# Dear Media, Obama did not "walk back" his Mosque comments **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448 "2010-08-16T20:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/61 "2010-08-17T14:35:39Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Who knew that the First Amendment was so controversial? I’m baffled that anyone can argue with the constitutional right of any religion to build a temple/church/etc. anywhere that they own the land and the zoning allows the building. Isn’t the right to argue also part of that First Amendment you like so much? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/62 "2010-08-17T14:44:24Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > > [@Giles](#): > > > > Who knew that the First Amendment was so controversial? I’m baffled that anyone can argue with the constitutional right of any religion to build a temple/church/etc. anywhere that they own the land and the zoning allows the building. > > Isn’t the right to argue also part of that First Amendment you like so much? He’s not baffled with the right of people to argue. Just that they’d argue it. Everyone’s free to claim that the moon landings are fake, for example. But I’m baffled that so many people believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/63 "2010-08-17T14:44:27Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > > [@John\_Mace](#): > > > > Harry Reid, lion of the Senate, comes out against the Mosque. > > When you say lion, you mean [a brown furry thing with short stumpy legs and a great long nose](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMOmB1q8W4Y), right? I can see a resemblance between Harry Reid and one of those kinds of lions. Does he have a hat? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/64 "2010-08-17T14:46:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Isn’t the right to argue also part of that First Amendment you like so much? Not according to _sharia_ law, which we on the left are commited to imposing. But you knew that, right? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/65 "2010-08-17T15:00:09Z")
The problem is nothing is being built at ground zero. They should have rebuilt the towers immediately. Since it is a wasted pit now, we have to bitch about what is being built at ground 2. The building is not at ground zero. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/66 "2010-08-17T15:11:13Z")
This whole mess feeds the view that America is at war with, and hates Muslims. It can only cause hard feelings while empowering the haters. Obama should have backed the building fully. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/67 "2010-08-17T15:13:01Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > > [@Mr.Moto](#): > > > > Isn’t the right to argue also part of that First Amendment you like so much? > > He’s not baffled with the right of people to argue. Just that they’d argue it. Everyone’s free to claim that the moon landings are fake, for example. But I’m baffled that so many people believe it. Agreed. If the boot were on the other foot – for example, if some other religious group claimed that a place was “hallowed ground” to their religion, and no Christian church should be built there – then the religious right would complain noisily. But they don’t understand that rights are reciprocal. They complain that Christianity is persecuted, but they would like to persecute Islam. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/68 "2010-08-17T15:16:22Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > The problem is nothing is being built at ground zero. They should have rebuilt the towers immediately. Since it is a wasted pit now, we have to bitch about what is being built at ground 2. The building is not at ground zero. The delays in construction have been ridiculous but it’s not just a wasted pit. They are building stuff there. I think the new tower is 30-odd stories tall right now. But it’s not expected to be finished for another three years, and I think other buildings will still be under construction after the tower is done. It’s probably true that if construction was finished, or at least the main tower was done, then this would upset people less. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/69 "2010-08-17T15:50:24Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Obama did not “walk back” his Mosque comments. His original comments were tha he supported the consitutional right of them to build a Mosque. You folks mis-reresented that as saying he supported the Mosque. He re-iterated that he did not say that, he said he affirmed their right, but had no opinion on the 'wisdom" of it. He was trying to give a weaselly non-answer, and he got caught. No reasonable person questions the right of Muslims to build mosques - If Obama was asked if he specifically supporting building a mosque right there, then the answer “I support their right to build a mosque” will be, and no doubt was intended to be, interpreted as saying Yes, I support the mosque. Now it turns out that the mosque is not popular in NYC, so he is trying to change his tune. He should show some backbone for once. Besies, what doe she mean about having no opinion on how wise it is to exercise your rights under the Constitution? Does he mean sometimes we should just keep our heads down and let the bigots intimidate us? This is typical politician’s fluff, and it should have addressed in a non-politician way. Say, out loud, "Look, Islam didn’t attack us. Nobody who will pray at the mosque attacked us. This is the United States of America, we have freedom of religion, and I for one would like to keep it that way. Let’s not allow our fears to overcome our better natures. Islam is not our enemy." Probably too late for him to say it now. Only thing that will help now is “Hey, Reid - STFU.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/70 "2010-08-17T15:52:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Now it turns out that the mosque is not popular in NYC, so he is trying to change his tune. The mosque was known to be unpopular before he said anything about it. I question how unpopular it is in NYC. (I think someone linked to a survey about that upthread.) But I agree with you that it would have been better if he’d just said ‘they have the right to build there and religious freedom is important’ and left it at that without the clarifications or whatever you want to call them. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/71 "2010-08-17T15:52:54Z")
