Winning Hearts and Minds? - Amended

The other day, I wrote a post about James Dobson and Barack Obama, "Wheel...Of...Theology." Obama's camp has been trying to woo Evangelical Christians, youth in particular, including starting a "Jericho Generation" group or some such thing...

Okay - let's just stop right there. I hate to digress, but what does it say that the people he pursues the MOST are young, inexperienced people? I mean, really - the part of the brain that helps make good decisions isn't even fully set until one is into adulthood. I'm not kidding! (Here is but one article on the topic of Decision-Making - there are TONS available online.) That is why, so often, you will hear someone exclaim, "I can't believe SO-and-So drank and drove (or lied, or stole, whatever) - this seems so out of character for him/her," and they are in their late teens or twenties. It is that part of the brain that isn't fully formed that allows the Straight A, straight-laced student to go joy-riding, out of the clear blue sky, for example. Or to support a candidate because he seems "cool," not paying attention to what he actually says, or has done. I think you know what I mean. Anyway, it is VERY telling that he constantly pursues YOUNG people. Just sayin'.*


Anywho - to get back to the topic, Obama is trying to woo Evangelical Christians. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, had some criticims of Obama, particularly his biblical interpretation. Dobson said (quote from the article mentioned below), "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology," Dobson said."

I think we all know how well Obama deals with criticism. Ahem. He is not fond of it, and tends to lash out. Bear in mind that Dobson's responses to him are based on a speech Obama gave in which he said, "that people of faith, like himself, "try to translate some of our concerns in a universal language so that we can have an open and vigorous debate rather than having religion divide us." Hang on a moment - I am so busy having my head explode at OBAMA talking about not having religion "divide us," that I can't type...Whew. OK. I think I am better. Can I just say, Obama attends a church that is INCREDIBLY DIVISIVE and he has the "audacity" to say this?! After attending TUCC, the Nation of Islam supporting church for TWENTY years, he says this??? Wow. Just freakin' wow. He added in his speech, "People aren't reading their Bibles."

Well, sure enough, he had THIS to say on Tuesday about Dobson's criticism in an AP article, "Obama Dismisses Dobson Criticism About Bible": ""I think you'll see that he was just making stuff up, maybe for his own purposes." Dobson is "making stuff up"? Gosh, he really IS eloquent, isn't he?!? And this: "Asked about Dobson's assessment, Obama said "somebody would be pretty hard-pressed to make that argument" that he was distorting the Bible." Way to go about winning the hearts and minds of the Evangelical Christians, Obama! Insult one of their foremost leaders! That oughta do the trick! (And may I say - again - I have absolutely NO love lost for Dobson, and completely disagree with HIS interpretation of the Bible, but I am not trying to get any of his people to vote for me, either! Just to be clear - not a fan of Dobson's.)

Honestly, I think Obama is unclear on the concept of bringing people into the fold, or has really internalized the hype about himself. He does seem to think he can say whatever derogatory comments he wants about leaders who represent millions of people, then get their people to fall in line behind him. That sure takes some nerve. Or something like that. Fill in your own word (hubris? Delusion?). I suppose this should come as no surprise to Hillary supporters, though - he pretty much reamed her time and time again, disparaging her character, making ad hominem attacks constantly, demeaning her, and women in general, with his sexist remarks, and overall responding with great arrogance - why WOULDN'T we just jump on board?!? Now he is trying it with James Dobson and Evangelical Christians! Let's just see how well this works out for him, even with the help of people like The Reverend Kirbyjon Caldwell, a former Bush supporter. I daresay, more people have heard of Dobson...Like I said, this Obama sure has a unique way to try and win the hearts and minds...

Oh, wait! Speaking of Obama's incredibly divisive church, and his claim that religions shouldn't divide us, Father Michael Pfleger said on "Good Morning America" that he stands by the message he preached against Senator Clinton, her whole "entitlement" thing, as he is now calling it. As if Senator Clinton EVER claimed she was entitled to anything, especially in the racist way he depicted. That was ALL Pfleger, and near as I can tell, he broke one of the Big Ten by "bearing false witness against his neighbor" with that one. Here's the link, in case you want to read it for yourself: Priest Who Mocked Clinton... What a piece of work, and how unfortunate that ABC is giving him any air time at all...Sheesh.

* And this is the problem with people like McCaskill and Caroline Kennedy, among others, allowing thier CHILDREN to convince them to vote for Obama! Their children's reasoning facilities are not yet physically or neuroogically set, and they are listening to THEM?? That is problematic on all sorts of levels, like why adults are acquiescing to their kids, for starters. I think we can all look back on our youth and remember how we were CERTAIN we were SO right about everything, and adults didn't know anything. We knew so much more, were so much more with it, and our arguments were better. As we look back, we realize we didn't know squat, cerainly not on the level we do now. And now there is scientific evidence that at least as far as reasoning is concerned, adults have better ability neuorlogically. So, yes, Claire and Caroline, by all means - let your KIDS tell you who to support! That's the most reasonable thing to do - not.