Kerry: Obama Can Bridge Divide With Islam "Because He's A Black Man"

MSNBC reports:

Speaking of the race speech from Tuesday, Obama supporter John Kerry gave an interview with a local N.H. paper, reports NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli. In it, Kerry said the color of Obama's skin makes him uniquely qualified for president and even reach out to the moderate Islam world. During an interview with the New Bedford Standard Times, portions of which were posted on YouTube, John Kerry says bluntly that Barack Obama has the potential to "bridge the divide in religious extremism" because he is black....

...The Massachusetts senator said Obama has an ability to perhaps even empower moderate Islam "to be able to stand up against the racial misinterpretation of a legitimate religion." Asked by a reporter what gave Obama the credibility to do so, Kerry said, "Because he's African American. Because he's a black man, who has come from a place of oppression and repression through the years in our own country. We only broke the back of civil rights, Jim Crow, in the 1960s here. Everybody in the world knows this is a recent journey for America too. And everybody still knows that issues of skin and discrimination still exist."

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Comments

[gakabani]

Ignorance prevails in Congress, who elected this idiot?

OK,
Kerry said: "Obama Can Bridge Divide With Islam "Because He's A Black Man""

Bush said: "Hillary Can Bridge Divide With Christianity "Because She's A White Woman"

The logic is not there but both idiots have used before.

[Researchguy66]

I'm wondering whether he meant typical black man or just black man... maybe he didn't get the racial language memo...

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

Gee, here is what former Sen Bob Kerrey said in Dec 2007

"There is a smear campaign going on, and people are acting as if he's an Islamic Manchurian candidate," Kerrey said. "And I feel it's actually a substantial strength. He is a Christian. Both he and his family are Christians. They've chosen Christianity. But that connection to Indonesia and a billion Muslims on this Earth I think is a real strength and will add an awful lot of value in his foreign policy efforts."

It sounds a lot like what Sen John Kerry just said. the difference is that Bob Kerry was immediately called a RACIST for his comment.

Isn't it now time for Sen John Kerry to join everyone else under the bus?

[Nic]

John Kerry NO one cares what you have to say. Go fill your wife's ketchup bottles.

[kennedy]

Your right about Larry Sinclair. And here is why polygraph tests are evidence of nothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1uMEXiv1ng

[kiga]

Senator Obama sat in the pew for 20 years and not said anything to Rev. Wrong about his anti American, anti women, anti God knows whom else? Is this the kind of "good judgment" you are going to use from day one? No, thanks. I guess he will use the same "good judgement" when brining the Muslims and Christians together! Kerry is a "has been" and now is trying to be somebody by attaching himself to Obama. Remember how Bill Clinton got out of his hospital bed and campaigned for Kerry in 2004?Well Kerry is paying back the loyalty now!! Obama is simply not electable. He should withdraw his nomination and put the democrats out this shameful situation. It is the right thing to do.
Larry King asked Obama, why he didn't leave the church, Obama's answer, "he didn't leave the church because he was retiring." Run that by me again? Obama didn't quit the church because the Rev. was retiring for 20 years? If you watch the Larry King Live, you will know exactly when he is lying!

[AnninCA]

Oh.........I think his latest comment about how his Grandmother was a "typical white person" says it all.

It's just very much like Michelle's comment.

Honestly, I don't think his grandmother ever said anything like what he's saying.

He reminds me of a teenager.

He's the teenager in this race. Everyone doesn't want to hurt his "spirit." But he's the dang teenager.

[rudyinbama]

So, according to John Kerry, dark "skin color" is an asset when dealing with Muslim extremists.
Has anybody told Condoleeza Rice?

[Miket53]

Love it. This is one of the best posts I've seen in a long time. These Libs open their mouths without thinking. Great observation. Kerry...like many Dems...don't realize what they are implying when making a statement like this. Imagine if Rush or Hannity said the very same statement? The double standard would have kicked in and the press would be demanding their removal from the air waves. Yet Kerry will be honored.
http://mtaricani.blogspot.com/
Mike

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

Absolutely great comment!

[ltfHusseincrazy]

Wow, Geraldine Ferraro is working with Kerry for Obama now? Why did they hire her? I get what he's saying and all, but come on! You can say it better than that. Keep Obama's message by at least talking to Americans as if they're adults and can understand nuance. The people who don't and are white are not going to vote for him anyway!

[AnninCA]

This is what happens when you scapegoat people over stupid stuff. He's really made an idiot of himself, now. To work Ferarro into his "monumental speech" and then have his surrogate say this?