Obama H. Christ, **Shodan** is exactly on the money. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/72 "2010-08-17T15:57:33Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Obama H. Christ, **Shodan** is exactly on the money. I think you mean _Barackhu Ackbar_. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/73 "2010-08-17T16:03:07Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > > > Obama did not “walk back” his Mosque comments. His original comments were tha he supported the consitutional right of them to build a Mosque. You folks mis-reresented that as saying he supported the Mosque. He re-iterated that he did not say that, he said he affirmed their right, but had no opinion on the 'wisdom" of it. > > He was trying to give a weaselly non-answer, and he got caught. No reasonable person questions the right of Muslims to build mosques - If Obama was asked if he specifically supporting building a mosque right there, then the answer “I support their right to build a mosque” will be, and no doubt was intended to be, interpreted as saying Yes, I support the mosque. Now it turns out that the mosque is not popular in NYC, so he is trying to change his tune. > > He should show some backbone for once. > > Besies, what doe she mean about having no opinion on how wise it is to exercise your rights under the Constitution? Does he mean sometimes we should just keep our heads down and let the bigots intimidate us? > > This is typical politician’s fluff, and it should have addressed in a non-politician way. Say, out loud, "Look, Islam didn’t attack us. Nobody who will pray at the mosque attacked us. This is the United States of America, we have freedom of religion, and I for one would like to keep it that way. > > Let’s not allow our fears to overcome our better natures. Islam is not our enemy." > > Probably too late for him to say it now. Only thing that will help now is “Hey, Reid - STFU.” > > Regards, > Shodan I actually agree that he should have been more forceful in his rebuttal of the haters, 100%, it is weaselly, but my point still stands he did not change his stance and the media saying he did is lying. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/74 "2010-08-17T16:16:44Z")
Just wanted to take the opportunity to say that **Shodan** is exactly right. Defense of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is not an area to even give the appearance of giving ground. Not only should he and everyone else tell Harry Reid to STFU, but they should look at his example. Did Reid’s weak-kneed capituation to the sociopolitical terrorism of the right wing buy him any quarter? No, they attacked him nevertheless. May as well do the right thing in the first place, dickhead. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/75 "2010-08-17T16:21:27Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Not only should he and everyone else tell Harry Reid to STFU, but they should look at his example. Did Reid’s weak-kneed capituation to the sociopolitical terrorism of the right wing buy him any quarter? No, they attacked him nevertheless. May as well do the right thing in the first place, dickhead. It’s about votes in November, not attacks in the press right now. I hear that Reid’s Republican opponent has been all over him on this issue, so he decided to sell out. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/76 "2010-08-17T16:32:31Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I actually agree that he should have been more forceful in his rebuttal of the haters, 100%, it is weaselly, but my point still stands he did not change his stance and the media saying he did is lying. The unfortunate thing is that this was an opportunity to reach out to moderates, and he blew it. Obama campaigned on the notion that he was a new kind of elected official, and yadda yadda. Here he could have actually done it. Instead he made a politician’s choice, and he is just not good enough/experienced enough to get away with it. If Clinton had had that question, he would have figured out a way to blame everything on Republicans. Clinton knew how to do the Sister Souljah approach long before he got within ten miles of the White House. Obama can’t bring that kind of thing off, and so he shouldn’t try. Sometimes ISTM that a President of pirinciple needs to put concerns about the November mid-terms on the back burner and concentrate on actually being President - spend your political capital on something you believe is worthwhile. If Obama had been forthright in his support for letting the Muslims build where ever they wanted, maybe it might have cost the Democrats ten thousand votes in November. So what? He may or may not have made up for the lost votes of the lunatic fringe by picking up votes from the reasonable folks - who knows? But if your only purpose as President is to get re-elected, then there doesn’t seem to be much point in getting elected in the first place. > [@](#): > > I’d rather be right than President is a concept that can be used by sore losers, but it forms the basis for much of the motivation of statesmen as well. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/77 "2010-08-17T16:33:44Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Just wanted to take the opportunity to say that **Shodan** is exactly right. Defense of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is not an area to even give the appearance of giving ground. > > Not only should he and everyone else tell Harry Reid to STFU, but they should look at his example. Did Reid’s weak-kneed capituation to the sociopolitical terrorism of the right wing buy him any quarter? No, they attacked him nevertheless. May as well do the right thing in the first place, dickhead. It hasn’t done them fuck-all good in the last two years. They didn’t learn their lesson any of those occasions. What makes anyone think that this would be different. Dear Charlie Obama and Harry Brown - Lucy McConnell is still going to pull the fucking football away. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/78 "2010-08-17T16:43:40Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I actually agree that he should have been more forceful in his rebuttal of the haters, 100%, it is weaselly, but my point still stands he did not change his stance and the media saying he did is lying. Well that’s part of the thing that’s so frustrating. In the first place, he was very careful to use wording that did not mention whether or not he thought the building of the mosque there was a good idea, and decided to state that it is their right to do so. The media then ran with that, and interpreted that as his support of building the mosque at ground zero, and then when he clarified that he never said that (when he so conspicuously and deliberately never sat that,), they started saying he changed his position! It would be funny if this weren’t SOP of the news media these days. Yes, he gave some weasely non-answer answer, which is bad enough, but instead of the media criticizing him for that, they made something up, and then criticized him for it. Why do they need to resort to these bogus tricks, when what he actually said was bad enough? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/79 "2010-08-17T16:53:24Z")
Why do so many of you seem to think that the Constitution is implicated in this situation? It’s not. The free exercise clause just says that Congress (and the states) shall make no law inhibiting the free exercise of religion. No such law is at issue. The only issue is whether people like the mosque at that location or not. Not liking it doesn’t do any damage to the free exercise clause or the idea behind it. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/80 "2010-08-17T17:03:07Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Why do so many of you seem to think that the Constitution is implicated in this situation? It’s not. The free exercise clause just says that Congress (and the states) shall make no law inhibiting the free exercise of religion. > > No such law is at issue. The only issue is whether people like the mosque at that location or not. Not liking it doesn’t do any damage to the free exercise clause or the idea behind it. Sometimes the issue is a principle or an ideal, and not just a paragraph, subsection, clause or fourth word. Do you see the Constitution as relevant to the expression of the supposed principles of the country? Generally, it would be desirable to have our leaders stand on principle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448.md?page=5)