Obama backs mosque near ground zero

[Bull Moose Base]

Of course Obama backs it......what President doesn't pander

to Islamic voters?

Actually, I do think everyone is missing that his real audience last night was the Islamic world.  Obama, as he always has, is trying to foil Al Qaeda's attempts to cast their struggle as Islam against America.  He's trying to instead drive a wedge between extremists and the mainstream Muslim world and focusing the attention of the latter on the fact that Muslims have equal protection under the law in the USA.  Obviously, a wise communications strategy.  Throwing a wrench in Al Qaeda's messaging is actually a completely appropriate response to 9/11.

Even if you accepted the charge that the mosque is a deliberate provocation, what is the sense in responding to it the way extremists would like you to?

[Bull Moose Base]

He's against it for being insensitive or whatevsky, but thinks they have the right to do it.

Identical to Obama

Is it?  I remember that Obama thinks they have the right to do it, but I don't remember him saying explicitly that they shouldn't do it?

"I question the wisdom"......didn't you see my earlier translation? 

That's not quite as bold as Reid's statement though, eh?

Obama didn't even say he questioned the wisdom of it.  He reminded people that he made no comment one way or the other on the wisdom of it.

I'd guess Obama does think they should have probably built it somewhere else and, actually, for a similar reason doesn't feel it'd be helpful for him to make a statement to that effect.  The reason is that, based on how Obama has communicated in Latin America, in Europe, in Cairo, etc.  he plainly puts a lot of stock in avoiding provocation, employing tact in emotionally loaded issues, being respectful of sensitivities, and gestures that bridge divisions.  Choosing to build a new Muslim Y cum mosque 2 blocks from the WTC strikes me as a pretty un-Obama-like decision, clumsily counter-productive if not intentionally so.  But complaining about the location achieves the same setback.  The only reason I think Obama clarified that he wasn't speaking to the wisdom of the decision is because the media forced him to by misreporting his original statement as just that: an endorsement of the mosque (instead of a broader affirmation that Muslims have equal rights.)

Reid's comment was foolish and it's too bad he didn't avoid the subject or else call it out for what it is- a phony wedge issue to distract people from the mess that is the GOP and Sharon Angle.