Triangulation Man: Rick Warren

I wrote about my reservations of President Barack Obama using Rick Warren as a religious political surrogate. Warren is a sexist and a bigot. Warren councils women in abusive relationships that they are only experiencing short-term pain.

It’s not like you can escape the pain… You don’t — you don’t escape the pain. And I’d always rather choose a short term pain and find God’s solution for a long term gain, than try and find a short term solution that’s going to involve a long term pain in life.

Warren then tells women not to leave their abusive husbands.

I want to tell you the advice that we give in our counseling ministries. First of all if you are in this kind of a situation, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of our lay counseling ministry. Go in and talk to someone and let them minister to you. And the advice that we give is not divorce but separation.

All Obama accomplished by having Warren at his inauguration was alienating progressives and giving Warren free publicity. The Christian Right didn't swoon over Obama because of his association with Warren. Rick Warren was another centrist move that has blown up in Obama's face.

Warren fired off these tweets.



Warren is another example of how triangulation has been a failure for Obama.

Write A Caption: Obama & Rick Warren

"I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans."

Barack Obama

"But the issue to me is, I’m not opposed to that as much as I’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage."

Rick Warren

Message to Obama: Half Steps On Social Issues Not Enough

Jill Filipovic published a superb op-ed in the Guardian. Jill is a hardcore Obama fangirl. She takes a realist view of what President Barack Obama will do for feminism. She urges feminist activists to keep fighting for change.

"The progressive solution, so far, has been to just tell the supposedly hated groups (plus poor people, immigrants and people of colour) to keep quiet and wait their turn," writes Jill. "The political capital to help marginalised groups is coming someday, right?"

The political capital has been here. A Gallup poll shows this hasn't been a center-right country since 1991. 52 percent of Americans say they lean Democrat. Obama still feels the need to restart Bush's unsuccessful faith-based program and have the gay bashing Donnie McClurkin and Rick Warren at his political events. Obama vowed not to do politics as usual. He created bigger culture war controversies with Warren and McClurkin than by repealing the Global Gag Rule. Obama won no political capital from the Christian Right and pissed off his base. The President's social policy stances make sense in the framwork of DLC. Obama needs to understand no one cares how Mickey Kaus votes.

Jill writes, "Contrary to what the Ms Magazine cover may imply, Barack Obama isn't Feminist Superman." What she means is Obama is first and foremost a political animal. Feminist issues are not high on his agenda. Feminists and other progressive social groups will have to put pressure on the President. Don't count on Obama lifting a finger to help immigrants, gay and lesbians, teen mothers or anyone else that don't have powerful political clout.

Obama repeatedly reminded us his campaign wasn't about him. It is time we put his words to the test. Too many Americans have been marginalized during the Bush years. We will soon have the have-nots and have-less-than-the-have-nots. Excuses about political capital no longer cut it.