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March 28, 2011 09:22 PM UTC

At Least He's Not Your Keynote Speaker...Oops!

  • 51 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

As the Colorado Statesman’s Ernest Luning reported this weekend on the March 18th Denver GOP Lincoln Day Dinner–keynoted by longshot presidential candidate Herman Cain:

“It’s easy to be a Republican in Colorado Springs, in Douglas, in Weld County,” said Secretary of State Scott Gessler, a Denver resident. “But it’s not so easy in Denver. It’s very brave for people to be Republicans here – to fight the fight, carry the flag, to do it unabashedly with integrity.”

Far from being a Quixotic effort, Gessler said, revving up the Republican vote in Denver can tip the scales statewide…

Possible Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain – dubbed “The Herminator” by 850 KOA talk show host and former FEMA Director Michael Brown, who emceed the dinner – underlined the point in the dinner’s keynote address. Standing just a stone’s throw from the spot where Obama signed the American Reinvestment And Recovery Act of 2009 just over two years ago, Cain vowed to return to do some bill-signing of his own.

Did Mr. Cain have anything to say about Muslims in his Denver speech? We’re guessing if he had said anything like what’s reported below, it would have made Luning’s story–via ThinkProgress, remarks from Cain at the Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines, Iowa this weekend:

KEYES: You came under a bit of controversy this week for some of the comments made about Muslims in general. Would you be comfortable appointing a Muslim, either in your cabinet or as a federal judge?

CAIN: No, I would not. And here’s why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened in Europe. And little by little, to try and be politically correct, they made this little change, they made this little change. And now they’ve got a social problem that they don’t know what to do with hardly.

Except that pesky Constitution says no religious tests for office. You’re free to add “well, duh.”

Was Cain really the best choice to “rev up the Republican vote,” Scott Gessler?

Comments

51 thoughts on “At Least He’s Not Your Keynote Speaker…Oops!

      1. He has rehabilitated himself and gets to tell 38 states every night why we should hate Obama and why the problem with Katrina is that “some” people are so dependent on the government that they can not fend for themselves…and just wade around waiting for a handout or hand up, as the case may be…

        KOA also does Fox News and signs off every update with”Fox News Fair and Balanced”

  1. My only hope is that he’s as committed to locking out fundamentalist Christians intent on pushing their agenda from his administration. I have a feeling he’s not, but I say keep anyone with a religious agenda out, regardless of their deity of choice.

  2. showcasing any black Republican they can come up with makes up for all crazy Obama is an alien, Muslim, American hating, white bloodthirsty Mau Mau guy from Kenya stuff and all the e-mails with Michelle Obama as a gorilla, water melon on the WH lawn etc. Dems who disagree with whatever said Black Republican says are clearly the racist ones, never mind they’re the ones who actually vote minorities into office in significant numbers.

    Of course Cain isn’t qualified to hold office because he clearly couldn’t take an oath to defend the constitution since he vows to use constitutionally banned religious tests if he is elected.  But they can say I must be another racist Dem who wants to keep Blacks enslaved for saying that because he’s, you know, black.  See how that works?

    Now how many of them are backing Cain to be their persidential candidate in 2012, I wonder?

    A non-serious presidential candidate who doesn’t understand the constitution, an SOS who makes no secret of having only strictly partisan goals  as he serves in his role as the guy responsible for providing all Colorado citizens with fair (wink) elections and Brownie. I guess there weren’t any circus clowns available.

  3. parts of this is where he suggests that Christianity keeps to itself. What’s that hearing for on Thursday? Judiciary? 1:30pm?

    First amendment only protects us from Christianity, and does it quite well apparently.

    Huh? I for one am glad to see our GOP supporting a candidate who clearly… you know what? I can’t even continue with the sarcasm. If you’re going to be racist and prejudice, fine. I can’t stop you and I’ll die to protect your right. The one thing I can’t abide is an ignorant hypocrite.

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/

    (I like the first story because it’s where Cain says [he] is bordering on committing treason.)

