McCain’s Very Own Farrakhan

Whatever their true private beliefs, presidential candidates in America are constantly required to provide proofs of faith, often through their connections with various religious figures. Benedictions from the pulpit bestow an aura of righteousness—except, of course, when the pastor or minister is a disreputable kook whose endorsement should be an embarrassment.

In recent weeks, both Barack Obama and John McCain have suffered exactly this kind of indignity, under very different circumstances. And their contrasting responses revealed not only aspects of their own characters, but also the enduring prejudices of the national media covering this year’s campaign.

For an African-American politician seeking to attract voters of all ethnicities and persuasions, there could hardly be a less desirable supporter than Louis Farrakhan, the aging leader of the Nation of Islam. As the media never tire of reminding us, Farrakhan is a habitual bigot whose utterances have repeatedly denigrated Jews, Catholics, Caucasians and homosexuals, among others, seeking to inflame his followers against these supposed enemies. He detects conspiracies of “international bankers,” whose machinations he blames for all the world’s troubles dating back to World War II. He looks forward to a time when the Holy Land will be “cleansed by blood,” as he exclaimed in a sermon not so long ago. He warns that the evil ones ruling the planet will someday be destroyed for their sins, while those who obey his admonishments (and tithe to his organization) will be saved.

Well aware of Farrakhan’s record, since both of them reside in Chicago, Obama forthrightly rejected the support of the unsavory minister. Unfortunately, his own Christian pastor, Jeremiah Wright, has chosen to associate himself with the Nation of Islam, which may well create problems for Obama—but at least he has clearly separated himself from the poisonous Farrakhan philosophy.

McCain’s Extremist Pastor