Obama To Do Gospel Tour With "Ex-Gay" Singer Who Vowed To Battle "Curse Of Homosexuality"

AMERICAblog.com:

From the NYT:

As religious conservatives gather in Washington this weekend for the "Values Voters Summit," Senator Barack Obama's campaign announced its latest effort to attract people of faith to the campaign: a gospel concert tour.

All three of the dates of the "Embrace the Change" tour are in South Carolina, where Mr. Obama is locked in battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for black voters.

Read the whole story: AMERICAblog.com

Comments

[dommyluc]

Any leadership qualiies Obama once said he was trying to display are completely gone. He is now just pandering; his only concern seems to be to catch up to Hillary in any way possible. But aligning himself with a spurious "ex-gay" and his followers is not the way for a Democratic candidate to do it. I could see this kind of behavior from Romney or Giuliani to prove their conservative bona fides, but this coming from a Dem is just bizarre, and insulting to me, a life-long and loyal Democrat. When will a lot of these Democrats learn that these RW Christian extremists will NEVER vote for them unless they renounce every tenet of that the Democratic Party has held for the last 75 years? It seems as though Obama DOES inhale (so do I, but I am not running for political office, and I am also not kissing the ass of a homophobic closeted "ex" homosexual).

[Kansas Evans]

I hope you don't mind the distinction. McClurkin has millions of fans who love his music. But he doesn't have followers. No one going to the concert will vote for Barack thinking he's anti-gay.

And McClurkin's one of many performers. HuffPo has just FauxNewsed this one.

[BrianZ]

You are perhaps correct in assuming that few would vote for Obama because they believe him to be anti-gay. As a rule Democrats don't find that belief in their platform so it would be logical to assume anyone voting Democrat would find that sort of hatred distasteful at best and certainly not their idea of a candidate for president.

I am willing to bet that more than one person is NOT going to vote for Obama because they believe his support for gay-rights is questionable because of the McClurkin association.

I'm certainly going to do my part to spread the word. :)

[supergranny]

Obama is biblical. I wish that he and Hillary would somehow join up at the end of the campaign season, imagine the power of these two together. Her pragmatic political stance and brass balls matched with his purity of thought and hope for some serious change. Now that wouild project America light years into the future.

[HumeSkeptic]

It would appear that Jaysus got to Obama.

[azcamp]

Good for Obama. A gospel tour is a great way to reach Black voters in South Carolina.

I am a black Christian who was not fooled by the Carl Rove message aimed at getting more blacks to join the Republican Party. Wedge issues mean very little in our Post-Katrina views of what the Republicans think about the value of Black lives.

This election will be about the real issues not about sex.

Barack Obama will unite voters of all races, religions, genders and ages. Our country lies in ruin while columnists distract us with divisive issues that will not restore America to greatness.

Surely, political discourse can rise above the most petty, small minded viewpoints before we lose our constitutional freedoms, our reputation in the world and our economic future.

This election is too important to vote based on social issues. Bush won on social issues and look where we are today. The culture wars have no cost lives. Iraq has claimed far too many.

[SiskoKid]

Wow, if that's the case, I hope the other leaders turn their backs on the black community. Maybe Clinton should go on Imus' show and laugh it up to get some votes. Maybe she should go to lunch with O'Reilly to Sylvia's and comment that black folks don't actually eat from a troff.

I am a gay American, and you can go fuck yourself if you think this is about sex. This is about a huge chunk of the population that is fighting for its basic fucking rights. It blows my mind that a black person can say BS like this today. About sex? Black people marrying white people, was that simply about sex? The black man wanted the right to cum inside a white woman or vice versa? Really? Is that all it's about? Go fuck yourself.

This election shouldn't be about social issues? This election should be about ALL the issues, not just the ones that make your precious Obama look good. If he's trying to change politics, pandering to a man of hate isn't the way to go.

If you, and as a black person on top of it, can say it's ok to back a hateful person for votes, then you're either lying about being black, or you have absolutely no conscience.

And if you think the culture wars have no cost lives, then you're out of touch with the culture wars. Kids committing suicide, getting aids, families kicking their children out of their homes, loved ones left with nothing after their spouses die, you know, the BS you can take for granted because people fought to get them for you.

This attitude, your attitude, must end. There can be no justification for backing ANY man of hate, whether they hate because of race, sexuality, gender, religion, etc. This has no excuse.

