine with not ridiculing as long as the media informs the public about her beliefs.

Let them shine a light on her church (without editorializing) and let the public decide.

[sampsonblk]

13. Yep

We'd be opening a can of worms to harp on most of that stuff.

There are dozens upon dozens of great opportunities for us to pounce. Her religion, unusual as it is, need not be one of them.

[TheDoorbellRang]

14. Not necessarily. Pentecostals are "weird" even in smalltown America

I lived in a pop. 2300 town in rural Missouri for twenty some years. While I lived there, a Pentecostal church sprang up, and the stories about them were legion. They were definitely considered whackydoodles by everyone else in that very conservative town. Recently I talked to an undecided voter from there who liked McCain and thought Palin was a "breath of fresh air." All I had to say was, "Did you know she's one of those Pentecostals?" Long pause. He's now voting for Obama.

[Cha]

16. How about pointing out they

believe Catholics need to be saved? 'Cause that's what I did to one guy in our co-op who said his mom was voting for Obama and she had always voted republican because of the antichoice issue but when she found out palin was against Gays she said "that's it! No more!" ..he then went on to explain that she's Catholic so I told him about more of their religious beliefs and he said he was going to tell his family that too because it would turn them even more around.

[tomg]

17. While I agree that religious practices

( including such things as talking in tongues) should never be ridiculed ( or, for that brought into the discussion), her stated beliefs and how those beliefs would impact on public policy are a crucial matter of concern. Granted there are ways to go about this by asking not only her position but the roots of her position on a host of issues - stem cell research, abortion, American exceptionalism, intelligent design, environmental policies.

Practices and specific beliefs that have no impact on public policy are clearly one thing. For example, I was raised Catholic (now way beyond lapsed), and I truly doubt that the Church's belief in transubstantiation ( Real Presence) is going to have any impact on anything ( and, frankly, it is no more unusual to non-believers than talking in tongues, if a little less flamboyant). The Church's stated position on abortion will have an impact. Roman Catholic politicians have had the question raised, and insofar as it concerns public policy, it is legitimate.

I would say find public policy areas where her positions are a) pretty far out of the mainstream ( even if solidly conservative); b) are clearly rooted in her specific belief system. Then simply ask a) what is her position and b) why is it her position and c) in the role of Vice President in what ways would she advocate for those positions on public policies. For that matter, I would go with the areas where she and McCain are at odds.

[dazzlerazzle]

19. far out positions

But I can't understand whether she is being presented as kind of feminist, but not so much. She is clearly an opportunist in posing with a gun and a dead wolf therefore being acceptable to the NRA, but it looks like she is mostly against women's rights. Carly Fiorina was too brittle apparently to be chosen, although she clearly believes in women's rights, but probably twice as qualified to the VP slot as a conservative choice. Her husband's affiliation with a secessionist group which apparently was not a concern to the McCain people should have been enough to pass over Ms Palin.

[tomg]

24. It is interesting that you mention two

positions in this regard. The one is the wolf photo and her appeal to hunters. She clearly appeals to hunters, but if you show her aerial hunting ( her extreme position), no decent hunter that I know would go there. So the basic position - hunters' right - is legitimate ( I am not a hunter or a gun advocate and want strict gun control, but 2nd amendment rights are a legitimate, if thorny, issue); the unexamined extreme position ( and her general position on endangered species and the environment) turns off those hunters that the fact that she is a hunter. States Right - and I am not using it as a code here for racism ( which it historically has been) - is, again, a legitimate area of discussion. Her husband's connection to the AIP is the extreme. Frankly, it is clear she wasn't vetted.

The reason she was chosen, I think, is that they tried what has to be the strangest twofer in election history: "feminists" and fundamentalists. In terms of positions, she is clearly, to any relatively informed voter, anti-feminist. To low information voters who don't have a strong sense of feminism, she is "feminist," insofar as she is a "successful" woman politican. To attack her then on her fundamentalist positions can be spun by the right as sexist. I know little about Carly Fiorina, but she is a Republican who is fiscal conservative but not necessarily values conservative. She, like Tom Ridge, would have simply been unacceptable to the Christian Right under Dobson et. al.

[chascarrillo]

22. Amen!

[earthlover]

18. Palin's religions belives catholics, methodists, presbyterians, lutherans are going to hell....

Elect her, and the whole country will go to hell.

I think the best way to handle Palin is to point out that McCain's hasty choice doesn't bode well for his executive decision making. Make her choice reflect on HIS judgement. It's not her religion, it's HIS lack of judgement for nominating her. ANd the lying they have both done should definately be an issue.

