Comments about ‘Why LDS don't like Obama’

It doesn't really matter if LDS members as a whole don't care for Barack Obama. Those members who are enlightened and more socially liberal will find him to be an excellent candidate. They will not be distracted about the useless noise generated by the wingnut strategists and the extremist conservative slime machine.

The usual slanders accusing him of being a secret muslim, anti-American because he didn't wear a flag pin or have a magnetized bumper ribbon saying "Support Our Troops" on his car, being in agreement with his former pastor's controversial sermons even though he has disagreed with those comments, and inferring he is a terrorist-sympathizer because he has a common middle name which sounds the same as the name of the former Iraqi dictator.

Sorting through the other negative comments about being a socialist, against fundamental family values and social issues, bent on a rampage of taxation, liberal spending, and bringing on the end of America as we know is certainly a challenge.

Those who disagree and/or dislike Obama have already made up their minds. They have their various reasons both philosophical, religious, of based in bigotry. It doesn't matter since his message remains extremely popular with many Americans.

Shocking that the D-News would publish a letter like this.
Honest.
So what is Obama's "shady past"?
Makes one wonder if a letter was to be written making unsubstantiated claims about McCain's shady past if it would get published.

I agree with Gus. We all know the terrible rumors that are still passed around as fact; that is, except for those who have already made up their minds and refuse to accept any other possible explanation.

And it really DOESN'T matter much what LDS members think. Utah will be totally irrelevant in the upcoming presidential election. I'm afraid America will just have to depend on the other states to make this historic movement happen.

LDS are taught to hold the constatution as sacrad. That it was a gift from God. So anyone who supports socialist views which will slowly errode the constatution, either demo or rep. shouldn't be supported by the LDS population at large. Thu there will be meny carried away by flattery words. There will always be polotitions ready to tell people what they want to hear not what they need to hear. I always loved the words of Pres. Kennedy when he said "Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask what you can do for your country." But now we have the new demos who say ask what your country can do for you so you don't have to.
Sorry for the spelling.

The think I like least about Obama is his stance on abortion. However just as bad is McCain on continuing on with an un-necessary war. Both canidates are for un-necessary death and killing, just in different ways.

I stopped voting on the abortion issue after President Regan. I believe most Republicans use the issue to get the votes of the religious right.

Regan told everyone he was on the side of pro-life, when he had a chance to do something about it he appointed Sandra Day O'Connor to the supreme court. After that Roe v Wade came to the supreme court for possible overturning. It missed being overturned by 1 vote, Sandra O'Connor voted to keep abortion legal.

When president Regan ran for office, when ever he was to speak about cutting taxes he showed up in person. When he spoke to pro-life groups, he gave his speeches to them using technology, not in person.

Republicans are about cutting taxes mostly for the very rich, they use abortion as a side issue to get them more votes.

I do not believe Obama is using people when he says he will get us out of Iraq. I trust him.

Dear Gus: Thanks for the enlightened list of concerns, of course anyone who has these concerns must be just plain bigots. My experience is that if it walks like a duck, quack like a duck, it must be a duck, but then seeing the obvious must make me a bigot.

Although I really don't like either of our "big party" choices this year, my husband and I (both active LDS) found Obama a LOT more palatable than McCain. For the United States' best interest, it's imperative that McCain be kept out of the White House.

Gus - Thank you for saying what needs to be said, and for doing it so early in the morning. As an active member of the LDS church I would like to add my voice to those who support the candidacy of Barack Obama. Just as I have learned in religious training, Obama wants to reach out to all Americans and make sure they share in the great American experience. He sees great promise in a nation that looks out for the least among us, those who genuinely need our help, and he strongly denounces those who claim to be patriotic but whose actions towards most Americans say otherwise. To call this man "elite", when he was raised by a single mother and his maternal grandparents, worked his way through public schools and then graduated at the top of his class at the most prestigious universities in the nation, is just plain wrong. Obama shunned the opportunities on Wall Street in favor of returning to the south side of Chicago to help those same folks who needed his help. I hope we can all look past the dishonet claims about Obama and see the main for what he is.

Those who buy into the slime about Obama - refusing to put his hand on his heart during the National Anthem (which is not required and I have pictures of McCain, Bush and others doing the same) - are in for 8 long years as President Obama and the Democratic congress reverses the decline of America.

They will all have to quit their million dollar a year jobs so they don't have to pay taxes that will go up for the rich (you know they won't want to work if the tax rate is too high). They will stand by and watch the budget get balanced, watch healthcare become accessible for all, watch the world embrace the US as the leader once again, watch as out troops come home from Iraq, watch as Osama bin Laden is captured (because Obama does not need to induce fear to remain in power), and they will watch as government returns to being a functional entity (contrary to Republican beliefs).

Yep, it is going to be fun for those who like government of the people, for the people, by the people rather than of the people, for the rich, from the middle class.

NO, because "his message remains extremely popular with many Americans" only serves to show us how far "many Americans" have fallen away from traditional values of the scriptures. Obama is so pro abortion it is scary. That is why this LDS shys away from him. He wouldn't vote against partial birth abortion. That is a disgusting practice that should never be allowed in this great land. His statement for why he wouldn't vote against it was pretty interesting and quite arrogant as I recall.

He is pro gay marriage and that frightens me a great deal too. We already had one president whose "open" kind of marriage was very hard on America, do we want another one in there that doesn't understand the sacred nature of marriage?

Those are the reasons why this happily LDS person cannot stand in support of this very liberal and misdirected individual. Of course, those are just a few of the reasons. If you look closely enough, you can find many more.

I am not socially liberal and dang proud not to be.

AS far as leaving his former pastor, you don't take 20 years to decide someone is a nut... 20 years???