[steamboat]

A statistic folks like you ignore:

More Americans have been killed in the inner-cities of America then in Iraq...Matter of fact, more murders in Chicago (where I live) last 5 years then American soldiers killed in Iraq during same time-span. How come you good christians don't think this is important? Oh yeah, overwhelming number of victims are minorities.

[Ranta]

All that campaign money and not a clue as to what to use it for.
Kind of like Howard Dean except without any principles.

I can't wait to see what desperate moves Obama will come up with next.

Oprah, save your money. This guy's a loser.

[KRANKY]

HA HA!

Santa Ana winds have burned down one mega church, and now threaten Right Wing Pepperdine University.

Man, your GAWD is truly ironic!
I wonder what pissed him off now?
__________­__________­__________­__________­_______

Vote for REASON
KUCINICH/2008

[JohnJames]

He's punishing the fundies for not rallying behind Brownback and Huckleberry.

[CandideinNC]

Obama was looking so good for awhile. He seemed to represent what many of us hoped for--a coming together of the races. He seemed sensible on diplomatic issues. He was well-spoken, confident, successful.

Then I learned of his very close relation with Lieberman...it has been downhill since then. This ploy to pick up the religious right is SO Lieberman-esque. I am reminded of the feigned shock Lieberman showed over the Clinton-Lewinski nonsense. Obama is making very bad choices which will keep him from getting the nomination, either this year or any future year. Pity.

[Justis]

What's new here? If you're only just now realizing that Obama has serious problems with homosexuality, you've been severely underinformed or in deep denial. In any other Western country, he'd qualify as a homophobe.

All of the Democratic candidates represent an improvement over the Republicans, but none gets a gold star for gay rights.

Pick your poison.

[JasonInOakland]

Obama a homophobe? Oh for Chrissakes. Get real.

Obama's realizing that you can't hold on to your principles and still get enough votes to win the primary or the election. He's realizing much later that you've got to sell out a bit. You will never make everyone happy, and his current base is just not large enough.

[steamboat]

If this was a Romney, Guiliani, or Huckebee, doing a tour with this singer you would be the first one screaming and yelling about it. Who you kidding? Just like all other 'liberals, you have a DOUBLE STANDARD.

[Justis]

The connection between Obama's Christianity and his limited support of gay rights is not new:

www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid39485.asp

I don't think he's suddenly selling anyone out to attract new voters. I think this is who he is.

[TakLoufer]

Exactly why this creep is not getting any support from me. What do you expect from a black (and make no mistake despite his mother's race, this guy embraces his negritude more than any of his whiteness) heterosexual male with a "Christian" and Muslim backround? The biggest source of homophobia in this country, black "christians" & muslims. His wife is also a loudmouthed shrew. Sick of her arrogant, ignorant pronouncements, particularly those against Senator Clinton.

[steamboat]

When he ran for US Senator in 2004, he campaigned at the Salem Baptist Church on Chicago's southside. A huge African-American church. The Pastor there, Rev. James Meeks, has called homosexuality evil, a sickness, and a curse from the devil. So this is not new for Obama.

[MissingAmerica]

This disturbs me on so many levels, but I really have trouble with the comment that he is trying to win over "the people of faith." We all have faith in one thing or another. The group he is trying to win over are "the people who hate, kill and would remove the God-given gift of free choice, all in the name of God." These are the people who have turned God into a monster and then proudly proclaim they are living their lives as God would have them live, behaving as God would have them behave.

To isolate them as "people of faith" is simply putting lipstick on a pig. It's a nice name for a not-so-nice group.

[DrVandy]

Sorry but you are so far off target. I am one of those people of faith and a Democrat and I find your comments down right offensive. I have no problem reconciling my religious views with caring about all of humanity without concern about sexual orientation. I have family members and friends who are gay and it doesn't affect our relationship one way or the other. But I do resent condescending, know it alls, who look down on others while claiming to know more than I do about my beliefs and my faith and generalizing in a way that you would not want others to generalize about you. The hypocrite here is you, not Barack.

[ang4ever]

Frankly, I don't care much about the issues of this gay supporter. I don't know for sure what Obama's motivations are for dubbing into religion or his faith. They don't mean squat to me.
.
I care that this Senator-trainee is even a candidate for President. I am oppose to his candidacy for one and only one reason - his
INEXPERIENCE.
.
He can talk the talk but no substance, or walk the walk but with no focus direction.
.
That is it.

