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Charles Barkley appeared on The Situation Room to promote Barack Obama’s candidacy. As you may remember, Barkley was a very vocal Republican not that many years ago. Well, no more. Barkley’s disgust with the Republican Party was so palpable that Wolf Blitzer could only flounder to try to make it a little less vitriolic.
BARKLEY: Hey, I live in Arizona. I have got great respect for Senator McCain. Great respect. But I don’t like the way the Republicans are taking this country. Every time I hear the word “conservative,” it makes me sick to my stomach, because they’re really just fake Christians, as I call them. That’s all they are. But I just — I’m going to vote Democratic no matter what. [..]
BLITZER: All right. One quick point before I let you go. You used the phrase “fake Christians” for conservatives. Explain what you’re talking about.
BARKLEY: Well, I think they — they want to be judge and jury. Like, I’m for gay marriage. It’s none of my business if gay people want to get married. I’m pro-choice. And I think these Christians — first of all, they’re supposed to be — they’re not supposed to judge other people. But they’re the most hypocritical judge of people we have in this country. And it bugs the hell out of me. They act like their Christians. And they’re not forgiving at all.
BLITZER: So you’re going to get a lot of feedback on this one, Charles.
BARKLEY: They can’t do anything to me. I don’t work for them.
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btw, charles is a registered repug
and he has no shot in alabama
but he will make it an interesting race
Wow, Charles Barkley sounds sane. Whodathunkit?
Looks like real Christianity just got a heavy hitter.
Gotta love the NBA - I think…
I like Chuck on TNT, although he’s too much of a Suns fan. Go Lakers!
Yea yea fake christians Eh ;), the next thing you’ll be telling me is america is full of Nazi’s ;)
Native American basketball team
Gee, I’m going to have to reassess my entire view of Mr. Barkley. He sounds like a pretty tolerant fellow.
I’ll give Sir Charles his first feedback.
Thank you for putting it so well.
uncle joe mccarthy @ 1:
I don’t know what his current registration was. He used to be a pub, but I know in ‘04 he gave to Edwards.
Better late than never, i suppose. But just wait until it dawns on him that the GOP (and their likspittle democratic allies) Big Lied the nation into unleashing war. The man will go off!
This is EXACTLY how I feel! They are merely exploiting the Christian right and their gullibility. Nobody EVER dares ask Bush to delve into any Christian verse because they know darn well it is a sham…the only way to cover up his drug past was through the born again excuse(excuse here because he wasn’t, not because I don’t believe in God and Christ). Funny they would railroad Huckabee, who should be the quintessential right wing Christian candidate. As a liberal, I don’t mind him at all. I think he is honest and moral and would act accordingly. He would have to be checked on gay rights and abortion, but at least he won’t go killing masses of people in the name of personal and familial profit. But no righty wants him because they’re hypocrites. They want you to VOTE, not PARTICIPATE…more power to you on this one Charles.
kudos to Barkley and also to Blitzer for expanding it.
Awesome!
I hope more people like Barkley speak out. I am sure there are plenty.
Hey Charles - how about adding me to your fave five…
As you may remember, Barkley was a very vocal Republican not that many years ago
Rich fucking sellout, piss off Chuck.
Barkley has always spoken his mind, and is a pretty intelligent
individual. When I lived in Houston, I loved the interviews he’d
give to local sports reporters…they were always opinionated
and funny.
The reporters quickly learned to not ask questions that they
really didn’t want elaborate answers to…they also learned that
Barkley wasn’t the blowhard that he had been pegged as, but
rather had serious opinions.
If a man speaks his mind…and he means it (Rep / Dem) you got to respect it. I believe he was sincere. I say Good for him, he has the balls to say these things, I support him!
I watched that when it aired and enjoyed it very muchhhhhhh!!!!!
BTW, Barkley has said that “I was a Republican, until they went insane!”
And why do actors and former athletes feel qualified to be Governors? Is it something about reading a script, or your soft left hander in the lane, that makes you willing to run, or your name recognition/notoriety?
Sheesh. Paris for President
BAM!!! Finally another Christian who understands Christianity isn’t about judgement and oppression, but grace and forgiveness. As a Christian I’m so sick of these “conservatives” hijacking my beliefs and perverting them to meet their own political ends I don’t know what to do!
I keep telling my wife the same thing.
Remember SNL? I’ve nicknamed my wife the “Church Lady”. Just because I’m in a rock band, I’m going to hell. Blah!
“I’m on a highway to Hell…”
Boy, Blitzer is so goddam gutless.
Wny be nasty to the man? He saw the error of his ways and came over to the
rightcorrect side.Welcome Mr. Barkley!
fake ChristianS … aka as HYPOCRITS!
PUBLIC PRAYER
My favorite fake “Christian” hypocrisy was called precisely that - hypocrisy - by the man Himself.
And yet who is always insisting on their “right” to public prayer?
The fake Christians.
And who is always trying to force prayer into the public schools?
The fake Christians.
And who makes praying together in their houses of worship the very foundation of their “religion”?
The fake Christians.
They use group prayer to program their followers’ minds.
They are a cult .. not a religion.
I love a man (or woman) with some guts and courage. Too few of them in this country. WAY too few.
