Unbelievable..Obama Muslim Photo.. Hillary-Why is anybody concerned about this?"

[Democratic Hawk]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

Now that is what I call spin!

Dave

[Alcon]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

The problem is with the implication by those spreading it around, not the actual context of the photo.

Exactly. It is blatantly obvious that this isn't an instance of, "Oh, look at how great Obama is at adapting to local customs when he makes foreign visits!" It's more Muslim-baiting.

Well, to be fair, I think that some of the people circulating it did it under the pretext of "look how unelectable this guy will be."  I can't say either way, but I'd like to think it wasn't all Muslim-bashing.  More "look how well he'll fall into the GOP's traps."

Hackery can make otherwise unbigoted people do dumb things, after all.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

Why does the photo show he may be unelectable?

Maggie Williams doesn't see anything wrong with circulating it.

They were just sending it out to help Barack win the nomination.  It was a act of goodwill.

We are talking about Sr. Campaign staffers peddling this dribble.

[Trilobyte]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

The problem is with the implication by those spreading it around, not the actual context of the photo.

Exactly. It is blatantly obvious that this isn't an instance of, "Oh, look at how great Obama is at adapting to local customs when he makes foreign visits!" It's more Muslim-baiting.

I assume this photo was taken during an official trip overseas, which would mean this is and has always been public information. Obama had that picture taken knowing it would be released to anyone in the general public who wants to see it. Instead of sounding like he regrets the photo, Obama should say he did what great leaders do and proudly accepted that token of friendship. This is not a big deal unless Obama makes it a big deal.

I don't think it is Muslim-baiting simply by showing someone in Muslim attire. The campaign is not spreading false information like calling Obama a Muslim or a terrorist; it is merely pointed to a photo taken by Obama's staff that has already existed for some time. This is not all that different from the Pledge of Allegiance photo. Election campaigns release unflattering photos of their opponents all the time.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

The problem is with the implication by those spreading it around, not the actual context of the photo.

Bunk....in my opinion

Exactly. It is blatantly obvious that this isn't an instance of, "Oh, look at how great Obama is at adapting to local customs when he makes foreign visits!" It's more Muslim-baiting.

I assume this photo was taken during an official trip overseas, which would mean this is and has always been public information. Obama had that picture taken knowing it would be released to anyone in the general public who wants to see it. Instead of sounding like he regrets the photo, Obama should say he did what great leaders do and proudly accepted that token of friendship. This is not a big deal unless Obama makes it a big deal.

I don't think it is Muslim-baiting simply by showing someone in Muslim attire. The campaign is not spreading false information like calling Obama a Muslim or a terrorist; it is merely pointed to a photo taken by Obama's staff that has already existed for some time. This is not all that different from the Pledge of Allegiance photo. Election campaigns release unflattering photos of their opponents all the time.

[minionofmidas]

I plead temporary insanity on account of the Hilary people. They're in that transitional phase between understanding it's over and accepting it.

[NHPolitico]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

This is no different than rightwing idiots who call him Barack Hussein Obama, or B. Hussein Obama.  "He's got a Muslim name. He's a terrorist!"

It's like spreading around a photo of Obama eating a piece of watermelon or some fried chicken in the South. It's an exploitation of the stupidity of many Americans and their racial and religious intolerance.  Hillary is feeding that stupidity, telling people that it's great that they are uninformed and backwards and hold idiotic prejudices.  She's not doing anything to make the country better or stronger with this crap. 

[agcatter]

hmmm.  A few more love notes to Obama from Farrakhan and Hillary won't need to say anything.

[NHPolitico]

If the picture is real and taken with Obama's consent, then he shouldn't be making a big deal out of it.  Wearing the attire was a goodwill gesture and he should be proud of it. He implies he is ashamed of the photo, which is insulting to Muslims worldwide.

The problem is with the implication by those spreading it around, not the actual context of the photo.

Exactly. It is blatantly obvious that this isn't an instance of, "Oh, look at how great Obama is at adapting to local customs when he makes foreign visits!" It's more Muslim-baiting.

I assume this photo was taken during an official trip overseas, which would mean this is and has always been public information. Obama had that picture taken knowing it would be released to anyone in the general public who wants to see it. Instead of sounding like he regrets the photo, Obama should say he did what great leaders do and proudly accepted that token of friendship. This is not a big deal unless Obama makes it a big deal.

I don't think it is Muslim-baiting simply by showing someone in Muslim attire. The campaign is not spreading false information like calling Obama a Muslim or a terrorist; it is merely pointed to a photo taken by Obama's staff that has already existed for some time. This is not all that different from the Pledge of Allegiance photo. Election campaigns release unflattering photos of their opponents all the time.

It would be like a married couple going to a Halloween costume party as a famous he-she couple (Tarzan/Jane, Adam/Eve, etc.), but swapping the costumes for comedic effect, and have a photo from that event be taken, and for that photo to be released with the implication that the man is a crossdresser, with a nutty sexual fetish. It's a total lie. It's a willful disregard for the context of the photo for the sole purpose of misleading the audience. It shows a total lack of character, like an advertising executive promoting cigarettes to kids. 

[agcatter]

Very clumsy attack by Hillary.  I assume it is aimed at the male demographic where she is currently getting clobbered.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

While I'm no fan of Clinton, this is likely just Matt Drudge trying to stir up sh**t.

[NHPolitico]

While I'm no fan of Clinton, this is likely just Matt Drudge trying to stir up sh**t.

No, it's legit. Maggie Williams has spoken about this.

[angus]

I plead temporary insanity on account of the Hilary people. They're in that transitional phase between understanding it's over and accepting it.

