I agree Katy!

By answering these questions, Senator Obama has made an important statement about the value he personally places on voters, our questions and opinions, the communities we reach on our blogs and, ultimately, our votes.

That's a powerful message. Especially since BlogHer is a non-partisan organization that reaches nine million people each month via this site and our publishing network of 1,800 blogs, mostly by women, that span the political spectrum.

As I say above, this is an opportunity to speak directly to the voter that BlogHer also has offered to Candidates Clinton and McCain. We very much hope they will take us up on that offer.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

Marilyn, I completely agree. Sen. Obama's addressing predatory lending and the need to protect the economic interests of low-income Americans is as sharp a departure from the oligarchical practices of the Bush presidency as one can get. Change, indeed, and it can't come fast enough.

And I'm particularly grateful for his clear-headed policies about contraception and reproductive health. After the medievel thinking of the last 8 yrs, I'm almost weepy w/ gratitude.

Ayse
(@arsepoetica)

I used the code and video on my political blog, thanks.

Erin did a GREAT job...way to go!!!!

:-)

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

to be sucked into this thread, but your post highlight prompted my curiosity.

I have no idea if I'm alone... but nope... I don't ponder whether someone hates me for my skin colour. I don't even ponder whether they hate me for being gay, or because of my gender, or anything else - I just work for change.

I *will* ponder the issues that create our human condition, be it the collective condition, or some subset down to the one. I will ponder how to improve lives, how to best advance all of us on things like education, health care and the like.

I'm not out to count my vote in terms of black or white. I'm not out to look at the presidential election with such a divide in place. Not out to say 'OMG, did you see what (insert name here) said, and then act like that is tied squarely to whatever candidate someone perceives they are associated with.

Well, we've all got family, and we've all got friends. Hell, I've even written a blog post titled 'I Am The Problem Relative.' Must others wear our faults or issues around their necks when in public - 'see what my associations hath wrought?'

Each of us stand on our own merits. That I might say something stupid or insensitive or mean does not mean those who are my friends have to live me down - or explain me away. 

I'll stand with those who wish to move past skin colour or gay or gender as issues and start looking at all of us as human beings with real concerns, with our having real ability to make change happen. 

nelle

The article you cite doesn't make me feel better, because it is not factually accurate.

You are certainly entitled to your feelings about Wright and Obama, but you are not entitled to your own facts. Rather than rely on reviews of Obama's books, why not read them yourself? Rather than rely on others' characterization of his church, why not watch their services -- they are streamed online here: http://www.tucc.org/home.htm. Wright has books as well that detail his views on a variety of subjects, including some of his sermons. I am sure that you can obtain these books through your public library if you don't want to pay for them.

Just so you know my perspective, I wrote this about Trinity United Church of Christ in 2007, and this in 2008. I think this is a good analysis of the most recent episode that led to the final break between Wright and Obama.

Finally, if you want to know what this child of the Black church and occasional online attender of services at TUCC thinks of people who describe themselves as white, perhaps this will help you.

Peace.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Given our history of treating black people badly in this country, I am not surprised that many black people don't like or trust white people. What I am surprised by is that so many black people have it in their hearts to trust white people at all.

To IamPaul'sMom,

Before I respectfully disagree with everything you just wrote, I want to applaud BlogHer and the entire political team for working so hard to get this interview accomplished. The points Obama made were succinct and prudent. And I thought he was more specific than he had been in the past. I am already an Obama supporter, but the fact that he was (once again) making history by embracing this interview with BlogHer is icing on the cake for me. If I could "super-size" my vote, I'd order the largest available!

Now, there is one quote of yours I'd like to address:

"This country truly is in the worst place it’s ever been
racially".

It isn't. We do indeed continue to be in a treacherous position, but it would be so much worse if we were still in a place where we couldn't voice our disagreements, our anguish, our doubts about race relations in America. And we certainly need to take a long, deep look at the role our mainstream media plays with this conversation. Yes, some of the snippets we see on TV of Wright may seem crazy. But not considering the context in which they were said (which is difficult for ANYONE to ascertain unless one was there in the pews at the time) is even crazier.

Please, feel free to disagree with those of us whose opinions differ from yours, but do not claim that reading the article you suggested will make everyone feel better. I do NOT want my vote back.

Again, congrats to BlogHer. I'm so excited to be a part of this community.

Notions of Identity 

Now when I go shopping and see a black person I look and say ‘hi’ but then…I can’t help but wonder…”does he/she hate me because I’m white?”

Are you kidding? Do you think that knowing that the KKK still exists and that there are white supremacist groups all over this country should make every black person who would look at you and say 'hi' back should make them wonder ”does he/she hate me because I’m black?”

Yes I followed your links - and it was pretty clearly slanted material.

Yes, there are racists in the world. There are bigots of all stripes. If we knew more about what most of our friends, family, church congregations, and acquaintances thought, we'd probably be appalled to discover how many of them hold beliefs that we disagree with vehemently.

Sen. Obama has addressed the Rev. Wright issue. It falls about on par with the current Vice-President denouncing homosexuality while still loving his gay daughter.

Now can we get back to the substance of the interview and the points Senator Obama addressed? Hell, I've not voted for him (yet) and may not still... but it was a good interview and he said some pretty amazing things.

This was not the right place for this type of fear-mongering post.

Lucretia (aka GeekMommy)

Raising a child in a digital world, still a digital girl

I can attest to the bias in those book reviews you linked to.

Yes, there are still racists in this country. Yes, there are still old school angry black preachers who call their congregations to take care of the sick, poor and hungry in their own neighborhoods.

 My father in law, a fine upstanding, calm, non-shouting white preacher will tell you that the Reverend Wrights in this world served their communities well. He will also tell you that Obama was exactly right to terminate the relationship when he did.

 Churches are not about preachers. They're about community.  I am a member of a church (and have been for 20 years) where my preacher still preaches against homosexuality from the pulpit.  I leave church disagreeing with him as much as I did when I went in on that one issue.

 I would no more turn my back on the church community I belong to than I would repudiate gay and lesbian people.  Because it's not about the preacher; it's about the community, which has moms of gay guys and sisters of lesbians within it.  And yes, I push back whenever he goes down that road, too, by the way.

 There are many legitimate reasons to not support Barack Obama. I am not trying to campaign for him.  But in a time where we are facing at least one, if not two Supreme Court appointments in the next president's term, in a time where McCain threatens to privatize Social Security, in a time where our sons and daughters are being sent away to a country that didn't attack us and had no means with which to attack us, yet we still make war, Reverend Wright is no criterion upon which to make any decisions.

If I've been harsh, I apologize, but really, people can say anything on the Internet, a la your book review site. Isn't this election year important enough to do your own reading and homework?

karoli

odd time signatures (life)
bang the drum (politics)