He said more in the interview:
Barkley Interview
I’m sure Charles will be bad mouthed by the loony right: Ann will say Charles is against traditional marriage, Rush will make fun of Charles’ skin color or something else completely irrelevant, Bill’O-job will send his Faux police to Charles house!
But we need more people who are willing to stand up for what is right - regardless of what “the Man in Drag”, “the Man in Fat” or “the hardly-a-man-at-all” have to say about it.
They act like they’re Christians.
Ugh….brace yourself Alabama. You are going to get the chance to be run by another “celebrity” with no savy other than shooting free throws. Good luck.
I wonder of Limbaugh is still so buddy-buddy with Barkley.
Whoo boy, that’s some quality interviewing there, Wolf.
Well, I agree with what this man said, but who’s Charles Barkley?
Peace!
Conrad @ 14:
HAHAHAHHAA. That was solid!
I am sure Charles the hero (i must say that because he will throw me through a plate glass window otherwise) has reached this conclusion entirely by judging all of the man’s merits.
“And why do actors and former athletes feel qualified to be Governors? Is it something about reading a script, or your soft left hander in the lane, that makes you willing to run, or your name recognition/notoriety?”
odanny,
Do you mean why do guys like Ronald Reagan feel qualified to run as governors?
Pandering to the Christians is done by the left as well as the right. I’d like to see more hollering and outrage about that aspect of religion in politics.
thank you Charles,about damn time.
This is representative of a Goldwater type republican that still does exist. Not really in big numbers but they are still out there. They still are psycho lunatics when it comes to the military and war but believe religion should not be involved with govt decision making. They generally can be talked to and met halfway. They have no future with today’s republican party unfortunately. Reagan used the religious right for his benefit and let the genie out of the bottle. It’s going to take a monumental effort to retake that party from those lunatics.
I think it’s called name-recognition and a false sense of entitlement.
Paolo @ 32:
That’s what I thought when I heard that. And to top it off the “you can’t possibly mean that, they’re good people” bs at the end showed who wolfie serves.
Straight Shooter @ 37:
The left does it about 1/10 as much as the right does.
Mike Huckabee runs around saying that the constitution should be changed to fit the bible for chrissakes!
odanny @ 15:
right on!
I will vote for Barkley, if I live in Alabama and am eligible to vote in the year 2015.
Like my (black) friend used to say,
“sometimes you need to call a spade, a spade”
The Freepers are going ballistic and whipping themselves into a racist frenzy over the comments: http://www.freerepublic.com/fo.....1132/posts
Behind Obama and Clinton
must read
It would have been interesting if when WB said, “……they’re good people.” CB had said, “yeah, ok they’re good people, so name five of these “good people” for your viewers.
For me the war is the most demonstrative example of what faux christians believe.
“Yes I know my enemies
They’re the teachers who taught me to fight me
Compromise,
Conformity,
Assimilation,
Submission
Ignorance,
Hypocrisy,
Brutality,
The Elite
All of which are American dreams….All of which are American Dreams…All of which are….”
Rage Against the Machine/Know Your Enemy
I don’t think the average fundie Republican ever read that far into the bible. Old Testament judgmental is more their speed. Well those who live by the sword…
what’s up with wolf not listening to the guy?
more over, what’s up with wolf asking actual questions of that guy? it’s not like he ever asks substantive questions of actual politicians.
Jeff @ 29:
FYI: It’s an accurate quote from CNN’s website. Any suggestions/corrections should be directed they’re way…
Ok OT but I have to put this down somewhere.
The most recent random killing sprees splashing across my TV screen gave me pause. I think it is horrible what happend to the people who are randomly killed by deranged gunmen, just as 911 was horrible.
However, the former have helped bring something home for me. With what seems like increasing instances of random deranged gunmen killing the innocent, it just makes the systematic shredding of our constitution all the more egregious.
Illegal spying has little or no chance of catching a terrorist as it does of catching one of these deranged folks. Yet we probably have a greater chance of being killed by a deranged gunman than from a terrorist attack. (just guessing, don’t have statistics)
So we need to stop being scared into giving up our civil rights and let the intelligence agencies get out of the business of illegal spying and torturing people illegally. Get back to the basics: infiltrate these groups and start changing hearts and minds. Stop making war and therefore more terrorists.
adam @ 9:
He quit the Thug party back in ‘04 when he said “The Republicans have lost their damned minds!”
He really would make it an interesting race if he ran for Governor of Alabama. And I liked that last remark:
“They can’t do anything to me; I don’t work for them.” A true MasterCard moment, indeed.
In light of these spot-on comments from Mr. Barkley, I would like to announce my endorsement of Barack Obama as the next president of USA. Although I live in Europe, I greatly admire this country with it’s pros and cons - as every country has. Mr. Obama would not only inspire America, but his qualities as a great leader will surely spark hope amongst many a citizen of the Earth as well.
We in Europe still remember those brave American soldiers who, defying the evil Nazis, lost their lives to bring democracy back to our countries. We remember the relief when seeing these courageous men with blue helmets, greeted by the population, flowers and confetti being thrown into the air. Without the Marshall Plan Europe wouldn’t have risen from the ashes of general devastation