In Monroe, Michigan today at a campaign stop Barack Obama was asked about rumors that Sarah Palin’s daughter was really the mother of four month old Trig, and also what he thought of Sarah Palin revealing that the same daughter really is five months pregnant. Bravo to Obama for his response:
I have said before and I will repeat again: People’s families are off limits. And people’s children are especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics.
HT: Ben Smith
Hey, it has been a while since we discussed Palin, Anyone catch the interview with Charlie Gibson?
Jeff,
I have seen many of the attacks against Sarah Palin and her family since McCain announced her as his running mate and quite frankly, most are nothing but attempts by the drive-by media to derail the ticket.
I don’t have the opportunity at this time to raise each particular point, but one link I can give you is a link to all of the rumors the media has been attempting to spread about Governor Palin.
http://explorations.chasrmartin.com/2008/09/06/palin-rumors/
Well, gotta get back to work. I hope to post again later on this subject. Take care.
I know I might be beating a dead horse here but to those excited about Sarah Palin, the more that comes out the more she looks like coocoo for choa choa puffs. Here is an article released by the Huffington Post talking about her churches connections to the New apostolic reformation. I mentioned earlier that A of G practices can be a little nutty for many conservatives Christians, the Rick Joyner, C. Peter Wagner stuff is even out there for most A of G. If the MSM catches on to this it could be the devastating for the McCain camp.
Here is the article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/sarah-palins-churches-and_b_124611.html
This is in no way an attack as much as it is informing all of you what the media is talking about and the info that is being released about Palin and her affiliation with the Wasilla A of G.
There is another thing that could hurt her and is her or her husband’s affiliation with the Alaskan independence party. Talk about hating America, they really do, they have actually said it.
Thanks for the reply and that speech/prayer by FDR was great. I think America is different than it was in 1944, we were much more devout than we are now. The things that Palin said in that video will make a lot of folks cringe. I can identify with it growing up in AofG, but I think a lot of folks will think she is out in left field. We’ll see how it all shakes out. I think the issues that I brought up and the media are bring up are legit and should concern conservatives.
I do want to address this quote though, “Another radical right wing politician praying for victory over our enemies as if God is on our side!” This is the part of the faith that I think we have gone so far off track. If we are truly followers of Jesus, would he endorse that statement? We can go to scripture and hash that out very quickly in the beatitudes.
Horror of Horrors, Jeff! Another radical right wing politician praying for victory over our enemies as if God is on our side!
Sort of reminds me of that prayer another radical right wing politician prayed on the evening before D-Day. No…wait. That was FDR!
My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest — until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment — let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace — a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
Franklin D. Roosevelt – June 6, 1944
Hey all,
While at first I thought this Palin move was brilliant, this decision is going to backfire completely, I think. The more that comes out the more that nonchristians will not want to pull the trigger for her.
Here is another video that is going to be devastating for her. Middle America will not resinate with this at all.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html
Another issue is the vetting process that McCain went through to choose her. I first said it wasn’t a big deal but it starts to look like it is when all this stuff starts to appear in the media. It appears that McCain doesn’t know how to make the right decisions. Add to that his age and here lack of national experience and the length of state level experience. I am glad that this decision reenergizes the evangelical base, but I think that base is not as strong as it used to be for 2 reasons, Young evangelicals, and Ron Paul republicans. Many of these folks in the past would have done their Christian duty and pulled the switch for a Republican, not now. The goal of the Palin pick was 2 fold Women voters and Evangelicals. I think this is going to blow up badly, GWB has fractured the Republican Party badly this could be huge. I say all that to say that I think she is a wonderful person and actually very appealing, but most will not understand and this info will be a major turn off. It shows the world extreme views. Even many converservative christians might be turned off by the AofG profetic discussion, it is not the type that Paul speaks of on the radio it is God revealing the future to certain vessals. I used to be part of AofG, while I don’t renounce it I am very cautious of it.
BTW speaking of Bush did you catch his campaigning for off shore drilling during the Gustav presser?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr6I9h1GvzU&e
It’s about a minute or 2 into the video but man, what a poor way to campaign for an agenda. Tragic.
Just my 2 cents, the initial excitement of the pick might not last
Jeff,
I know you are not an Obama guy, but it is important to discuss these issues. Each of us has to come to conclusions regarding each candidate and I believe this is a great forum to do just that. Just remember, politics is a dirty business and the participants need to keep that in mind when entering the fray. The best thing we can do is to keep it from getting personal (again both sides are guilty) while keeping the main issues at the forefront. However, if there is inconsistancy, it does need to be pointed out and faced head on.
In the end, we need to find the candidate that both reflects our own personal worldview and do everything we can to defeat the one that opposes it. By the way, I enjoy your comments because they do make me think and refine my worldview. Thanks for listening to me as well.
