Freepology Today: Barack Obama -- Crypto-Muslim or Racist Christian? Freepers weigh in.

[theredpen]

In the wake of Obama's rising fortunes in the primaries, NewsMax has oozed forward with a revolting smear piece entitled, "http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/Obama_Church_Racism/2008/01/07/62285.html">Barack Obama's Racist Church."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949815/posts">Freeper response varies. The NewsMax article opens with...

Imagine if Mitt Romney’s church proclaimed on its website that it is “unashamedly white.”

...and much of the discussion revolves around that. Several posters point out the weakness of this analogy that stems from the Mormon Church's rather unfortunate history on race.

Freeper Non-Sequitur who ranks among the rare Freepers with a working brain asks...

And if Joe Lieberman's synagogue announced that it has “non-negotiable commitment to Israel,” would Newsmax be bitching about that?

...but this lone moment of wit and insight is pretty solidly buried in the digital feces that typifies Free Republic.

Freeper SJackson posts an extended excerpt from the "about" page of Obama's church (SJackson posts this frequently — wherever the subject arises). This is followed by joebuck's clever analysis: "I note that in the incredibly long excerpt you posted from this “Church’s” website the word Jesus never appears." By my count, "Christ" appears 9 times, "God" appears 10 times and — wait for it — "Jesus" appears twice. I guess "twice" does sometimes mean "never" — like when someone says "George W. Bush won the presidential election twice."

Freepers no dems and mel "keep the faith" by declaring their continued belief that Obama is secretly a Muslim. It's ridesthemiles who really puts it out there on this issue:

I this this is pure bullcrap. I still think Obama is Muslim, thru and thru to the core. He is hiding part of his life time-line, especially his “education in the Middle East—which occurred after his father reappeared in his life after an 8 year absence between 2 and 8 years old.

The real question here is: where did ridesthemiles receive an education? Anywhere? An "8 year absence" between ages 2 and 8? You can do that arithmetic on your fingers, so it seems like even the dimmest Freeper could determine that 8 minus 2 is 6. But this is the kind of ongoing discovery that makes Freepology such a rich field.

ridesthemiles also has a problem with geography (big surprise). Between ages 2 and 8, Barack Obama lived in Hawaii and Indonesia, neither of which are in the Middle East. In fact — and if you're reading this, ridesthemiles, you may want to sit down — Hawaii is in the United States of America. Imagine that.

In reality (ssssh... don't tell the Freepers), Obama's father visited him briefly in 1971, when Obama was 10 years old.

Finally, sasafras — who's tagline is "Diversity indoctrination will be the end to America as we know it." — posts an interesting note about Rush Limbaugh's policy on Obama's religion:

Rush interrupted a caller who was detailing Obamas church and Rush cut him off and said he wouldnt allow an attack against Obamas religion.

I didn't expect that. Of course, we'll see how durable this high-minded policy is if Obama continues his momentum to win the nomination.

[Maine-ah]

1. kick for ya, lovely post!

:kick:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. There's a live one in GD:P

Mebbe two.

[Liberal In Texas]

11. I'll say.I'm surprised a certain OP over there isn't enjoying a well known frozen pizza

brand already.

[Kucinich4America]

3. I know Freepers are easily confused, but this is even a new low for them.....

How can someone be a "black Christian supremacist" and a "radical Islamofascist" at the same time?

[MidwestTransplant]

4. Rush say he won't allow an attack on Obama's religion because

when he says it, it looks like he is Muslim. i.e. no Muslim bating on his show.

[theredpen]

5. Interesting

So is the "no Muslim bashing" an official rule on Rush's show? I would have thought that would be a frequent topic of discussion on Free Republic.

[MidwestTransplant]

9. I don't think it's a rule at all. I think he just want to look like the good guy

while intimating the Obama is a Muslim.

[theredpen]

10. I think I get it

By pretending to take the high road and squelching discussion of Obama's religion, Rush helps keep alive the rumors about him being a Muslim. In absence of anyone criticizing Obama's Christian church, there's nothing to reverse the misapprehensions. Clever (in a sick kind of way).

Many, if not most, Freepers have given up on the "Obama is a Muslim" crap because it was too transparent even for them. That, and some of their favorite disinformation merchants admitted that Obama is not a Muslim. Obviously, there are some holdouts.

I was surprised by the idea that Rush wouldn't allow Muslim-baiting since it is rife on Free Republic. Keep in mind that every time you post on Free Republic, you view a brief message telling you not to post anything "racist." Obviously, the reminder doesn't work, and it speaks volumes about their forum community that this reminder even has to be included (can you imagine needing this reminder on DU?).

After Rush's oh-so-funny :eyes: race-baiting "Obama, the Magic Negro" song, I would think that the relatively "acceptable" act of Muslim-baiting would be commonplace on his show. I can see why he'd have a motive to avoid any protracted discussion of Obama's religion, though. Thanks for pointing that out.

[LibertyLover]

6. Last week a woman I know

sent out that horrible e-mail about how a Muslim could not be a good US citizen and that therefore, Obama, since he was a crypto-Muslim couldn't be a good one either. She got jumped on by virtually everyone to whom she sent it and told to (a) cut it out and (b) check Snopes first. All except for one person that is who brought up Obama's church and how it was "unashamedly black". Well, he got jumped on too. Especially since he had stupidly misunderstood an e-mail from one of the spamees that reminded people that forty years before, a similar e-mail could have been sent out about JFK and Catholicism. This freeper-in-good-standing thought that he was being told that as a Catholic he couldn't be a good US citizen and he went ballistic. Gross stupidity put into writing is never a pretty picture.

[theredpen]

8. Welcome to the disinformation age

Back in the mid-80's I was roundly flamed for suggesting that the Internet would ultimately make people dumber.

Victory is mine! :(

[Skittles]

15. isn't it something?

I just don't understand it - and now, when the interenet can easily be used for education, it all to often is not. I received a stupid email recently about a certain designer, accusing him of racism - it took me all of ten seconds to Snope it and find out it was absolute crap. I replied to ALL, a lot of people, with the link and asked the sender to please, please stop believing everything he read and to research before making a hideous racism accusation. I hope he thinks twice before sending such crap next time.

[treestar]

7. Freepers not getting the concept that AAs are Christians too

Any church can go over to Africa to do "good" (if that's what Christian proselytizing is). White, black, beige, brown.

Anybody with any contact with the Middle East, is something we NEED, to anyone of good faith. That means he can hopefully negotiate with them with positive results. Not that Obama has that, but his ties to Kenya can't hurt us, they can only help us. (Reminds me of Kerry's wife, who was such a liability to morans of Freeper origin).

That Obama is a Muslim we ought to attach as slander. There is nothing wrong with being a Muslim. But Obama is not one, so saying he is one is a form of slander. Put the morans on the spot for claiming it.

[robbedvoter]

12. Easier than contemplate their own pathetic field, no doubt...

[theredpen]

13. GO FRED!11!!!! I"M SERIES!

Oh, they love them some Fred Thompson.

There was a post in there they other day that I almost commented on where the poster said, "Whatever happens, the Republicans will win in 08."

I really should have bookmarked it. It will be painfully hilarious to re-read a year from now (I hope I didn't just jinx the Democrats :( ).

[robbedvoter]

14. Grandpa? Cute as a button! This one's for them:

[theredpen]

16. Classic n/t