"We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson's invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday's program. We regret the error in executing this plan - but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event."
That was Obama inaugural committee spokesman Josh Earnest, explaining why the openly gay episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, didn't make it on TV giving his invocation to the inaugural kick-off "We Are One" concert last night. You'll recall that the Rev. Robinson was announced right around the time that the furor over anti-gay preacher Rick Warren was heating up (Warren will be opening the inauguration proper tomorrow morning). Further a technical glitch in one of the speaker towers at the event prevented the Reverend from being heard by a large portion of the crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial. I give the benefit of the doubt when I say "technical glitch," because I refuse to believe that that bit was intentional, but it's worth noting that sound doesn't appear to have cut out during any of the other speeches or performances.
This concert was exclusively aired by HBO, who have stated unequivocally that the decision to have the Reverend speak before the scheduled start of the event was entirely that of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. When I first heard about this, I was inclined to give the benefit of the doubt...maybe it was just a simple mistake. I'd still really, really like to believe that. The more I look into it, though, the more that explanation seems ridiculous: if you have a show scheduled to start at 2:30, a third-grader can figure out that someone scheduled to give a four-minute speech at 2:25 isn't going to wind up on TV. The committee says it will air the prayer on the mall tomorrow, but there's no indication that it will wind up on TV. Rick Warren's prayer, meanwhile, is expected to be seen by a viewing audience of 150 million plus an additional two million on the mall. So here it is, distributed to the massive readership of Rosserford.com:
I've said it before, but it feels more true all the time: when you're a gay dude (or anyone concerned about civil rights) who supported Obama, gave him money, voted for him, and encouraged his friends to vote for him...well, you start to feel a bit like the battered wife who keeps coming back for more. The one with the exceptionally pointy coffee table, to hear tell of it. But still, we're afraid if we stand up to him, he might leave.
I desperately want to be thrilled, elated by this almost mystical, at least highly serendipitous confluence of an inauguration with unique historical value wrapping a round-number anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., along with the forthcoming Abraham Lincoln bicentennial. I want that more than almost anything during this week--it's history that's happened, and it's history in the offing, and those are pretty much my two favorite things. President-elect Obama seems almost determined to ruin it for me. It's as if he can't help himself.
I still believe Obama to be an exceptionally competent, self-assured leader who has yet to let the adulation of most of America quite go to his head. That, in itself, is extraordinary. I think that he's put together a talented and experienced team of people who won't be afraid to question him (I'm looking at you, Hill). Aside from the, in my opinion, far overstated fact that he is, indeed, black, I have every reason to have hope that he will be a skilled administrator, a thoughtful leader, and an inspirational figure. On one of the central civil rights challenges of our day, though, he has told us that we're on our own. This is all just symbolism, you may say. I say that this man understands symbolism like no one who has ever aspired to the office of president. He knows exactly what he's doing. This isn't hope. It's not change. It's politics.
I'll say it before Kanye West has a chance:
Barack Obama does not care about gay people.
Now prove me wrong. Please.
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