None so blind...

Jenny

What on earth is America sleepwalking into?

Dee Ranged

Jenny - Precisely! I see the Divine Hand at work here. The Democrats will ultimately choose Obama and the Republicans McCain. Only when this die is cast will the American public wake up to a new reality compelling to them to reject Obama as President because he has no substance.

Joe Strummer

He did not solicit Farrakhan's support....but he didn't say he'd refuse to take it either. It isn't what you say, but what you don't say that counts here.

alan stoddart

As I understand it he said he would both reject and denounce Farrakhan's support. He also stated that he supported Israel..."One of the reasons why so many of my supporters come from the Jewish community… is that I have been a stalwart friend of Israel and supported the special relationship we enjoy with it… they are among our most important allies and their security is sacrosanct." Undoubtedly he is an unknown quantity and on the face of it McCain would be the safe bet from a certain perspective...but many US Presidents have been voted in on a Liberal ticket only to be something completely different...JFK in his inaugural speech could have been George Bush. And an aside...reference Guantanamo Bay and the writ of Habeas Corpus...according to the US Constitution (section 9) ...in times of rebellion or invasion and for the public safety it may be suspended...so Bush ending HC in some circumstances is not the end of Liberty as we know it...it is in fact democracy, liberty and the US Constitution in action. Interesting that some in the media are happy to use terrorist videos of captives pleading for their lives and the end of the Iraq war etc (obviously under coercion) but denounce life saving information received under what they term torture.

Ray

Pardon me, but this American isn't buying Obama's act, nor am I sleepwalking into anything. On the other hand, I must confess that it appears that I am in the minority. Regarding Obama's equivocation - What do you expect? He's a lawyer and knows very well which words mean what, and how to twist words around to his advantage.

Nick Kaplan

I would be careful Melanie, if you carry on this line you will be classified as a closet racist by Venetia Thompson whose article in this week’s Spectator made quite explicitly clear that, even the mere suggestion that Obama is somewhat deficient on the topic of policy automatically makes you a racist. Is it me or was this article particularly offensive, I find there is very little to commend Obama, except for the fact that he is a fantastic speaker, he doesn’t actually say anything useful, it is just empty rhetoric. But I am certainly not racist, give me a Black Republican president and I’ll be happy!

Ted

Conservatives and Evangelical Christians aren't buying into Obama. His membership in a black liberation theology church - where his "spiritual mentor" Dr..Jeremiah Wilson has instituted a "black value" system and says they have allegiance to Africa is repugnant. He is something like a Marxist Latin-American Dictator (Peron, Chavez, Castro) who is running for office as our Messiah. Government is God and he is our Messiah. It's sad.

Lynne T

Funny that Farakan and his suppoerters refer to him, publicly at least, as "Minister" and not Imam or Ayatollah or Sheik, given his flock belong to the Nation of Islam (NOI). And the problem with Farakan and the NOI isn't just the animosity displayed toward Jews. Various elements in the NOI have been in trouble with the law for such matters as intimidating Muslims who operate liquor stores with both threats and actual violence if they continue to sell alcohol to other Muslims.

Verity

Nick Kaplan - Re Venetia Thompson, empty people who can't think of an argument always seek refuge in the Racist Corral. I find Obama alarming and I find his association, which I suspect goes much deeper than we know, with Farrakhan alarming, too. I wonder how friendly he is with Keith Ellison. Obama's nice looking, well-tailored and has very good presentation, but he is either an empty suit, bad enough, or is hiding an agenda. I may sound like a moonbat, but personally, I think this man is dangerous.

David Lindsay

If you are an Israeli citizen who happens to be a Muslim (and there are plenty of them), then Israel is a Sharia state. If you don't believe me, then read the Jewish Chronicle: http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11s18s186&SecId=186&AId=58075&ATypeId=1 An integral part of the West? The only Middle Eastern country in which any critical journalist or any trade unionist would wish to live? How about the only country ever described in such terms where some citizens' testimony is worth half than that of others on grounds of sex? By contrast, I can imagine no one less likely to give any quarter to Sharia Law than a Muslim-born convert to Christianity.

