I'll be honest...Some of the statements made on the TUCC's webpage scare me just a tad.

I know this will be taken multiple ways, but here's how I see it...If you were born in this country, you're an American. If your parents were born in America, and their parents were born in America, and THEY'RE parents were born in America...I really don't get how you can call yourself an African. I just don't get it. Some of my great-grandparents were born in Austria--I can identify many members of my extended family that are still in Gols...But I am an AMERICAN.

My feeling is not only will this not go away, but it could very seriously threaten his nomination. People are noticing and reacting to this, as evidenced by post-speech polls indicating support for him is slipping. I can't see him successfully reconciling all the inconsistencies..

I would love for him to proclaim himself an American and not an African-American (a silly term, especially for those who are not from Africa)

I would love to see him say that he is just as much White as Black.

As I said previously, he was raised by a white mother. He was raised in Hawaii, a place with much much much lower prejudice against blacks.

He went to school at Punahou (on a scholarship). Punahou is a very expensive, very ritzy, very prestigious, and very good private school in Hawaii - one that requires church attendance (or did when I lived in Hawaii, I assume it did when he was there). He probably caught more flak for going to Punahou than for being black. [there is some minor degree of stereotyping punahou students as rich snobs]

He really hasn't suffered the same problems as blacks in the south and other parts of the nation. That isn't saying that he hasn't suffered or that he isn't black.

No. I am simply saying that if he was to say that he was white as much as he was black. That he wasn't prejudice against non-blacks because he himself is non-black as much as he is black it would look good.

Of course he will never do that. Not because he doesn't think that way. I don't know if he looks at himself as black, mixed, or whatever. No, by throwing away the race card and demanding to be looked on as an American, he would be throwing away too big of an advantage. Sad really.

As an outsider, this is the way I see it: I'd much rather see someone who might support this church lead the most powerful nation on the planet than some war-mongering white christian guy.

All I know is this is going to get REALLY ugly. So far as Obama discarding or "throwing away" the race card...that really isn't possible. Nobody asked Kennedy to "throw away" his status as an "Irish American" and he couldn't even if he wanted to shrug his status as a Catholic. Yes he runs the risk of being pidgeon holed as a "black candidate" ala Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton as long as he doesn't distance himself as much as possible from the comments of his pastor. But on the other hand...why should he? He is what he is, he has clearly stated what he believes, and his pastor isn't going to take political office the new Fundamentalist United States of America. I'm one of his white supporters who can actually understand where his pastor is coming from. I see his arguements of how the upperclass has had the boot on the throat of the black AND white poor of this country for too long. I also see how our foreign policy of domination and marginalization since the end of WWII has lead to our country being despised by those we have bullied. We have NO excuse to lead the lives of excess that we do when so many live in poverty under opression we support. The military industrial complex and our utter dominance in the technology of war and killing is the only thing that keeps us in the position we enjoy. Any state actor to challenge us would be embarrassed in a conventional war, and that is why the wars being waged against us are of the type we can not win with guns and bombs. It will take a LOT of change in our policies around the world and domestically to cool the fires of hatred. But I believe someone like Obama who is commited to rising above and doing the right thing is more willing to spend the political capital necessary to set us on a course of resolution and remediation.

It's ridiculous that people are making such a big deal out of this. Read the article! The "contradictions" the headline references are nothing but speculation. The media is having a big field day with this, glad that they have another controversy to milk for all it's worth.

Obama's pastor is his own person. Obama heard him in a church context, talking about God. He didn't know about this guy's personal political beliefs, and there's no reason why he should have to try to explain the views of someone else!

I really hope people get educated about the situation and don't let the hype kill his chances of being president.

I am not saying that he should throw away the race card. I am just saying it would be impressive and a incredible sign of change and color-blindness to do so.

It really doesn't matter. This matter is trivial compared to his policies. It is because of his policies that I will not vote for him.

The claim that he didn't know about the pastor's views is lubricious and naive. Of course he knew. That doesn't mean he shares those views. For him to claim he was unaware of them is insulting.