Well, this story is just as satisfying to me, HIllary supporter, as biting into the best part of a T-Bone steak. :)

yum, yum

[conservativeoriginalist]

First off, Mr. 3 Purple Hearts, if you knew anything about the turmoil in eastern Africa, you'd know that one of the largest cultural divides and causes of strife is that Arabian Muslims don't care much for black Muslims, and that's evidenced here in this nation as well to a lesser extent, but if you weren't too busy pretending to be a common man by trying to figure out what to do with a Philly Cheesesteak and a bottle of beer during your 2004 campaign, you might have noticed.

Secondly, I grow weary of all the "cuz he's black" comments, regardless if its used in a positive or negative light. 3,000 years of Middle East strife is not going to come to a screeching halt because a black man who had an absentee Muslim father is elected President.

Thirdly, black Muslims in this country don't have a reputation or history of bridging racial or religious chasms. The types like Louis Farrakhan and Malcom X have done more than enough to cause racial rift in this nation's recent history. For you Obama supporters who will have a predictable knee-jerk reaction of reading what you would presume I mean instead of what I've typed, I'm NOT calling Obama a Muslim or likening him to a race baiting bomb thrower such as Farrakhan or Malcolm X.

[AnninCA]

Well, Ferarro's comments about how race is an advantage are looking more and more sage. *haha

[PacificGatePost]

Democrats, stop slinging mud.... at one another.....

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/03/fear-mongering-from-democratic-ranks.html

[LeftRoss]

ol' Tin Ear rides again. What a bonehead.

[belikejeanvaljean]

It is not Obama's skin color. It is his diverse family background, his outstanding communication skills, his calm and stately demeanor, his leadership abilties.

What the United States needs right now, when our reputation is at such a low ebb throughout the world, is a president who is not only a great leader, but a polished statesman. Someone who wants to work with the rest of the world rather than try and dominate it and turn every nation on earth into a miniature USA no matter what the cost. Obama has demonstrated through his well-run and amazingly positive campaign, that he is able to bring together individuals from all walks of life. That is something rarely seen in American politics and worthy of being introduced to the world stage on behalf of our nation.

We have had seven+ years of George Bush's boastful swagger and ill-begotten war. John McCain is hardly better with his jokes about bombing Iran. Hillary continually portrays herself as a fighter, frequently using fistfight lingo and attacks Obama relentlessly. Do we really need another person in the Oval Office right now who loves to fight?

[rojo7449]

I've lived in the Middle East. I want someone who understands the culture. I listened to Obama talk about his plan for the region tonight on Larry King. I want someone who understands the culture. Obama will never succeed. Communication is two-way dialog, and Obama doesn't know how to do the listening part.

[PardonMyFrenchFries]

No its not Obama's diverse family background that makes him qualified, its Obama's racist background that makes him qualified to be the president.

All you "white" people are "typical."

[fullofopinions]

Get to the bottom of the SInclair allegations before we leave it up to the Republican's to expose it. If he survives the democratic nomination process through it, then he may have a chance.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Well, 'medals', it's like this: I don't like you. I've never met you, but 'going by my gut', there's something creepy about you, likely to do with Large Sums Of Money. We're not supposed to have royalty in the United States. Democracy, monarchy, there's this big spelling difference in there. Maybe you should avail yourself of some online resources, you know, continue your education, such as it might be, in hopes that, in the future, should you ever have the misfortune to serve the United States in some capacity pertaining to public office, that you might actually by some freak chance of nature actually be able to discern what it is you're supposed to be doing, because from where I stand, the impression is that you currently lack it. But, there's always hope, as long as there's life, I guess...run your yap all you want about Obama and muslims and so forth, there's no 'gap', hence no need for a 'breach', that's Army-think, by the way, breach the enemy's defenses and create a gap for troops to advance into...but, this isn't D-Day, this is an election year, and in my view, if you're going to try to bring people of various faiths or no faith at all(as in my case, I'm a heathen) together in common forum to discuss political and social issues, like representation, well, that means you need a frank and level-headed, non-aggressive, factually-based approach. I'm for a full investigation of every copper penny that gets taken up in collection by any/all branches of the old Abrahamic racket, there, the Crusades bear a little study in this whole debate, as well as the wartime actions of the Catholic church and all these televangelists and and and...do your own homework, there, John, don't take my word for it, but I smell a rat on the issue of religion, Pat Robertson didn't happn in a vacuum etc.