Gus is spot on. This temple attending, priesthood holding, former missionary, father of 5 finds most (not all) of Obama's positions to be far more in tune with the Gospel of Christ than the Republicans, even the McCain version. I have no problem engaging with any of my "brothers and sisters" about this issue. I could go through a list of reasons similar to the original letter writer about how McCain and the Republicans don't match with my values, but it would just whip the talk radio crowd into a frenzy.

To me Obama is not Black, he is mixed raced White and Black, his mother was White and so aren't his grand parents. He was educated in a mixed race, liberal private school. The people in Hawaii love him purely because they think they will get more toys, because "he's from here." However the accident of his conception and the place of his birth, he had no control of. Males determine Gender. He turned out looking something between Norbert and a Black Alfred E. Newman. My main objection to him is his Stand on Abortion and his Stand on Partial Birth Abortion. I know that is a back burner issue this Election, I am not sure why? I wonder how many supposed to be "enlightened more liberal Mormons" still or ever had their T.R. or are they mostly name and no or very little game. I also do not like his strand on illegal aliens, trade, and I am not sure he would use the Nukes. I fear he would not defend America. I also have fear for Free Speech, and The Right To Bare Arms, and Sherrill Law in the name of Culture.

Mr. Obama believes that everyone should be FORCED to do good. He believes that America should be FORCED to be charitable. He believes that America should be FORCED to care for the needy and the poor and the sick.

By all standards, he and his wife make more money per year than all but the very elite. What has he personally given to the poor, the needy and the sick from his own household budget? If his family makes more than $300,000 per year and he is surrounded by people in poverty, would it be too much to expect to see him give 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or more to lighten the burdens of his neighbors or of the poor in his city?

He believes that the killing of more than 48,000,000 unborn babies under the guise of abortion was the right thing to do. Since he believes that the poor should eat off the plate of the wealthy - the other wealthy, thank you, since he needs everything on his plate for himself - does he also think that killing unborn babies is how you show responsibility for personal actions?

Mr. Obama stands for himself, not for America.

I need a pair of your rose colored glasses

I am so sick of conservatives focusing on abortion and gay rights, to the exclusion of truly important issues like WAR, the environment, a poor economy and budget deficits. They would rather have an incompetent liar in office who's conservative, than an articulate visionary who believes in equal rights. It's time for a sea change in Washington, and Obama will lead it.

You're a bitter man Gus Talwynd.
I often wonder as I read your comments, how you manage to slam and name call every person or collective group who disagreesm with you in your daily postings. It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable, but yiou have never subscribed to that idea. Your choice.
The original writer simply outlined reasons why many LDS don't liner up with Obama. I for one have not made up my mind yet. I am glad Hillary is gone for reasons that go to the core of her writings and positions from years of observation. Obama is new to the block, but if those who support him are of the same caustic ilk as yourself, it might be an indication that I should beware. I surmise that you are, yourself, might be LDS,but not of the faith that I generally have experienced. You might be more of a persuasive asset, if you were not so quick to call names and label others.

So, "the Observer",
You're so sick of those whose important issues are not the same as yours? Dis it ever occur to youn that people are not clones, yet? That maybe their hot buttons might differ from yours. Consider, that to anti abortionists, the millions of tiny lives snuffed out each year, might rival the value of the 4,000 lives lost in Iraq and elsewhere. Or that maybe the marriage traditionalists truly have a stake in opposing the gay rights agenda and think it has a diliterious affect on the society in which they live. Perhaps it might occur to you that this country is comprised of opionions from all perspectives and that some of them are different than yours. They are, however, just as important to the fabric of this society as you are. Go ahead and be sick, if you so choose.

Indiana: when you say about Obama "He wouldn't vote against partial birth abortion. That is a disgusting practice that should never be allowed in this great land"

I must ask, if you were young female, had a hydrocephalic first pregnancy that will die within hours of birth, that the birth would rupture your uterus and leave you sterile for the rest of your life wo that you would never have another child, would you want to be able to make a choice with your doctor about the best thing for you, or do you want the Government making this decision for you.

I have had acquaitences face this situation and approach their bishop for advice. Guess what, they did have the abortion and were not excommunicated because the church's position (see their website) is tha abortion is acceptable when "A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth."

So again, do you want the Doctor to be able to make the decision on how to best save the life of the mother and preserve fertility, or do you want the Government to make the decision for you?

@Mark 1:20. He gave a pretty specific list, and the "shady past" thing was hardly a major component of what he said. I don't know what he's referring to either, other than the things he did specify.

@Gus 1:16. I notice you insinuate that everyone who agrees with your point of view is "enlightened," while those who don't agree with you are apparently not. If that isn't the essence of arrogance, condescension, and manipulation, I don't know what is. Great dialog there. Thanks.

@My2Cents 1:41. You said Utah will be irrelevant in the upcoming election. To a point, that's true, as will be very state that is decidedly Democratic, such as New Jersey. These states are irrelevant inasmuch as the candidates will ignore us because we're decided. Maybe we should hem and haw (super-delegate-like) until it's about over, then come out in a big parade for McCain....

I'm for McCain. Have been since 2000. And with apologies to those who'd like to reduce this to a simple abortion/homosexual issue, I'd feel the same way based solely on the liberalism of Obama and the ability and vision of McCain. After all, POTUS has little to do with those issues anyway.

After looking reading yesterday's and todays opinion about the LDS voting or not voting for Obama, it is obvious that there are 2 mindsets.

The Vote for Obama people believe that through the government and taxes that the poor will be lifted out of poverty and that everybody will have equality.

The DON't vote for obama people believe that the government has no right, and fails at or does not work to bring people out of poverty. They believe that if people were left alone, that without government interference people will succeed.

There may be other reasons too, but that is the general difference that I see.