Jenna Bush Wed By Obama Backer Kirbyjon Caldwell

The New York Times notes:

On Saturday afternoon, the Hager family hosted wedding guests at a barbecue in Salado. The wedding, which began at 7:30 p.m., took place on the Bush ranch, before a white limestone altar erected next to a man-made lake. The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston officiated at the ceremony. Mr. Caldwell, a longtime religious adviser to Mr. Bush, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama.

Here's the AP write-up of Caldwell's endorsement:

Houston minister Kirbyjon Caldwell endorses Obama

HOUSTON - An influential Houston minister who has long been a spiritual adviser to President George W. Bush says he will endorse Barack Obama's bid for the presidency.

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church, said Saturday that he's backing the Illinois senator because of Obama's "character, confidence and courage."

Obama, a Democrat, is electable and "would do a wonderful job to bring people together to pursue a common vision we all have," said Caldwell, who said his support is personal and not connected to his role as pastor of the 14,000-member church.

However, Caldwell told his congregation that Obama may pay a visit to his church.

Caldwell, whose relationship with the president began when Bush was governor of Texas, introduced Bush at the 2000 Republican National Convention and gave the benediction at both of his inaugurations.

Caldwell said he called Bush to inform him of his decision to support Obama and that the president was "OK" with it, adding that the minister's presidential choice would not affect their relationship.

Comments

[MildenHall]

In the end, folks, whether White, Black, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple or what have you, WE'RE ALL AMERICANS.

We gotta come together for the sake of the world.

[Steamboater]

I just wanna know what Jenna's sister wore white to the wedding???

[gregjones]

In an interview with her mother Laura, Jenna expressed that she would not necessarily vote Republican in this election. Could Jenna be pro-Obama....That would be SUPER COOL !!!!!!!!!!!

[pilgrim7]

Imagine a world with no hate, where our differences instead are celebrated. Thanks, Jenna, Henry, President Bush and First Lady Laura.

The dream of Rodney King, whose brutal beating by police officers sparked the Los Angeles riots of 1992, is becoming alive and well in in America:

"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along?"

[Nofuzzydreams]

The police beating was brutal and cannot be justified period. However Rodney King should not be celebrated either because he has a criminal past separate from the beating. Celebrating him (again nothing to do with the beating which was wrong) perpetuates a culture of no consequences.

[oafishcad]

Bottom line. Yes a great number of blacks are voting in a racist manner by voting for Obama for no other reason than he's black. And there are women being sexist by only voting for Hillary because she's a woman. And there are many ageists who would never vote for McCain because of his age. Most voters, on the other hand, use other criteria thank God. How do I know? Obama won in white states, Hillary won the majority of men in some states and McCain is older than most of the voters. So take a chill pill and relax.

[Nofuzzydreams]

All the rebuttals to my post earlier that the statistic "90% of blacks voting for Obama signifies judging by the color of his skin" would be valid if the ratio was say 60-40 or even 70-30. Let me take the rebuttals one by one:

- white women are voting for Hillary at a ratio of around 60-40. There are some that are voting for the gender but less with a more balanced ratio
- of course not all blacks are voting for Obama because of his skin color but there are many more than women voting for Hillary. Only that explains a 90-10 ratio.
- John Kerry got 90% of the black vote. Valid point but we have two democrats running here in the primaries. Kerry's 90% followed the historical trend.
- many whites who voted for whites in the racist past also of course voted for the white skin - that is precisely why Dr. King wrote about voting for the content of character only to be turning in his grave seeing what is happening as some (not all) abandoned that cause.

I see a lot of rebuttals to the truth, yet these people do not rebut when TV commentators regularly go on to declare states for and against Obama based on the percentage of Black population. Aren't they doing racial identification (and being accurate in their prediction as demonstrated by the results)?

[edwcorey]

Maybe black people are smarter and more perspicacious than you give them credit for. Even racist movies like "Gone With the Wind" put their wisdom front and center, though how such smart people ended up as slaves and condemned by such as you wasn't explained.

[jorac]

Maybe they are voting for him because they aren't prejudiced against him and they are able to see him as the truely better candidate.

[Midnightrain]

Caldwell's endorsement is an auspicious omen ... the world is crying out for unity.

