The Scientist's View

12.21.2008

Good politics

I though about my post yesterday last night. I wasn't sure that I hadn't been too cynical in my view that Obama was just being politically savvy by have Pastor Warren do the invocation for the inaguration.

Personally, I do agree with Homer's comment:
Obama fell off his pedastal with this shitty decision.


I also wondered if this was a good step for gays or was I being too glib. I have to reverse my verdict. I think Obama has been consistant in his belief that dialogue is a good thing - whether it is with those whose country prays for your destruction (Iran), has expanionistic tendencies (Russia), a wary ally (France), an enthusiastic ally (Britain), or internally those who are on the Right. Rick Warren might be the first of these complex dialogues. And (time for more cynicism) - it is the inaguration of the President of these United States, not the Democratic winner. So it should (in all fairness) involve as wide a swath of representatives from the large voting blocs in our country as possible. But I being way to optimistic that those conversations between the Obama Administration and the conservative/religious right would change any minds.

To sum up Rick Warren, I think the following excerpt from the mailer his church sent out before the 2004 election is quite telling:

  1. What does each candidate believe about abortion and protecting the lives of unborn children?
  2. What does each candidate believe about using unborn babies for stem-cell harvesting?
  3. What does each candidate believe about homosexual marriage?
  4. What does each candidate believe about human cloning?
  5. What does each candidate believe about euthanasia—the killing of elderly and invalids?



Well, I for one wouldn't fit in that church. Also, another chance for the church to get involved in the election but technically not violate any laws. He did not endorse anyone in 2004 and this was just a mailer to get people to consider some very important points when going to the voting booth.

Reading his website, his Wiki entry, the Saddleback church website - everything looks very agreeable (if you answer the questions above in the "correct" manner). The web content is very uplifting and positive - and Christ is sprinkled throughout but not too heavily. There is no eternal damnation, no mention of Hell, no overt mention of donations (HRC take note), none of the old school Southern Baptist dogma. This softened version of Christianity along with some clever focus group work and marketing has generated exactly what suburbanites need. Clear direction, warm & fuzzy approach, and the ability to "belong" to something.

One important reality to keep in mind is that Obama is president of the 52% that voted Yes on 8 as much as he is president to the 48% who voted No on 8. I think I was being overly optimistic yesterday - any benefit of a long term conversation with Republicans via Rick Warren is just a pipe dream for finding a ray of light in what is essentially politics.


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Great comments, overall. I do want to clarify something: I'm not suggesting that fighting for the right to marry isn't worthwhile. Rather, it's the fight over Rick Warren's role in the inauguration that I believe is the comparatively smaller issue that threatens to derail more important matters. Some folks have suggested this one issue is worth ignoring all others. Just as the lawyer in "Ragtime" wanted to focus his energy on fighting real hardships rather than insults, so I want to suggest we do the same.


From Dave at AOL's political blog:

Oh for pete's sake. The selection of Rick Warren is one of those easy ways for Obama to appear to bridge the culture divide without actually doing anything hard. A prayer is not legislation, or anything remotely resembling such. The fact that Obama says he supports traditional marriage while opposing prop 8 should have clued you in on the fact that he really is on your side, but politically he can't afford to associate with the gay mafia too much.

Probably because of hysterical overreactions like this.

The real fun begins with don't ask, don't tell. Save your ammo for that one. Also Obama needs to keep reminding everyone that he isn't a Muslim. Rick Warren could help there.


Andrew Sullivan:

Rick Warren will give the invocation at Obama's inauguration. Warren is a man who believes my marriage removes his freedom of speech and cannot say that authorizing torture is a moral failing. Shrewd politics, but if anyone is under any illusion that Obama is interested in advancing gay equality, they should probably sober up now. He won't be as bad as the Clintons (who, among leading Democrats, could?), but pandering to Christianists at his inauguration is a depressing omen. More evidence that a civil rights movement needs to realize that no politician can deliver for us what we have to deliver on our own.

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