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WH getting blowback from African-American churches over gay-marriage stance
Hot Air.com ^ | May 14, 2012 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 05/14/2012 11:18:05 AM PDT by Kaslin

Barney Frank told the panel on ABC’s This Week that “I don’t think anyone’s vote was changed” when Barack Obama endorsed the legalization of same-sex marriage — but that might be too optimistic an analysis. The New York Times reports that the White House went on a charm offensive with leaders of faith organizations, including and perhaps especially African-American churches where opposition to gay marriage runs high. So far, the charm offensive has had mixed results:

About two hours after declaring his support for same-sex marriage last week, President Obama gathered eight or so African-American ministers on a conference call to explain himself. He had struggled with the decision, he said, but had come to believe it was the right one.

The ministers, though, were not all as enthusiastic. A vocal few made it clear that the president’s stand on gay marriage might make it difficult for them to support his re-election. …

In the end, Mr. Coates, who supports civil marriages for gay men and lesbians, said that most of the pastors, regardless of their views on this issue, agreed to “work aggressively” on behalf of the president’s campaign. But not everyone. “Gay marriage is contrary to their understanding of Scripture,” Mr. Coates said. “There are people who are really wrestling with this.”

This was the danger of going on the record, a danger Obama’s allies on the Left apparently discounted. Obama drove turnout in 2008 in part through the enthusiastic participation of these very same churches. Having now sided with the people who call these black pastors and congregations “bigots,” especially in North Carolina where two-thirds of black voters supported Amendment One, Obama is not at risk of having them flip to Mitt Romney — but he does risk losing that enthusiasm, fundraising, and organization.

It’s not just about the policy itself, either. The churches now wonder whether Obama will back efforts to force churches to perform same-sex marriages, a topic which one religious leader broached with the President during one of the calls:

“Some of the faith communities are going to be afraid that this is an attack against religious liberty,” Mr. Hunter remembered telling the president.

“Absolutely not,” Mr. Obama insisted. “That’s not where we’re going, and that’s not what I want.”

Really? The Obama administration’s track record on religious freedom singularly argues otherwise. Most recently, the White House stabbed their allies in health-care reform in the Catholic Church in the back by using the ObamaCare law that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops supported to create a mandate that requires church organizations to pay for contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients. Even more to the point, the Obama administration tried to apply the ADA to force a church to rehire a minister they’d terminated, an attempt that got a 9-0 rebuke from the Supreme Court.

The only time this President is solicitous of religious freedom and principles is when he’s trying to cover his own rear end.

On the other hand, Obama’s declaration has resulted in a lot of enthusiasm at churches … for Romney, as Andrew Malcolm explains:

Near the end of the competitive part of the recent Republican presidential primary season, Gov. Mitt Romney began showing growing support among evangelical voters. The Mormon had been losing that influential portion of the GOP base by lopsided proportions. Not anymore.

Thank you, Barack Obama. …

In a major examination of evangelical support for Romney the Deseret News Sunday quoted several Southern academics. Dave Woodard of Clemson University called Obama’s carefully-staged statement a gift for Romney highlighting his candidacy’s uniqueness in supporting traditional marriage.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s sealed the deal,” with most evangelical voters, Woodard told the paper. “I think he can make up for any other problems he has with them with just this one issue.”

Woodard added: “There is beginning to be some genuine enthusiasm for Mitt Romney. They’re not just going to talk about his Sunday morning activities. He has the convictions on the issues they like.”

Newsweek may have crowned Obama with a secular halo this weekend, but he’s not getting hosannas from the churches — and that might be all it takes to send Obama into retirement in January 2013.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; africanamericans; bhohomosexualagenda; blackchurch; democrats; gaymarriage; homosexualagenda; kenyanbornmuzzie; moralabsolutes; nobama2012; obama; obamatruthfile; pastors; samesexmarriage; swrdswllwngsdshw
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To: Kaslin

WH getting blowback

41 posted on 05/14/2012 12:40:53 PM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: Jonty30

Black Pastor Tells CNN His Church Won’t Support Obama, ‘Plan To Stay Home’

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/black-pastor-tells-cnn-his-church-wont-support-obama-plan-to-stay-home/


42 posted on 05/14/2012 12:49:00 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Kaslin

What? Is the rate of black america voting for him going do drop to 92%? He shoulda kept it on the down lo’!