[Relax08]

How could any American and especially any Republican attack Obama about Rev. Wright when the Pastor of Presdent Bush WHO MARRIES HIS DAUGHTER has endorsed Obama AND CALLS OBAMA A MAN OF "character, confidence and courage."

Good Grief what a country?

[BigMike75]

Wonderful wedding...wooohooo!!! My enthusiasm for your special day Jenna, immediatley drowns away when I see that incompetent you call your father, and his slimy smile. I literally count the days when his royal majesty is evicted from the oval office. I hate to beat a dead horse...but we were lied to, bamboozled, hoodwinked, and over 4000 of our loyal and patriotic service men and women had to pay with their precious lives, as well as over 100 000 innocent Iraqi men, women, and children. Meanwhile Bush/Cheney and his cohorts raked it in on no bid contracts to destroy and rebuild the country they invaded. Can neocons tell me exactly how this helps the war on terror? Why isn't Bin Laden dead? I cringe evertime another soldier dies, the very fact Bush can play geo politics with American and innocent lives makes me sick to my stomach, how could we invade a sovereign country against the will of the UN with no recourse. And that cretin Hillary has NEVER apologized for voting for this joke of a war. I'm sorry, I had to vent, I lost a cousin over there, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't shed a tear for my boy.

[TGCNY]

So i guess the fact that He's black overshadows everything else he's seemed to achieve or overcome in this race. Get a grip on reality people it not about race at this day and age it about $4 a gallon gas and rising home foreclosure, oil monopolies, bad credit practices, a war that hard black and white middle class people such as myself pay for every month at a rate of 10 billion. That what i'm voting for "change" not color.

[CindyV]

The Reverend, here, is just another example of a black voting for Obama because he's black. I have heard a number of black republicans say they are voting for Obama because they want to be able to tell their children that they voted for the first black president. Race above all else.

[ICanHasDemocracy]

Keep dreaming ,racist.

" a number of Black Republicans"....funny how you quantify them as Black, before Republicans. You've outed yourself- look behind you rself as you backpeddle so you don't trip.

I don't support HIllary, does that make me mysoginist? I don't support McCain, does that make me ageist? Umm no, it's because they're both neocon nutjobs under the skin no matter what they speak of( McCain has just lost it - I voted for him in 00 Primary and look where he is now, on his knees in front of Bush, maybe he should wear a Blue Dress)

[AlienDemokrazy]

Saying "black Americans" is proper English!! You don't say Americans-whites do you? No! you say "white Americans"!! How dare you critique someone for using proper English!

I am voting for Obama, b/c he is best for America, and that is enough.

[trynottogiveuphope]

And I have heard lots of white people (I assume this includes you) that won't vote for a non-white candidate simply because they are not white. In your words: "Race above all else".

I'm voting for the candidate who will change things. Coulda been Edwards, coulda been Clinton, but it's Obama and I will vote proudly for him. Not in the interest of race but in the interest of CHANGE.

Obama '08!

[beerguy]

A "change" to what? Higher taxes, talking to the world's worst dictators, lower returns on 401K's etc. due to Berry not having a clue about how the economy works. No thanks, I'll vote for McCain even though I'll be holding my nose doing so

[marymansour]

I am elderly, female and in Alabama. I have been for Obama since 2004. Go Obama!!!

[Bluejay00234]

Interesting, because I voted for Bill C. and also John Kerry and also Hillary in Michigan, (although it didn't really count) before I decided to switch over to Obama when it became evident that she wasn't going to win, and I happen to be African American, so what does that say about me? I only vote for whites because I am black? Explain to me why Senator Clinton was obtaining a larger percentage of the African American vote than Barack Obama when she first began running for her president? And if this is your theory about why African Americans are voting for Barack, then the same can be said as to why women are supporting her in large numbers. I'm sorry but you really don''t have a valid point here hun.

[RogerOThornhill]

I'm a white guy that's going to vote for Obama.
How would you explain that?
Do you suppose that folks of all colors are voting for him because they believe he has the potential to be a truly great President?
Just curious.

[JenJanea]

I go to his church. He's an independent. He voted for Clinton.

[Nofuzzydreams]

Why is this a surprise? 90% of the blacks are for Obama. That type of statistic goes well beyond choosing the content of character but is about choosing the color of the skin!!!

