Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Beck attacks Obama for saying "we are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers",



Glenn Beck is appalled that Obama has stated that the US is "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers".

He then wonders aloud if Obama is "sending messages" by hosting Ramadan dinners.

He hosts Ramadan dinners, which a president can do. [...] Is there anything more to this? Are they sending messages? I don't know, I haven't had to look for messages before.
One would be forgiven, listening to this latest rant, for thinking that Obama is the first President ever to host a Ramadan dinner, but that of course would be false. It was president Bush who started this practice. Here Bush speaks of this at his last Ramadan dinner.
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, and welcome. Over the past eight years, we have made the Iftaar dinner an annual tradition here at the White House. And I'm really glad we did. At this year's gathering, we pay special tribute to the many contribution Muslim Americans have made to our nation. We join in wishing Muslims around the world, "Ramadan Mubarak."
Bush understood that it was important that he held such dinners in an attempt to signal that the US was at war with terrorism, not with Islam.

The American right appear to have lost the subtlety of Bush's message. When Bush did this Beck did not, to my knowledge, make any comment about this. Why, when Obama continues a tradition started by Bush, does Beck suddenly find himself "looking for messages"? And why didn't he have to "look for messages" when Bush held such dinners?

Once again there is this continual, insidious attempt to always portray Obama as "other". Even when he is merely continuing practices started by Bush.

2 comments:

Cammie Novara said...

As soon as I found a link to this unbelievable hilarious Yes We Scam! B.S. We Can Believe In! Obama Approval Plummets Hubpages article I determined that The Osterley Times's commentators truly have to have a chance to read this: http://hubpages.com/hub/Yes-We-Scam-BS-We-Can-Believe-In-Obama-Approval-Plummets

Kel said...

I have read it. I didn't find it particularly funny or clever.

And since when did Republicans care about poor approval ratings? Throughout the presidency of George Bush we were told that he was doing what was right, not courting popularity. Why, suddenly under Obama, do approval ratings matter so much?