Who is Afraid of Barack Obama?
@lissavalerian (247)
United States
June 10, 2008 1:20pm CST
Why is it that people seem to be afraid of this candidate? I've gotten tons of spam mail accusing him of being a closet muslim. But it's been well documented that Barack Obama has been very active in the Christian Church for quite a long time.
Can anyone name for me *ANY* presidential candidate who was NOT a Christian?
Barack Obama is NOT muslim. This is fear mongering used to scare people off from listening to his platform. This is a major psychological disinformation campaign that is insidious and is an attempt to undermine Obama's legitimate achievements.
People (Americans) seem to be afraid of anyone whose last name isn't Smith, Baker, Jones, Bush (?), etc. If it doesn't sound plain and english, then they must be some strange foreigner and therefore alien to us and not fit to be president.
If anything, Barack Obama's broad experience in other cultures gives him some unique insights into how different cultures interact with each other, rather than being embedded into one particular way of seeing things and thinking "my way is right and your way is wrong".
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_barack_obama_muslim.htm
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/opinion/02rich.html
http://www.isbarackobamamuslim.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
I personally would prefer a libertarian minded candidate - but I think it is important to INFORM ourselves of the candidates and their positions and not through the kind of smear campaigning and fear mongering that is going on through false and bogus email forwards that play on peoples fears and unwillingness to actually investigate the veracity of the claims.
Don't believe everything you read, research it. (Including what I write).
So ... Who is afraid of Barack Obama?
4 people like this
18 responses
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
10 Jun 08
A few people I know that are 'scared' of Obama are cloaking their distaste for his race and religious heritage with the off-the-wall 'factoids' and email forwards they receive. To each his own, I suppose. There's no cure for ignorance, yet, and I doubt there's much of a way to get through to a majority of those people.
I wonder if Snopes has any true/falses on whether Obama is the Antichrist. That's my personal fave right now. 
@JonnyVet (57)
• United States
12 Jun 08
no offense to anybody on mylot... but i think a lot of white people in america are voting for obama because they're scared if they dont they will be "racist" and that it's the cool thing to do. If your going to vote for him i advise you research the good and bad about him and THEN make your decision.
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
12 Jun 08
Fascinating theory, but I disagree. If someone doesn't want to seem racist, they'll simply SAY they're voting for Obama. No one knows who you actually vote for, so you can say whatever the heck you want.
And how do you know I'm white?
@insaneduck9 (836)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Most people assume Barack Obama is muslim because of his middle name "Hussein". He was raised by his mother who was christian.
Most people sadly fail to understand that just because his father was Muslim, Barack Obama isn't muslim and never has been.
3 people like this
@Kowgirl (3490)
• United States
10 Jun 08
He was raised by his white grandparents not his mother....
He was sent back to his grandparents in Hawaii after 2 years of living with his mother and his step father. He was only 10 years old at the time. He went to school in Hawaii and graduated there. His mother was a proclaimed atheist.
2 people like this
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I am afraid of Obama but not for anything that you have writen. My fears are based on a sel-preservation of my individual liberties, and my pocket book. I will not vote for anyone who's wife has said that Obama will demand change from us. No one demands me to change. Yes I do understand that this was Michelle and not Barack but you have to believe when she goes out and makes a speech she is speacking for her husband. Also I cling to my Second Amendment rights because it is the only right I have that protects all of my other rights. The First Amendment does not work without the Second Amendment. The Forth Amendment does not work without the Second Amendment. I believe I should have the right to drive whatever I want to drive, and eat whatever I want to eat, and I will not vote for a guy that will tell me that the world will not put up with me doing so. I could careless what the rest of the world thinks of me. As long as myself does not infringe on you, what does it matter to anyone. So yeah I am afriad of a President Obama.
