For those of you that have been following, yet another, God-awful US election, you're well aware of the recent specualtions about Barack Obama being a Muslim. Does it really matter? What difference would it make if the man was a Scientologist?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Discuss.

EDIT: Can someone please correct the spelling in the title?

It shouldn't matter, but it always does.

I think that religion should be something not discussed in a presidential election. Whatever happened to separation of Church and State?

If I am not mistaken, it would matter because he would be like the first person of the religion in the whitehouse. Like I think they made a big deal for either Kennedy or Clinton because one of them was the first Jewish President.

There is an imaginary line between the two, however, muthaf**kas think they don't have to honor that line if it means gaining a political edge. Case in point; gay marriage, or "partnerships."

I personally believe that Obama will be a good figurehead for this country.

it shouldn't matter i think........as long as he is a good leader and a great president. my opinion is that he still believes in God so it doesn't really matter.

It shouldn't even matter if this man believed God didn't exist. Ronald Reagan is a Bible Thumper, look where that got our economy.

true......but just think about it. it will never really change in america. americans don't like change. most people aren't going to vote for him because he's either black or muslim.......and on top of that, he's not even full black. it just shouldn't matter as long as he is capable of being a good prez. i just wish ppl would look at more than just the outside.

Actually, he's ahead right now. Most view Hilary Clinton as a manipulative bitch, and there is way too much controversy with her different standings from war to gay marriage.

The important thing to understand about the president is that he is not only the sole representation of an American, but he is also the Commander In Chief of all US military forces. By billet, there's a lot on the shoulders of a president. Public image plays a huge role in all of this. Obama will look good when it comes to international relations and foreign policy because it will prove that Americans are socially progressive in its leadership as well.

Where are you getting these generalizations? I can debunk your entire paragraph.

i'd be more worried about huckabee's religious background than obama's





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkxsfXNrQ8c

Do eeeeet.



Huckabee's chances of winning, at this point, are about the same as Michael Dukakis'.

yeah agreed, i'm just saying out of all of them he wouldn't be a concern of mine at all.


he isn't muslim, so i think it would really be a shame if he lost because of a religious belief he doesn't even hold. that'd suck =/

Of course it would. Again this is where stereotyping comes in. This shit really needs to stop, but of course, it is falling on deaf ears.

What in the hell are you talking about? We haven't had a Jewish president, Clinton wasn't anything religiously special, and Kennedy was the first Catholic president. This would be much less of a big deal now, as Catholicism is more widely accepted now, but it didn't really help Kerry either.

Romney is doing pretty well despite his Mormonism. Which actually sucks, not because I am a bigot, but because I really hate Romney. People are far more worried about his religion this Obama's, let alone Huckabee. People love their Protestants. Although I support Huckabee's candidacy about as much as I support Romney's. I don't think he understands the concept of the separation of church and state.

I think it's necessary that Obama defend his faith against slander only because of where this country is internationally right now; if he were being accused of believing in a less "offensive" religion, then I would hope he would take a stronger stand for that religion rather than defending himself against something that shouldn't be a potentially campaign-wrecking accusation. Just the same, I think don't think he's addressing the concerns in the right way; rather than merely insisting that he's a Christian and explaining how he's always gone to the same church and such, he should also add that if he were a Muslim he would willing admit it and stand up for his faith, and that shows moral character and real tolerance, rather than conformation to the ignorant and intolerant.

He does a good job of that. The best thing about it is; Obama still remained professional, and was stern, but got his point across sincerely.

I'm going to step completely out of "rational argument" mode and just say OH MY GOD I'M SO TIRED OF GETTING FORWARDS FROM MY MOTHER ABOUT OBAMA'S RELIGION. The latest one was about how he goes to an all-black church that only accepts black members. So, first he's a muslim, now he's racist? Great.

Every one of them is like "Hey Danielle, what do you think about this?" She wants to vote for him but she keeps getting turned off by these rumors, so she keeps e-mailing me asking for my opinion as to whether or not she should believe them. I feel sorry for her.

Honestly though, it's amazing to me that this has been settled so long ago, but people just won't give up their attacks against him. They think they've got some really heavy dirt on him, when it's seriously pathetic that this is ALL they've got.

To answer the original question, religious beliefs have nothing to do with what I look for in a candidate. That SHOULDN'T add to or take away from a person's support during an election, and it's really sad that it does sometimes. I can only hope that the majority realizes that these rumors are bogus, and even if they weren't, he's a damn strong candidate regardless.

I am pretty glad you can't vote in this election.

Are you trying to say it shouldn't matter only because he believes in a God? I hope that one day you see that a persons faith is a terrible way to judge people.

You people are so stupid and PC, it's disgusting. You have to realize that George W. Bush won't care much for the environment as he sees the Earth as an expendable gift given to us by the lord that will soon be empty as per the Rapture - further, the Rapture ensures that our Christian leaders will see a silver lining in even the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb (especially if it falls somewhere in the middle east). Think about it people, spirituality is a huge influence on the character, attitudes, and belief of an individual which, directly, determine an individual's behavior.

I hate political correctness. Almost as much as I hate centaurs.

What about minotaurs?

Totally agree. It shouldn`t matter, but it obviously will/does. Some people will be offended in some way by it and some people could care less about the issue. I think religion shouldn`t be discussed.

What shouldn't matter is the fact that their religion is different from yours. It does matter if they adopt beliefs and ideals that are so vastly different from yours and related to governmental issues. Obviously religion will affect your views on what is too liberal or what should be dismissed as old-fashioned or how much regulation should be put on corporations -- people associate themselves with certain religions because, like the other people in that group, they hold those values to be most important.

It shouldn't matter, he practices a different religion now, doesn't he?

I think his religion is the least of his problems. There still are people are only see his skin color and not his credentials.

Barack (even though I'm not following the campaign much) seems like a very fresh new face that can definitely make good changes to America. How or if he succeeds is another question. He's a good candidate but...

Is America really ready for a minority president? Ideally, it should be about the capabilities of the president but many can't look past that he's Black or that he might be Muslim. Which is why people like George Bush keep getting elected.

I didn't contribute much. I'll get back once I refresh myself on the campaign.

i do think america is ready for a black or female president.