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The Last Straw

Jill

So we’ve all heard the rumors: Obama is a Muslim. Obama isn’t American. Obama hearts terrorists (and gives terrorist fist-jabs). Obama is too black. Obama is not black enough. Obama is a thug. Michelle Obama is Barack Obama’s baby-mama. Obama wants to give up all of our rights to the Muslims, and probably the French, too. Obama is every right-wing scare tactic ever:

“I think Obama would be a disaster, and there’s a lot of reasons,” said Pollard, explaining the rumors he had heard about the candidate from friends he goes camping with. “I understand he’s from Africa, and that the first thing he’s going to do if he gets into office is bring his family over here, illegally. He’s got that racist [pastor] who practically raised him, and then there’s the Muslim thing. He’s just not presidential material, if you ask me.”

But… for serious?

Yes, for those of you foolish enough to click over, that headline does in fact read, “Is Obama devotee of monkey-god idol?”

And I know it’s on WorldNet Daily, which is where the most paranoid and hateful wingers tend to congregate. it’s the same site that sells a “Darwin led to Hitler” video — in other words, not exactly the most reliable source of news and information.

But it’s nonetheless a widely-read site, and their take on the story isn’t unusual (just check The Google to see what the other right-wing sites are reporting). Basically, the truth is that Obama maybe carries a good luck monkey charm, and so an Indian group decided to send him a religious Hindu statue. Apparently this is evidence that Obama really isn’t a Christian, and that he instead worships a monkey-god (a convenient narrative, no?).

Personally, I think it’s pretty great that people around the world are engaged in international politics (can most Americans name the leader of India right now?), and that Barack Obama is inspiring hope across the globe. Not surprisingly, though, that’s been perverted into another “OMG Obama is totally not Christian and TOTALLY not white!” scare story.

Who knew that what you carried around in your bag or in your pockets is evidence of what God you worship? Judging by my keychain alone, I am a staunch believer in Astor Wines & Spirits and New York Sports Club.

via the Goddess.

29 thoughts on The Last Straw

  3. P.S. So it’s not newsworthy that a man in India sent Obama a statue of a devotee and Obama treated the gesture with more respect that I usually expect from a US senator campaigning for the presidency?

  5. Aside from a titillating title, why am I supposed to be insulted by this article exactly?

    You can be insulted by whatever you want. If painting Obama yet again as a non-Christian foreigner doesn’t offend you — both because it ignores his actual identity as positions non-Christian religious symbols as crazy third-world “idols” — then good for you.

  6. P.S. So it’s not newsworthy that a man in India sent Obama a statue of a devotee and Obama treated the gesture with more respect that I usually expect from a US senator campaigning for the presidency?

    …no. The problem isn’t that Obama was sent a statue of a Hindu god; I think that’s great. The problem is that it’s being framed as “Obama is a devotee of a Hindu monkey-god.” It’s being framed that way as part of a larger effort to paint Obama as “foreign” and not Christian and un-American. It’s not the facts that are at issue, it’s the reporting of those facts. Do you really not see the problem here?

  7. Hrm. On my keychain I have the key to Davey Jones’ Chest from Pirates of the Caribbean 3….does this mean I believe in Davey Jones or does it mean I believe in Orlando Bloom who stole this from Davey Jones?

  8. I love this shit. It shows how completely scared the republicans are, and at the same time, can’t find anything substantial to use against him. “Sources say Barak Obama is the love child of Elvis and Blackula!” Bring it on. This is the first election (I’m 28) that I’m actually going to vote in. Unfortunately a segment of the population is going to believe whatever they hear, but I firmly believe these people are not the majority.

  9. Judging by my keychain alone, I am a staunch believer in Astor Wines & Spirits and New York Sports Club.

    Well, you are a member of Drinking Liberally, right Jill?

    I, on the other hand, am a devotee of Wonder Woman. I use a WW credit card holder as my wallet. (I don’t carry a lot of shit around, and my keychain has my alma mater on it.)

