Obama's anti-gay South Carolina strategy: "Signs of Desperation?"

By KEVIN ALEXANDER GRAY
and MARSHALL DERKS

November 15, 2007

There's a point in a campaign that's behind in the polls when desperation sets in. That's the time when trailing candidates try to throw the haymaker punch hoping for a knockout blow on the frontrunner. We are not at that point in this campaign season, but it's getting close.

It's no surprise that part of Barack Obama's South Carolina primary strategy aims at black church-going voters. The church is the most organized part of the black community and churchgoers are reliable voters. In addition, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's hiring of local high-priced preacher-politician-businessman Darrell Jackson and her husband Bill's clout with blacks puts additional pressure on Obama. The Illinois senator has to cut into Clinton's black support as well as establishing his own African American base.

If Obama doesn't win South Carolina with its large African American voter base the race may be over for him. His poll numbers in South Carolina have been up and down. Right now Clinton appears to have the overall lead in the state as well as with black voters. Clinton also has the edge with black women who regularly vote at a higher rate than black men.

Oddly, Obama threw a premature haymaker but it wasn't aimed at Clinton. The target was the GLBT community. Obama's wild swing involved having four abrasively anti-gay gospel singers represent his campaign on his "Embrace the Courage" gospel music tour in South Carolina. The gay-bashing headliners included Reverends Donnie McClurkin and Hezekiah Walker, Pentecostal pastor of Brooklyn mega-church, the Love Fellowship Tabernacle and Mary Mary (a sister act duo).

McClurkin's previous political involvement for George Bush included a performance at the Republican National Convention in 2004. Now he's singing for Obama. And, while stumping for the candidate McClurkin didn't just "get on stage, sing, and shut up" as some in the Obama campaign hoped he would do. He sermonized; "God delivered me from homosexuality" as though one could simply "pray the gay away." The predominately black crowd inside the Township Auditorium in Columbia clapped their approval of McClurkin's message. Meanwhile a small, predominately white group of gay rights supporters picketed outside the venue.

Obama justifies his embrace of the evangelicals saying he's "reaching out to people he doesn't agree with." Responding to a controversy he should have or did anticipated - Obama mentioned the black community's "problem with homophobia." Yet after the tour when asked why the campaign would seemingly reject gay voters for far-right leaning blacks a campaign insider replied, "We got what we needed to get out of it."...

America may one day elect a woman or black as president. As to whether or not Obama or Clinton can break into the white men's club is not a short answer question. In the meantime, the most important questions for us revolve around what will a candidate do or say to win office. Are they consistent in their message and actions? Do they pander from group to group? Do they pit one group of people against another group? At this point the answers for Obama appear to be no, yes and yes. Hopefully, in the days before the primary vote we can get better answers or at the very least, a bit of consistency as opposed to acts of desperations.

Kevin Gray is a civil rights organizer in South Carolina.

http://www.counterpunch.org/gray11152007.html

yeah, my posts are embarrassing. :eyes:

If so Im appalled. Throw gays under the bus all you want but we will not shut up or let go of wrongs committed against us until they stop.

Shame on you. I guess we should all "move on" with our lives and accept the bush crime family and just "move on" and accept the war in Iraq and not complain about any of it. We all need to shut up and "move on" to something else, because if it's gay people who get tossed under the bus by one of our candidates, it's just plain silly to call attention to it. "Move on".:eyes:

K&R for Civil Rights for EVERYONE

because its easier than facing the reality that Obama still has not apologized to millions of people that were marginalized by his event.

You know equal civil rights for all aren't important. DUH.

Can you believe this shit? Sadly, I know you can!

It sucks.

as Obama welcoming an "ex-gay" clown into his campaign with open arms.

What a disgrace.

Isn't "Friend and Savior of teh Gay" Obama still losing in SC by double digits? That ex-gay clown did nothing for him!

This is deplorable. It's ugly, cynical hate-baiting of the worst kind, no matter how passive and indirect it may be.

People who don't get what an outrage this is are morally lacking, it's just as simple as that: Obama was playing the race and religion card to try to undercut Clinton and sleaze back a vast bloc of voters wholesale, and when he found out the ugly little truth about one of the snake-oil choir, he tried to sneak it by. The cover-up was worse: toss off a sop of a gay preacher, but zip him in and whisk him off the stage quickly, oh, and make sure he's white, too.

The sheer arrogance and stupidity of the long series of blunders makes him and his organization simply not ready for mainstage, regardless of the moral turpitude that's stupifying in its obviousness.

"Got what we needed".

Like hell they did; this is not going away. Just because it's fairly contained now, and just because it may remain so, there will be lots of erosion from this. There should be much more than that.

How dare people dismiss this as a "small" thing. This is grotesque. It's messianic, duplicitous, greasy, foul, ugly and pure slobbering incompetence to boot.

It just goes back to one of the basic principles of society: if you REALLY want to abuse people, just trot out that ol' time religion.

:)

regarding LGBT issues, that they are our brothers and sisters, that he will repeal DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, that he will ensure equal treatment under the law for all Americans, but I do believe it would fall on deaf ears.

When he had a chance to put those words into action, when he had an opportunity to take a decisive stand for LGBT civil rights....he welcomed an "ex-gay" clown to his campaign event and gave him a microphone and a 1/2 hour to spew homophobic filth.