@lissavalerian (247)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I'm not sure what Kowgirls reasoning is, but the US flag flown upside down is a symbol of distress. Most people in the military will recognize this and understand that this is not meant in any way to be derogatory to the US flag, but is rather a "distress call" letting people know that whoever is bearing the flag upside down is in grave danger. Perhaps she is saying that the US is in grave danger? I dunno ... I'd be interested in hearing her response.
1 person likes this
@agfarm (930)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I think that the people that are afraid of him.....are afraid of Change in general. They don't like change.....even if it means a much better way of living than what we are currently faced with.
I don't know if it is narrow- minds as much as it is just un-informed.
But.....if you are generally interested in a Candidate and their issues.....seek the Facts on your own. Do not listen to Negative information on media outlets....like AM radio. I won't mention the " 3 " leading talk shows their not getting any promotion from me!
Seek the Facts on your own.
Knowledge is POWER ! Rogue ( is ALIVE & KICKING )
1 person likes this
@rodney850 (2145)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Yes, I'm afraid of change but not in the sense you believe I am. Change can be a good thing but when someone is waving change in your face without ever telling you what and how that change will transpire then something is amiss! We as a nation know far too little about Barack Obama and he knows far too little about Washington to be preaching the broad strokes of change without some clarity about just what it is he will change and how he will do it! Barack is not right for America, my opinion, like it or not!
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I've been getting these scare tactics forwards as well and it's really getting on my nerves. If people would do their research they would realize Obama isn't some crazy muslim terrorist anti-christ that these emails are making him out to be. And for these people who are so afraid of change I wonder if they've read Obama's Blueprint for Change. If they read that all the way through they may come to find some of his ideas are actually really good. But no, they just want to go off of what the media and these emails are telling them without doing their own honest to goodness research. I'm still unsure of who to vote for but right now Obama is looking pretty darn good compared to McCain.
And speaking of scare tactics and conspiracy theories I have one of my own about McCain and the Republican party. Why is it that republicans feel the need to drag Obama through the mud and not look into how McCain won the primary election? I have not come across one person who voted for McCain in the primaries, not one. Of all of the people I talk to from all over the US on various websites you would think that if McCain won the primaries fair and square there would be at least someone out there who admits to voting for him. I'm starting to wonder if McCain was fixed to win the primaries and will be fixed to win the election. Might sound a little far fetched for some people and some republicans may not want to question how the man they are voting for got where he is. But it just makes me wonder ya know.
2 people like this
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
15 Jun 08
Why does it automatically go to Fear with you people? I'm not going to vote for Barack H. Obama. So What. Am I a racist or a hatemonger? make up your mind. now I'm a Barackaphobe? GMAFB. I have plenty of reasons not to vote for BO that have nothing to do with his melanin content. They have more to do with his lack of experience and his abundance of already tested and failed liberal ideas.
But since this is about his musliminintiy, Let's take a look shall we. "H"s brother
www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545461,BSX-News-wotreex09.stng
and cousin
wakeupamerica.steel-horse-news.com/?p=14
are both radical muslims in Africa. And it doesn't matter who raised him or who his daddy is or "whatever". What matters is "did he pray the prayer?" If he ever prayed that prayer then muslims WILL consider him one of their own. And do you know what the penalty for apostasy is in the muslim faith.....?
Just something to think about.
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
15 Jun 08
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545461,BSX-News-wotreex09.stng
@morethanamolehill (1586)
• United States
16 Jun 08
Typical. make accusations and then just pull the innocent act, "Oh it was just a joke, I'm sorry you were too dumb to get it", Believe me. I get it. And I'm Sick of it. This isn't high school anymore. These are real issues, That affect the future of this country. It's not some game. And you are here making false accusations and snide remarks. And then you use incredulity as a ruse to avoid answering real questions. Yep, I'm pretty much used to it. The left is wide, but not very deep.
@lissavalerian (247)
• United States
16 Jun 08
geeeze, chill. It doesn't go automatically to fear. It was a play on words. Ever heard of the phrase "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf"?
I guess I was expecting too much to assume people would actually understand that.
