Here's my bottom line - Rick Warren is repugnant to at least some minority of Obama supporters, and that had to have been well known - perhaps Obama's calculation is that it's worth more on the upside - in forging some connection there to Warren's movement - but it doesn't change the fact that I, and others, have a real distaste for seeing this guy given this kind of legitimacy with the administration. I would understand asking him to work with Obama on specific issues like AIDS or the environment, in a serious role, but asking him to play a highly public role - not to mention, a spiritual role - in the inauguration is something I don't feel is necessary, and I find misguided.
I'm sure Obama's team - and perhaps you too - understand the politics better than I do, and it's likely they would not do this if it weren't politically advantageous. Nevertheless, Obama has created an image for himself - unambiguously - as a different kind of politician. I expect to hold him to a very high standard - as, frankly, many of us did with Bush. We picked apart every act of the Bush administration - rightly - to find its political motive. Obama is going to undergo the same kind of scrutiny - maybe more - and I expect him to do well in general... I like him, am betting on him, but I don't think he's immune to scrutiny. He's going to have to make political calculations - and I understand many times I'll end up on the wrong side of that calculation. For instance, I believe many national Democrats would be in favor of full gay rights and gay marriage, including Obama and Hillary. But I also know it's a major political handicap to acknowledge that today, so they make a choice to find a safe position. I still think it's wrong, and cynical. Same with Rick Warren. _______________________________________________ OSX-Nutters mailing list | [email protected] http://lists.tit-wank.com/mailman/listinfo/osx-nutters List hosted at http://cat5.org/
