While I'm Thinking About It

Did You Hear . . . ?

Barack Obama over the weekend came out and admitted on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos that he really is a Muslim?

I hope not, because that's not what really happened. I had hoped to link to a YouTube clip featuring the entire exchange, but this is one of times when YouTube seems to be populated entirely by trolls and fools. So here's the clip in question, straight from ABC.com.It happens halfway through, and it's pretty clearly an obvious flub. A misstatement, based on the fact that immediately prior to that he was accusing Fox News and others of spreading the rumor. Muslim was on his mind, so that's what came out of his mouth. Not only is that completely understandable, it's something I've been known to do. More often than I like to admit.

It happens to everybody. Including our current sitting president, but when George W. Bush does it, he's still criticized as a know-nothing lackwit.

I dunno. The whole "Obama is a secret Muslim" thing bugs me. For starters, it's a lot like the "Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11" bit of nonsense that makes the rounds on occassion. I like to think I'm fairly well informed, but the only time I hear either one is when someone's debunking it, or going to great lengths to explain how anyone who believes it should be classified too dumb to live. Meaning, just the reaction; never the initial message. Which suggests that the debunkers are doing more to spread the message than the folks who came up with it in the first place.

Of course, another part you rarely hear is that at least one of the Obama/Islam rumors got started during the primaries, and was spread by members of Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Of course, as a gaffe, "My Muslim faith" doesn't come anywhere near "57 States". Really, I don't care what motives you put to that statement, dark or otherwise, it's a mistake of potatoe proportions, that really should have been treated as such.

Oh, and if you're interested, here's Fox News about the Sunday statement.

Coming up next: "Remember, Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a governor."