@avonrep1 (1862)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I am not afraid of him, I voted for him in the primaries and will again in November. I believe to many people depend on rumors or bias opinions on canidates and don't get informed.
I would rather people who are not informed stay home on election day. My neighbor has been trying to tell me that Obama is a muslim, who is apart of a terrorist group. I told them they should quite listening to bias news reporters. That they should research the canidates on their own. That he is not muslim, he was raised Christain, by not his parents but his grandparents.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I have my own theory about this; the "fearmongers", those who are creating all these crazy forwards with these crazy allegations and accusations are most likely racists and bigots, if there's any difference between the two. They know there are people who are easy to scare into believing someone may be a "closet terrorist" by simply invoking a "frightening" middle name which happens to be the same as the last name of a known "evil-doer". They know there are those who are just a tiny bit racist themselves or at the very least lightly afraid of voting for a black man, especially one with a "funny" name and a "past" of living abroad, etc. These people would never, EVER admit to thoughts of racism so the creators of these emails are giving them just the excuse they've been looking for and regardless of how incredible these stories seem the very fact that so many claim to believe them give them undeserved credibility. I believe this theory to be true because, let's face it, there have been "liberal" candidates before, lots of them throug the years, that the right has been afraid of and has called "socialists" and "communists", you name it but while there have been lies and exaggerations spread about these candidates there has never been the kind of mudslinging and fear-mongering we've seen with Obama. I really believe that's simply because he's different, he's black and that's what they're afraid of which is very unfortunate. I could care less how many people want to argue about the issues and who claim Obama doesn't have the right ideas of how to fix our country but why can't we leave it at that?
Annie
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I'm sorry, but obviously I disagree. What "evidence" do you have to call him a racist? What right do all these fear-mongers have to accuse him of being a terrorist or the anti-Christ, for Christ's sake? Make your point about the issues and where you disagree with him on the issues all you want but these baseless allegations that many uninformed people actually believe are ridiculous. By the way, the thought of McBush getting elected scares the crap out of me and not because of some faceless fear, but because of what I'm afraid may happen if he's in the White House. The thought of him getting confused and nuking the wrong country is far less of a stretch than Obama being a radical Muslim who managed to get "inside" and is going to make us all convert to Islam or be beheaded. Then there's the economy - something McCain admitted he knows little about so what does he do? Chooses a banking lobbyist as his economic adviser. Heck, now I'm seeing visions of the old and the sick being sent home, a la Soylent Green!
Annie
1 person likes this
@rodney850 (2145)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Annie,
That is the only thing that will come out of the mouths of the Obamites during this entire presidential election process! If you disagree or feel something is not quite right (very not quite right)with Obama it will always be that the person is a bigot or racist! It is the only defense you people have of an inexperienced, lying, racist! If you people think this country is in trouble with GWB in office, stick around and let Obama get elected, you haven't seen anything yet!!
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
16 Jun 08
According to the Bible, that church he belongs to does not employ ideas and values from the Bible. The Bible says to love one another. In that case, he is not a Christian. Furthermore, you do not know if he is a Muslim or not. How do you know what is in his heart that he hides. Having a Muslim father, yet not considering himself to be Muslim, if that is really true, does not sit well with traditional Muslims. They consider that if your father is Muslim, you are Muslim. If he was not raised as a Muslim, they do not see that as positive. Thus, his varied background does him no good. He is over 40 % Arab. He is 50% white, while only being 6.75%. Yet, he says he is running as a black president...not a white one...not an Arab one. How do you think Arabs see that? How do you think self-respecting whites see that? I think a lot of the white people who vote for him do so for a few reasons: 1. They don't want to be seen as racists. Who cares? The man is a racists himself. 2. They are so uninformed. 3. They don't want McCain. Unfortunately, they are jumping out of the pot and into the fire.
