So, why aren’t leftists upset at Obama for holding the same beliefs on gay marriage as Carrie Prejean? [h/t Instapundit]
Easy, they assume that he is lying. They think his Christianity based justification for opposing actual marriage for gays is simply a lie to fool the rubes on a hot-button issue. They know he might have lost critical support from left-of-center religious conservatives if he had really stated his true beliefs on the matter, so he just lied about his real beliefs to bamboozle the rubes.
Their comfort with this assumption that Obama is lying reveals a lot about contemporary leftists’ mores and their systematic contempt for their fellow citizens. They’re so full of themselves that they believe that the important thing is for them to have power, and that it really doesn’t matter how they get it. If Obama has to lie about his real beliefs about gay marriage then that’s acceptable in the cause of the greater good.
The only question for the rest of us is whether the leftists know the real Obama better than we do. In other words, who are the rubes? Are they the people who believe that Obama was stamped by a gay-leery African-American Christian community in Chicago, or are they the people who believe he was stamped by the far-left Northside intellectual subculture that supported his rise to national office?
Time will tell, I suppose.
Of course, this can be a false dilemma. He may have any of several sets of beliefs. A non-inclusive list might include the belief that even those around him don’t know what he thinks – that the point you make about any means to power being good are central to beliefs that even those around him must be played – union members, ethnic minorities; these people are not overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage and are not yet ready to be sent to the glue factory. Another option might be the beliefs of faiths to which Rev. Wright seems a good deal closer than Christianity that homosexualiity is an abomination. Well, if he is not as far into the thicket as these two options might imply, there is always a willingness to let others fill out forms and sign his name to them, not particularly caring what they say. This might imply that his famous ability with nuance is less that than an unwillingness to think through some of the more difficult issues of the day.
I do think when the left seems to project on the right a bigotry they may reveal more about their own vision. Of course, seeing groups rather than individuals/whole gets them into such problems. A pro-Kerry person in my family turned to me in some anger when I complained that it was inappropriate to throw at Cheney a position that Edwards claimed must be Cheney’s daughter’s. He said that why should the Republicans get all the bigot votes. Since I have respect for this relative, I assume this is not a completely alien position to the left. Of course, it ignores the fact that many have a principled (and not anti-gay) position against gay marriage, many of whom are strongly for civil unions. (That a gay thinker like Lee Harris has that position might make some pause.) And, secondly, the thinking that people would not vote for Cheney because he has a gay daughter. Such thinking seems to me to undermine their positions, let alone denigrate rather than discuss their opponent’s.
Not only do they think he is lying, they also believe that he will appoint judges that will rule in favor of gay marriage.
The Political Manual: Taking Positions
Excerpt:
…they believe that the important thing is for them to have power, and that it really doesn’t matter how they get it.
Looking at the last three months, especially the Chrysler thing, I wonder if they even think it matters very much what they do with it once they get it. I’m not kidding.
“Easy, they assume that he is lying.”
Of course, he’s lying. Politicians are supposed to lie. If they don’t lie how can they get elected? Politics–city, county, state, national, international–is brutal contest conducted in public. Opponents must be lulled, and gulled, before, during, and after elections. Politics isn’t science, it’s manipulation for the purpose of punishing one’s enemies and rewarding one’s friends. Imagine the cost if opponents had to be placated with graft. Lies are the best tools a politician has: cheap and effective.
this one is easy: “far-left Northside intellectual subculture”
Besides, Obama is a closet mustlim. That Christian church thing? Just a ruse to fool the rubes.
See how easy that was?
Obama isn’t a muslim — closet or otherwise. To be a muslim you have to believe that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet. Obama believes there is no god but Barack, and Michelle is his profit.
Q. How does Barack Obama change a light bulb?
A. He holds the bulb and lets the universe revolve around him.
I agree that they think he’s lying. Which allows me to ask my leftie friends, “What else do you think he is lying about?” And my favortie, “Do you think he is lying to YOU about something you want?”
They are so brain washed that they believe Obama will only lie to those of us on the right.
Honor among thieves exists in their world view.
I don’t know if he is lying or not. The Chicago Reader did a poll many years ago in which the subject was tolerance in Chicago. The breakdown of the poll revealed that among African-Americans, almost 85% stated that they would not tolerate a gay bar or establishment in their community. The poll showed a certain surprising hostility towards the gay lifestyle from what would otherwise be a large left-leaning block of voters.
If Obama is true to his word, and says what he believes then why is he not getting the Miss American treatment? I think most are correct to presume that he is a politician and needs to lie to maintain support in weak constituencies.
But why then does that not make Obama a lying hypocrite? The left had very little tolerance for the perceived “mendacity” of the Bush adminstration, but is cozy with this calculated hypocrisy.
Get back to me when Obama actually tells the truth about something.
What gives this whole thing its “through the looking glass” vibe is that if you tell one of these leftist O-bots that you oppose Dear Leader because you think Obama’s lying about his “moderate” position — whether that be gay marriage, dedication to fighting the war on terror, second amendment rights, socialization of the financial sector — the lefty O-bots will get angry with YOU, even though they support Obama precisely because they think he’s lying to you, not them. How dare you neocon not fall under the spell of the greatest orator since Cicero (or any other Chicago suburb)!
It doesn’t matter what Obama believes. What matters is what he actually does. That’s why I find the left’s gushing about the handwritten note he sent a soldier ejected under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to be so comical. For those of you keeping score at home, the UAW got Chrysler and the gays got a piece of paper. Chrysler’s bondholders can tell you how much a piece of paper is worth when Obama comes into the equation.
So who are the rubes? It’s not the gay marriage supporters or the gay marriage opponents. It’s anyone who thinks that the key to their issue is winning Obama’s support and solidarity. In reality, they gays will have marriage and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will be repealed when the gay rights community advances the issue far enough that it’s politically expedient for Obama to ride the wave.
“Left-of-center religious conservatives”???!?!?
What the hell does that mean??!?!?
““Left-of-center religious conservatives”???!?!?”
A big chunk of the Latino and black city vote.
JB
I suspect the old populist union vote fits that category as well. The uncomfortable joining of these groups in one party may account for some of the virulence from the social left. Some realize their voice in a party based on identify politics may not be as respected as they would like – it would be hard not to notice the homophobia of, say, Rev. Wright. If it is a thought out strategy, I’d assume demonizing certain views doesn’t just demonize those in the other party but muzzles them in one’s own. However, I suspect it is more often a gut level response – for most of us our worst actions are derived from our insecurities.
Here is a guy that was born in Kenya (clearly faked Hawaiian birth certificate), is only 5% Black (mostly white & Arab/Berber — he looks mostly like a Berber), was educated as a muslim (& still is — look at his on-site support for Kenyan relative politicians and their platforms), and who is gay (never had a girlfriend, two gay guy friends in his congregation killed viciously for mysterious reasons during the election?). Use your gaydar fellow dykes&gays! Is that why Michelle always has the doe-caught-in-the-headlights-stunned-look? This guy lies to everyone else — are you surprised he lied to us, too?
This thread was fun to read. Ginger, please do go on and educate us with your views; would you care to share more? Inquiring minds want to know…