The following is from Carl Silverman (No relation, but a well-known atheist activist and friend). The viewes expressed herein are not the views of American Atheists — we don’t directly support political candidates, but we do urge people to make calls and complain when assholes run off at the mouth.
Friends,First let me say that, despite what you are about to read, I still encourage everyone to vote for Obama. As we all know, we must focus on the Supreme Court.Nevertheless…..My wife and I went to the “Presidential Forum” http://www.christian-life.com/calendar/forum.htmllast night (Wednesday 10/29/08) at the Christian Life Academy, a megachurch here in Camp Hill, PA, expecting to be offended by the McCain-Palin surrogates. The event was being recorded/televised, probably for podcasting on the Christian Life website, but I’m not sure. I have listed the participants at bottom of this page.I submitted a question, specifically for the McCain-Palin people. Here’s the question, as asked by the moderator, who only slightly rephrased it from the original:”With at least 8% of Pennsylvanians being atheists, agnostics, and humanists, what are the McCain-Palin campaign going to say tonight to attract any undecided voters from that group of Pennsylvanians?”McCain’s National Evangelical Director, Marlys Pompa, said that McCain was going to be a president of all the people, people “of all faiths and no faiths.” She mentioned the “wonderful melting pot” of America, and generally emphasized the inclusiveness and unity of a McCain presidency. She, of course, did not mention Palin.The moderator then proceeded to ask another question, this time directed to the Obama campaign, but the Obama representatives insisted on responding to my question first.Don Miller, an author and social conservative who delivered a prayer at the Democratic convention, said, “Senator Obama has a policy director and an advisor for many different faiths. He has nothing on atheists or agnostics. There’s not this grand effort for the Democrats to reach out to a group of pagans to try to get them to vote for Senator Obama.”D. Paul Monteiro, Obama’s National Deputy Director for Religious Affairs, then said, “Senator Obama has a twenty-year history, a twenty-year testimony” and described Obama’s support for Bush’s “faith-based partnership program” and how Obama said “no” to those who distributed flyers at the Democratic National Convention urging him, on the basis of church-state separation, to oppose public funding of faith-based initiatives.Then, referring to Sen. Obama, Monteiro proclaimed, “This is not some crazy wacko atheist trying to make sure that your children grow up to marry trees.”Yes, Obama’s aides not only gloated that they were not actively seeking the votes of atheists, agnostics, and pagans, but delivered a slur of such an egregious nature that, if targeted against Christians or Jews, would have likely been fatal to Obama’s campaign. I can’t imagine Barack himself making such a grossly insulting statement.In addition, there was a dispute over whether Obama supported or opposed discriminatory hiring by publicly funded faith-based programs. David Barton, founder of the WallBuilders organization, claimed that Obama opposed discriminatory hiring, but Obama’s National Evangelical Coordinator Shaun Casey claimed that was untrue. To my recollection, based on Obama’s past statements, Barton was correct and Casey was wrong.In the future, I think atheists and other rationalists should create their own political party, not in the hopes of winning in this “Christian nation,” but at least to act as a spoiler against any candidate who does not treat us with the same respect to which believers feel they are entitled.Again, please vote for Barack, if only because Palin must be stopped.Feel free to forward or publish this message, but only IN ITS ENTIRETY.Carl H. SilvermanCamp Hill, PA[apologies if this email is poorly formatted]Copyright 2008, Carl H. Silverman. All rights reserved, except permission is granted to forward (or publish) this message in its entirety.
It’s a big shit sandwich and we’re all going to have to take a bite. It basically came down to voting for who I hate the least.
Like the southpark episode – who you going to vote for a giant douche or a turd sandwich ?
I feel the same with Palin I can not vote republican so I guess Ill take the TURD SANDWICH or is Obama the giant douche ? lol
The only “diss” I see came from D. Paul Monteiro, who sounds like a bit of an idiot. Let’s just hope he’s has no real influence in the administration.
Sounds like he’s sort of gone rogue. There’s a lot of that going on these days.
It’s disappointing, but what do you expect. We are still the only group that is allowed to discriminate against.
It really is tough living in this country as an open-minded, free-thinking person when all around you are sheep who are too afraid to think for themselves.
I found Monteiro’s page on the Obama site.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/public/gPQgS
It’s set up like a social network, so you have to create a login. Thankfully, those can both be set up immediately without any moderation.
And you can’t send him a message until he accepts your friend-request. You can, however, put some text in with your friend-request.
I made a friendly request that he friend me so he can confirm and/or clarify the statement he made on 10/29 about atheists.
I figure I’ll hear back next Wednesday
This is as to be expected and has about zilch to do with who would govern this country better. There are crazy theists everywhere. Gee who would of thought that they would turn up on the Obama side as well? All of us.
Vote Obama/Biden
The rest Palin comparison
This bullshit only makes me a more confirmed NADER voter. They don’t even want our votes.
