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

[Shantee]

I agree! I believe a bi-racial president can heal the nation. But not just any bi-racial person. We have been given the gift of Barack Obama and if we don't take advantage of the opportunity, it's our loss as a nation.

Furthermore Barack's impeccable diplomatic skills will heal our relationships with world leaders as well.

As a white female, someday I would love to see a female president, but not Hillary Clinton---she's not the one we've been waiting for!

[TriniGirl]

Don't like the man (Dick Morris), but what he's saying here is sad but true:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/wrights_rantings_wont_sink_oba.html

[MelindaPost]

Oh, so race IS a factor.

[Marlyn]

Yes, isn't it strange. Barack Obama is an amazing man. If he were not black, I think he would still stand out because of his speaking ability. But the fact that he is black makes him doubly amazing.

[AjicNYC]

Speaking ability have you read a trnscript , if i talked the way Obama does i would get a C in my speech class

keith olbermann

“I did not hear such incendiary language uhhh myself personally uh either in conversations with him or when I was in the pew uh he always preached a social gospel uh and was ahhh sometimes controversial in the same way that ahhh many people who speak out on social issues are controversial uhh but I I these particular statements that uh have been gathered are ones I strongly objected to, strongly condemned uh had I heard them uh in church I would uhh expressed that concern directly uh to Reverend Wright, so I didn’t become familiar with these until uhh recently.

[Ramirez]

If he were not black, he would be a backbench senator with only two years in Washington and no experience in either the military or the private sector.

[parhuzam]

Do you realize what you are saying......by your last sentence?
That you are doubly amazed by an educated, popular black?

I am not a fan of his..... But, you are showing your true colors, regarding your low expectations of people of color. Think before you write.

[kellygrrrl]

Melinda, No one is claiming that there are no race issues -- or that America has all healed up from racial tension.

That is kind of the point.

We the supporters of Sen Obama are saying that we would really like to take further steps towards healing. I personally would like to believe that some day Race, Gender, Faith, Sexual Orientation will not be an issue. I hope that my grandchildren can vote for THE BEST HUMAN - even if that is an Agnostic Purple Hermaphrodite.

Yes, race and gender are an issue. This is a historical moment. We are attempting to move forward. United we Stand and Rise.

[sociocanuck]

To this, I must ask: if Agnostic Purple Hemaphrodites came back in time en masse, who would *they* vote for?

[paciere]

All the voters that vote for him knows he's a weak candidate. He gave up the fight on Florida's recount vote debate. He could have won Florida and that time Clintons were behind him. It looks like he doesn't have any real friends.

[Marlyn]

"All the voters that vote for him knows he's a weak candidate." ???

NONSENSE!

[greejambri]

What alternate universe are YOU broadcasting from?

[theillusion]

The path will lead to defeat

[KucinichGirl]

Actually tradtionally older minorites ie Hispanic, Indian, Muslims won't vote for a black man... and really what does his race have to do with briding the gap between Islam? Last time I checked he wants to leave a residual foce in Iraq, increase troop pres in Afg by 100,000 and attack Pakistan? I don't think the ME will be too pleased


question is will HuffPost actually allow this comment to be posted?

[Zhonni]

That is such an IDIOTIC statement! There are Hispanic who are "Black" there are Indians that are "Black" and there are Muslims that are "Black". That is not to say all Blacks would vote Obama because they won't.

All Whites won't vote McCain because they won't. Talk of a candidate who has not had much scrutiny Sen JOHN McCAIN.

[athenalong]

TALK ABOUT IT!

[Felicty]

But its a rather stupid and uneducated post.

[iPolitics]

Team Hillary has worked very hard to make this an issue and they got it. Sad. Very sad.

[smustaro]

That would be Team Mc Cain. Have an apology for your hatemongering of Senator Clinton? No, of course not. Pathetic.

[Kreskytim]

iploitic...You're blaming this on the Clintons too? Unbelievable.

Just tell me this. How have the Clinton's benefited by "playing the race card"?
Do you think that the Clinton's don't understand the value of the AA vote in a Democratic primary race? Bill certainly does. They want every vote they can get. It was Obama that, before SC, wasn't getting the black vote. And they were out to change that. Only one candidate benefited from driving the AA away from the Clinton's and that was Obama. That's why they cried "racist" at every opportunity.

[rblackbird]

Well put!

[Nofuzzydreams]

Please put this man under house arrest for rest of his life and while you are at it put some masking tape over his mouth too, will you?

I am ashamed of myself that I supported and contributed towards electing this idiot as President in 2004. As utterly terrible as Bush has been, I have now concluded that Kerry would have been worst!!!

[jstock]

I support Obama, but, he and his surrogates need to stop ANY and ALL talk of race. The speech on Tuesday should suffice, and anything beyond that can only hurt. Let's talk about the economy and Iraq and global warming and health care. You know, issues we can actually WIN on.