Joshua

"but many US Presidents have been voted in on a Liberal ticket only to be something completely different" -- The same principle holds true for Supreme Court nominees on both sides of the political aisle. Take, for example, Earl Warren, a former blue-eyed boy of the Republican Party who was in large part responsible for such landmark liberal decisions as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and Miranda v. Arizona. Little wonder Eisenhower ruefully remarked about his decision to nominate Warren for the Chief Justice vacancy that it was "the biggest damned-fool mistake I ever made".

Robert Weberlein

I agree with Verity . I think Obama is a dangerous man , and his suppoter's are more like follower's . He is a real Pied Piper

Ted

Unlike one of the other people who made comment earlier, I can image someone less likely to give quarter to Sharia Law than a Muslim born convert to Christianity (Obama) ! That someone would accept Judeo-Christian values not Leftist Christian values. Those values would include - only God can heal our souls (not Government or Obama) , sanctity of life (not Pro-Choice), that man is not basically good but is created in the image of God and is capable of good, That evil resides in the heart of man not in global warming, pollution, profits, wealth, poverty, corporations, patriotism, legitimate religion, inequality. That self-government reduces the need for big government, marriage should be between a man and a woman, that not every idea or culture is equally valid or good, and that truth exists. What so called "Christians of the Left " (Obama, Jimmy Carter, Clintons, Edwards, McGovern etc) , believe is that your heart should decide what is right. I believe I should also use my mind. They don't place any weight on whether the solution they propose or implement is workable as long as their heart is in the right place.. That means they must constantly point out Americas failures. You would think based on what they say that 99% of us are homeless, destitute, hopelessly racist, uncaring about others, sexist, unemployable, uninsured, hateful toward legal immigration, and are warmongers, while 1% of us are super rich and don't pay any taxes. The Left is totally unprepared to confront or even discuss true evil -suicide bombers, terrorism, murderous dictators, communists, criminals, illegal immigration). . Protecting our country against Islamic terrorism isn't even brought up in Democratic Presidential debates because they believe that Muslims terrorists attack us because of poverty. They want us to be liked by countries around the world instead of being respected.
If this keeps up the USA will be in the ditch with the U.K which I love very much.

field

What are they sleep walking into? Well the Church to which Obama belongs sounds very like a Nation of Islam front organisation. So how about electing a Nation of Islam front man?

John West

alan stoddart, 3:39pm: You've misstated the suspension of habeus corpus provision of the U.S. Constitution. It doesn't say "in times of rebellion or invasion AND for the public safety," but rather, " The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it." (Article One, Section 9, Clause 2). In other words, only those threats to public safety occasioned by rebellion or invasion justify suspension of habeus corpus. I'm sure you can appreciate the distinction.

London Calling

I must agree that in the silence much is said, so translated here in England it would be called the 'Okey Cokey' You put your left leg in Your left leg out In Out, In Out, then you shake it all about, you do the Okey Cokey and then turn around. thats what its all about..... Translated into American English, this is called Politics/Hypocrisy walking hand in hand. From an Evangelical point of view this is called 'Luke Warm! Barack Obama has shown his true colors, and they're not red,white and Blue, with little white stars.

