Rick Warren to Give Obama Invocation, Angry Left Meltdown Ensues

Frankly, I could care less who Obama has speaking at his inaugural. I know it'll take a superhuman effort to avoid any of the fawning media coverage when the time comes. Anyway, news comes that Rick Warren, who I couldn't have picked out of a lineup before this summer, will be delivering the invocation at The Messiah's inaugural.

The selection of Warren, whose Saddleback Church in California was the site of a candidate forum with Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain in August, is an early taste of the Democrats' post-election effort to reach evangelical Americans. The effort continues even though Obama's evangelical offensive during the presidential campaign yielded only modest results on Election Day.

I can understand that. Obama isn't a complete idiot. He figures enough suckers will fall for this obvious ploy, so who can blame him? It's smart politics.

What, you expected him to completely drop the facade and have Jeremiah Wright in his stead?

Of course, the selection of this dreaded evangelical has evoked hysteria on the gay left blogs. Not content with focusing their seething rage upon Mormons for them losing on Proposition 8, now they're completely melting down over Obama's choice of Warren.

Once again, a useful idiot has discovered his usefulness has an expiration date.

I'm sure the brain trust around Obama thought Rick Warren would be a great idea. You know, because they're so smart that they're post-partisan. But someone on the Obama team missed the intense anger that erupted after Prop 8 won and we lost rights (or maybe they didn't care). It's visceral. Believe me. Visceral and real. And putting one of the leading supporters of that campaign on the stage at the inauguration is an affront to us.

Oh no. It's both visceral and real! Ooo-ga!

Notice he mentions intense anger. Yet when we point out how angry they are, we're inundated with hate mail.

Go figure. Meanwhile, others are using the time-honored homophobe label. Ooooh! This just isn't the change they were looking for.

Sure Warren may be better known, may have sold a whole lot of books and brings with him the added bonus of sending a dog whistle signal to Christian conservatives that he's their president too, but what about sending a signal to the LGBT community and broader progressive community who, ya know, actually supported him and worked our ass off for him? Reinforcing the false notion that the only real Christians are conservative Christians is NOT change I can believe in at all.

I'm sure Obama will be awake nights worrying about this. The funny thing is, it was an overwhelming Obama vote in California that helped pass Prop 8. The angry gay left just cannot rationalize it yet that the guy they poured their gay marriage effort into also brought out the voters who reject gay marriage. When you're a single-issue voter, you're often going to be angry when you don't get your way.

Mrs. Andrew Sullivan, while crestfallen, at least realizes this is all about politics.

Rick Warren will give the invocation at Obama's inauguration. Warren is a man who believes my marriage removes his freedom of speech and cannot say that authorizing torture is a moral failing. Shrewd politics, but if anyone is under any illusion that Obama is interested in advancing gay equality, they should probably sober up now.

I'll refrain from further comment on the alcoholic rate in the angry gay community.

Meanwhile, the always understated folks at one of the insane left blogs call Warren a Rick Warren, Warmongering Torture Apologist, to Usher in Era of Hope and Change.

So to review, Warren publicly chastized Obama for refusing to reject and denounce abortion, said four California judges "threw out will of the people", and openly calls for the murder of a head of state -- but is completely unwilling to hold BushCo morally accountable for torturing.

Great choice, guys.

These people are hilarious.

This selection is clearly not about “change”—it’s about making a high profile decision to give the stage over to a known homophobe; choosing Rick Warren is tantamount to asking any of the professional anti-gay “Christian” set to stand up there. There is no excuse for this; given there are so many leaders of the faith community that are in alignment with equality for all.

I almost feel sorry for Obama having to deal with these children. Sure, they helped get him elected and they feel they have whatever grievance ameliorated. But the childish reaction to any perceived slight just demonstrates their inability to understand that maybe, just maybe, the things they demand the rest of the country does not want. The sooner they grow up and realize that the more people like Obama might actually listen to them rather than just use them.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.