Bush Biographer Pens Pro-Obama Book

CBS/Politico ^ | 6/16/08 | Ben Smith

[pissant]

The conservative Evangelical biographer of George W. Bush and Tom DeLay has moved on to a new subject: Barack Obama. And his new book, due out this summer, may lend credibility to Senator Obama's bid to win Evangelical Christian voters away from the Republican Party.

The forthcoming volume from Stephen Mansfield, whose sympathetic "The Faith of George W. Bush" spent 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in 2004, is titled "The Faith of Barack Obama." Its tone ranges from gently critical to gushing, and the author defends Obama-and even his controversial former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright-from conservative critics, and portrays him as a compelling figure for Christian voters.

"Young Evangelicals are saying, 'Look, I'm pro-life but I'm looking at a guy who's first of all black-and they love that; two, who's a Christian; and three who believes faith should bear on public policy," Mansfield, who described himself as a conservative Republican, said in a telephone interview. "They disagree with him on abortion, but they agree with him on poverty, on the war."

His book, provided exclusively to Politico by the publisher, focuses more on Obama's religious journey than his electoral prospects.

"For Obama, faith is not simply political garb, something a focus group told him he ought to try. Instead, religion to him is transforming, lifelong, and real," Mansfield writes, going on to compare Obama favorably to Christian Democratic presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, who he says erected a "wall of separation" between their religion and their governance.

By contrast, "Obama's faith infuses his public policy, so that his faith is not just limited to the personal realms of his life, it also informs his leadership," Mansfield writes.

The book is published by Thomas Nelson, the world's largest Christian publisher. It's due out August 5. "The Faith of Barack Obama" is expected to retail in Christian outlets and the Wal-Mart chain of stores, as well as secular bookstores. A motivational speaker and former pastor, Mansfield is the author of several books on faith as well as the co-author of former House Republican powerhouse Tom DeLay's 2007 book "No Retreat, No Surrender," a defense of his tarnished legacy sprinkled with fierce attacks on his opponents and on liberal causes.

Mansfield writes that Obama "is unapologetically Christian and unapologetically liberal." But he writes that in substance and in style, Obama holds an appeal to Evangelicals that Senator John McCain may lack.

He contrasted Obama's relative "fluency" with the language of religion-his campaign has outlined a pitch to the "Joshua Generation," a common term in Christian circles for younger Evangelicals-with the approach of his Republican rival.

"The McCain campaign is pretty clumsy when it comes to religion," he said, noting McCain's courtship, then renunciation, of two prominent Evangelical pastors, John Hagee and Rod Parsley.

In his Fathers Day speech at a Chicago church Sunday, Obama again spoke explicitly of his personal Christianity: "We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock, and for me that means building that house on the foundation of Jesus Christ."

Mansfield's book validates Obama's attempt-which began in earnest in his 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention-to provide a compelling public face to the nascent "Religious Left." In that speech, he proclaimed that "we worship an awesome God in the blue states," and Mansfield tracks his continuing attempts to contest the Republican hold on white Evangelical voters.

One notable moment came in 2006 when Obama appeared at Reverend Rick Warren's megachurch beside GOP Senator Sam Brownback.

"Welcome to my house," Brownback told Obama on stage.

"This is myhouse too," Obama responded. "This is God's house."

Obama, Mansfield writes, "made it clear to all that he [will] not be moved from his rightful place in the Christian fold."

Obama's Christianity, however, has been under attack on two fronts this campaign season. The first is from a false, but widely held, belief that he is a Muslim. Mansfield dismisses that charge, then dwells at length on Obama's controversial church, Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.

Mansfield said in the interview that he entered Trinity having heard "that Obama's church was a cult, something un-Christian, that Reverend Wright was a nut," but emerged with the view that it is "a pretty solid Christian church."

His warm description of the church reflects that view.

Though Mansfield writes of some jarringly radical features of the black liberation theology from which Trinity is descended, he concludes that what it offers is the "'born-again, new birth, blood-washed, Spirit-empowered Chrstianity' that Evangelicals know."

"Few sermons this good will be preached anywhere in America on this Sunday morning," he says of the sermon he heard from Trinity's current pastor, Rev. Otis Moss.