London Calling

I must agree that in the silence much is said, so translated here in England it would be called the 'Okey Cokey' You put your left leg in Your left leg out In Out, In Out, then you shake it all about, you do the Okey Cokey and then turn around. thats what its all about..... Translated into American English, this is called Politics/Hypocrisy walking hand in hand. From an Evangelical point of view this is called 'Luke Warm! Barack Obama has shown his true colors, and they're not red,white and Blue, with little white stars.

osama

José Mourinho would have been a controversial but exciting prospect for England manager, despite not being English and against my principles I would have liked him to take the manager's role. Obama for me is a lot like Mourinho, he would be exciting and provocative and he just might produce the winning team...Team America. As George Bush says 'History will be the judge'. In Bush's case it looks like it might be favourable and his outlook on the great political problems of our times correct...Iraq and his domino theory of the spread of democracy and all that(which will take time) is supported by Dr Abdelwahab El-Affendi (see Harry's Place) who wrote 'Who needs an Islamic state', an influential book...on Islamic states. In it he states: "I believe it may be necessary to work towards a more modest objective: the creation of a leading Muslim state. The function of such a state would be to play a role similar to that being played by the United States as a leader of the west. This is much less ambitious than a caliphate and falls well short of the building an EU-type union of Muslim states, but could lead to it eventually". A leading Islamic state as an example to other Islamic states...where have we heard that before? Someone suggested recently on the ubiquitous Beeb that Bush did not go to war for oil, nor WMD but because he has an Oedipal complex(the theorist was gay so may have had a few issues with his own father which he transfers to Bush)...personally I think he just wanted to do the right thing. Bush is also right about Climate Change (a thing he has always recognised...see his speeches, freely available on the White House website....seemingly unknown to BBC reporters). He suggested techno-fixes and spending money to ameliorate the effects of CC rather than putting a break on economies(just who would be chosen to be unemployed?). Bush is right...and as someone suggested read Michael Crichton's articles on his website.

alan stoddart

John West, you're correct, but in my book flying aircraft into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and an attempt to hit the White House is an invasion of US territory and the public safety of US citizens is threatened by foreign military actions....so my point stands.

John East

For some years I held what I took to be the reasonable view that Tony Blair deserved a chance. Just because he appeared to be a shallow fake, all style, charm and no substance, he should still be given a chance to prove me wrong. I wouldn't make the same mistake again with Obama.

linda

Obviously, you people are the ones who are blind. Have any of you bothered to check out his record? He's done more for ethics reform, workers rights, health care and neighborhood community projects than any other politician even dared to try. I'm amazed at this hate mongering for a person such as Obama. Our country is in a mess now due to nearly 8 years with the village idiot running things. Obama has the ability to bring people together and make us believe that we can bring change. And that's what this country needs in the chaotic climate in which we live. YES, WE CAN!!!

osama

Melanie compares Obama to Princess Di, personally Rageh Omah was always my choice for that tiara. This might throw the cat amongst the pigeons: Nietzsche's sister thought Hitler was more a spiritual leader than political. He was seen as more akin to an American revivalist preacher....as one observer said: 'Hitler never really makes a political speech, only philosophical ones.' Not outlining a political programme but demanding commitment, politics was a mobilising of wills. Cameron's big speech to get the party leadership was just the same and the same accusation of having no polices has followed him around. Of course no one could claim Hitler didn't have any policies. Politics is show business, so you are going to get a show, Obama is selling himself first, his policies second...but they are a double act, no good having policies that your personality can't deliver, no good having a personality but no policies. If the media doesn't press Obama on his policies then no one is going to hear what they are if he doesn't volunteer them.

Ben

The shoe will hopefully drop once he's knocked Hillary out of the race.

Mad Mel

When did Farrakhan become an "Islamist"? Hilarious.

Fabio P.Barbieri

Mad Mel: ever since he has been the leader of an organization calling itself the Nation Of Islam and consciously promoting the Muslim faith - in a rather individual fashion, true, but not more distant from the mainstream than Shia or Alawi sectarians. Farrakhan is a Muslim and a supremacist. Get over it.

Paul Weston

Thomas Sowell for President! He is one of the wisest and fairest men who ever lived, but by virtue of being black is regarded as an "uncle Tom" by the likes of O'Bama and the rest of his grievance mongering ilk. Sowell has written profusely on race, economics, education, subversion and Communism, and always with wit, humour, massive intellect and enormous research. Any reader here who has never heard of him should look up his books on Amazon, or read his columns on townhall.com

GNO

But…but…I thought these days, for a lefty liberal in post 9/11 climate (Al-bbc and her ilk), being anti-Israeli (read anti-Semite) was de rigueur. As such, Obama is a Godsend.

