You’re Likable Enough, Gay People-By FRANK RICH

[kpete]

Op-Ed Columnist
You’re Likable Enough, Gay People
By FRANK RICH
Published: December 27, 2008

IN his first press conference after his re-election in 2004, President Bush memorably declared, “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” We all know how that turned out.

Barack Obama has little in common with George W. Bush, thank God, his obsessive workouts and message control notwithstanding. At a time when very few Americans feel very good about very much, Obama is generating huge hopes even before he takes office. So much so that his name and face, affixed to any product, may be the last commodity left in the marketplace that can still move Americans to shop.

I share these high hopes. But for the first time a faint tinge of Bush crept into my Obama reveries this month.

As we saw during primary season, our president-elect is not free of his own brand of hubris and arrogance, and sometimes it comes before a fall: “You’re likable enough, Hillary” was the prelude to his defeat in New Hampshire. He has hit this same note again by assigning the invocation at his inauguration to the Rev. Rick Warren, the Orange County, Calif., megachurch preacher who has likened committed gay relationships to incest, polygamy and “an older guy marrying a child.” Bestowing this honor on Warren was a conscious — and glib — decision by Obama to spend political capital. It was made with the certitude that a leader with a mandate can do no wrong.

more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/opinion/28rich.html?_r=1&hp

[laconicsax]

1. ...

:popcorn:

[Muttocracy]

2. I particularly like the later paragraph about how fighting AIDS is not the same

as avoiding homophobia.

[Th1onein]

28. He didn't "fight AIDS." He lined his friends' pockets.

Here's the first clue: He blocked generic drugs for AIDS treatment in Africa. Why would he do that if he didn't want to benefit certain pharmaceutical giants?

[Uzybone]

3. I love this line (especially the choose you battles part)

"McCarthy added that it’s also time “for President-elect Obama to start acting on the promises he made to the LGBT community during his campaign so that he doesn’t go down in history as another Bill Clinton, a sweet-talking swindler who would throw us under the bus for the sake of political expediency.” And “for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making, not on the character of his ministers.”"

[TankLV]

30. for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making

And so far obama is SORELY LACKING...

judge a person by his ACTIONS, not his MEANINGLESS WORDS...

so far, obama has said a big FUCK YOU to GBLT...

WE'RE watching and listening...

and so far what we see and hear WE DON'T LIKE ONE BIT!

obama better watch which battles he chooses - indeed...

[MADem]

4. OUCH.

Obama ignores this at his peril.

It's not like Frank Rich is a voice in the wilderness, either.

There’s no reason why Obama shouldn’t return the favor by inviting him to Washington. But there’s a difference between including Warren among the cacophony of voices weighing in on policy and anointing him as the inaugural’s de facto pope. You can’t blame V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an early Obama booster, for feeling as if he’d been slapped in the face. “I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table,” he told The Times, but “we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most-watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.”

[xchrom]

5. off to the greatest. nt

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Hard-hitting.

Recommended

[Starry Messenger]

7. Good article that hits all the high points.

Rec.

[Berry Cool]

8. Very well-written, balanced piece.

K&R with my thanks.

[Hanse]

9. Jesus Christ, the primaries are over.

The better candidate won. Get over it.

[blogslut]

11. Let me guess

You didn't read the whole piece but just looked at the headline and popped off.

[Skittles]

29. of course - that is what the idiot worshipers do

[blogslut]

10. Thank you, Frank

You said it better than I ever could.

[1776Forever]

12. It truly bothers me that some on DU cannot grasp the entire dimension of Rick Warren & his "dream"

I just posted this today (see link below) and I hope more people will take the time to REALLY get to know the true influence peddling this man has been doing for many years now. He has a DREAM but it isn't a MLK kind of Dream, it is a malicious and scary dream that includes spewing hatred from his African proteges who not only malign gays but put down abused women who are told to genuflect to their abusive husbands so they don't get beat as much!

For God's sake, how can anyone defend this type of behavior and preaching? His PEACE Plan has all ready been "approved" by Bono, Hillary and Bill, and some have said President-elect Obama also has approved but I will give Barack the benefit of the doubt since I and a lot of others had no idea what this man was all about until we started to dig into his past history. I can only hope that someone will pass the information on to him so he can understand what is behind this man's "dream" before he approves of him gaining more faith-based monies to further his plan!

Links to back all this up at this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8036345&mesg_id=8037256

[Luminous Animal]

14. I bookmarked that post.

Thank you. We need to keep this charlatan's activities front and center.

[xchrom]

13. kick

[Number23]

15. Got two big "AMENS!!" out of this post

And both from the same person!

Timothy McCarthy, a historian who teaches at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an unabashed Obama enthusiast who served on his campaign’s National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Leadership Council.

"This means Warren should “recant his previous statements about gays and lesbians, and start acting like a Christian.” Aaaaa-Men!!

