NBC – Revelation – Obama Has Muslim Roots!

Barack Obama with His Muslim Family - from blog Elephant Bar

Et Tu NBC? Jake Tapperand Susan Miller, apparently overheard a comment from a White House aide regarding the President getting in touch with his Muslim Roots – and they think this is news.

The report

During a conference call in preparation for President Obama's trip to Cairo, Egypt, where he will address the Muslim world, deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough said "the President himself experienced Islam on three continents before he was able to -- or before he's been able to visit, really, the heart of the Islamic world -- you know, growing up in Indonesia, having a Muslim father -- obviously Muslim Americans (are) a key part of Illinois and Chicago."

This so shocked Mr. Tapper and Ms. Miller because the Obama Campaign did everything in its power to downplay the fact that Obama, did indeed, have Muslim roots, something that was common knowledge for anyone with a computer and the ability to use “Google”. The crux of the matter, or non-matter, is that now, as President, and “safe” from a paranoid public that would never (in the minds of some) allow a Muslim to hold office, he’s taken to using his middle name “Hussein”, something that was discouraged during the campaign and up to Election Eve.

Republicans were called on the carpet for using the Presidential Candidates Obama’s middle name and roundly criticized by this same press. Therefore and suddenly, both the campaign and the press appear to be - Hypocrites! Therein lays the problem: suddenly, they are shocked that the campaign would decry Obama’s roots – to get elected!

It was precisely his denial of his Muslim heritage that was brought up by those Republican’s who were so chastised in the press – for example: Politico reported back in June of 2008, that Muslim women were barred from being photographed in their religious garb during one of the campaign photo-ops – a move that was resoundingly criticized by those same campaign officials as soon as the situation was brought to light.

Herein lays the problem: bigotry on the part of the Obama campaign as well as a certain lack of integrity (goes to the Republican point during the campaign). To throw one’s roots under the proverbial bus, in order to hide a segment of oneself that might turn off a voter or two, is, in itself, shameful. The simple fact is, here, in the United States of America, there is freedom of religion guaranteed to all, regardless of faith, and that in most communities, large and small, those who are Muslim are treated no more or no less than those that are Christian, Jew, or “pick-a-flavor” religion, because they are Americans . Even after the attacks on the country by radical Islamic Fascists, “hate” crimes against American Muslims were few and far between – in fact, those Muslims decried the assault and took it personally, as we all did, because they are – Americans! Before the 2008 election, there was little mention of race, religion or gender, but, the constant drumbeat from the media that one must be “prejudice” if one does not vote for an African American or a Women, drove the bigotry that had been pushed underground to the top, in other words, re-creating a tone that was long-gone or existed in the minds of the very few, not the very many. Therefore, the Party that prides itself on being so bloody inclusive of all people, regardless of color, faith or ethnicity, has becomes the party that divides on issues of race, etc., especially if the quest is an election.

More over, what was most insulting to those People who were paying attention, (those that read the news, watch multiple news programs), was that the Obama campaign was embarrassed because of Barack's Muslim roots and did everything possible to hide that fact. Instead of embracing his background and showing the American Public just how diverse he truly is: Caucasian, Muslim, African American, Christian, he lost the opportunity to campaign as the epitome of the melting pot that is America.

Would it have made a difference? Possibly – but who would have been the ones that would have made it an issue? Certainly not those in the middle, or those on the right (who would not have cast their vote for Obama regardless, and this based on the fear of him being a “socialist”), it would have been the rank and file Democrats that Obama feared might balk at his roots. In other words, he did not give enough credit to his base.

Now, that Obama, as President, is about to head to the Middle East and speak to those Heads of State that, in what would be routine, he is bringing his roots to bear and Tapper appears perplexed that he is reaching out to these countries using his roots: (From the NBC Article)

Since the election, however, with the threat of the rumors at least somewhat abated, the White House has been increasingly forthcoming about the president's roots. Especially when reaching out to the Muslim world.
In his April 6 address to the Turkish Parliament, President Obama referenced how many "Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim majority country. I know, because I am one of them."

To recap: Those that should be justifiably “miffed” are the 2.3 to 7 million Muslim citizens of the U.S. Those who are of another flavor of faith, should also be a bit perplexed that someone would decry their obvious birthright in order to “pull the wool” over the eyes of those American’s “who would find being Muslim” (another insult)unacceptable due to an assumed prejudice.

Tapper and Miller fall into another group – journalist who campaigned daily in their editorialized news, driving an American election out of sheer ideology, slowly realizing that there is no such thing as perfection in any candidate. Finally, those Heads of State should be concerned as well, Obama’s new found roots are certainly convenient – in 2008 he denounced and denied his Muslim ties, in 2009 he is “one of them”. The problem Obama and the press now face is the fact that average citizens will not continuously buy the fact that the most diverse and Free nation on the Planet would keep someone from office due to a mainstream Religious Affiliation (be it Hindu, Buddhist, Christian (multiple denominations, including Mormon), Jewish or Muslim) - those that vote do so by party affiliation (which is questionable in itself), the merits of the candidate (which should be the first priority), or, in the case of the last election: the Guy who most like the “Next American Idol” (makes one cringe, does it not?)