Fuck ‘em
What do you get for voting for O’same??
A liberal who is against the first amendment.
Jennifer Granholm??
I was at the forum too. Paul Monteiro didn’t make any such comment. That was Don Miller who said that about folks “marrying trees.”
Whoever said it, he wasn’t talking to us. He was talking to a bunch of religious wackos who actually believe crazy things like that about us. And he was denying it.
What
Not McKinney/Clemente. Palin is the last thing they’d be accused of doin.
Surprisingly, I got a message back from Dr. Monteiro. He’d be happy to talk to me about the comment over the phone. I could give him my number, but if our good spokesman would rather make the call, I’d be happy to forward your number to him.
Email me if you want to take that ball.
This is why I voted Nader last week. Compared to the two republican theocrats running for the presidency, it was the only reasonable choice.
Toldya so! It begins… lol!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had just one deserving candidate?
Joe Zamecki
Austin, Texas
Joe,
What good would that do? The country that elected W wouldn’t vote for this hypothetical candidate.
The last eight years have me looking back with some nostalgia to my country of birth. Sure the same corrupt thieves got elected again and again but at least we never got out hopes up.
Joe
Told us what? And what is beginning?
I just got off the phone with Mr. Monteiro. Please do not call, and stand by for a new post.
We have to vote Obama because of the the fact that the next Prez is gonna appoint a couple of Supreme Court Justices….the dems traditionally appoint liberal judges….and no 3rd party candidate is gonna win next Tuesday….
My apologies to D. Paul Monteiro if he really didn’t say what was reported. Also for name calling whether he said it or not.
What I want to know is what is anyone going to do about mobbing and gangstalking and the fact that some sites say the cops and firemen are in on doing the harassment.
If Obama didn’t make the comments himself who cares?
Off-topic here, Dave, but the many spelling mistakes on this site are distracting to say the least, especially when written by the communication director of American Atheists.
Aids should be aides, and views has only one e.
If you want, I’d be happy to edit your posts before you submit them.
Now, what was that about voting for principle on the last thread? What a bunch of saps…
As I’ve asked many times…which is better…
A politician who tells you they don’t agree with your views and then vote accordingly…
Or a politician who tells you he agrees with you, but then does everything to underscore your beliefs…
Bottom line…NObama has lied over and over again…I have to laugh when someone on this thread talks about voting for principles…
By the way…the $250,000 ceiling has been lowered to $150,000…
Again…only a moron would actually vote for a politician who tells you upfront that they are going to raise taxes…that’s how the government gets their power…
And Charlie…you’re concerned about the Supreme Court…?
Tell me…do you want a judge who rules by the “rule of law” or one who “rules by emotion”…?
obama like mccain has to pander to the religious or it is back to being citizen obama.
what is really interesting is to hear how supporters of obama and mccain can’t handle anything negative said about their candidate.
each man has admirable qualities but they have serious flaws too.
do you really think a 72 yr old man is going to carry the heavy burden of president.
do you really think a senator in his first term who started running for president as soon as he got to the senate is ready.
i know you guys don’t like my bashing your candidate but i have serious reservations about these two men.
And McCain has never ever lied, I suppose?
What – I mean that the lesser of the two evils is already turning out to be not so lesser…so to speak. What’s beginning is the downturn in quality of that supposedly lesser evil, and really it began a long time ago. For Obama’s supporters though, it’s clearly the beginning of a bad presidency already.
Whoever wins this election, they’re headed for a fall. Either they’ll screw up, or someone else will for them, but no president can do well under the current situation in the world. It’ll take a lot longer than 4 years for the office of the president of the United States to become anything other than an embarrassment.
I almost wish the Republicans had a better chance at winning. At least that way we wouldn’t have to hear 4 years of personal attacks against a man and his family who are more left-leaning, when it was a conservative who blew it.
Joe Zamecki
Austin, TX
Joe
Pardon the expression but that is just insane. There has never in my lifetime been a more stark contrast between two candidates.
I care relatively little about what Obama or McCain may be headed for. I care much more about what our country is headed for. Four more years? NO FUCKING WAY!
Required reading. Paul Krugman’s column in the NYTimes today. Paul won the Nobel Prize in economics a couple weeks ago week and has been right every step of the way since this economic disaster reached inevitability in 2004.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/opinion/31krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
Anybody that buys the McCain mantra that the way out of our economic quagmire is by cutting government spending is plain ignorant.
What:
Krugman is correct, we desperately need another “New Deal”… reduced spending is the worst thing to do right now. Thanks for the link.
The New Deal actually prolonged the Depression 7 additional years.
And besides, we can’t afford the rate of current government spending, let alone increase it.
On top of that, I’m tired of giving my money to lazy/stupid people.
Its funny how Mcsame says he wants to cut spending but still wants to pay for this war for however long it takes ? Isnt that the biggest bill the gov is paying right now lets start by cutting the spending there.