4 Years Ago Today: Sarah Palin's Pastor Problem

Over the next few weeks until the election, I'm going to highlight items from exactly four years ago. The point is multi-fold: to remind us about big things, little things, parallel things and disparate things. You'll see stories that you forgot about, stories that still stand out, and puzzlements that never did pan out.

This one has to do with double standards, and the fact that while Barack Obama's religion and religious experience was a huge campaign issue, Sarah Palin's wacky Christian offshoot religion never sparked a WTF moment from the right (or even much from the left).

ORIGINAL POST - SEPTEMBER 19, 2008:
Sarah Palin's Pastor Problem

Photo from LiveJournal

There are many things I'm sick and tired of in politics. One of them used to be candidates that promised "change." It is an often used phrase, but this time, I'm hoping that my candidate (guess who) delivers.

Another thing I'm tired of is IOKIYAR. To the uninitiated, that means it's OK if you're a Republican. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some parallels on the other side of the aisle, and I'm sure right-wingers probably have their own IOKIYAD laments. But that is not what seems to be as strongly in play right now.

Here are just a few examples:

- Barack Obama, not well known, gave a good speech, celebrity. Bad.

- Sarah Palin, not well known, gave a good speech, celebrity. Good.

- John Edwards cheated on his wife, and that somehow reflects badly on Barack Obama.

- John McCain cheated on his wife, and we're not supposed to comment on it.

- John McCain's history as a POW 40 years ago tells us about his character.

- John McCain's behavior 30 years ago (adultery), and 20 years ago (Keating 5) are irrelevant.

- Barack Obama attended a radical (black) Christian church for 20 years. Bad.

- Sarah Palin attended a radical (crazy) Christian church for 20 years. So?

[Excerpt]

And If She Weighs The Same As A Duck...

. . .The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells. . .

Read more at: DailyKos