Six Degrees of Barack Obama

The latest right-wing game is to pin controversial figures, who might have said or done anything objectionable at any point in their lifetimes, to Barack Obama. Then make him apologize for them. Then make him denounce and reject them. And then say he hasn't done enough to "distance" himself from them.

It could be his pastor, it could be his neighbor, it could be someone he served on a board with, it could be someone who donated to him, it could be someone who gave him an unsolicited endorsement (Louis Farrakhan) or it can just simply be someone who is black (Harry Belafonte).

So, let's play the six degrees of Barack Obama game and see who else he should denounce and reject. I'll start off the festivities. I'm an easy one. I connect to him in only two degrees. I know Josh Orton, who worked on the online side of his campaign for some time. Bingo. Obama now owns everything I have ever said.

He's not going to like what he finds. Although I am perfectly reasonable in politics (though given to fits of vitriol), I am a fervent agnostic. I have argued vehemently against religion. Quotes of mine in this field could be devastating to Obama. I'll provide no links here; it wouldn't be fun if I did the media's job for them. Have fun, it's a treasure hunt.

Worse yet, I was born Muslim. I went to school in Turkey until I was eight (that will be translated as "attended a madrasa" by Fox "News" Channel). His connection to a known Muslim and atheist (come on, who is going to bother with the distinction between agnostic and atheist in the sound bite world) could be devastating. Is America ready for non-flag wearing, Muslim, atheist two heart beats away from the president?

If you think it's damaging that I am only two people removed from Obama, it gets worse. I often speak favorably of Obama on our show and among the remaining candidates he is clearly my favorite! Aha, that's the equivalent of an endorsement. He might not have asked for it, but just by the virtue of me issuing it, he's stuck with it.

I hope he at least does me the solid of denouncing my words and not my entire existence. It's gotta sting to have your whole being denounced and rejected.

I invite all of you to play along. See how many degrees it takes you to get to Obama and how enthusiastically and vociferously he has to denounce you.

Now, unfortunately, there is one man who is not allowed to play -- John McCain. Because the media has decided that while it is eminently fair to attach any person Obama has ever met (or in some cases not even met) to him, you can never look into anyone that John McCain has ever been associated with. He is a maverick, moderate, war-hero, straight-talker. So, obviously he doesn't need to answer for anyone in his past or undergo any of the Obama treatment. Sorry, John. This is one fun game you'll have to sit out.

Though there will be this awkward moment when people realize Barack Obama knows John McCain. And he is therefore is responsible for everything McCain says -- even though he is running against him. Wrap your mind around that one.

I do have some concerns about this though. I wonder if this game will distract from the real issues. I wonder if people will see through it as an obvious attempt to smear Obama by association. I wonder if people will realize it has absolutely nothing to do with how Obama would govern if he were elected. I wonder if people will wonder why it's only done to one candidate and not the others.

Nah, probably not. Don't want to ruin the fun, let's just keep mindlessly playing it until November and see what happens.

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Comments

[bellecloche]

Excellent and greatly appreciated.

[lwise1129]

Actually, I have two (probably more) connections to Barack, so I'll give you both.
1. In the '70s and '80s, I worked for a Chicago Congressman and knew David Axelrod. I used to see him all the time in the Oak Lawn Burger King with his kids....CONNECTION

2. Mark McKinney is a National Coordinator for the Obama Campaign. He used to work for the same Congressman I did. I had lunch with him on Saturday..­..CONNECTI­ON

Now here's the bad part...I am Catholic and...I don't go to Mass anymore! (Sob) I also married a...non Catholic! Of course, we were both widowed, but in this sound bite world, that doesn't have to be mentioned. Think of all the Catholic votes he'll lose.

Boy, do I miss you, Cenk. I don't even listen to Air America anymore. The only one who's halfway decent is Rachel Maddow and she's on when I'm watching her on TV. The daytime people suck. I AM glad that Randi Rhodes is gone though. I never did like her.

Liz Wise
Indiana and already voted

[adama50]

I have a very good one,Obama is related to Brad Pitt who left that all American blonde Jennifer for that big lip dark skin man eating Angelina. That alone should finish Obama.

[newpantaloons]

You know, I am so fed up with this incredible, beyond belief campaign for D. Presidential nominee! I can't believe how inept the leadership of the Democratic Party is and how badly this has been handled. If hillary is allowed to steal this nomination from the best and most inspiring candidate that has ever appeared on the scene since John and Bobby Kennedy, well, I guess the adage is true about "snatching defeat from the jaws.........". Obama has this won and has had it won for a long, long time. If it was hillary instead of a black man, then it would have been over a long, long time ago.