"for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making, not on the character of his ministers.”

A-Men, brother! Amen!! Whew! Where's my church hat and fan??

[Karenina]

19. Here ya go, sister! Just happen to have a spare. A-MEN!

Damn, it's hot in here... :evilgrin:

[Number23]

27. Thanks, Karenina!

Who knew a bit of cardboard with a wooden handle could be so very REFRESHING??? :)

:fistbump:

[NJmaverick]

16. Axlerod had the best response for those that like to fan the flames of anger and division

like Mr Rich:


“We gotta get beyond this sorta politics where … we’re each on the jagged edge of a great divide, shaking our fists at each other,” Axelrod said


AND


“You have a conservative evangelical pastor who’s coming to participate in the inauguration of a progressive president,” Axelrod said from Chicago. “This is a healthy thing and a good thing for our country. We have to find ways to work together on the things on which we do agree, even when we profoundly disagree on other things.”


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16884.html

[LeFleur1]

17. Yah...

Re Quote:
“You have a conservative evangelical pastor who’s coming to participate in the inauguration of a progressive president,” Axelrod said from Chicago. “This is a healthy thing and a good thing for our country. We have to find ways to work together on the things on which we do agree, even when we profoundly disagree on other things"

A whole lot of people felt this very same way about the rights of black people and women for years.
Those people without civil rights just weren't as important as the 'things everyone agreed upon' so they did without their rights (and in many cases are still are doing without them) for years and years and years.

It's fine to work together when you agree. It's not fine to give a microphone and a stage to someone who PREACHES against rights for certain segments of our population, even if you agree that no one should go hungry...well, except maybe if it's hungry homosexuals and women who decide to have an abortion. THEY can go hungry, right? (That's sarcasm...:)

[NJmaverick]

18. That approach resulted in a black president, so I don't think you

should be so quick to dismiss it. It's a lot easier to talk to people and get them to see they should not be denying others their civil rights, if you are not at each others throats.

[lolly]

20. Really?

I might argue that the protests, sit-ins, and other in-your-face activism by civil rights workers was what ultimately led to our first black president.

In "Birmingham Jail," MLK Jr. pointedly dismissed the go-along-to-get-along types, and noted the futility of sitting back and waiting for racists to change their minds.

People who pay no price for their racism (or misogyny or homophobia) don't just up one day and stop hating. They stop when they're forced to realize that other people disapprove and disagree.

[NJmaverick]

22. Civil rights battles have historically shown to be a dynamic process

during the worst dicrimination more confrontational means are needed. There comes a point though, where those means become counter productive. As rights are gained, tactics must change.

If you notice Obama down played his race, not made it a major issue. There is a good reason for that, because ultimate equality is achieved when the subgrouping no longer is important or matters. That level is never achieved if both sides are forcing people into different groups.

[lolly]

24. As rights are gained?

As in, with the passage of Proposition 8?

The non-confrontational strategy certainly worked well in CA in November. Thank G-d liberals were careful to avoid confronting the bigots and their lies (and yes, one of the biggest liars was Warren).

[NJmaverick]

26. Well like Bush invading Iraq for 9/11

it makes little sense to attack Obama over the Prop 8 defeat. Hell, even Rick Warren wasn't a major player (he was barely a player at all) in that defeat. It would make more sense to address that issue at the source. Dobson, the Mormons, wealthy right winguts and the Catholic Church should be the targets.

[TankLV]

32. OH NO! You can't attack the fucking Catholic Church!

I have been explicitly told by "the Moderators" of DU that we have to respect the asshole NAZI POPE who equates gays with the INHUMAN, so we can't DARE to attack this asshole for what he SAYS and DOES - we must "respect others who love this cretin...

NOT ME!

Sorry - but deference to HATE MONGERS who DESPISE ME is not the definition of "tolerance"...

I will continue to ATTACK BIGOTRY and HATRED and OPPRESSION where I see it...

[TankLV]

31. more idiots making more EXCUSES for the INDEFENSIBLE we see...

nice...

[SidDithers]

21. Very good article but I have one small quibble...

this paragraph rang sour:

After noting that Warren’s role at the inauguration is, in the end, symbolic, McCarthy concluded that “it’s now time to move from symbol to substance.” This means Warren should “recant his previous statements about gays and lesbians, and start acting like a Christian.”

Bigotry and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. Warren is already acting like a Christian, he should just stop acting like a bigot.

Sid

[lolly]

23. I believe McCarthy meant "follow Christian principles"

He seems to be getting a dig in at the expense of "Christians" who actively reject all the teachings about love, turning the other cheek, etc., yet still fancy themselves to be "Christian."

[hlthe2b]

25. I would argue that there is a difference between PROFESSING

to be Christian and living the tenets of Christ.... Bigotry is not mutually exclusive to the FORMER. It is, however, NOT Compatible with the latter.