Tim Chapman

If Obama goes regularly to a church whose minister supports Farrakhan and his views, then he is for that reason alone not acceptable as the Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. If a large majority of Americans - for whose country I have the highest regard and the highest hopes - do not recognize that reality, the future will look bleak indeed. Tim, Canberra.

Nick Kaplan

I second Paul Weston's nomination for the president.

Geoffrey Baxter-Wright

A racist black power church with links to the Nation of Islam. To be fair, most Muslims, even jihadis, would question the NOI's claim to be true Muslims. However, if you weren't really a genuine convert to Christianity, it might be more comfortable to be there and claim to be Christian. Most people don't understand the theological aspects, so, if you can stop people looking too closely, it looks as if you are a Christian. Useful when running for President? Is Obama really a Muslim sleeper? What about the Kenyan link? What about the fund raising for Palestinian cuases?Wake up America! Even Hillary is preferable to this!

JB

The shoe is dropping. The gushing, teen-age groupy response to Obama is wearing thin. Most Americans are a skeptical, down-to-earth lot. This is precisely why we have a very long, and frequently nasty, campaign season, to give things time to shake out, and to give politicians time to inadvertently drop their carefully constructed facade. We are used to politicians. They are a shallow, narcissistic, self-absorbed lot for the most part. We understand that perfectly. Sometimes we get taken, but when we do, we are quite willing to throw the bums out. Jimmy Carter is still fuming about not being re-elected, but he didn't deserve the job. Most European newspapers simply assumed John Kerry would be the winner of the previous election. His arrogance, condescension and barely concealed contempt for ordinary Americans were his undoing, not the swift boat vets. It is my experience that Europeans and Americans, despite surface similarities, have experienced such diverse histories since well before 1776, that we quite simply don't understand each other.

JB

Paul Weston and Nick Kaplan, I would gladly vote for Thomas Sowell, whatever party ticket he ran on. But it's not going to happen. He's much too smart, decent and honest to run for office. But we are only in the beginning of the silly season, nothing is a foregone conclusion. In the words of that great American philosopher Yogi Berra "the game isn't over till the fat lady sings." And no one will know what the voters really think till the day after the election.

DK

Funny how when Clinton was asked about the comments of her activist Adelfa Callejo who said "Obama's problem is he happens to be black" that she didn't denounce or reject the comments.

George Steiner

As time goes on, the bagage Obambi is carying will get heavier and heavier. When this is over there will he much discussion on how such a bagage of nothing but air came to weigh so much. You fellows must remember that just as the people conversing with Ms. Phillips here are electorally insignificant, so are the talking heads in the US. The average American reads neither the Times of London nor the Spectator. They are not sophisticated but neither are they stupid. I know.

David Lindsay

Gosh, this is fun! Which RINO would you have instead, since McCain, Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani and Paul have all been very recently denounced as exactly that by at least one of the three legs of the stool, and all but Paul by at least two of them? Why did Obama win the Jewish vote in Connecticut, Arizona, California and Massachusetts? What do you all know that they don't? Anyway, Jews (or blacks, for that matter) hardly voted for Bush and he still won. What do you have to say to that? And if Obama is such a dangerous Leftist, then how come he is supported by so many Independents and Republicans, and why is the most right-wing Democrat in the Senate, Reagan's old Navy Secretary, not only backing him, but very likely to be his running-mate? I could go on, but all in all I am thoroughly enjoying the hysterical reaction to the long-overdue return of the prodigal Reagan Democrats to the house of their father, FDR. It must be tough being the elder brother. But it is clearly a whole lot tougher being the fatted calf.

