And...?

Submitted by Jacob Orlowitz (United States), May 23, 2008 at 19:48

The point here is....

That since Obama had a childhood upbringing as a Muslim--which he had no control over because he way a **child** at the time--means that he will be sympathetic to intolerance and violence unlike anything he has displayed or experienced or sympathized with in his last 40 years of life, as a boy growing up in America, a student learning at Harvard, and a politician in a wholly American city like Chicago...

I don't think so. So, what's the point??

Take the worst case scenario. That he IS a Muslim? That when he speaks to relatives in Jakarta he whispers As-Salāmu `Alaykum to his family? Can you think of anything better than the most threatening cultural force most people think we face--militant islam--suddenly facing a world leader who supports free civil institutions, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and capitalism AND Israel's right to exist? Wouldn't that be a boon and a mollifying influence on the worlds many many millions of moderate Muslims (far more of whom exist than militant or radical ones)??

The secret fear of Obama as a "Manchurian Candidate" is simply pointless. We can't control what ANY of our leaders think and try to do once they are in office. Case in point: George W. Bush. That's why we have a balance of powers, a congress, a supreme court, and a military loyal to the nation not the government.

Maybe McCain is a "sleeper psychopath" with designs to bring about Armageddon through mutual nuclear annihilation. I don't think so... but it's a claim with no more substance than the hushed conspiracies about Obama.

He was born a Muslim. He converted to Christianity. He grew up in America. He is a smart, thoughtful person, a compelling politician and a possibly great statesman.

So what??

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".