  4. What, is there a blue light special on them or something? Buy one, get one free (if you’re a Koch brother)? Or do they just find it funny to trot out black Republicans and watch them say racist things?

    These intolerant, antisemitic Republicans are not Americans. Their party insists on reading the US Constitution on the House floor–not something I object to–but they missed the part about religious freedom? No religious tests for public office?

    Muslim Americans are Americans. Republicans who believe “religious freedom” means “Christian freedom?” Not so much. If you don’t believe the Constitution is for everyone, no exceptions, get the Hell out of public office, because you are no American.

    1. Islamaphobe is black so if we criticize him, we’re just racist Dems who can’t stand seeing a black man leave Democratic party authority and strike out on his own as a Republican. And of course they have nothing against Obama for being black. No, it’s because he’s a secret alien, secret Muslim, Mau Mau guy. All those racist e-mails and cartoons were just good fun.

      So here’s how it goes… where Obama is concerned Dems are PC nerds who can’t take a joke.  Where Republican blacks are concerned Dems are angry racists. Are you writing this down?

              1. Most of the major species have been multi-racial. But you know who I think would really make a good Vulcan with very little make-up?  Kyle Korver, now of the Bulls. And Mike Bibby, now of the Heat, would be really easy to turn into a Ferenghi.

      1. Abe Lincoln was Republican. This whole thing about black Republicans “rebelling” in some way is ludicrous and reminds me of the similar assumption that all Latin@s support increased immigration, when in fact Hispanic families that managed to navigate the established immigration process are oftentimes very outspoken AGAINST immigration/amnesty.

        I know I don’t need to tell you this, but the crazy, reductive views of certain elements of the Republican party boil down to perpetuation of the same identity politics they angrily rail against. If they want a color blind society so badly, why tokenize the few minorities they manage to convince to spout off in favor of their racist, xenophobic ideology? If they want a color blind society so badly, why the tone of pride and surprise when a minority unexpectedly “comes around” and sees how oppressed the poor rich, white patriarchs really are?

        There is nothing–not education cuts, not union busting, not the tax code, nothing–that is more infuriating to me in the current political climate than the hatred expressed by the GOP toward their countrymen based on religion and ethnicity. I was deeply affected as a child by learning about Japanese internment and realizing how proudly we pound our chests for having opposed Hitler, while conveniently avoiding too much discussion of the camps we put our “scary” minorities into. The institutionalization of Islamophobia in the GOP smells an awful lot like Japanese internment to me, and I bet if you put the right PR firm on the job, you could get a surprisingly (or unsurprisingly?) large swathe of voters to agree that Muslims should be “isolated from the Christian population” or something along those lines.

        To put it bluntly, this tide of hatred scares the tar out of me. I do not want to live in a country where we have unspoken Jim Crow laws aimed at a religion rather than a race. Intentional disenfranchisement of any minority group carries repercussions that last decades. I don’t know what I can do against what seems to be a massive coalition of the hateful and the ignorant, but I’m in the market for opportunities. I am not bloody well going to explain to my grandchildren (or, more likely, my niece’s grandchildren, since I have no plans to spawn) why my generation stood by and allowed a witch hunt to destroy American lives and families on our watch.

        1. ” . . . a massive coalition of the hateful and the ignorant, . . . I am not bloody well going to explain to my grandchildren (or, more likely, my niece’s grandchildren, since I have no plans to spawn) why my generation stood by and allowed a witch hunt to destroy American lives and families on our watch.”

          Here’s one of the ironies – the massive coalition of the hateful and ignorant also claims to have god (i.e. religion, righteousness, ethics, values, morality, etc) on their side.  Ordinarily religion, ethics, values and morality might be the best weapons against “a massive coalition of the hateful and ignorant,” but the “coalition” has either co-opted that part of society, or at least claims to have done so.

          Again, if the Dems could just get their messaging act together, we might be able to shrink the “massive coalition of the hateful and ignorant” down to a size that would be small enough to drown it in a bathtub — so to speak.

