Comments on: Connie Pashall, 56, of Portland, is ignorant

By: Eric D. Snider

Eric D. Snider — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:34:36 +0000

No, what you were misinformed on was the definition of the term “freedom of religion.” It does not mean, as you seem to think, that no one’s allowed to criticize your choice of religion.

You’re right that it’s silly to consider being Muslim a bad thing, given that 99.99 percent of the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims are non-extremist non-terrorists. But it’s hard enough convincing some people that Obama isn’t Muslim without also trying to convince them that even if he was, that would be OK. You gotta crawl before you can walk.

Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be OK. Muslims represent a fairly small minority in the United States — about 0.6% — and many U.S. presidents have openly used their religious beliefs to help them make decisions. For this reason, I can see how many Americans would be uncomfortable having a president whose religious beliefs were so different from their own, especially if it’s a religion that those Americans don’t know very much about. I’m not saying those concerns would be justified, but they’d be understandable.

By: e.sharky

e.sharky — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:15:44 +0000

After reading some of the comments above I came to the conclusion that some of you are upset that other people might wrongly think that Obama is a muslim. I’m more upset with the idea that you think being a muslim is somehow a bad thing. Sure there are dangerous extremists in every single religion (well maybe not in buddhism) and the christians are no different, but judging a whole religion on the actions of few sounds bloody stupid to me. By the way, I thought there was such a thing as freedom of religion in your country, I guess I was misinformed. And no, I’m not a muslim myself, I just don’t see anything bad in people who are.

By: Ampersand

Ampersand — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:54:29 +0000

David Manning, I see your conspiracy-theory guy and raise you a crazy pastor from Harlem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejTmistHFw0

By: Momma Snider

Momma Snider — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:36:07 +0000

I think it’s eerily coincidental that Obama/Biden is so similar to Osama Bin Laden. If I were Obama, I’d have chosen someone else just because of that.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:03:02 +0000

I love the whole world, and all its craziness. Boom De Ah Dah.

By: Clumpy

Clumpy — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:31:37 +0000

Dave, watching that video made me want to strangle a kitten. Thankfully it’s midnight so I won’t be able to find one until the urge subsides.

Sorry about mixing up the fields in my earlier comment – I’m not really trying to plug my website so blatantly. . .

By: David Manning

David Manning — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:09:21 +0000

You guys have nothin’ on this hilariously entertaining email I got from some conservative relatives, with a link to this Youtube video. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUdjhKbImwE&NR=1

By: hecowe

hecowe — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:24:21 +0000

“That’s not to say newspapers don’t get things wrong or misquote people…”

You’ve got to be kidding! Have been in the journalism trade in a former life, I know that Jayson Blair (the NY Times reporter fired for making up entire articles from his desk in Brooklyn) isn’t a lone wolf. Lazy, sloppy, procrastinating reporters are not exceptional, and I should know — it takes one to know one.

If you really want to know something political, you had better research it yourself from several different sources, step out from your “party” fantasies, and be careful what you get from the newspapers, television, and internet. What’s left? Use the sieve that is your brain and be street-smart and jaded. Take nothing for granted and “follow the money.” There are twelve honest politicians in the US who are true public servants, and no one knows which ones they are. It’s a fair bet none of them are running for president. (Except for — maybe — Ron Paul, whom I’m now sorry I ridiculed.)

By the way, “no one from the Clinton campaign had anything to do with the Muslim label, ” just like no one from the Clinton campaign is right now texting all the Dem super-delegates with the message that Obama’s a loser who can’t seal the deal.

Am I jaded? You bet. Walk a mile in my moccasins, kimosabe, if you can keep them from being stolen off your feet.

By: BAC

BAC — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:50:57 +0000

Fair enough that newspapers don’t make things up out of thin air, but I imagine Ms. Pashall has a talent for it. Sure, Ms. Pashall said she got her misinformation from conservative websites, but that statement is neither credible (I doubt a Clinton supporter is perusing conservative websites regularly) nor reliable (because we have no idea what websites she is talking about).

But just look how the little tidbit about conservative websites leads people to decry “a large number of conversatives” who supposedly agree with Ms. Pashall (who, ironically, is not a conservative).

I guess that’s how newspapers work. If you want people to wrongfully blame conservatives for spreading rumors that Obama is a Muslim, then just quote one idiot who remembers seeing that rumor on conservative websites. One quote is all it takes to make people forget the month’s long email campaign from Clinton supporters that started the rumors in the first instance.

As for McCain’s brainwashing, I read about it on some liberal websites.

By: Lowdogg

Lowdogg — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:55:34 +0000

Tim,
Your geographical snobbery seems to have clouded the fact that this woman lives in Oregon, on the coast. Isn’t that where the smart ones live in your eyes?
Wasn’t it Iowans that gave Obama his first (and surprise) win in the Caucus?
Ignorance is just as prevalent in San Fran. The issues are just different.