Slog - Comments on Waiting for Winfrey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey I'm in Iowa this weekend working on a piece about Barack Obama, and at the moment I'm in a large convention center in Des Moines waiting for the first of Obama's four appearances over the next two days with Oprah Winfrey. The hall is packed and Obama's supporters are, as they like to say, "Fired Up." I'm a bit frantic, running around trying to do interviews here, fretting about whether snow will prevent me from getting to eastern Iowa later today for a Hillary Clinton event, and stressing about my deadline. But! I have time to dump an interesting interview... Copyright 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:55:11 -0800 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:37:53 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Phelix Someone believes the story about Obama being a Muslim.

]]> Phelix http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868910 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868910 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:08:58 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 or maybe he thinks primarily Black denominations are separate religions? doubtful

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868913 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868913 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:14:59 -0800 Comment by Josh Mahar According to somethings I read on Media Matters and Wikipedia, it looks like the Trinity United Church, at least in the Midwest, is primarily an afro-centric Church that is, "Unashamedly Black, Unapologetically Christian". Perhaps this man just equates this church with the minority.

]]> Josh Mahar http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868917 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868917 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:26:40 -0800 Comment by M Are blacks really a minority anymore? Maybe in places like Seattle and Iowa.

]]> M http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868918 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868918 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:27:23 -0800 Comment by elenchos Don't all bartenders tell all reporters that everything is overrated? It's probably a side effect of spending all day enduring strident bloviating from drunks. They start to think everything is exaggerated.

As far as thinking Obama's not a Christian, well, bartenders drink. Everyone knows that.

A bartender-only tracking poll would be enlightening, though. I would bet they are not the ones with their finger on the pulse of the electorate.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868923 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868923 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:39:21 -0800 Comment by g Yeah out here in Iowa you can drive for days without finding a black person. Just corn-fed, blue-eyed, blonde-haired farm boys out here. Definitely. Please feel free to define Iowans by the quote of a 22 year old bartender in Des Moines.

He was out at my school here in Iowa, amidst the white people, for a rally sans Oprah. Very funny on stage and able to connect with militantly and blindly liberal college students, just pussied out about talking on things that would actually matter in a candidacy. Joe Biden was here, in a much smaller venue the night before and many more people were impressed by him than Obama. Of course, that's just because we're white, corn-fed 'mericans.

]]> g http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868924 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868924 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:39:33 -0800 Comment by dude uh, M, they're maybe 12% of the US population, so yeah, they are a minority.

]]> dude http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868927 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868927 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:46:12 -0800 Comment by M That's just a technicality. I've always abhored statistics.

]]> M http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868942 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868942 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:15:26 -0800 Comment by Brian The point is that the right wing "smear" that Obama's muslim have gained traction "out there."
Why can't we ever get ahead of this Swift Boat type bullshit?

]]> Brian http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868956 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868956 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:43:48 -0800 Comment by BrinkleyBoy Is it possible that he was referring to the likelihood of an Obama presidency only in reference to race and of a Romney presidency in reference to religion.

Both are much discussed issues so it doesn't seem like it would be unusual for someone to group these ideas together into a more general comment about the voting habits of the majority.

]]> BrinkleyBoy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868965 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868965 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:03:17 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 the problem that without context it might make sense, a Muslim sounding name, father was from East Africa, lived in Indonesia for a while. if you cherry pick your facts it might sound reasonable to an ignorant person, and Republicans are experts at cherry-picking facts

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868967 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868967 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:05:06 -0800 Comment by Fnarf B-b-b-but the guy didn't say he was a Muslim. You're putting words in his mouth.

All religions are minority religions. Roman Catholics are the largest group, and they're less than a quarter of the population. According to adherents.com, United Church of Christ is the 11th largest denominational group, with 0.7% of the population.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868977 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868977 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:25:05 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 Bull Shit, Christians always aggregate themselves to make themselves more powerful. the only times they disaggregate is to gain power over those other sub-groups like Roman Catholics or Anglicans with whom they have a dispute

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868985 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868985 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:44:33 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 welcome to the Brave New World of genero-evangelical worldviews

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868986 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868986 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:46:19 -0800 Comment by Fnarf SOME Christians do that.

Barely half of Americans are even Protestant.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868991 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c868991 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:52:40 -0800 Comment by isabelita Someone working in Clinton's campaign supposedly forwarded that smear about Obama being a secret Muslim; she may have Rove helping her already.

]]> isabelita http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869005 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869005 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:10:30 -0800 Comment by truth in adversting for fnarf:
for a country with nominally christian beliefs, the u.s. seems to want to embody, promote and use for its' own ends the very same means and justifications for its' own bizaro behavior... not christian, umm yeah, right. keep splitting those hairs, and may you sleep like a good christian tonight. it fits you, you suck up christian-lite.

]]> truth in adversting http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869018 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869018 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:38:03 -0800 Comment by unPC Do tell, do tell.

Obama is in a racial minority --and a reoig. minority. Because all denominations are in a minority in the USA.

So....what error?

what you "think" the bartender "meant"?

]]> unPC http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869022 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869022 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:46:56 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 if everyone is a religious minority why even mention it. he could have said that Obama wasn't in the plurality, but that doesn't seem like a relevant distinction to me. the only reason to call him a minority is to put him either outside Christianity or in a fringe group like LDS or Amish

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869026 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869026 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:56:51 -0800 Comment by avg. dumb american people with the name barak could never be a christian... and for that i hate him and "oprah", sure she makes the women happy with her giving away stuff and interviews with sexxy celebs and (so vibrant)book club...but those are not good american names. us christians are affronted by these two, and their silly names, besides they are demo(n)crats...right?

]]> avg. dumb american http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869028 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869028 2008 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:01:18 -0800 Comment by Kevin Lyda Eli: Have you read the Washington Post's public editor's (non-)apology forcalling Obama a racist? Some of the anger about journalists screwing up that story might be unfairly landing on your shoulders.

Your profession is in ill-repute because of stories like the one in the Post. Thanks for highlighting how such stories misinform the people.

]]> Kevin Lyda http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869164 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869164 2008 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:24:49 -0800 Comment by Kevin Lyda Eli: Have you read the Washington Post's public editor's (non-)apology forcalling Obama a Muslim? Some of the anger about journalists screwing up that story might be unfairly landing on your shoulders.

Your profession is in ill-repute because of stories like the one in the Post. Thanks for highlighting how such stories misinform the people.

]]> Kevin Lyda http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869165 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869165 2008 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:25:04 -0800 Comment by Sara Is it bad that all I really want to ask is which bar you were at?

]]> Sara http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869447 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/waiting_for_winfrey#c869447 2008 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:37:53 -0800