Blacks Against Obama

Democratic U.S. Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign rally in Coral Gables, Florida on Friday was interrupted by a group of African-American protesters, calling themselves “Blacks Against Obama”.

The “Blacks Against Obama” group, consisted of about 10 African-Americans that showed up at the Obama rally in Florida. The protesters held signs saying, ”Obama was for gay marriage and abortion, and said his candidacy was “endorsed by the KKK.” Another sign said, “Jesse Jackson hates Obama.”

Obama was going to allow the protesters to stay at the rally, but they kept on shouting and interrupting the rally, and had to be escorted out.

He better than me.

Hold The Hallelujahs

Thoough they state different reasons, this Time article discusses how well Evangelical Christians will really receive Sarah Palin.

McCain and his aides may not want to say hallelujah just yet. While Palin is inspiring rhapsodies from the lions of the Christian right, her appeal to more moderate and younger Evangelicals — as well as independent swing voters — may be limited.

There is no doubt that Palin will help calm the doubts of that core Evangelical base and leadership. While many pundits have wondered whether social conservatives will recoil from the news that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant, they're clearly not grasping the mores of that community. If Bristol Palin were the daughter of Democratic parents, she would undoubtedly be held up as an example of the failures of a liberal, permissive culture. Instead, she is viewed — as are the majority of teenage mothers in Evangelical churches — as a Christian who sinned, is forgiven, and needs to be embraced and supported.

The revelation about her daughter's pregnancy, and the fact that Palin herself chose to give birth to a baby with Down Syndrome, are just another part of the compelling picture Palin can paint of her faith. She was baptized in the Catholic Church and for most of her life belonged to an Assemblies of God congregation — a Pentecostal denomination. In high school, Palin was the local leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and most recently she moved her family to a nondenominational Evangelical church in her hometown.

That move away from the Pentecostal Church, which took place in 2002 when Palin first ran for lieutenant governor in Alaska, is the only potential sign she has given that her religious beliefs might be a political liability. Her spokeswoman now says that Palin does not identify herself as a Pentecostal. Historically Pentecostals and other Evangelical Protestants haven't always gotten along, largely because of theological differences. Pentecostal theology elevates the role of the Holy Spirit and includes belief in spiritual gifts, such as healing and speaking in tongues. But the groups have often been able to set aside their doctrinal disagreements for political purposes. Pat Robertson, a Pentecostal, and the late Jerry Falwell, a Fundamentalist, famously had bitter theological disputes but still joined forces as leading figures of the Christian right. (See photos of Jerry Falwell here.)

Palin's red-meat conservatism and Evangelicalism will almost certainly play well with those party faithful who attended the Republican National Convention this week. But with fewer than 60 days until Election Day (and a month before the start of early voting in many states), the McCain campaign's continued courting of the more traditional base spells trouble for any efforts to expand his appeal to independent voters and less conservative Evangelicals. If so, McCain may find himself quoting a bowdlerized verse of Scripture in November: What does it profit a man to gain the Christian right and lose the White House?

Read more of the article.

Florida Republican group to boycott Oprah?

The Florida Federation of Republican Women made the decision to boycott the Oprah Winfrey Show Saturday, after the media mogul refused to have Gov. Sarah Palin as a guest on her show until after the election wraps up.

"Women in Florida helped build Oprah into the icon she is today," Linda Ivell, President of the FFRW said in a statement. "We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey's decision to sit out the greatest political moment in the history of women since suffrage."

The talk show host denied accusations Friday, that she was even considering the vice presidential nominee as a guest.

"At the beginning of this presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a plat for any of the candidates," Winfrey wrote in a statement, responding to a story from The Drudge report claiming her staff was "sharply divided" on whether they should book the Alaska Governor.

Winfrey agreed Palin would be a "fantastic interview," but wouldn't invite her on until after the November elections.

The Florida Federation of Republican Women, the "largest political organization in Florida," celebrating the groups 58 year anniversary is also encouraging members to cancel subscriptions to O Magazine, Ivell said.

"We find it to be an abuse of her power -gained on the backs of our patronage of her advertising empire - to use her program to so blatantly support Obama in the face of this historic moment. So, we are tuning out and canceling our subscriptions to O Magazine and encourage other women to do the same," Ms Ivell said.

Winfrey came under fire from some of her supporters in December after campaigning with the Democratic nominee in South Carolina.

Ivell did not say the Florida Republicans would be tuning out indefinitely, but at least until 'after the election.' Adding, she and her members respect the decision to support Obama, "as every American is entitled to their personal opinion and vote."

My response:

Ummm...Oprah don't care. They better be glad I'm trying to be saved; otherwise, I'd say some real ugly words. The FFRW don't tell nobody what to do. Kick rocks.

Kilpatrick Shows No Remorse

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has plead guilty to two felony charges, will resign his office and pay a one million dollar fine.

The plea deal was announced during a court hearing and brings to an end a seven-month-long sex scandal that led to felony charges against Kilpatrick and plunged the city, region and state into political chaos.

My response:

I watched the proceedings and I was just...disgusted. Kilpatrick was cocky, he was arrogant, he was smiling, he was defiant. And to a certain extent, I understand...I do. He's trying to send the message that he is undeterred and unbroken. But that's the wrong message to send. He needs to be broken. He needs to be remorseful and contrite. That's why he's in this mess in the first place. His arrogance and need to be hard is why he has brought black folks to an open shame. He makes me sick. Dumb. Just dumb.

Read more of the story here.

Sherraye Speaks: On Sarah Palin...Barack Is In Trouble

You know, I hate to admit this but I’m listening to Sarah Palin – and I’m impressed. She is ticking me off because she is taking pot shots at Barack but I gotta tell you, if Barack wasn’t my candidate, I’d be a McCain supporter right now. I don’t want to, but I like her. She’s tough, she’s confident, she’s articulate – she’s a threat.

So what I am counting on are the Evangelicals because I know them. And what I know is that despite this feigned enthusiasm for the first female Republican VP candidate, the Evangelicals don’t like it and they will stay home. Because what I know about them is that they are more sexist than racist and, yes, they would rather see a black man in office than a white woman. And they hate her husband. That picture of him sitting there holding the baby and sitting with the kids while she is giving her grand speech ticks them off.

“Weakling!” they’re thinking.

I guarantee you, they think he’s a wimp. They won’t vote for Barack, but they won’t vote for McCain either.

Ut oh, she wants to fight the oil companies. McCain just lost.

Now, she’s talking about Barack again. I guess I shouldn’t get mad with her because I know she didn’t write this speech.

I’m looking at these white men…they have phony smiles plastered on their face. They don’t like her either. For once, the men get to fake it.