Forget about Wright. What about Hagee? - Political Forum

PayingAttention · #1 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 05:33 PM

I have taken a close interest in the media coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election campaign and I have to say that, until this morning, I have heard very little said about McCain and I had never even heard of Pastor John Hagee and his endorsement of John McCain.

All I have heard, endlessly, 24/7 is the US media rabbiting on about Obama and Wright, Wright and Obama, on and on and on without anything except a commercial break.

I heard John Hagee's name for the first time on NPR's Fresh Air this morning and Hagee was qouted as saying "Hurricane Katrina was Gods punishment for America accepting homosexuals". It was also said that McCain had "actively sought" the endorsement of Hagee.

I also see that McCain has distanced himself from some of Hagee's comments on Catholicism but very pointedly not from Hagee's comments on homosexuality.

Why has the media totally ignored this but at the same time hounded Obama over his association with Wright?

Shiva_TD · #2 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PayingAttention

I have taken a close interest in the media coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election campaign and I have to say that, until this morning, I have heard very little said about McCain and I had never even heard of Pastor John Hagee and his endorsement of John McCain.

All I have heard, endlessly, 24/7 is the US media rabbiting on about Obama and Wright, Wright and Obama, on and on and on without anything except a commercial break.

I heard John Hagee's name for the first time on NPR's Fresh Air this morning and Hagee was qouted as saying "Hurricane Katrina was Gods punishment for America accepting homosexuals". It was also said that McCain had "actively sought" the endorsement of Hagee.

I also see that McCain has distanced himself from some of Hagee's comments on Catholicism but very pointedly not from Hagee's comments on homosexuality.

Why has the media totally ignored this but at the same time hounded Obama over his association with Wright?

My parents sent me a John Hagee video tape sometime back and I couldn't believe the bullshit that came out of his mouth. He's one of those "religious rightwingers" that McCain is courting for November and I do think that his speeches and sermons are as distorted as the Rev Wrights.

colourislast · #3 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 06:01 PM

One day after getting Hagee's endorsement McCain made a statement that he did not agree with many statements that Hagee has made about other religions. McCain did not attend Hagee's church nor did it take 20 years for him to see that Hagee's comments were not similar to his own.

PayingAttention · #4 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 06:13 PM

Is McCain some kind of fall guy put up by the Republicans for some reason that I cannot fathom at the moment?

The guy is 71 years old, for goodness sake! His body language, walking and style of speaking show that he is not a particularly "young" 71 year old. By the end of his first term he will be 75, pushing 76.

Am I being cynical to suggest that he is being put up as a patsy who will be manipulated by those around him (and particularly PNAC) to do their bidding?

colourislast · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 06:28 PM

I doubt a decade of V.C. POW camp treatment would make you look a "young" anything.

PayingAttention · #6 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colourislast

I doubt a decade of V.C. POW camp treatment would make you look a "young" anything.

I agree and while it probably seemed like a decade to Captain McCain, it was actually five and a half years.

I salute Captain McCain's military (and public) service to his country.

I just don't think he (or anyone else of any political stripe) would be effective as a President at his age.

fargobison · #7 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PayingAttention

Is McCain some kind of fall guy put up by the Republicans for some reason that I cannot fathom at the moment?

The guy is 71 years old, for goodness sake! His body language, walking and style of speaking show that he is not a particularly "young" 71 year old. By the end of his first term he will be 75, pushing 76.

Am I being cynical to suggest that he is being put up as a patsy who will be manipulated by those around him (and particularly PNAC) to do their bidding?

McCain was easily the strongest candidate the republicans had, the others were completely unelectable for one reason or another. McCain's issues within his own party almost cost him the nomination.

He is a bit of maverick and thus will be hard for anyone to manipulate, he will pander like all politicians do but he isn't afraid to go against the grain if need be.

calmObserver · #8 (**permalink**) 05-07-2008, 04:14 PM

juan cole had this to say;

Quote:

CBC writes of the two primaries last night,

Quote:

' Exit polls in both Indiana and North Carolina showed the economy was the most important issue to voters, followed by the Iraq war. Concerns about Obama's controversial former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and Clinton's attempts to paint him as an out of touch elitist, did not seem to be important to many voters.'

In other words, our corporate media keep giving us irrelevancies like someone's pastor or ad hominems (a Yalie who made $108 million in recent years is calling someone an 'elitist'?).

And the voters keep voting on the issues. They were unimpressed with Clinton's fantasies about 'totally obliterating' Iran. They appear to have liked Obama's talk of a timetable for US withdrawal from Iraq, something the majority of the Iraqi parliament also wants. They were unimpressed with Clinton's pandering on a gasoline 'tax holiday'; a solid majority was unimpressed with attempts to damn Obama by association. Take out the over-65 crowd, and Obama did well with whites. He did overwhelmingly well with new voters. for more...

good to see voters are not being fooled...this time

as for the reverand john hagee, just a little googling tells us how he stands on the question. here's one result ~

Quote:

Although charismatic televangelist Pastor John Hagee thinks that the Rev. Pat Robertson's suggestion that Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was payback from God for withdrawing from Gaza was "insensitive and unnecessary," he nevertheless appears to share Robertson's concern that Israel may be giving up too much land to the Palestinians. an example...

yep ~ no problem here