Mansfield's book is addressed to Evangelical readers, and it raises some questions about his own faith, including his willingness to see contradictions in the bible, his belief that religions other than Protestant Christianity provide other "paths" to a "higher power," and his doubts about the afterlife.

There are also passages in Mansfield's book that may give Obama's secular supporters pause. In particular, a theme from his book on Bush-the suggestion that the president's rise was itself an act of God-reappears in his coverage of Obama. He approvingly quotes Obama's old rival Rep. Bobby Rush saying that Obama's Senate win was "divinely ordained."

"Increasingly, words such as called, chosen, and anointed are being used of Obama," he writes.

Despite Mansfield's praise of the candidate, however, and his view that Obama may win over large numbers of younger Evangelical voters, the author also demonstrates the limits to the Democrats' appeal.

Mansfield said he will vote against Obama in November for a single reason: "Because I'm pro-life."

[pissant]

Oh brother....

[do the dhue]

Hey pissant,

I wonder if the book mentions this:

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/12918.htm

Malik Obama confirms his half-brother Barack grew up a Muslim
By Israel Insider staff June 13, 2008

Apparently the Obamas of Kenya have been reading those scurrilous emails to which Barack likes to refer, because they have no doubt — contrary to the claims of the Obama campaign, that the presidential candidate was raised a Moslem. They take that as a given.

As the Jerusalem Post reports, “Barack Obama’s half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background. In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya.”

The Obama brothers’ father, a senior economist for the Kenyan government who studied at Harvard University, died in car crash in 1982. He left six sons and a daughter. All of his children - except Malik — live in Britain or the United States. Malik and Barack met in 1985.

In a remarkable denial issued last November that still stands on the official campaign website, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement explaining that “Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian.”

Apparently Malik Obama, himself a Muslim, had not read the press release.

Melanie Phillips is the most recent commentator to draw attention to the massive body of evidence that leaves no doubt that Barak Hussein Obama was born a Muslim (Islam is patrilineal) and raised a Muslim (so registered in school, acknowledging attending Islamic classes, reported accompanying his step-father to the mosque, and able to recite the Koran in the original Arabic).

Reuven Koret, Aaron Klein and Daniel Pipes have previously pointed to the attempts by Obama and his campaign to conceal the candidate’s Muslim background. The well documented evidence draws upon the on-the-ground interviews by researchers in Indonesia and Kenya, published quotations of Obama’s childhood friends and his school records, as well as the candidate’s own autobiography.

It is not clear whether Barack Obama will now disown his half-brother Malik, or throw him under the campaign bus, for acknowledging that shared family background. In any case, some one should notify “Fight the Smear” tout de suite. Perhaps they can get him with the program.

[goodnesswins]

Obama’s “Church” seems to be merely a weekly POLITICAL RALLY, and frankly should be audited by the IRS and have it’s non profit status yanked.

[goodnesswins]

Obama’s “Church” seems to be merely a weekly POLITICAL RALLY, and frankly should be audited by the IRS and have its non profit status yanked.

[pissant]

The author hasn’t seen much, if he penned a pro-obama book, that much is clear.

[goodnesswins]

Ignorance is bliss.

[popdonnelly]

There are some very naive people writing books these days. Can’t wait for this one to wind up on the bargain table.

[do the dhue]

LOL - you know that is a fact!

[LibertyRocks]

“There are also passages in Mansfield’s book that may give Obama’s secular supporters pause. In particular, a theme from his book on Bush—the suggestion that the president’s rise was itself an act of God-reappears in his coverage of Obama. He approvingly quotes Obama’s old rival Rep. Bobby Rush saying that Obama’s Senate win was “divinely ordained.””

I think this will give not only secularists, but a lot of Christians pause as well - or it should. This author a supposed “Conservative Republican” is falling hook, line & sinker for the Obamessiah rhetoric. Absolutely disgusting...

Remember this quote folks, “I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth.” - Barack Obama

[I assume, of course, that he means with him as our dictator, oops, I mean “President”...]

[Jagman]

So the Evangelicals are going to support the guy who wants an abortion in every pot and a white person under every bus? hmmmm.