Obama is no better than a two-bit hustler, a charlatan who values clowns and bigots over his constituents.

ammo. I think the OP would not like to know what Counterpunch says about Edwards.

So, please let me know.

sometimes):

Liberal Fables About Health Care
John Edwards' Big Lie
By CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER
http://www.counterpunch.org/ccr03062007.html

Talking the Populist Talk
The Repackaging of John Edwards
By ELIZABETH SCHULTE
http://www.counterpunch.org/schulte03132007.html

The Lies of John Edwards
By JOHN WALSH
http://www.counterpunch.org/walsh12052005.html

"Hope is on the Way"
The Disturbing Words of John Edwards
By JOHN CHUCKMAN
http://www.counterpunch.org/chuckman07312004.html

Just do a search on Counterpunch—there's plenty more.

... when you absolutely positively have to gut your opponent.

Thanks for some insight around here, NYCGirl. It's scarce in these parts.

:hi:

:hi:

nice justification.

What do you disagree with in the article?

"..and its extensive reporting of environmental and trade union issues, American foreign policy, and the Israeli-Arab conflict."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CounterPunch

I checked that before I posted, but you say that is not true?

pretty nasty anti-Kerry and anti-Dean screeds brought here from there during the last election. They hate Al Gore, too.

http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03032007.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/bryce10162007.html

Check this one out from the publisher:

It's As Ridiculous As If They'd Given Goebbels One in 1938
Al Gore's Peace Prize
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn10132007.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/sheehan10122007.html

It's quite a melange, isn't it!

I call it trash too.

but I'm always very skeptical about what's said by their authors. I'd rather be in agreement without that negative taste left by the source.

Well, back when he was ranting against it.

It would be correct. Very well written. It would also come from a loathsome source.

The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.

I will add, however, that counterpunch is linked here all the time. Probably because you can find a scathing indictment of just about any dem candidate.

But you could also find that on FOX news.

He is also a contributing editor to Black News in South Carolina. Gray served as 1988 South Carolina coordinator for the Presidential campaign of Jesse Jackson and as 1992 southern political director for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's Presidential bid.

Apparently this editorial is not from the blog's own staff, if that leaves a better taste :)

OT: Every time I read "seasonedblue" I think spices and get hungry lol

I hate my user name, I don't know what the hell I was thinking. Ok, thanks for the heads up about Gray, that makes a difference.

Sullivan swooning over OBama are ok, correct? i would rather have "far left" than "far right" especially on a PROGRESSIVE discussion board such as DU.

get away with the bullshit he ENDORSED in South Carolina in S.F. One has to tailor one's message for the audience when desperately whoring for votes.

Why not, is he tailoring his message for his audiences? :silly:

Because San Franciscans aren't afraid to embrace genuine diversity.

No? Funny that....

there is no room in Diversity for people that believe GLBT persons want to kill children.

Your projecting your candidate's characteristics onto Obama ... again.

I stick up for Hillary supporters quite often. Obama wouldn't DARE have an "ex-gay" gospel singer go on an anti- gay rant in SAN FRancisco like he did in South Carolina is all I meant. not everything boils down to Hillary vs Obama. jesus christ.

I mean, as Fred says, he had his chance and he blew it. So, what else can he say? He could have shown leadership, and he chose to pander and at best, chose to say nothing (you know that expression about when good men say nothing). He has not demonstrated that he has the fiber of the kind necessary to be president, IMO.

Bill Clinton was going to integrate the military, and instead rolled over. People like me old enough to remember that don't want to be betrayed again. I think that's understandable.

n/t

or care to listen to anyone who still supports him, in spite of this issue, for that matter.

Deaf ears indeed.

if he did he would have apologized already.

To choose to not listen...is obviously your prerogative.

It does not matter what his position is - it matters what he DOES.

He has done nothing concrete or meaningful to help us. Only concrete actions to denigrate us.

he has been 'clear" ever since he stated that Joe Lieberman was his mentor when he came out against Ned Lamont in 2006. I have had my "opinion" of him since then.

Obama was warmly embraced and cheered by the LGBT community here in SF.

That speaks volumes.

Thanks for the laugh - Its nice to know Im just hung up on one thing - I wont tolerate religion being used against a whole class of people. Yeah thats just a tree in a whole forest. </sarcasm>

that also speaks volumes

He is a good guy, though, I don't mean to make it seem as though he isn't. I'm just disappointed, that's all.

which was "OBAMA TO GAYS AND LESBIANS: DROP DEAD"

Obama '08: We Need The Votes....By Any Means Necessary

n/t

Did he or did he not invite an "ex-gay" clown to headline his campaign event? Am I making that up out of thin air?

Actions talk far louder than words. Put up, or shut the hell up.

to make your lives easier.

what a hypocrite - I hope a bright light is shone on that tonight

no one outside of DU even knows about this.

Hillary has two former Klansmen as her S.C. co-chairs, you Hillary-lover.

That screams "we're looking for a sistah soulja moment" to me.

Obama = pathetic

edited my spelling errors

:kick:

Clearly, Obama's stealth pandering to homophobes will haunt him from this moment on.

Whatever Obama "got out of it", to use Obama's campaign insider's phrase, was not worth it.

There has to be some balance with the people posting today.