[steamboat]

Personally, I'm laughing at this. Myself, I could care less about gay people one way or the other. I have NO opinion. To me there just people. No better then me. And no worse then me. Leave me alone, I leave you alone. But I laugh because all the pro-same sex marriage folks, etc. will forget this in a day or two. Because you liberals practice a double standard. You jump all over a Bush for not doing much, but when Clinton did his nothing called 'don't ask, don't tell' you all stayed quiet.

[unclebucky]

Oh brother.

Well, that's it for Obama. IF they think they can garner votes from CLEARLY BIGOTED organizations, then I have to say that no further do I have confidence in this guy.

Too bad. Too bad...

Aha, Obama.

Ugh.

--UB.

[GrayShockley]

Yes, but this puts him in as very strong competition to be the Republicaca candidate for Vice-President.

And now there's one less serious Democratic candidate.

Gray

[JohnJames]

Obama on Larry King - "I don't think gays should be abused more than necssary."

[Marlyn]

Oh so sad ... oh well, so much for that glimmer of hope.

[unclebucky]

citation and context in which that quote occurred...

Let's hear the question, the reply in full and the follow up. Don't just sneak in one quote that may or MAY NOT be true. I know this stuff only too well.

Ugh.

--UB.

[JohnJames]

The context was at the end of several halting remarks, where he looked as though he would rather talk about anything else, in response to King asking about his position on gay marriage. Does that satisfy you, buckyboy?

[avergejoe]

I hope you nitwits who would prefer a pro-gay pro-war candidate to a pro-everyone pro-diplomacy candidate are the first to get drafted to go fight for your (sexual) freedom while your other freedoms are slowly being taken away.

Look at congress (hrc) - pro-gay, pro-choice AND pro-war.
You (everyone) are being played to advance a far more destructive agenda than chosing which orafice you like it in. We ALL are politically taking it up the ass!

Nitwits!

[unclebucky]

And your candidate is???

Ugh.

--UB.

[cuthbertallgood]

Yeah, that is the choice. Obama is not anti-war, anyway he talks of bombing Pakistan and all of that.
The choice is Dennis Kucinich who is a real Democrat not a religionist.

[steamboat]

Get it in your head, Kucinich can't win. The media has already decided that. So has George Soros who OWNS the democratic party. Hillary Clinton is the next POTUS. The party is NO LONGER about working-people, labor, and security. Its about special interests, power of the few also, and the elitists.

[BrianZ]

I refuse to be badgered in to saying it's OK to affiliate yourself with someone who has a known hateful message because they are a tool for one to reach an audience to get their vote. There are just as many non-controversial artists in the gospel arena to choose from, so why this man unless you are either sloppy or actually believe what he says? Or even worse one is a simple vote-whore who really does not believe a damned thing he says and will play to any crowd, anywhere. Nitwit indeed!

You might enjoy making these decisions since you are most likely straight, but I still find myself having to fight for the same rights you enjoy by default. So you vote your values, and I'll vote mine.

[RedRooster]

Bigotry in any form is repugnant.

It matters not whether one is a white bigot fighting a "race war" against black folk in the 1950's or a black bigot fighting a "culture war" against gays in 2007.

What makes this story interesting is that a black "gospel" singer is now doing to gays, what plenty of white "gospel" singers did to blacks in an earlier day.

To be sure, Donnie McClurkin's bigotry is informed by the past...

[Dehrenstein]

The Magic Negro has run out of magic.

[Cautious]

I think he'd make more political hay if he went on tour with Little Richard.

[BreadandRoses]

Your racism is repellent and you are repulsive.

[RedRooster]

Perhaps that comment was intended to be funny?

It wasn't.

[Alvin4NY]

So glad I didn't back that dead horse. Aligning himself with Oprah was the first clue...I don't need any more after this latest revelation.

[NotaBeliever]

I think Obama just joined the ranks of the Old White Men. How disappointing. But not necessarily a wrong move for his campaign ... it never hurts to be an old white man with other old white men. They hold all the power in this country.
Hillary may be a lot of things, but she'll never be an old white man. I think Edwards is also holding out against the tide.