Continued below:

[newpantaloons]

Continued:

So, if hillary is allowed to 'swiftboat' Obama into losing this over a stupid, manufactured, guilt by association charge, then I hope the Democratic Party is really happy with the outcome. I doubt very, very much if the EDUCATED white voters will vote for her, or the African Americans, or the millions of NEW young voters he brought into the race, or the Independents, or the disenchanted Republicans. I know I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR HER, EVER!! And, if she is nominated, I will be registered as an Independent the very next day. So, let's see if she can get elected by her core constituency, the rural, white, 'blue collar', narrow minded, uneducated racists! Sorry, but that is who this ridiculous guilt by association argument is being pandered to. That's who her ugly attack ads are aimed at. That's who all her smear and swiftboating is aimed at. I guess they are the only important constituents to the Democratic Party! This ugly, ugly smear campaign should have been stopped a long time ago, but now I think it is too late! Howard Dean and the DNC and all the Democrats in a leadership position have allowed this craven, power hungry, rude, ugly, dispicable woman to ruin the party's chances in this election by disregarding and alienating the core constituents in the party so they wouldn't have to face the wrath of hillary and bill clinton.

I am just fed up.

[TRYKER]

Odd, most of the people that I talk to have said they love Rev Wright and find him refreshing and interesting. After listening to him for an hour, one can easily see how someone would sit and listen to him for 20 yrs if he was always so electrifying. Never a dull moment!
In fact Rev Wright has every right to say anything he has said and I find it silly to keep on Obama's ass to keep denouncing every other thing or person or statement that MSM says he ought denounce.

It is obvious when listening to Rev Wright that he is brilliant, educated and interested in a vast array of subjects and problems of this country. We should listen to him.

We've all been saying that this America's foreign policy has been a DAMNED chaotic disaster for 7 years for sure, and many more no doubt...so why all the outrage when Rev Wright agrees with us in his preachings?
We should embrace Rev Wright and invite him to offer up programs for development for the advancement of the disadvantaged. Obama is an OK speaker, but Wright is electric and can really motivate anybody, if that was his mission.
He is a rare talent and sadly that is not lost on the whities, they can't get rid of his kind fast enough...ye gads we might make progress!
tsk tsk America

[john456]

All this talk about Rev Wright is a smoke screen to one allow an excuse to vote against the black man and second, and most importantly, keep Iran off the news. The US is on the verge of attacking Iran. The Admiral that won't do it has resigned rather than attack. Two of the three candidates are willing to start a nuclear war, but the only one that could oppose it is being smeared by this crap. Hillary's comment about Iran was front page everywhere but in the US. It's "don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain."

[rikkirighteous]

If McCain had sat for twenty years at the foot of his KKK pastor, mentor and friend.....I think we'd hear a whisper from liberals.

[runswithscissors]

It wasn't a KKK pastor, it was a lunatic (Hagee) who said that God sent Katrina to flood New Orleans because they hosted a gay pride pararde. That's the guy McCain is dealing with. And we haven't heard a peep about his role in the SNL scandal of the 80s either. It's crazy, Republicans get every break but they still think they're being picked on.

BTW, what has Wright said (IN CONTEXT!!!!!) that is that objectionable?

[paixa3]

Cenk, you are correct. The sad things is that many will waste their time listening to such crap, and too many will believe it.

[swoosie1]

Cenk, you are incorrect---Obama talked about this man being his mentor and this man was the inspiration for his book, so don't blame game it on the media or on Hillary. Obama brought it on himself and there is plenty more that will be coming from the Rev Wright over the next few days. The closet is going to be thrown open and we will see all the Obama secrets....

[GeorgeP922]

As always, another brilliant article.

Thanks again for the balanced and always logical analysis.

[hank48188]

Obama has VERY POOR JUDGEMENT when it comes to picking his supporters, like Tony Rezko and the WEATHERMEN TERRORISTS. His choice of Spiritual Mentor and Pastor was another bad choice, maybe having a wife that doesn't hate America would be helpful too!

[brijit]

Do you pick your "supporters" or do your supporters pick you?

[geobushono]

better start with an easier question.

[swoosie1]

He picked this man. Don't you get it?

[nellie]

100 percent right. 0 percent wrong.

[timothe]

I'm sorry, but it wasn't the "right wing" that broke all of these stories of Obama's associations. It was your own damn party, Democrats!!

[MRF]

While Little Timmy Russert, who always reminds us he was once from Buffalo as well as the rest of the media conveniently leave out former Buffalo Bills QB and Vice Presidential candidate Jack Kemp’s praise of Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam back during the 1996 campaign.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E3DE103BF933A2575AC0A960958260

Maybe at the next debate he can ask Senator Obama if he condemns or repudiates former Buffalo Bill Running Back O.J Simpson.

[desmirl]

Sorry, Cenk, but John McCain is NOT a war hero. He got shot down because he violated procedure (he had a missile warning in his cockpit and IGNORED IT) and while he was a CAPTIVE of the North Vietnamese (hard to be a POW when your country hasn't declared war on anyone since 1941) he COLLABORATED with the enemy and endangered his fellow sailors and aviators. McCain a HERO? At best, he was a guilty survivor who should have changed his name and gone permanently incognito after being released from captivity and returned to the US.

[procrustes]

Mr Uygur,

Doesn't all this Rovian "stuff" being thrown need a compatible surface to stick? If it does stick, what does it say about us?

[Manx]

The conservatives started the game and the corporate media joined in with gusto. Especially, ABC, FOX, CNN and MSNBC. Soon, we'll be hearing what Obama's third cousins have said. With all the serious issues facing this country, it's insane.