  10. Is anyone else encouraged by the fact that, even four months out from the election, the right wing’s attacks are seeming to get more and more desperate? I mean, I suppose one could chalk the whole terrorist fist jab thing and the baby mama comment up to failed attempts at jokes. And I suppose you could chalk Larry Sinclair up to journalists doing their job of following every story. But Obama worshiping a monkey god? Theres a pattern forming. Any one of these stories might be able to be explained away by something or another, but taken together they start to seem like a parody. Hell, it goes beyond parody, its absurdist in a way that would make the Monty Python crew jealous.

  11. It’s not the facts that are at issue, it’s the reporting of those facts. Do you really not see the problem here?

    Basically no.

    I was responding specifically to the content of the article you linked to. Aside from the title, I saw no suggestion that Obama is a Hindu from the article. It would be one thing if the reporter spent space describing Obama folding his hands in front of some puja. Which could happen. I would expect anyone to be respectful during any puja, regardless of religious affiliation. And such a description would have been a “problem with reporting”.

    The article, quite rightly as far as I can see, points out that this man in India thought Obama was Hindu. And follows that up with (I think perfectly newsworthy) information about how Obama campaign reacted to this odd assumption.

    Of course, as every campaign season teaches us, it’s all about perception. A swing voter might read this and say, “The Obama campaign did all that for some Hindu idol! He carries around a monkey-god chain! They did worship! What? He’s too weird. I am not voting for him.”
    or.
    you could be like me and be like, “Obama carries around Hanuman? How cool. Kind of a fantastic lucky charm. Some guy in India took this as a sign to send him a Hanuman God idol? Oh…okay. Oh, and Obama didn’t dismiss this well-meaning act (if somewhat odd) offhand and treated it with total respect. That’s nice to know.”

    I understand your point. I just tend to give the benefit of the doubt when the “smear” reporting isn’t blatantly suggestive. And I don’t think this one was. My measuring yardstick is if the report has any newsworthiness, and I thought this one did.

  12. I have a Transformers keychain and a Camaro logo, and . . . well, wait, that kind of is more or less what I worship. 🙂

  13. If you just compartmentalize about one-fourth to one-third of all Americans as absolutely motherfucking crazy and there’s nothing you can do to reach them, then it becomes a little easier to take.

  14. Norbiz – right. Given that something like 10% of the American population believes that the sun revolves around a flat earth, it’s to be expected that a chunk of them will also be willing to believe that Obama is a monkey-worshipping Muslim with an evil Christian pastor, despite the fact that each of those contradicts the other two.

  15. Actually it’s too bad that Obama doesn’t actually worships Lord Hanuman.

    Yes, yes, it’s probably bad electoral math. But that particular hindu god is without a doubt one of the coolest Gods around. Part God, part super hero and an allround package of awesome. I can understand why he’s so popular with hindu’s

    When I read that article I found the article very respectful in itself, and sen. Obama come of very well as a respectful, tolerant and responcible person who we should be glad to have as a president.

    It’s the title and place that publishes it that betrays it’s intention. But I think it’s going to backfire. The people who’d have doubts about Obama based on that article wouldn’t ever vote for him anayway, while people who’re open to voting for him won’t find it an objectionable but uplifting.

  16. Judging by my keychain alone, I am a staunch believer in Astor Wines & Spirits and New York Sports Club.

    Hmmm….my keys are attached to my wallet…which means I love money? Excellent…the partners in my office will be thrilled with this revelation.

  17. Norbizness is right about the percentage of crazies. But the fact that we treat that unusually high percentage of crazies as acceptable is the more depressing part.

  18. Articles like this are absolute nonsense and probably have the opposite effect. Some established media persons are starting to bring up some things that do scare me about Obama. While many on femist sites try to bring up the Supreme Court over Roe v. Wade as a way to get votes for Obama. His potential nominees scare me if they were to take away civil liberties. The McLaughlin Group had a great show about this last weekend. The article you posted borders on silly, but if this is the start of attacks on Obama, just wait until the republicans get serious. That is something to be afraid of.

