<p>If you use certain nouns, then ads relating to those nouns will pop up. I think it is an amazingly effective algorithm.</p>
<p>I think the best thing Obama can do at this point, is to stage a personal apology/photo op with the two young women in question, do it in front of the press with a question and answer period following. He should lay out clearly his feelings about religious fear and intolerance, and reinforce his position as being the candidate for ALL Americans. He should point out that, though he has never been a practicing Muslim, having been raised Atheist, that he has family members who are Muslim, and he respects their religious choice. He should also reiterate that he has been a devout Christian for over 20 years, as evidenced by the recent brouhaha centered around his former pastor, and that people are free to believe what they want, that he can’t control that, and instead intends to move on to addressing the important issues America faces.</p>
<p>It’s a shame that he has to go to such extremes to address an issue like this, but I’m convinced that unless he takes an upfront and aggressive stand on this, it will continue to dog him. Of course there are those who will believe, no matter what, that he’s a Muslim, and a terrorist sleeper agent to boot, but most Americans are more level headed than that.</p>
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<p>bedhead, you are a real piece of work. The seething hatred and disdain you have for anyone that dares to disagree with you is out of this world. You need some help. Seriously. To mock me regarding my concern or anything is else a low blow when I have made no reference to this particular subject. You just assume since I am not a liberal that I think it is ok for this to be done? You take what is said of other circumstances and extrapolate what you would like to think of me or how I feel about things??? </p>
<p>It would be one thing to make a statement like that in general terms but to call people out individually based on pure conjecture is unseemly and shallow. I may criticize people individually on here but it is always on a specific thing that is said in relation to what I am criticizing them for…not a scathing generalization like that. It’s disgusting to take those kinds of cheap shots. I can’t be held responsible for what others may do on here so unless you have something specific to say about me regarding a post I made don’t let me name pass your keyboard again!</p>
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<p>Methinks thou dost protest too much. You have a pretty clearcut profile on the posts I’ve seen of what offends you, and it is pretty easy for me to extrapolate that you wouldn’t assert great priority typically to a slight to a Muslim woman in a scarf at a political rally. In this context, I’ll stand by my impressions. If I am wrong, shame on me.</p>
<p>Yes, you are wrong. 100% totally wrong. I’m curious what you think offends me? Trust me, I’m not easily offended. Easily amused, absolutely. I’m not sure what part of “This was a really stupid thing to do” you didn’t understand but apparently it was all of it? I also recall saying that I thought it was a large enough gaffe that Obama himself should have apologized.</p>
<p>As for the staffers who did this my comment referenced above was simply to point out that it came from someone above. Everyone is pawning it off on the over-exuberance of a young staffer or something but two of them couldn’t have been a coincidence. You clearly jumped the gun on this one if that is what you are referring to.</p>
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<p>[American</a> Muslimah: My Wonderful Experience at the Barack Obama Rally in Detroit, As A Muslim Woman who Wears A Headscarf](<a href=“http://americanmuslimah01.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-wonderful-experience-at-barack-obama.html]American”>http://americanmuslimah01.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-wonderful-experience-at-barack-obama.html)</p>
<p>Doesn’t sound like it was policy, even that day at that event.</p>
<p>Not suggesting that it is his campaign’s policy…just that someone within the campaign, at that rally, said something. Either that or two people decided to be really stupid at the same time…</p>
<p>Bedhead, it is not only “the Lady doth protest too much”. It is probably true as well with,</p>
<p>“No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest;”</p>
<p>Even that day, at that rally, staffers were treating the above woman totally differently. For all we know, the two who made the gaffe had spoken with each other, and decided it was a good idea. What we don’t have any reason to suppose, at this juncture, that it went any farther, or came from, anyone but them.</p>
<p>“Either that or two people decided to be really stupid at the same time”</p>
<p>I see it here all the time. LOL.</p>
<p>It’s good that you are always willing to believe the best about the people that you are most like and least about those that are different in opinion. I would say the exact same things I am saying now if it were the McCain campaign that did something equally stupid. I’m not convinced your thoughts or words would be the same.</p>
<p>It’s not a matter of belief, but of asserted fact–the woman who wrote said she encountered the opposite treatment. Ergo, there was no uniform position.</p>
<p>You guys must have some kind of filtering that allows you to read what you want to read? Did I say anywhere that it was an official position of anyone? It could have been some mid-level staffer… You are right, it could have just been them being stupid. I just think it is humorous that you discount any thought that it could have come from somewhere. One person was treated ok so the other two incidents were meaningless.</p>
<p>It came from somewhere, obviously. That there is any meaning or story as to where it came from, we have no evidence. but, sheer speculation is fun, right?</p>
<p>You have no evidence that it didn’t. Unless every word of every conversation was recorded you can’t know and neither can I. I dont know that I’ve seen people get so defensive over something like this. You would think, since I even suggested that someone could have said something, that I accused the campaign of doing a cover-up or something. This is like arguing with religious zealots. It doesn’t matter what you say they aren’t listening. They have to defend that faith and anyone who disagrees is a heretic.</p>
<p>Faith? Obama isn’t even my first choice nominee. Whatever. I think that “no evidence” something isn’t true is a paltry thing to build speculation on. Shrug.</p>
<p>pmrlcomm:
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<p>Pmrlcomm, I think the point you are making about the headscarf incident is clear. The bottom line is that if the same thing happpened in a Republican campaign, no one from the liberal side would let it go.</p>
<p>On the other hand Pmrlcomm, you are very confused about something. You seem to think that you will be treated fairly and respectfully if you express your opinions. You clearly value free speech and make the incorrect assumption that everyone else does as well. </p>
<p>Many liberals on this board are extremely respectful, but others truly do not believe in the “free speech” thing. Those are the folks who will bully a conservative every chance they get (or anyone else who wants to point out that the emperor is, in fact, naked), so that some day maybe conservatives won’t feel comfortable speaking at all anymore. Then these liberals can “debate” themselves (they can spend hours stumbling over what it is that they agree about in each other’s positions), and help to turn the country into a dystopic place where no one speaks freely for fear of being labelled or attacked personally.</p>
<p>Again with the conservative persecution complex. Considering the vituperation that comes from conservative pundits, this is really a pretty good joke.</p>
<p>I guess you never listen to Air America or the gas bag on MSNBC. Talk about mean and bitter.</p>
<p>HUnt
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<p>My point had nothing to do with general liberal versus conservative mudslinging. It had to do with specific, personal attacks against INDIVIDUALS right here on this thread and others, launched by some liberals on this board against those who offer a different perspective. </p>
<p>When someone expresses a differing opinion they should not have to deal with being abused and labelled (particularly when the labels have no basis in reality) purely because they disagree.</p>