[GoodwithWood]

He just said what I’ve always been thinking but was afraid too say for fear of sticking my foot in my mouth. Like he just did.
Who are Middle Eastern countries going to be more receptive too?

An unveiled woman?
A war-monger?
A black man with a Kenyan father how is holding out an olive branch?

[NCGigi]

Wow, Senator Kerry must know nothing of what the Arab press has to say about Secretary Rice. She is routinely mocked as the daughter of slaves, a reference to her black skin I believe. I don't understand the Senator's logic, but then, I never did.

[Tariqahmed]

That is because Ms Rice spreads lie that kills. Iraq war is her baby.
Ideas concieved through his mentor Mr.Bush.
She is a slave Mr.Bush.Mr Bush is dividing Shias vs Sunnis. That is why she is hated.

Just wait and let President OBAMA vist there: there will Fourth of July like celebration with US Flar in many hands.
.

[mutatio]

Wow. That sounds as great as being greeted as liberators. :\

[Ramirez]

So if Obama is elected and he ends up kicking your asses just like Bush, will you call him a "slave" just like Condi?

[TriniGirl]

EEGAAHD! Are we going to ask another supporter to apologize and resign? And will the candidate again have to denounce, renounce, disavow, and otherwise disembowel? How did our political system get to this stage of absurdity? If it were not sad, it would be funny. And it all stems from the fact that we're pathologically afraid of the race issue. Whatever perspective you come from, it evokes a visceral reaction that defies reason and rational thought. It will all have to come out with the wash in the next few generations - our children are on their way to a better place on this issue. It's the only hope I have - our generation doesn't stand a chance.

[nellie]

I think age has a lot to do with how awkward or angry people are when they talk about race, or whether they think it's effective to use race as a wedge issue. It's hard to separate people from the way they grew up, and people older than a certain age grew up in a very different environment. Before the late sixties, our culture didn't even try to pretend that people are all the same. It's no wonder there's so much foot-in-mouth disease. And that goes for Wright, as well as Kerry and Ferraro.

[beachmom]

No apology needed. What Kerry said was very wise. Here from the original source:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS/803180326

Sen. Barack Obama, whom Sen. Kerry has endorsed in the race for the party's nomination, "has the capacity to change the story of America," he said, and likely will include Republicans in his administration as a gesture of cooperation and a new beginning.

But more than that, said Sen. Kerry, leaders of Middle Eastern nations have expressed to him keen interest in the possibility that a black man could be elected president of the United States. "Their leaders are intrigued, he said. One of them, who Sen. Kerry did not identify, asked him, "Can you people really do this in America?"

"It would be an affirmation of who we are as a people," he said.

"It would give us an ability to talk to those countries," he said, adding that it might also enable the U.S. go "around their leaders and talk to the people" in places such as Iran where there is pro-American sentiment among the population but not among the leadership.

Should Hillary Clinton be elected, he said, it would also be a watershed moment. "Both of them break ceilings," he said. But despite the opportunity to elect a woman, he said, "I have a wife and two daughters, and all three of them are for Barack Obama."

[Karencnj]

Thank you so much for the link to the original source. The comments in context are very good and make sense. It is completely sickening that there is so much gotcha stupidity - where small excerpts are taken out of context in a way that completely distorts the intent.

Senator Kerry has been an exceptionally good surrogate for Senator Obama. He is one of the few people with a high enough profile to counter Bill Clinton's profile as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton. He also has the known integrity and gravitas that he can say that Clinton is abusing the truth - when he is.

My guess is that the motivation of this is to remove an effective surrogate. It hurts after defending them for 15 years, to suspect that they and the people around them would be willing to destroy anyone not with them.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

Thanks for the link

[Svenson]

Oh Texas university is honoring Obama's spiritual leader enxt week

Well is Obama going to give the key note speech?

A speech that he has no excuse missing.

If rev wright inspired a presidential candidate surely teh candidate must be there

[greejambri]

Besides wanting to suggest that you consider taking a basic spelling and/or keyboarding class, I also want to say that Obama has ALREADY CLEARLY SAID that the man, Reverend Wright, has inspired him spiritually, NOT politically.

[alwayslearning]

What is the old saying....'When you're in a ditch, stop digging.' Now, who is playing the race card one more time??? Did the Super Delegates hear this? We don't need a President to deal with the economy, the Iraq War, heath insurance, Social Security, and so on and so on. We need a Black President to get a long with the Muslim community. Obviously a white man or woman cannot get along with the Muslims according to Senator Kerry. How many votes will Senator Obama lose when people listen to this statement?

[JohnCochtosten]

It's amazing how often this guy misspeaks. We all know what he's trying to say, but it comes out so ignorant.