  19. The article you posted borders on silly, but if this is the start of attacks on Obama, just wait until the republicans get serious. That is something to be afraid of.

    I’m not so sure about that. You have to remember that people have short attention spans, give more weight to newer information, and are easily bored by things they think they’ve seen before. Unless theres some major skeleton in Obama’s closet that hasn’t been uncovered (unlikely, given the tone of the primaries), I’m not sure what the Republicans are going to be able to do. A lot of the most volatile stuff in Obama’s past is already old news to most people because of Clinton’s inadvertent inoculation. Besides, with Barr on the scene the Republicans now have to fight on two fronts to maintain their base.

  21. Have we all forgotten the attacks that Bush did to McCain? I don’t know how McCain is even the nominee now, but maybe you are right that people forget.

    My poorly made point is that if the media actually started to critique Obama seriously, I think it might be effective. The guy has no experience compared with alot of other people. Republicans can make the poor judgement argument if they had an example or flip-flopping on issues like gun control.

    It is nice to say one feels this way or another, but it something all together different having acted on statements. I am still not hearing about legislation or major changes Obama made in Chicago in either of his government held positions. When he complains people don’t know him, it is that I don’t know what he has done. Here McCain has an advantage being around for so long. Being a senator rather than a governor is a disadvantage. I had never heard of Romney before this past primary season, but I can rattle off all the things he has done professionally and as governor of Mass. Obama needs to step up talking about his accomplishments rather than hope and change. And I really mean this in the sincerest sense.

  22. P.S. So it’s not newsworthy that a man in India sent Obama a statue of a devotee and Obama treated the gesture with more respect that I usually expect from a US senator campaigning for the presidency?

    Given the huge block of Indian-American voters in Illinois, why are you surprised? If he doesn’t win the presidency, he’ll want to be voted senator from Illinois again, and a large part of being elected on the state-wide level is keeping your interest groups happy.

  23. I am still not hearing about legislation or major changes Obama made in Chicago in either of his government held positions.

    (A) Chicago is not the capital of Illinois. Obama did his legislating in the state capital of Springfield, not in Chicago. That may be part of your Google problem right there.

    (B) Why is it that I’ve brought up Obama’s police interrogations law about a hundred times and it never seems to have any effect?

  24. For about 5 years I carried a 1 inch bobber in my purse. Don’t remember how it got in there, and as you can imagine, I didn’t clean that purse out very often. Perhaps subliminally I was hoping Bob Barker would call me down on Let’s Make A Deal.

  25. Given the huge block of Indian-American voters in Illinois, why are you surprised? If he doesn’t win the presidency, he’ll want to be voted senator from Illinois again, and a large part of being elected on the state-wide level is keeping your interest groups happy.

    um. ? I am not surprised. You seem to have missed my point entirely. I certainly don’t understand yours.

  26. um. ? I am not surprised. You seem to have missed my point entirely. I certainly don’t understand yours.

    You seemed to think it was weird that Obama would treat a gift from a stranger in India with respect. I pointed out that Indian-Americans are a very important voting block in Illinois — and especially in Chicago — which probably helped Obama decide how to accept the gift. It’s the same reason my US Representative has an “Armenian Issues” section on his website — they’re an important voting block in our district and he needs to keep them happy.

    There’s more than one kind of ethnic politics in the US, you know.

  27. Here McCain has an advantage being around for so long.

    Thats a double edged sword. Yes, McCain can make the experience argument, but with that comes his entire record. Every contradictory vote, every vote that makes him look bad, every instance he’s lost his temper or said something stupid. Also, McCain’s experience argument works against him because it underlines his age. Obama, on the other hand, gets to benefit from being the political equivalent of a Rorschach plate: voters can project whatever desires they want into him because of his ambiguity.

  28. You seemed to think it was weird that Obama would treat a gift from a stranger in India with respect.

    oh okay. That makes more sense. No, I don’t think it’s weird.

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