3 months before the mid-term elections and 2 years before his own bid for reelection, President Obama has waded into murkier waters than the Gulf of Mexico. The president has (unwisely) taken sides in the controversial Ground Zero Islamic Mosque debate.
On Friday, Mr. Obama publicly stepped into the discussion, saying he believes a religious group should have the right to build a cultural center on private property, including Muslims. He said that because this is the United States of America, we should seek inclusion instead of exclusion.
But just 24 later, those words seem to have come back to haunt him. The debate on whether a mosque should be built only blocks from Ground Zero is still fresh and emotional, with both sides extremely passionate about their beliefs. Many Americans are also still suspicious that Mr. Obama is a secret Muslim, meaning his words have only added fuel to the fire. Now, the president is feeling the need to walk back his remarks.
“I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” Mr. Obama said. “I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.”
Mr. Obama’s attempt to clarify his remarks have actually pushed him even deeper into the dangerous debate regarding Islam, national identity and what it means to be an American. And for THIS particular president, the issue is much riskier than for any of his predecessors.
Was it “politically” smart for him to weigh in? Not in the short term. But long term? We shall see. Regardless. IMO, it was indeed the "Correct" thing for him for to do. And I would argue, it was inevitable given the determination of the usual rabble-rousers aided (AS USUAL) by 24/7 cable news to take a local_but Very sensitive” issue and turn it into a national _and Very sensitive_ issue where it seems all of America somehow has a “say” in what religious structures are allowed to be built in downtown Manhattan(?)I agree with the President’s first comments on the matter. And I agree with his follow-up comments. However, I wish he’d had said it all in his initial comments thus avoiding the need for a second comment to clarify the first. This is about upholding the “Constitution.” One can argue whether it's “wise” for Cordoba House to build… Read more »