[Elderta]

So... how do you explain the 85% that voted for Clinton in the 1990s? African-Americans pick a Dem and then stick to them. 90% is not a surprise. What is a surprise is that the Hillary Clinton lost them early in this race because of Bill. Have a great day.

[Bluejay00234]

African Americans have always been the most loyal to the democratic party, we voted in high numbers for Bill in the 90's we were the group that help to put him over the top when he only received 35 percent of the "white vote". I think many are upset because they expected our loyalties to lay with the Clinton, which until the S.C primaries it did, heck many African Americans thought Obama "wasn't black enough", so this really isn't a fair argument, and the Clinton's have no one to blame but themselves for our support wavering to Obama.

[tdeg]

So if blacks supporting Obama makes them racist then does women supporting Hillary make them man-hating sexists?

Are there black people who are voting for Obama because he's black? Yes. But don't act so damn high and mighty and think that there aren't women supporting Hillary just because she's a woman.

[Bluejay00234]

Exactly! I was one of those women back in the late 90's along with many of my close female friends that have always stated that if a women ran for president we would vote for her, at the time the obvious candidate in our minds was Hillary, so it's not fair to label all African Americans as only voting because of color without labeling her female supporters as mostly feminist who rather would see a a women become president simple because of her gender.

[trynottogiveuphope]

90% of African-Americans voted for John Kerry last time. Was that because of the color of his skin?

In every Presidential election for the past 200+ years, nearly 100% of white voters voted for a white candidate. Was that because of skin color, too?

I vote for the person who is going to look out for my best interests. It just so happens that this time around, the guy happens to have a multiracial background. If Alan Keyes were running, I wouldn't be voting for him. Best interests, not skin color, influences my vote.

[chronic]

Clinton folks yap about how blacks voting for Obama 90%+ but they overlook one very simple fact.

This time last year, Hillary Clinton was polling as high as 80% among black voters and while Obama made some headway, there was never a full reversal of the black vote into Obama's camp.

Recall that a significant chunk of the black political establishment was backing Hillary Clinton - John Lewis, Charles Rangel - Hillary Clinton had more endorsements from the Congressional Black Caucus than Barack Obama, a sitting member of that very body (quite strange considering how many black _US senators_ this nation has right now).

What changed black voters mind? Believe it or not, it was the fact that 97% _white_ Iowa voters gave Obama a convincing win in Iowa!!

For many blacks, the thinking was that if whites feel confident voting for him, he must be alright! And so blacks began shifting to Obama. The wholesale shift was accelerated by the Clinton antics in South Carolina.

So, yes, Obama would NOT be where he is today WITHOUT the white vote. He in fact NEEDED the white vote to make inroads with the black vote!!

[sueelle]

I don't know about the rest of the country, but I have friends, family, people I work with, people I go to church with, etc., who have points of view that differ from mine. Some of their viewpoints are radically different, points of view that I detest. But if I got rid of all the people in my life that didn't completely agree with everything I believe, then I'd be standing here all alone. So President Bush -- or Senator Obama -- have good friends who have a different point of view, so what.

[UrsaMajority]

Geez, can we let a couple of kids (well, maybe not kids, but you know . . .) get married without trying to put a whole lot of political spin on it? If the President and his daugher want the marriage to be performed by someone who happens to bring good, spiritual vibes, who cares what his political views are? ... Oh, what am I saying? Distinguishing between a pastor's good spiritual beliefs and objectional political ones -- that's downright Obamanable! Let's just wish 'em a happy life, frevvinsakes.

[newunderground]

Geez, can we let a couple of kids (well, maybe not kids, but you know . . .) get married without trying to put a whole lot of political spin on it?
NO!

[kellygrrrl]

I have to admit, I am shocking surprised at the low-key understated event
even more impressed that the ceremony was officiated by an Obama supporter.

Is the Universe suddenly aligning?

[Veeve]

There is a well placed rumor that Jenna is a closet Obama supporter when she refused to say that she would be voting Republican this fall in a CNN interview last week, the rumor gained fresh momentum.
If true, that would account for the good taste in the ceremony. Wonderful, genetic accidents do take place! ;-)

[debwarot]

I've heard that also. And I hafta admit I'd take pleasure in seeing her come out for Obama!

[blog4um]

Jenna and her mom did an interview in which she said that she may not vote for McCain. This is no surprise.