Context of Obama Campaign's Decision to choose Donnie McClurkin to perform on Gospel Tour

[obamian]

First, Obama doesn't agree with the views of Donnie McClurkin. Here are Obama's views on LGBT issues: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/lgbt.pdf

Here's the stated purpose of Obama's gospel concerts

Senator Barack Obama is committed to bringing people of all faiths together to put their faith into action to change this country for the better. With the help of many talented, spirit-filled supporters, Barack Obama's campaign is hosting Gospel concerts throughout Palmetto State on October 26, 27, and 28 to bring South Carolinians together for a few evenings of song and praise.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/scembrace

Donnie McClurkin is one of many gospel acts who have agreed to help bring people of all faiths together to put their faith into action to change this country for the better, which includes strengthening LGBT rights.

Second, Donnie McClurkin is one of four performers at one of three gospel concerts.

Third, Donnie McClurkin has a long history of singing on behalf of both Republicans and Democrats, including Bill Clinton.

With the Restoration Choir, Mr. McClurkin sang ''No Problem Too Big'' at the Democratic National Convention in 1992. In 1994, the choir sang before Knicks games at Madison Square Garden. In 1999, Avery Fisher Hall was on the schedule. Mr. McClurkin has also performed for Presidents George Bush the elder and Bill Clinton, and appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey show.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E7DD...

Fourth, Donnie McClurkin's religious views on homosexuality are the product of an unbelievably difficult childhood. From the same New York Times article:

When he left New York in 1987, Mr. McClurkin had no intention to return. His mother's drug addiction and his father's womanizing and alcoholism, domestic violence and incest scarred his youth.

''Our weekends were spent hiding knives and forks,'' Mr. McClurkin recalled. He said that at age 8, on the day that his 2-year-old brother, Thomas, was buried after being hit by a car, he was raped by his great-uncle. Later, he said, he was raped by an uncle.

The young Mr. McClurkin found refuge in his church, Amityville Gospel Tabernacle. ''The church was my escape,'' he said. ''I always loved church.'' At age 11, he met the gospel singer Andrae Crouch at a church concert. He became a mentor, spiritually and musically. Mr. McClurkin taught himself piano.

Just thought I'd provide a little context...

[MonkeyFunk]

1. What context?

That he had a hard childhood? So what?

Anybody who discusses the "curse of homosexuality" and believes prayer can "fix" it isn't interested in strengthening LGBT rights.

This is a big mistake on Obama's part.

[xchrom]

2. i'm sorry -- this isn't slicing the cake.

someone like donnie isn't a neutral element here -- people like that spread a damaging message to others.

A -- homosexuality is bad

and B -- it's ''cure-able''

and then there is C -- i've been to these gospel events -- and there is lots of the ''hate the sin -- love the sinner'' talk.
that's what passes for tolerance and acceptance.

this is not ok.

[avrdream]

3. I have to agree with the other posters.

This is not justifiable.

Plenty of people have crappo childhoods - even childhoods that involved being raped by a same-sex relative. YET, those same people don't go around preaching against the gays. I'm sick of the bloody excuses the anti-gay contingent uses. And Obama should be ashamed of himself.

This doesn't go for me.

[Luminous Animal]

4. Maybe he could invite

Prussian Blue to sing at his next event.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Blue_ (duo)

[LeftCoast]

5. Obama loses big points with me on this

It seems particularly stupid and avoidable. I'm not sure why he stepped into this steaming pile.

[sundancekid]

19. OTOH, Obama gains big points with me on this ... just sayin'

[LeftCoast]

20. You LIKE that he's got a self-hating homophobe participating in his campaign event?

Hmm...

[TheUniverse]

6. The More improtant question is why is he doing a gospel tour anyway?

He is running for president, not for pope. Its a shame that even on the Democratic side, you have to pander to religion to get elected. And Obama is probably the biggest religious panderer on the Democratic side.

[vi5]

7. That's context? Yeah, right.

I have no horse in this race. If anything Obama was the closest I had to a favorite. But this just knocked that on it's ass. There was abosolutely no reason he had to sign on to this thing. None. He chose to and despite this guy's presence on the bill he's still choosing to.

I wonder if Obama would be so brave if there was a media shit storm over him being on a tour with Richard Dawkins or Ward Churchill or someone of that nature. I wonder if he'd provide context for that or if he'd buckle under trying to appeal to knuckle draggers like he's doing here.

And no "Clinton did it too" doesn't cut it when it's coming as an excuse from republicans and it doesn't cut it as an excuse coming from a democrat.

[William769]

8. Heres something you can try to put into context.

FUCK YOU OBAMA! And the horse your trying to ride in on.

[Goblinmonger]

22. Hey, lest we all forget

Hillary is in bed with some right wing fundie asshats, too. Glass house. Stones. You get the picture.

[JCMach1]

9. It's the context of a floundering campaign

which has made (yet another) gaffe.

[Sandaasu]

10. Durkin is an outspoken "ex-gay"

His words, to us, are hate speech. It's simply unacceptable. His past was indeed dark, but it's not an excuse for the kind of language that comes from him still.