The claim of transition-induced temporary insanity still doesn't excuse their apparent long-term insanity evident by the fact that they supported her candidacy in the first place.

[TomC]

I just called the campaign and gave them a piece of my mind. Some fun!

703.469.2008

[WalterMitty]

as a political hack, it offends me that all of these little obama supporters think that obama shouldnt be attacked in any way shape or form.  if he is criticized, just bring out the old standby...race!

hands off obama....he's black!

anyway.  the photo makes him look silly and goofy.  why not spread it around?  it is dukakis in the tank all over again.  did anyone call the bush campaign 'anti-greek'  of course not.

the hand wringers need to get a grip.

[Boris]

lol @ American politics.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

Hillary echoes Maggie Williams.....this is a distraction...what's the big deal ?

Congratulations to the most divisive political figure in the last 2 decades.  You've managed to divide up the democrats.

You've achieved your peak...you've divided up all including your won party.

Go girl go....8 more days until you get knocked out of this race

[exopolitician]

as a political hack, it offends me that all of these little obama supporters think that obama shouldnt be attacked in any way shape or form.  if he is criticized, just bring out the old standby...race!

hands off obama....he's black!

anyway.  the photo makes him look silly and goofy.  why not spread it around?  it is dukakis in the tank all over again.  did anyone call the bush campaign 'anti-greek'  of course not.

the hand wringers need to get a grip.

Politicians will attack each other.....but try attacking him on the things that matter instead of trying to distort his image to make him seem unamerican, a terrorist, or something along those lines that are utterly ridiculous.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

as a political hack, it offends me that all of these little obama supporters think that obama shouldnt be attacked in any way shape or form.  if he is criticized, just bring out the old standby...race!

hands off obama....he's black!

anyway.  the photo makes him look silly and goofy.  why not spread it around?  it is dukakis in the tank all over again.  did anyone call the bush campaign 'anti-greek'  of course not.

the hand wringers need to get a grip.

Politicians will attack each other.....but try attacking him on the things that matter instead of trying to distort his image to make him seem unamerican, a terrorist, or something along those lines that are utterly ridiculous.

agree, policy debate attacks happen.  Race, religion, gender are a significant foul

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

as a political hack, it offends me that all of these little obama supporters think that obama shouldnt be attacked in any way shape or form.  if he is criticized, just bring out the old standby...race!

hands off obama....he's black!

anyway.  the photo makes him look silly and goofy.  why not spread it around?  it is dukakis in the tank all over again.  did anyone call the bush campaign 'anti-greek'  of course not.

the hand wringers need to get a grip.

I'm not surprised you lack the mental capacity to realize the difference in the implications of this and the Dukakis in a tank photo op.

[Michael Z]

Obama should deal with this the way he's dealt with most of these things... shrug it off, say "So what?", and get on with it. If he gets in a huff about it (the way, say, Dukakis did over the tank ads) it'll only create the impression that he's supposed to be ashamed of this, which in this case he shouldn't. I don't share the view (which seems to be implicit in the Clinton campaign's stance) that the average voter is so stupid that they'll look at this picture and immediately think "OMGZ OBAMA IZ A MUZLIM TER0R1ST LUV3R!!!11".

Most of Clinton's negative tactics so far have backfired on her, hopefully this one will too.

[Democratic Hawk]

The motivation behind releasing this picture is simple. It's to engrain two falsehoods deep into consciousness of those dimwits out there that 1) Obama is a Muslim and 2) an Arab-African one at that; when in fact, he's a Christian of mixed race

Clinton's conduct these past few days is, frankly, the pits. It is sorely lacking in dignity, which tells me she is getting desparate. Obama's dignity, on the other hand, cannot be disputed

To say I'm disgusted with Clinton, following her 'mocking' speech, is an understatement

I'll struggle to 'endorse' her if she wins the Democratic nomination; in fact, I might just 'sit on the fence'. And I've never done that in my life. The Clinton's forced me to withdraw my original endorsement when Bill sought to polarise the South Democratic primary along racial lines by boxing Obama in as the 'black candidate', when in fact, he is the post-racial candidate

Rant over!

Dave

[The Hack Hater]

I don't know, but christ, Hillary's campaign has sunk to new lows if they want to try tactics like this.

[Michael Z]

The motivation behind releasing this picture is simple. It's to engrain two falsehoods deep into consciousness of those dimwits out there that 1) Obama is a Muslim and 2) an Arab-African one at that; when in fact, he's a Christian of mixed race

Clinton's conduct these past few days is, frankly, the pits. It is sorely lacking in dignity, which tells me she is getting desparate. Obama's dignity, on the other hand, cannot be disputed

To say I'm disgusted with Clinton, following her 'mocking' speech, is an understatement

I'll struggle to 'endorse' her if she wins the Democratic nomination; in fact, I might just 'sit on the fence'. And I've never done that in my life. The Clinton's forced me to withdraw my original endorsement when Bill sought to polarise the South Democratic primary along racial lines by boxing Obama in as the 'black candidate', when in fact, he is the post-racial candidate

Rant over!

Dave

My thoughts exactly. Very well put.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

Obama should deal with this the way he's dealt with most of these things... shrug it off, say "So what?", and get on with it.

Yes that's exactly what Obama should do.

The question is what should Hillary's supporters, other former candidates, and democratic uncommitted leaders do? 

Specifically I'm talking about folks like Charlie Rangel, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Al Gore and others.  If they stand by in silence, they condone her tactics. If she wins the nomination, she splits the party.  They need to speak out about the tone of this campaign