The Unforeseen Consequences of Being a Church Member

Question: Has Obama played the "religion/spiritual/god card during his campaign, as George W. Bush and Reagan did?

I don't know the answer.

If he did, and continues on that path, he deserves all the criticism being hurled at him from various quarters. You suck up to the "believers" and then it is discovered that your "spiritual mentor" is a race-baiting ignoramus, you pay the consequences.

If, however, Obama has not made his religiosity part of his campaign, the remarks of the guy who runs the church he happens to attend are essentially irrelevant to Barack's qualifications to be POTUS.

This writer surmises that Obama long ago figured out that if he were ever to become a presidential candidate, he would at least have to be able to say he attended church regularly. He needed one with close proximity to his home turf, so it would not be a major project to schlep over there on Sundays. Wright's place was close by--another assumption this writer makes--so Barack dropped in and, presto!, he could legitimately claim to be a regular churchgoer.

The tactic, if indeed that is what it was, has somewhat backfired on him; but he's smart enough to survive it.