[grantcart]

20. I agree simply because those that are going to react against it already

are against her.

[TwilightGardener]

21. Mormonism did Romney in. Rev. Wright almost did Obama in. Why should this

crazy-ass piece of shit be protected? Romney and Obama don't belong to faiths that want to see Armageddon happen.

[AtomicKitten]

23. Face it, any scrutiny of Palin will be construed as assaultive or sexist or some such nonsense.

Obama just needs to tell the truth, and the truth about the fundies AKA "American Taliban" must be heard. It is relevant because they seek to restrict and control Americans based on their twisted interpretation of biblical principle.

[TexasObserver]

25. Disagree. And that's a bad way of thinking.

If there is one thing Democrats do far too much, it is to worry about whether our attacks on the GOP candidates are too tough, or too harsh. That is one reason we often get our butts kicked in presidential politics. We spend far too much energy hand wringing.

SOME Americans will be offended when they learn of her extreme religious practices, and we should make sure the knowledge is out there.

[treestar]

26. Amen! I'm willing to be anyone who puts on a gas mask and goes to

Freeperland cannot find a single post wondering if any possible attack against Obama or Biden is too harsh and not proven or will it backlash!

[Abugface]

27. Her religious beliefs - fanatical religious terrorism ...

.. should be the main issue against her. She is a rapturist who appears to believe that her kind of Christians should help bring about Armageddon. These religious fanatics are hoping for the end of the world as we know it. To have one a heartbeat away from the nuclear trigger is more frightening than ANYTHING else we could fear from a president. If you have ever had any interaction with these folks you would know just how fanatical, robotic and determined they are.

Take some time and research what these people believe. The religious fanatic suicide bombers will kill a few people or a few hundred people. A president hoping for genocide, who believes that genocide is the will of God, will steal our future and that of all generations to come.

Speaking in tongues, whatever, none of it is important. But, a president that hopes for and seeks to bring about Armageddon is the worst of all fears and the greatest of all evils.

I would hope moderate and mainstream religious organizations would expose her for what she may be. If the Obama campaign goes after her it will be in big trouble. The 527s should show her no mercy on this issue.

[Paladin]

28. We're Going To Take So Many Issues Off The Table.....

....that we're going to lose this race.

[Dervill Crow]

29. As a Pagan, I'm a bit scared of religious intolerance in any of its forms. nt

[Abugface]

33. religious intolerance ...

should not be tolerated, and neither should religious terrorism. The two are completely different, however.

[Dervill Crow]

37. I agree.

While I sure as hell don't want Palin's religious extremism to become the accepted norm for the whole country, ridiculing them makes me uncomfortable. I don't have a problem with Christians as long as they leave me alone.

The thought of Palin in a position of power scares me personally. The bumpersticker "The last time we mixed politics and religion people got burned at the stake" comes to mind, although the burnings happened in Europe. People here were "just" hung. No thanks.
:scared:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

30. I don't care about the more arcane aspects of Palin's beliefs

I just want to know if she believes in the separation of church and state and whether or not she believes that America is a Christian nation. I want her statement out there. Either she'll delight her narrow base by telling them she believes we are Christian soldiers or she'll turn them off in order to assuage the fears of the majority of Americans who might be alarmed at the thought of living in a theocracy.

[Major Hogwash]

31. If Sarah starts preaching flat earth society crap, we need to point that out to voters.

Seriously, her belief system has just as much to do with this as her penchant for hunting for wolves from helicopters.

She's a whack job.
We can not get everyone to vote for Obama simply by not pointing out all of the faults of the person who McCain has said is "ready to step in on Day 1" to replace him if necessary.

[IndianaGreen]

32. Once religion decides to impose its views, then it becomes a fair target

Palin's views are so far outside the mainstream of Christianity that she could only be described as a heretic.

[BlueIdaho]

34. Palin is the diversion - McCain is the real enemy.

Stop looking at the shiny object - start attacking McCain - HE's the one running for president.

NOBODY votes for vice president - NOBODY.

[Abugface]

35. McCain's pick of Palin

is a major example of his poor judgment. Her extremist religious views, especially about the rapture and Armageddon are significant issues. She needs to be exposed for her radical and dangerous views (starting a nuclear war is not a small issue - or maybe some of you think it is?) and McCain needs to be attacked for his terrible lack of good judgment.

Palin's extreme (I believe terrorist) views and McCain's poor judgment are valid issues. Talk about national security, just imagine Sarah Palin with her fingers on the nuclear trigger!

[renie408]

36. But it's FUN...Hell, I don't even know what a Dominionist is. I keep wanting to ask

but I feel stupid. I am off to check google...