I will concede that I can’t find anything on the children. To further that idea let’s say if, Obama’s daughters were 10 years older and they got pregnant out of wedlock, I don’t think for a second the right wing media machine would let up. Liberal policy this and liberal lifestyle that, Rush would have a field day. Would McCain react as Obama? We will never know, but the right wing has had a pretty extensive history of making mountains out of immoral molehills in the past. I think the Palin situation shows that no matter how moral we try to be mistakes happen, I hope those on the right can take que next time someone messes up. I commend Obama for being above that and I commend Paul and you for pointing this out. I swear the more I post the more I sound like an Obama guy, I really am not…….Thanks for listening
Hey Jeff,
Thank you for your kind words regarding being reasonable. I take that as a real compliment and pray that never changes.
I understand what you are saying regarding Michelle Obama, however, my main point was the children. They truly are the ones that should always be left out while they are underage. As the son of a pastor, I have felt the stings of people trying to make me an example simply because my Dad was the pastor. Thankfully, my Dad never let this continue and always strove to protect me from this kind of abuse.
I don’t doubt that audio editing occurs on both sides of the issues (I have over ten years experience in digital audio waveform editing and if I wanted, I could make anybody say anything I wanted.) My main point is that I do not believe Obama’s daughters have been attacked on the right. If they have been, the attackers are clearly in the wrong and are no better than rags like The Daily Kos. Thanks again, Jeff for the kind words. May all of our disagreements continue to be as civil! 🙂
Paul,
I remember back when this came out and you mentioned another speech. I looked it up at the time and could not find anything on it. I guess my point is. Whether the bleep it was intentional or not, I have heard many on the right present this as she is not a proud American. I personally agree with the left that it does make a difference of being proud or being really proud. The second indicates a hightened level of pride where the first is not proud prior to recent events. I would like it if the first speech were to show up because I would concede that the right is correct in using it. However, to use the clip that you posted and then lay out the case that she has never been proud is misrepresenting her words in the said video. Thanks Paul for posting it, I am busy this morning and already spending too much time blogging. 😉
Jeff,
My understanding is that there are actually two different speeches where Michelle Obama used the phrase “for the first time in my adult life…” In one she used the adjective “really” and in the other she didn’t. Nobody bleeped out anything. The audio skipped on the word “really” as you can tell in this CSPAN clip (I don’t think CSPAN has a right wing agenda):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYY73RO_egw.
Hey Greg,
I don’t have time to dig up all the quotes and misrepresentations of the right wing but I do have one(I have to work). Tell me your thoughts. I am sure you have heard the line where Michelle Obama said. “For the first time in my life I am proud of this country”. Well, in that speech she actually said “I am REALLY proud” however the right wing media machine bleeped really out because that one word makes a big difference. This is an example of taking the wife of a candidate misrepresenting her position so that this can be projected on to the candidate himself. What are your thoughts on something like that? If you like I can dig up the clips and show you how the right bleeped (it wasn’t a bleep sound as in a swear word it was silent during the word really) it out and how it actually sounded without the word missing. Don’t take this as an attack like some people might, I am just trying to have a reasonable conversation; you are one of the most reasonable people on this site from the right side of the pendulum.
Well, it makes sense that Obama should avoid the issue. After all, his position is a little different:
“When it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention is education, which should include — which should include abstinence education and teaching the children — teaching children, you know, that sex is not something casual. But it should also include — it should also include other, you know, information about contraception because, look, I’ve got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at the age of 16. You know, so it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”
He would’ve forced his kids to have an abortion … after all kids are just an inconvenience anyway … 🙁
Jeff,
What has the “right-wing attack machine,” as you call it, said regarding Obama’s children? I honestly don’t know of any derogatory thing. His wife has made political speeches and therefore has voluntarily joined the political fray, and is therefore fair game when she makes ridiculous statements. As far as Obama’s parents and grandparents, most of what I have heard has been on ideological and philosophical grounds which had an influence on Obama’s worldview, therefore that is also fair game.
Admittedly, this is a conservative blog (a mighty good thing if you ask me.) Tough scrutiny of Obama’s positions should be expected. As I have said previously, you are known by the company you keep. And Obama has a problem with his friends because they betray his true convictions. But that does not mean that he is incapable of respectable behavior and this truly is an honorable stand he has taken. Again, kudos Mr. Obama!
Here’s the question that I have, will McCain return the favor when the right wing attack machine does the same to Obama? His wife, his kids, his parents and grandparents. I have heard much from the right wing on all those folks, yet nothing from McCain. We’ll see if he is a stand up guy like Obama has shown with this action.
Amen Paul. Bravo to Obama. We all know that talking religion or politics is a volatile business and those who chose either path will bear the brunt of all the slings and arrows that they opposition can throw at them. But it is their choice to be involved. Their families, however do not have that choice.
Kudos to Obama for addressing this issue so quickly. To the Daily Kos, this has been par for the course for you. You apparently have no ideological foundation on which to stand, therefore, you resort to this kind of Ad Hominem attack instead of engaging in a meaningful debate.