Obama was my favored candidate, and that "was" status will certainly not change unless there's an apology and a change in the program, or there's some big surprise coming that Donnie has decided to accept who he is.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

11. here is a crazy idea

Wait and see how he behaves at the gospel tour before throwing rocks

I know it might be a weird idea but unless i'm wrong the purpose of the tour is to bring people of all faiths into action to change this country for the better, which includes strengthening LGBT rights.

It *MIGHT* give him a platform but he is being condemned before he has actually done anything at the event, i'd prefere he actually do something at the event before smashing Obama over his head with a stick. If he is on his best behavior during the tour he will have helped do a lot of good including the said helping to strengthen LGBT rights.

[MonkeyFunk]

12. no "ex-gay"

who thinks I need to be cured will ever strengthen my rights.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

13. i guess that will be seen

after the event unless he is removed from it beforehand

[MonkeyFunk]

14. well

I will be very disappointed if Obama goes through with this.

But there's nothing "to be seen". The ex-gay movement is a bigoted movement. Anybody who thinks homosexuality is a "curse" is a bigot. I don't need to wait and see what they do.

[ldf]

26. unfortunately it is too late for that

if obama were to remove durkin at this point, all hell would break loose because he was "pandering to the homosexual lobby".

since durkin will appear, and obama obviously knows his stand on this issue, obama is, blatantly, pandering to the religious vote, but primarily the religious black vote, which can accurately be described as intolerant, but much more willing to vote lockstep.

obama needs the votes, and will pander to get them.

the problem is, HE placed himself in this position. that is not a good sign for his hopes as a president.

certain "beliefs" should not even be considered.

either we all have equal rights, or we don't. there is no place for compromise on this issue.

facing a constituency and hoping to help them evolve is one thing. having an outspoken proponent against everything you stand for on glbt rights, as part of your "get out the vote" campaign, is something else.

it's all about judgment, and the willingness to compromise on issues that are NOT negotiable.

too bad.

edit, what is that thing called spellcheck?

[terrya]

15. Obama, if he does care, should be for GLBT rights unequivocally.

And again, affiliating himself to a man who likens homosexuality to a "curse" hardly, to put it mildly, helps to communicate that message.

As someone put it so succinctly, Obama stepped in a big pile of shit on this one with GLBT people. And if he cares about GLBT people and their votes, he needs to extricate himself from this situation immediately.

I'm hugely disappointed in Obama. I thought the guy was smarter than this.

[Dawgs]

16. Don't sweat this obamian.

The only people who will notice already "choose" to hate Obama. This won't affect anything.

I do think it might be a good idea to not have this guy sing, but I doubt it would change anyone's opinion anyways.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. You're wrong

I like Obama very much, and still haven't decided whether to support him or Clinton, but this really disappoints me.

If Obama goes through it with it, I will decide not to support him.

I'm not by any means an Obama-hater. I'm a big admirer. But this is really dumb.

[vi5]

21. You're absolutely wrong....

I am the epitome of an undecided Democrat. I really liked Obama and thought he represented a change. Most specifically a change from triangulating, focus tested, pandering to a 30% minority who are never going to vote for a democrat anyway.

This is unacceptable to me and not just as someone who is straight but for whom the rights of my gay loved ones and friends are just as important as my own, but also as an atheist. Why does Obama need to go on a "gospel" tour, period. How about putting that energy into worrying about FISA or telcom immunity or supporting Dodd's fillibuster or any other number of important issues that affect ALL of us face on which this leadership I always hear about from Obama and his supporters is more important than pandering to "gospel" voters.

Not that it matters because I'm sure anyone who this pisses off will just be dismissed as someone who didn't support Obama in the first place or as Hillary supporters or whatever.

[Sandaasu]

24. Wrong

Obama was my favorite candidate before this news broke. It does honestly appear that he's losing other supporters over this as well.

[Cameron27]

25. That's BS Dawgs

and Obama was my favorite until about a month ago, and then it changed to either him, Biden or Clinton.

[Golden Raisin]

17. Any glimmer of support for Obama

I once had is now gone. I do NOT want my elected officials or candidates snuggling up to ANY religious group. Whatever their personal religious beliefs are should remain their private business and not be dragged into campaigns or government. No matter how tangentally, Obama has now associated himself with the horrid and lunatic "gayness-can-be-cured" theorists. Obama is dead to me now --- just another professional pol willing to do or say whatever it takes to win a vote, even a fundie vote.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

23. This is a TERRIBLE defense

You do your candidate no service by rationalizing the situation, or suggesting he is being intentionally inclusive.

The best case for Obama is that he didn't know a thing about it... just an error on the event organizer level. Fair enough. No candidate controls everything done in a campaign. Mistakes are made and the candidate corrects the situation as gracefully as possible.

But if Obama knew about this and approved it as out-reach or inclusion or having a big tent then he is finished for 2008. (Though not for later years. He's a talented politician.)

So your reflexive defense is actually the worst possible way to advocate for Obama... at least in a netroots context.