          1. But where to find the opportunities to do it, besides when I personally speak to people? I’m a communications person and I speak some Arabic, some Spanish, and I just started working on Urdu. I want to help drown this thing in the bathtub, like you say, and I believe it can be done. Americans are fundamentally open minded, understanding, independent, freedom loving people, but it’s hard to ignore so many voices that say “Fear your neighbors,” especially when we are all suffering and seeing our standards of living decrease, when so much terrifying news is beamed into our homes 24 hours a day from all over the world…

            What to do to start shrinking the coalition? I think part of the beginning is taking back faith and spirituality. For too many decades, the left has allowed the right to co-opt God and make progressives look like we get a sour face every time we’re obliged to mention religion in a positive light. My grandmother told me yesterday about being a young woman working with Planned Parenthood in New Jersey, and about how a local Catholic priest was the champion of birth control services for rural women, and personally sent a letter inviting Planned Parenthood to start a clinic in rural NJ to administer birth control to the farmers’ wives who were dying in childbirth after 20 children or so.

            Religion is rooted in compassion, caring, faith, honesty, and outreach to communities. Those are progressive values. Those are leftist values. We cannot let them be overrun by the hateful, narrow vision of religion that is being sold by social conservatives. But where do we start taking it back?

            1. attempts to control and dominate.  An example – during the 2008 Presidential campaign (and after), the right successfully marginalized Obama’s spirituality, religion and church by demonizing his Chicago pastor.  

              We could do the same to the right (if we were mean-spirited enough) by showing videos from some right-leaning churches where pastors preach conservative politics (and much worse, such as religious intolerance and racism).

        2. Ralph Carr, governor from 1939 to 1943. Opposed the Japanese internment camps and asked Coloradans to welcome the loyal Japanese American citizens who were relocated here.  

          If you harm them (the Japanese), you must harm me. I was brought up in a small town where I knew the shame and dishonor of race hatred. I grew to despise it because it threatened the happiness of you and you and you.  

          Carr paid the price for his stand against racial hatred and bigotry as a one term governor who lost a bid for the US Senate.  

          1. There were a few of that old school still around when I was first involved in politics as a kid, but where have they gone now? There must be Republicans today who feel similarly… but they are shouted down. How can we find and reach them and create a coalition of people who still believe in “E Pluribus Unum?”

            1. OK, maybe just the one. Al White.

              His replacement in the other place. Her colleague, Roberts. The retired from politics Witwer.

              There are a few others. Some have flashes of it (enough to give hope). To me this is where messaging becomes important again. As a Dem, I supported Harvey as chair. As a citizen of the state I’m happy that a more competent chair was chosen. Now, how do we motivate the middle (or the more legitimate GOP) to let go of the notion that he who is loudest is right?

              Isn’t that even what the GOP people on this site said of Wadhams? He couldn’t make people not use fear to be the loudest.

              Jews aren’t going to eat your children next month, your Muslim neighbor is not going to blow you up next week, and your homosexual co-worker is not going to try to convert you by a rape later today.

              Now vote, not necessarily Democrat, just better. Then we can get back to the budget; where the arguments are more facty, less personal, and not so embarrassing for our state when archeologists uncover our society.

              1. has devolved considerably and the speed of that devolution increases exponentially every day.  The party that produced the great emancipator in Lincoln, the great conservationist and reformer in Teddy Roosevelt, the courageous Carr, the self proclaimed liberal Ike, is long, long gone. Not one of them would get anywhere near a GOP primary victory now.  

    2. I’ve heard many people (some whom I consider reasonable) cite the “creeping Sharia” thesis like there is some evidence out there or they even know what sharia means. Republicans do their fair share of propagating the canard though.

      1. But you’re right–sometimes I hear it from Dems. And when I do, I give them an earful. I’m a “big tent” person, I believe the Dems have room for just about any sort of person who wants to be a Democrat, but that is one thing I just cannot stand. Partly for selfish reasons… there are quite a few Muslim countries I’d like to visit, and once I do, I don’t care to be harassed by Homeland Security for the rest of my life just because I have a stamp on my passport from Iran or Pakistan.  