London Calling

JB (Quote) It is my experience that Europeans and Americans, despite surface similarities, have experienced such diverse histories since well before 1776, that we quite simply don't understand each other. (un-Quote) JB We understand each other perfectly, we speak the same language don't we? Not all Americans are stupid, but neither are they all wise, History has nothing to do with being understood, my many ancestors left for America from Ireland one hundred and fifty years ago and still retain their Irish Heritage from all accounts. Its all in the genes, not wars and patriotism. However it was claimed that most Americans didn't even know where Iraq was geographically until after 9/11, therefore it is not about knowing our History, but knowing we are not insular from the rest of the world, or are we any different.

Tony

ok Mad Mel

JB

With respect, London Calling, I can't agree with you. It's not in the language or in the genes, it's in experience. If by genes you mean ethnicity, well, we in the U.S. are a genetically divergent lot. In fact, most of us don't know for sure where all our ancestors came from, beyond a couple of generations. And the children of immigrants here, regardless of what part of the world their parents came from, hit the ground running when it comes to fitting into what we call American culture, for lack of a better word (we don't really have a culture, we have an attitude, a constitution, and an economy).The more I read European publications and the comments that appear there, the more convinced I am that we approach life, politics, the role of government, and just about everything else with wildly differing assumptions. From what I can tell, very few Europeans know what Americans think, because Americans simply go on about their business, they don't rant and rave. The ones that do, like the gushing fans of Obama, have little in common with the average American, which is why no one knows how we'll vote. As George Steiner said, most of us are not sophisticated, but neither are we stupid.

John L.

Where did Obama come from? Who is behind him? Where is the criticism of his cult of personality, his lack of substance? What is his agenda? The answers to these questions are very sobering indeed. The other night I had a thought--something like a hunch, but tangible nonetheless: if this man becomes president he will attempt to throw open the borders and not only admit more Mexicans, but millions from other third world countries as well. I picture fleets of double-decker Airbus A380s swooping in from Africa and the Middle East to dump millions of people on our "re-engineered" nation. Such musings lead to thoughts that are more than hunches. They lead to convictions: Obama is an attempt by the corporations and the social engineers to play the race card against the American poeple. Nothwihstanding the geldings in the universities and media, I rather believe the American poeple are even now hardening themselves against the "race card" ploy. The global/socialist elite is in for a surprise.

David Lindsay

Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas... Are these and those like them Islamists, or black supremacists, or Communists, or what have you? They are not Muslims (nor is Obama or Wright, and no one outside the Nation of Islam would say that Farrakhan was, either), they are not black, and they are no more Communists or anything like that than, say, our own Frank Field or Kate Hoey. Democrats like them are overwhelmingly for Obama. There must be some reason for that. Or is there something that you all know and they don't? If so, then what is it?

John L.

David: Your "probing" questions overlook the globalist dimension. There are many American governors and senators who are simply sell-outs to the corporate program. An appeal to their endorsements really doesn't count for much, not to thinking people. The sheep look up....

Nick Kaplan

It’s called rhetoric and the promise of victory at the next election David Lindsay, and apparently it’s quite effective, think Tony Blair and the old left.

Cassidy

Hey, Melanie - Show me your average church-going Catholic who flaunts a few commandments who's prepared to denounce the pope. I'm no fan of any of the candidates but let's be real...

Yankee

David Lindsay: They're Dhimmicrats. Case explained.

Ain

I think this blog suffers from acute 'group-think-mentality'--people who are forever doomed to crying other people's water.

Let's see how this anti-Obama crow answers this question: was Enoch Powell racists?

Savely Senderovich

Dear Melanie, the sad fact is that America was NOT shocked by Obama's attitude, and business goes as usual.

d1carter

Melanie: I think Barack wears slip ons, so it won't take much for this shoe to drop. When the groupies go backstage to see the real rock star, they will be disappointed. Remember Milli Vanilli? Thanks for keeping an eye out for us across the pond.