43 posted on 05/14/2012 12:50:32 PM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: Doc Savage

“There isn’t a single black in this country who’ll vote GOP,”

I know of at least 2 that will. However, your point is well taken!


44 posted on 05/14/2012 12:52:35 PM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: Kaslin
The churches now wonder whether Obama will back efforts to force churches to perform same-sex marriages, a topic which one religious leader broached with the President during one of the calls:

“Some of the faith communities are going to be afraid that this is an attack against religious liberty,” Mr. Hunter remembered telling the president.

“Absolutely not,” Mr. Obama insisted. “That’s not where we’re going, and that’s not what I want.”

Anyone seen or heard from former Rep. Bart Stupak?

45 posted on 05/14/2012 12:53:01 PM PDT by Obadiah (2008: Hope & Change -- 2012: Fear & Retribution)
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To: copaliscrossing
You can imagine how I felt at one of our department meetings when the subject came up about changing our software to be able to handle...."Anal Pap smears"!!!

I wonder if my co-workers saw me turn white as a ghost and get a sick look on my face when I heard that.


46 posted on 05/14/2012 12:53:01 PM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: BerryDingle

Yes, that’s how I looked!!! lol


47 posted on 05/14/2012 12:54:31 PM PDT by copaliscrossing (Progressives are Socialists)
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To: Gabz

Congressman Allan West must be, so must be Tim Scott, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker, Larry Elder, Walter E. Williams, Ken Blackwell and many more


48 posted on 05/14/2012 1:01:38 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Jonty30

You’re missinformed my friend.

10% have stated they WILL NOT vote for him!

Depending on the consentration, that could be significant.


49 posted on 05/14/2012 1:03:14 PM PDT by G Larry (Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding)
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To: Jonty30

Many fail to recognize the power of the block that stays home.

Which is why I was so hard on the anti-Romney crowd here.


50 posted on 05/14/2012 1:05:45 PM PDT by G Larry (Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding)
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To: Gabz; rdb3
Here is a whole list of African American Republicans

African American Republicans

51 posted on 05/14/2012 1:10:32 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Doc Savage

“Nice try Barry! There isn’t a single black in this country who’ll vote GOP . . . “

Someday I’ll have to introduce you to my sister-in-law.

But even among Black democrats, a certain number that normally vote reflexively for the Democrat candidate are going to sit this one out to protest The Won’s support for same-sex marraige. And Barry cannot afford to lose a single vote this time around.

So, yeah. This’ll hurt him.


52 posted on 05/14/2012 1:11:53 PM PDT by No Truce With Kings (Ten years on FreeRepublic and counting.)
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To: Kaslin

Everyone one you named, and then some, were who popped into my mind immediately.


53 posted on 05/14/2012 1:18:14 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: AppyPappy

White House to black churches, “bend over.”


54 posted on 05/14/2012 1:26:31 PM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Liberty and Justice for ALL)
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To: Kenny Bunk

I stand corrected and duly chastised. LOL


55 posted on 05/14/2012 1:27:02 PM PDT by Gator113 (***YOU GAVE it to Obama. I would have voted for NEWT.~Just livin' life, my way~)
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To: Kaslin; rdb3; Doc Savage

And those are just the known ones........there are many, many more who’s name is not going to appear on such a list.

I so dislike such broad brushing, particularly when discussing the touchy issue of race. It just gives the left one more “talking point” to label conservatives as racists.


56 posted on 05/14/2012 1:27:07 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: Gabz

There was another one. Her first name is Denise and I believe she ran in 2010 for Congress in CA. I will do a search and see if I can find something


57 posted on 05/14/2012 1:32:18 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: eekitsagreek

I luv Allen West! Stay tuned for more and more of him.


58 posted on 05/14/2012 1:43:21 PM PDT by Bitsy
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To: rdb3; Doc Savage

People are individuals and each chooses with the precious gift of free will, how to live their lives. Some conditioning is very difficult to shake off. But it is a fact that there are rational conservatives of every color. Blanket statements do a disservice to all rational conservatives.


59 posted on 05/14/2012 1:43:25 PM PDT by little jeremiah
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To: HerrBlucher
.....anyone who votes for Obama is gay.

Provincetown tee shirt sales way up!

60 posted on 05/14/2012 1:44:16 PM PDT by Kenny Bunk (So, Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Roberts can't figure out if Obama is a Natural Born Citizen?)
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