      2. since nobody can possibly site any example of Sharia law being proposed, much less passed, anywhere at any level of government. Of all the silly xenophobic, racist, bigoted theories floating around in the conspiracy theory ether, this one is the most completely devoid of anything at all to supply a single atom of plausibility.

        First, the constitution bans any religious laws  of any kind being imposed on the population and the only religion for which this ban has ever been ignored is Christianity in the form of blue laws and official closures for only one religious holiday, a Christian one, Christmas.

        Second, any such laws would have to be voted in by elected officials for whom, even if there was no ban, it would be political suicide, not to mention the fact that they are overwhelmingly Christian.

        Third, nothing of the kind has ever been attempted in anyone’s city or state, much less on the federal level.

        How can people be so profoundly ignorant of what’s going on around them? With all the things reasonable people have to fear in today’s world, why venture so far out into never never land to find something so completely ridiculous to fear? Your City Council or State Assembly might impose Sharia law?  Seriously?  Come on!

        1. …because there is none. In his rambling response, Cain’s so-called evidence of “creeping Sharia” is the Oklahoma ballot initiative which was an effort to preempt it!

          The term sharia conjures up ideas of women in burqas being stoned to death and radicalized Muslims somehow instituting here. It has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with creating a bogeyman to mobilize conservative voters.

      1. Didn’t your mom ever teach you two wrongs don’t make a right? It’s one thing to disagree with what someone says but it’s another thing to resort to name calling. I do not agree with anyone being attacked because of their race, religion, sex etc. And you know what it is like to be attacked because of your faith. Why do you feel it is right to make a racist comment? Ali you are better than that. You just lost my respect.  

        1. Douglasm –

          My use of the phrase “Uncle Tom” is not racist, as a massive amount of those enslaved were Muslims, as demonstrated in works like ROOTS, in which, Kunte Kinte is forced to change his name to “Toby” and his religion to “Christianity” from “Islam”

          Muslims have been in America for an extremely long time, but most of those good people were enslaved

          It’s theorized that owners of these farmlands would often cultivate workers to support their nefarious enslavement plans, and some workers would actually AGREE WITH THE FARM’S OWNER and support him – and it’s further theorized that the farm owner would designate ‘said’ workers as good examples of how an enslaved person should act – and over history’s time (in correlation with the works of Uncle Tom’s Cabin), this garnered the nickname, for those minorities who supported minority-driven oppression, from those minorities who opposed “said” oppression, as an “Uncle Tom” – a label specifically reserved for minorities who work against the interests of other minorities, particularly humanitarian interests – and most would agree that you would have to be a minority in order to use it

          There is a decent chance that Herman Cain has Muslim ROOTS within his own heritage – and for as much as I deeply love our wonderful country, it is difficult not to be upset, knowing that the first Muslim who walked the lands of this great country did so with chains around his/her ankles (it breaks my heart)

          We have all come a long way and when the likes of Herman Cain are trying to reduce this progress, without considering a sympathy for minorities (Muslims in this case), it enrages one to the point of harkening the phrase above – “Uncle Tom”

          And for that matter, I used the same term in describing Senator Marco Rubio, when he showcased his support for Arizona 1070 – while my criticism remains the same for Rubio, I regret using the term

          And for this matter overall – I love America – using such phrases above does make for a wrong because, I’m choosing to use a word that is selected for minority-use only, which goes against the progress I’m trying to work for – I wish I hadn’t used that phrase and I’m sorry that I did

  5. I’m pretty sure one of the first lines in Mr. Cain’s speech was, and I paraphrase, “needy people are ruining this country.” I didn’t hear anything after that.

      1. can’t negotiate and end up in trouble. It really is a shame you’re being so insensitive. Millionaires need boats and tax cuts, too.

        Oh, wait, was that not what he meant?

      2. Next time I see a needy person, thanks to Mr. Cain, I now feel empowered to get in that person’s face and let them know they’re ruining the country. Thanks a lot, needy people!

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