Pastor-in-Chief

We haven't really seen how the economy responds, or whether new developments influence the economic cycle. In particular, social media has the power to reshape the way people utilize the Internet, which is going to create demand for new products and services.

If the innovation fails to restore the economy, then we know we are in trouble.

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Wow, I lost points for complementing someone.

Dear justice,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I understand and share with you the sentiments that "government salvation" mindset seems to be on the upswing. That is to be expected though in a swing back to democrats, especially with the democrats being so angry about the prior administration, a strong effort away from those policies is not surprising. Not right, just expected. Sadly, we have become a polarized nation. The only way I see this changing though is with us the people demanding more of our leaders than the same old tired rhetoric. It may taken a generation but we have to start sometime and that time is now.

As far as the role of government, I have been in local community revitalization for nearly 30 years and at the local level I do see a role for government. The very real problem is the farther away from the local you go in terms of government (regional, state and federal) the less contact our leaders and government staffers with local issues. That reduced contact results in policies that are often mis-guided due to lack of real day to day understanding of people's situations. My "calling" is to do what I can within the local government employing me to focus efforts to meet the needs of those in need in my community. I want to encourage the churches in my community to get involved as well. Then perhaps life will improve for our community and fear, at least in our town, will be replaced by hope and trust.

Randy

THEN WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THIS TYRANNY!!! GOD KNOWS THE FIRST THING I DO EVERY MORNING IS CHECK MY POINTS TOTAL ON G-P. IF IT'S NOT POSITIVE, I HAVE TO RETURN TO BED FOR THE BALANCE OF THE DAY. STOP THE POINTS' NAZIS NOW!!!

Is this a joke? Seriously.

Pastor-in-Chief? No. Being comforting to a homeless woman at a rally is a kind thing. Preaching a sermon of "Pass the pork or we may never recover from this recession," President Obama engages in the same politics of fear that President Bush engaged in before. The threat is different: It no longer is a Muslim waiting to blow up the Piggly Wiggly, it is a recession that will close said store. Unless Congress spends another $750B-$1T dollars on a huge variety of programs, most of which are operating on continuing resolutions because this "crisis" must be spent towards now.

Have to admit, Joe Biden's honesty is refreshing, even if the President doesn't know what he is talking about. 30% chance of failure, even if they do everything right (which, as demonstrated by the appointments of Tom Daschle and Timothy Geithner) won't happen.

"Preaching a sermon of "Pass the pork or we may never recover from this recession," President Obama engages in the same politics of fear that President Bush engaged in before."

I thought about that, too. Where is the hemming and hawing about the politics of fear?

Sure Squeak , I think the president takes on a role of somewhat like a Political Father , sort of taking care and protecting all of us . Its why I think some of us get so mad at each other when you put down a Presdent as a liar , fear monger , etc . Why even those on the left were disgusted with Bill Clinton with his sex capades . You don't want your Father acting like that .

But thinking well of Obama should not stop us from looking at things objectively . Dads can make mistakes .

I think that is where Dianna goofs up as far as being a blogger here . She allows her idealogy to get in her way of seeing "everything" and other sides of the problem . Regardless if even she agrees with them .

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President Obama was in Ft. Myers today. He was in Ft. Myers because the area has the highest foreclosure rate in the United States. He was trying to focus attention on the plight of working class American's to a Congress that has divided itself along partisan lines as it considers an economic stimulus bill.

Henrietta Hughes had arrived early in the day hoping for a chance to see the President. Henrietta and her son have been homeless since he lost his job in 2003. She was selected at random to ask a question of the President in the town hall meeting. When her turn came she meekly asked "I have an urgent need. We need something more than the vehicle and the parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom, please help"

The president asked her name. He was so moved he came off of the stage to touch and kiss her. He told her "We're going to do everything we can."

I first met then Senator Obama at the Sojourners Pentecost 2006 conference in Washington DC, at National City Christian Church, he was speaking about his faith journey, and he was speaking of Matthew 25. He said "For one thing, I believed and still believe in the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change. Because of its past, the black church understands in an intimate way the biblical call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and challenge powers and principalities. In its historical struggles for freedom and human rights, I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world, as a source of hope."

It was obvious to me that Barack had recognized Jesus in His distressing disguise in Henrietta.

God has a plan, a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. Mrs. Chene Thompson, wife of Florida State Representative Nick Thompson (R) Lee County also recognized our Lord embodied as He has shared with us in his Word. She offered the use of her vacant house (which she vacated on marrying Nick) to Henrietta rent free as long as she needs it.

Shane Claiborne has asked how there can be homeless people in a 'Christian Nation' if their are Christians with empty bedrooms?

I can remember my friend and mentor Rev. Howard Edington saying one of the people he'd like to meet most from the Bible, was the man who owned the colt that Jesus rode upon on Palm Sunday, who when told by the disciples that the Lord had need of his donkey, he knew and gave it to them. I think Mrs. Chene Thompson must be cut from that same lineage.

I thank God we have a President who can be as Diana Butler Bass said 'Pastor In Chief.' Remember though...a pastor is a shepherd, yes he might cuddle a cute little lamb, but he also carried a big stick to fend off the wolves and others who might harm his flock. Oh...one other thing a shepherd learns quickly in the first few days on the job...Sheep Bite!

"But if it is illegitimate to refer to the president as "pastor in chief," then I suppose that Theodore Roosevelt illegitimately referred to the presidency as a "bully pulpit.""