[Lakeshark]

From the areticle: The McCain campaign is pretty clumsy when it comes to religion

Should read: The McCain campaign is pretty clumsy when it comes to most everything religion

A gem of truth out of a sea of silliness.......

[Cicero]

I hope it does end up on the bargain table. But meantime, he’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, with Obama Fever running high.

There is nothing Christian about a Church that regularly preaches that white people are demons, and welcomes Louis Farrakhan for an award ceremony, and runs a baby-killing operation out of its hospital subsidiary that includes killing off babies who are born alive.

But meantime, a lot of people will probably buy the book to put on their coffee tables.

[Fresh Wind]

Shaking the money tree...

[Always Right]

"Young Evangelicals are saying, 'Look, I'm pro-life but I'm looking at a guy who's first of all black-and they love that; two, who's a Christian; and three who believes faith should bear on public policy," Mansfield, who described himself as a conservative Republican, said in a telephone interview. "They disagree with him on abortion, but they agree with him on poverty, on the war."

Barack is black?

[ishabibble]

How do people who call themselves “Christian” vote for the man who has the most damning abortion record in the U.S. Congress?

[bereanway]

Isn't it amazing what passes for Christianity these days.

“Mansfield's book validates Obama’s attempt-which began in earnest in his 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention-to provide a compelling public face to the nascent “Religious Left.” In that speech, he proclaimed that “we worship an awesome God in the blue states,”

The Religious Left has about as much in common with Biblical Christianity as does Islam. The god they worship in the blue states is the god of big government and humanism. Babel all over again.

Mansfield has to be a biblical lightweight to be impressed by Obama’s theological vacuity.

[CharlesWayneCT]

"Few sermons this good will be preached anywhere in America on this Sunday morning," he says of the sermon he heard from Trinity's current pastor, Rev. Otis Moss.

Of course, now that they have what appears to be a true Christian preacher, Obama has quit the church.

[txzman]

Gee - an ‘evangelical Christian’ writing a positive book on a man who advocates partial birth abortion. Riiiiight.

[Jeff Head]

"Young Evangelicals are saying, 'Look, I'm pro-life but I'm looking at a guy who's first of all black-and they love that; two, who's a Christian; and three who believes faith should bear on public policy," Mansfield, who described himself as a conservative Republican, said in a telephone interview. "They disagree with him on abortion, but they agree with him on poverty, on the war."

What utter bravo sierra. I know of no true evangelic Christian who says such things and justifies such utter immoral behavior as abortion in favor of someone simply 1because they are "ist of all" black.

This is juts more evidence of the kool aide and that Obama's ardent followers, including the DNC and the MSM, are not swayed be logic, reason, or truth. To them, regardless of his positions, his gaffes, his past, or his associations, he is an idol, and they are the idolaters. No true evangelic buys that without deluding themselves.

Nothing you can say or do will convince these people otherwise...


Because I am the one they and I have been waiting for...and I am lovin' it.

Those wild eyed people represent the millions of Americans raised in the government day-care and indoctrination centers we call public schools who did not have, or would not listen to, parents and others who tried to counterweight the garbage they heard at school...who have been raised on 60 second sound bite time spans and know no better.

You have other tens of millions on the dole who will vote for him regardless of position because he promises to keep pilfering the public largess for them.

Still othes of millions will vote for him simply because he is black and they refuse to look into his background and associations.

Other millions will vote for him because they know exactly who he is and what he represents and agree with his anti-American positions.

The first three are all what is termed, useful idiots, a term coined by Lennin for the dupes he got to support him.

Against this it is left to us to educate, arouse, and amass the tens of millions of Americans who understand and hold fast to the foundational principles our constitutional republic rests upon...many of them the bitter, rural Americans clinging to their guns and religion that Obama so arrogantly spoke of.

Note this comparison:

A populsitic, charismatic, self-serving individual has a way of mesmerizing foolish people looking for an idol...then and now.

Barack Hussein Obama is the apex of the hate-America, domestic enemy in this country. His election as president would be the greatest coup any enemy has ever scored against this country and could easily lead to the worst, horrific disaster in our nation's history.

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[weegee]

There are no “Christians” mentioned in the media anymore and the so called “Chrisitan Right” has been replaced with the PC term “Evangelicals”.