Obama claims luck, blood, nomenclature of the Irish
SCRANTON, Pa. -- It is hard to imagine a less friendly room than the one Barack Obama entered here Monday night: a tribal gathering of Irish-Catholic women with a dais full of Hillary Clinton supporters in a a place she claims as a hometown.
"He’s going to go right into the heart of Hillary country and the core of her demographic," Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien, an Obama supporter, said hours before the bagpipers arrived at the Society of Irish Women’s St. Patrick's Day banquet.
O'Brien's description was based on exit polls and confirmed by the meager, isolated applause that welcomed Obama into the room. But in the august tradition of ethnic dinners, Obama didn’t make the demographic come to him as much as go to the demographic.
"My family story is familiar to Irish-Americans: a distant homeland, a journey across an ocean in search of opportunity, determination to grab hold of hope and the American dream," the half-Kenyan/half-Kansan man wearing the green tie said before reminding his crowd that St. Patrick was a former slave.
"Another reason why the story might be familiar is it turns out I have Irish heritage," Obama went on.
"Of course!" a woman blurted out.
"One of my earliest American ancestors came here from a tiny village in Ireland," Obama said. "It never hurts to be a little Irish when you’re running for the presidency."
He didn’t seem ready to stop at "a little Irish," pointing out that his campaign had produced green signs and lapel stickers that render his last name as "O'Bama." "I also want you to know Bah-RAACCHH is an old Celtic name," he continued. "I hopefully can earn the honor of the apostrophe in 'O'Bama.'"
He is such a diverse person. He truly loves everybody. You have earned more than an apostrophy from me Senator Obama. Happy St. Patrick's Day.
The woman blurting out "Of Course" was hilarious. I think it is so true. She nailed it. Give Obama time and he will have Chinese blood, Russian blood, Korean blood, French blood. I'm forgetting any blood? Well the point is the man is a politician and he is good at it. If only he could stop pretending to be anything but one.
O'Bama, In Hillary country, In a room full of Irish women, On St. Pattie's Day no less. This guy is either real dumb or... This alone proves the guy is brave enough for the job. I guess he qualifies either way. LOL, What a sense of humor, O'Bama:) Even a republican can appreciate this move. bubba.
In my view he has all the Pluralistic Personality and political intelligence to become the next President of United States of America. This talk and the article is epitome of the same.
"Of course!" a woman blurted out, revealing how sadly racist she is.
Obama is just as "Irish" as any number of "white" Americans with partial Irish heritage and who may wish to claim the same.
I paid attention that not only many Irish people, but also Catholics in general, are well aware that Obama's mother was Irish. And they are very proud of Obama. Even Pat Buchanan was impressed. This is why this article is a little bit misleading: it conceals national and religious feelings that are relatively strong within Irish Americans. Yes, you can easily find a less friendly room for Abama.
WHAT MEDIA IS NOT REPORTING: RE: TRINITY CHURCH!
Rev. Thomas (Pastor of Mainly White Congreation of UCC) denounces e-mail smear campaign against UCC’s largest congregation - Written by J. Bennett Guess, Jan. 11, 2008
Obama, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, has been a member of Trinity UCC for 20 years." "Trinity UCC is rooted in and proud of its Afrocentric heritage," Thomas said. "This is no different than the hundreds of UCC churches from the German Evangelical and Reformed stream that continue to own and celebrate their German heritage, insisting on annual sausage and sauerkraut dinners and singing Stille Nacht on Christmas Eve. ." While Trinity UCC is predominately African American, it does include and welcome non-Black members. The Rev. Jane Fisler-Hoffman, Illinois Conference Minister, who is white, has been a member of the congregation for years.
"Trinity is a destination church for many members of the UCC, a multi-racial, multi-cultural denomination that is largely Caucasian," Thomas pointed out. "When in Chicago, many UCC members flock to Trinity to share in and learn from its vibrant ministries, dynamic worship and justice-minded membership. Contrary to the claims made in these hateful emails, UCC members know Trinity to be one of the most welcoming, hospitable and generous congregations in our denomination." [...]
Rev. Steve] Gray, a member of First Congregational UCC in Indianapolis (mainly caucasian), has worshiped several times at Trinity UCC and is most impressed by the overflowing sense of welcome it extends to visitors. "When you're Euro-American, (White) the people [at Trinity UCC] are so exceedingly gracious, warm and welcoming. They hug you and say, 'Welcome to our church!'"