George Steiner

I have a jaundiced view of Obambi. But my wife who is much smarter than I am predicts that McCain will win by a landslide.

David Lindsay

So, Yankee, all those Obama-voting Jews in Connecticut, Arizona, California and Massachusetts are Dhimmicrats, are they? Well, perhaps they are. Jews have done well under the Caliphate in the past, after all. But I really do suspect rather strongly that they are not. Actually, I wouldn't mind too much if McCain won, since real old war veterans like the decorated Jacques Chirac leave the shooting up of the world to draft dodgers like Bill Clinton and George Bush. And I have thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of five anti-Bush Republican candidates out of five, all of them roundly denounced as such; even if McCain wins, his party will be extremely unlikely to outlive him. But the most fun of all is the sight and sound of that party's impending orphans howling and howling at the moon against the fact that those whose votes they have stolen by pretending to be social conservatives have finally rumbled them, and are going home.

Joe Cromley

I read this article with interest. As an "Anglo-American", born and raised in the United States, but long resident in Britain, I continue to take an active interest in the politics of my native country. I've been especially proud of the candidates running for president this year, and of the vibrant and unexpected course of the electoral process so far. While I find much to admire in McCain, Hillary and Obama, (and even enjoy Mike Huckaby's genial manner), I decided, after long reflection, that I would give my primary vote, if I had one, to Obama, and will in all probability vote for him in the presidential election, should he be the democratic nominee. This despite the standard concerns about his lack of experience and a belief that his position on Iraq is too rash. I listened to his response to the questions about Farrakhan, and was disappointed that he didn't make a clear disavowel. However, I do understand that Farrakhan is an influential character among both the black population and the intelligentsia in the United States ... an ugly fact, but a fact nonetheless. Obama has not yet won, (and, still conceivably, may not win), the democratic nomination, let alone the general election. Like any politician, he has to be careful of upsetting any substantial section of his natural constituency. That is a sad fact, which does not excuse his hesitation, but does, perhaps, explain it. While disappointed, I was not surprised, and I do not doubt that any leading politician in similar circumstances, in the United States or Britain, would have acted differently. It was still weak, and I have to say, I think the less of the man for it. As to Ms. Phillips's comment about Obama's church, I don't know whether she is referring to the specific church Obama attends in Chicago, or to the United Church of Christ as a domination. About Obama's congregation, I know nothing, but the UCC is the direct descendent of the Puritan Congregationalism that established New England. Rather like the "Guardian" classes in Britain today, who appear to me to be the direct descendents of the most radical Puritans of the civil war era here. While they are certainly snobbish, smug and sactimonious, I'm not sure they're actually racists. The sin of hubris is the one I'd lay at their door.

David Lindsay

What about McCain's Protestant Ultramontanism (http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/mccain_and_the_protestant_ultramontanists), which has a very anti-Semitic side and in any case knocks Obama's, Huckabee's and Romney's religious predelictions into a cocked hat?

Fabio P.Barbieri

David Lindsay, you have no idea what arguing is about. For your information, it does not amount to dragging any amount of red herrings about extraneous figures, often drawn from worthless sources, in order to avoid having to deal with the point. If you cannot cope with Obama's attitude to the hateful leader of the Nation of Islam, just shut your trap and stop wasting bandwidth.

David Lindsay

Not only are these figures anything but "extraneous", but how is a source edited by a Spectator columnist "worthless"? It just happens to be a voice for those hwo realise that never-ending war is neither fiscally conservative (obvioulsy nor morally conservative (just think of Vietnam, or indeed of Britain between 1939 and 1945. Yet the Republican Party has come to define itself as the War Party, and thus no real home for either fiscal or moral conservatives. So the GOP is finished, regardless of whether or not McCain wins this year. And you clearly know it, from the nature of your response.

David Lindsay

Oh, all right, it's a joke. But I've had emails from people who thought it was real. And clearly Fabio did, too. Why ever might that be? I stand by what I said about takimag being a reliabe source generally.