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I'm definitely not afraid of Obama; I have corrected those who have sent me those ridiculous emails. However, I do not like Obama. I don't like him, because he has refused so far to be specific in his plans for my country. I dislike his attitude, because I think he is the one with problems where race and gender are concerned. He also seems to have problems understanding the working class. But I will be interested to hear anything specific he has to say on his plans for change in the U.S.
That being said, you said:
"This is a major psychological disinformation campaign that is insidious and is an attempt to undermine Obama's legitimate achievements."
May I ask, what legitimate achievements?
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
11 Jun 08
Let me first say that I do not intend this post to reflect on or cause insult to anyone of any ethnic or religious group.
I do think that a lot of people in our country feel uncomfortable with having a person "of color" as the President of our country. Some people are concerned that all people of ethnic persuasions other than caucasian will band together to elect Obama, and that he will then promote those things which will benefit those groups, rather than the people of America as a whole.
I totally agree with you that people whould research the backgrounds and beliefs of the candidates thoroughly, and vote accordingly.
@shoffman2000 (560)
• Alexandria, Virginia
11 Jun 08
People spread misinformation because they are bigots and are small people. They also think that the bigger the lie the more believable it will be.
@snowy22315 (180743)
• United States
11 Jun 08
That is correct. "fear mongering" should not be tolerated.
What I'm afraid of is the status quo.
@1richgirl (126)
• United States
11 Jun 08
My fear of Barack Obama is his total inexperience. Would you ever promote a junior executive to president of the company?????? He's a great speaker and may have cultural experience but running the "once greatest and most powerful country(company) in the world? He is a junior senator- He has never created or run his own business- and we could sure use someone with business sense- Aside from that I do not object to him but I think his wife will be a liability. She doesn't have the class of Jackie Kennedy, or even Laura Bush. She doesn't instill pride in our country- She seems like an angry woman- I think this will be as musch trouble for him as Bill was for Hillary- My ticket? Rudy Guiliani and Donald Trump!
@lissavalerian (247)
• United States
11 Jun 08
By that logic, we should never have elected George W. Bush. We "hired" George W Bush and he had NO experience in Washington whatsoever. If anything, he was a failure at business, mediocre in college. So, apparently experience is not what the American people use as measure for who qualifies as president.
@1richgirl (126)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I totally agree we never should have sent GW to the white house- I realize we don't use experience in administration as a measuring stick but we should! We honestly should just draft someone awesome to be a true public servant
@olabisi75 (30)
• Nigeria
11 Jun 08
Those that are been afraid over this will be those that are not interested in wanting a black become the president of US which i do not see noting wrong in.
@starrywonder (625)
• United States
11 Jun 08
I am not afraid of Obama. I am not racist in any way. I do believe that the best candidate is John MCcain. Obama...ikd..something just does not seem right about him. He won't look people in the eyes. And his wife is just plain creepy!
@bijoukoba (7)
• El Salvador
11 Jun 08
Hi!!
I guess people distrust him because of his name and the fact that color people try to find a church of some kind which might accept them and they usually find black muslims to be that.(IS he a member? Who cares?) For this reason, they associate Barack HUSSEIN Obama as fitting into this category. Terrorist attacks usually come from Arabs, whose names are Hussein or the like.I'm not saying he is a terrorist of any sort, but he is a Hussein. Muslim? Could be. I don't care, but anyway
I don't know who you are and What access do you have to privileged information about candidates? Don't defend anybody who is not in your family!!!
I simply don't trust ANY political candidate. Politics is dirty. Don't get confused.
Regards,
Bijoukoba.
@wangchunlin (155)
• China
11 Jun 08
it will be of great historic sense if Barack Obama will be the president of the United States which is the first black man in the position of America's president. for a long time the black people in USA have been oppressed and can not enjoy their deserved rights. now the fact is that there are many Americans who look down upon the black people and also can not accept their president is a black man. so it's very natural for them to be afraid of Barack Obama who is possible to be the president.
in my opinion, people of different races should enjoy equal position and dignity and whoever has the desired capacity can be the leader.