This ramped-up smear campaign against the UCC's largest congregation and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's home church — Trinity UCC in Chicago — has raised the ire of the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, who called the e-mail-driven claims "absurd, mean-spirited and politically motivated."
The Main Stream Media has been filled with images and video of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial statements for the past four days, 24/7, which Obama has strongly condemned. My concern, however, relates to equal time. When Senator Obama, who, after all , is actually the Candidate, gave a speech in Indiana, addressing his faith, diversity, and unity, and Invoking Robert Kennedy, it has gotten such a tiny percentage of coverage in comparison to Rev. Wright's controversial statements shown every hour in the hour. The main stream media has asked the questions how is Obama to deal with this controversy and when he does they give very little air time to his Answer, which he spells out beautifully in this Indiana Speech. This is just not Right.
On the Other hand we have an Interesting article on Huffington Post describing how a right-wing preacher is treated with similar contoversial remarks:
When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father -- Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.
Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my father's footsteps) rail against America's sins from tens of thousands of pulpits. They tell us that America is complicit in the "murder of the unborn," has become "Sodom" by coddling gays, and that our public schools are sinful places full of evolutionists and sex educators hell-bent on corrupting children. They say, as my dad often did, that we are, "under the judgment of God." They call America evil and warn of immanent destruction. By comparison Obama's minister's shouted "controversial" comments were mild. All he said was that God should damn America for our racism and violence and that no one had ever used the N-word about Hillary Clinton.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/obamas-minister-committe_b_91774.html
May be this is part of Obama's mission, since he is a Unifying Force. In order to be a Unifier, one must get the people talking about those issues which stand and impede unity and discuss those issues so one can understand and overcome these issues.
Political Expediency......Obama's consistent principle......"I'll be whatever you (fools) want me to be...just give me your VOTE" !!!
This country will not succeed if we cannot come together. I am so tired of devisive politics. Obama can unite many different types of Americans. I hope he gets the chance. He does speak for us and not the business millionaires. Thousands of Americans default on loans that they were lured into accepting. But a Wall Street banks go under and the Fed steps in. Dollar goes lower, gas goes up, food goes up and the little people pay again. This affects all political persuasions. It's time to see the writing on the wall.
Obama is also Japanese -- there is an Obama City in Japan, where, apparently, the residents are all fans of Barack Obama, with restaurants naming sushi rolls after him.
all right, will the real obama please stand out, please stand out, please stand out?
it's pathetic what he's been doing and how he's been changing the story.
this is a man without an identity. he thinks he can blend in anywhere because he doesn't belong anywhere. what a joke.
Let s face it this is the next president of the united states!!!! Half Black...half White....Full time hustler!!! I may have to vote for this man! At least i Know he's hustling me. With Billary and that old man Mcain i DONT KNOW!!!
If that one woman was so offended by his racial heritage and his courage to admit it in a room full of skeptics, why on earth did she bother to show up? How rude! There are many of us African Americans with Irish blood, more often than those mixed with Native American. It's offensive to hear that woman react that way just because of the mere mention that a black person has some Irish ancestry, like he must have been lying. Why must he hide that part of himself because Irish presence in his blood offends her? She might as well tell every black person with Irish blood to shove our shamrocks down our throats. That just really hurts.
He's trying to make himself all things to all people. "Of course!" he's Irish! The woman in the audience saw through him as a politician - to call her racist - is in fact a racist statement. If white people can not hold black politicians accountable without being called racists at every turn - then this country is definitely not ready for a black president.
By the way... St. Patrick was pro-life.
My Irish Catholic vote goes to McCain.
Dear Irish Cathoilc voting for McPain, have you listened to the "religious" leader that is backing McCain who refers to the Catholic Church as a "whore"?
McPain has no integrity.
I read the post by the African American claiming that theres irish in more blacks...Hmmm, no! they took names of people once they were freed by White Irish! the New York fighting 69th...and the Irish brigade...
So dont claim Irish if you cant prove it! Its offensive to us who actually are IRISH, and to have some johnny come lately asking to have his name changed to be more EuroIrish is BS BO
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