Obama's failing
PZ Myers dissects "The Obama Failing" and points out the would-be president's main drawback: his overt religiosity. Myers links to Obama's "Call to Renewal" keynote, which he calls "a ghastly exercise in self-delusion and post hoc justification of religious bigotry; I'd say he was pandering to his audience, except that I think he really believes the nonsense he was spouting." Myers is just as blunt later in his post:
I despise Obama's faith. I think it has the potential to be a major hindrance to any accomplishments of an Obama administration, and I worry that it would further promote the desecularization of our government. If Obama is elected, I will not be a cheerleader, but a constant critic.[...]
I do not aspire to the complete disenfranchisement of all religious people, and I always have to hold my nose and press that lever for some Christian -- as an atheist in America, I have never had the opportunity to vote for any candidate in any election who was willing to admit to disbelief. (Think about that--as a group, we lack representation in our government, but it's the other side that is always claiming discrimination.) So there's nothing new in having to swallow my pride and vote for a compromise candidate who represents my views so poorly.
I wrote about Obama's address back in 2006, and was rather less bothered by it than Myers. I am also accustomed to having to "hold my nose" while voting for the least worst of the available religious candidates. Like Myers, I will also likely vote for Obama while suppressing my rising gorge over his florid religious rhetoric. I hope the nominee won't be the "moderate Republican in Democratic clothing (Clinton)," but I wouldn't hesitate to vote for her over the "mob of flaming lunatics on the Republican side."