Very much so, now that I think about it, though to a much lesser degree.

"Agree with him or not, one has to admit that his calling these salaries "shameful" was quite effective."

Indeed. The Dow was off, what, 5% today? Going after executive salaries is a bad idea.

False. GWB used the politics of fear to fight an enemy "out there," spending billions on a wasteful and unnecessary war to prop himself up. Obama is addressing problems right here, right now that affect virtually everyone in this country -- including yourself, I'm sure.

Are you ever willing to give Obama a break instead of just back-benching?

Empire abroad and an empire at home are the same false god, and using the politics of fear is wrong in both areas.

"Obama is addressing problems right here, right now that affect
virtually everyone in this country -- including yourself, I'm sure."

The domestic vs. foreign policy distinction is one without a difference. He is using fear tactics to short circuit debate.

"Are you ever willing to give Obama a break instead of just back-benching?"

Ever? Of course. When he is cramming an arbitrarily crafted trillion-dollar spending bill down my throat? No.

And I will never call him my pastor, in-chief or otherwise.

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That's the first misinterpretation because making a strong case does not equal bullying, as much as you may want it to. On top of that, Obama has a habit of listening to the other side to try to seek consensus. The conservatives who run the Republican Party, on the other hand, are the real bullies in all this -- they want their way BAMN and will hamstring their opponents in the process. Someone needs to tell them off but good, and he's about to do that.

Someone took away your point for no reason. I gave it back. Now you have a point again.

"This is utterly false -- and pure conjecture on your part. (Just
because it's what you would do doesn't mean everyone else thinks that
way.)"

No, stating that the stimulus package is the only way to avert economic disaster is pure conjecture. That Obama is using fear tactics is incontrovertible.

"How many "non-conservatives" have you ever given a break to on this blog? Please."

Well, John McCain for starters. I fail to see any instances of you giving conservatives a break. I know, you're going to provide some tangential reason why I am required to give a break to those with whom I disagree, but you are not required to do so because you live in the same suburb as Richard Vigurie.

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Okay, I gotta say something here. Thing is, if you think the Pelosi, Reid and the far Left crew isn't bullying here, you're kinda out of it. Moveon.org and a couple other groups actually ran commercials against Republicans who were causing trouble for the bill. Why? Silence the opposition and cause them to SUBMIT. If Obama were making a strong case, fine. But, here's the thing: He hasn't been. Even the people over at Salon.com and the Times could tell. No, what he's been doing lately is telling us that if we don't pass the bill, right now, without examining it a little more, modifying it, taking out the crap that even Democrats admit is nothing but wasteful, pork-barrel spending, then the economy will suffer. The amazing thins is that the vast majority of the bill is for spending in 2010 and 2011. Stopping, waiting for some debate and REAL consensus would be a good thing. But Obama isn't doing that. Instead he's taking his trump card, "I won", shoving it down the opposition's throat and then trying to scare us all into supporting the bill. Its the politics of fear. I don't care what you say about Bush or the Republicans, just don't be blind to what's happening currently.

Great contribution

Excuse me -- but what's bullying about speaking the truth? Are you denying that we're in economic free fall? Or is it, as I suspect, that you object to both the messenger and the specific plan that he proposes? Let's see his critics come up with something better -- those in Congress can't because they helped cause the problem in the first place.

That Obama is using fear tactics is incontrovertible.

That kind of comment is one reason conservatives have little authority to speak on such issues today -- they don't see anything good in anything their opponents propose.

I know, you're going to provide some tangential reason why I am required to give a break to those with whom I disagree, but you are not required to do so because you live in the same suburb as Richard Vigurie.

There's a difference between disagreeing and being a spoilsport; the latter represents pure childishness. Conservative ideals haven't worked, and yet too many conservatives aren't willing to say that, maybe we're wrong about this.

Thanks for the tip.

Yeah, you're right, conservatives are a majority of evangelicalism in general, that is true. But I'm 22, right in the age-group which contributing most to the rise of the evangelical Left. So, I get a good dose of the recent, bandwagon, pendulum-swing Evangelical liberalism. (I'm not saying that's you.) I guess I just wish the "dissenting voice" was a little more even-handed towards both sides. I'm not a big fan of the Republican cheerleading that goes on in much of Evangelicalism. I just don't think that the same mistake made on the Left will help anything.

Thanks again.

The points Nazi (and I'm beginning to think we have several of them) has been busy on this thread awarding and docking points for every post, based apparently on ideology, not on how ideas are expressed. Figures. They single people out for their treatment.

On an earlier thread, someone even docked points from every single one of Neuro_Nurse's comments. That's the first time that happened; now they have it out for him, too.

"Are you denying that we're in economic free fall? "

He didn't say that we are in economic free fall. He said that we will be if we don't support the stimulus bill, which will doing nothing to stem such a free fall should it occur. At present, no I don't think we are in free fall.

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Well, I have to admit, I think the title is a bit strong. That said, I remember my aunt from Tulsa (a pretty strong Republican) telling me how much it meant to the citizens of Oklahoma City when Bill Clinton spoke there after the Oklahoma City bombing.

I wouldn't go so far as to say part of the job is "pastoring", but I do agree that part of the job is offering words that give comfort, hope, and encouragement during difficult times, as well as words to rally citizens around a common goal.