ABC devoted its entire "This Week" on Easter Sunday to "God and Government," and not surprisingly the question of President Obama's faith prominently entered the discussion.
When it did, Cokie Roberts said, "The bad part about this is that it's acceptable to say that he's a Muslim because the same people won't say, 'I don't like him cause he's black'" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
STEVE ROBERTS: The word Muslim is a code word, and it's a metaphor. It's a metaphor for racism. It's a metaphor for he's different from us, he's not like us, he's got this funny name, which he says all the time. And it is - and he's an alien on some level. But this goes back to our earlier discussion, that there has always been a strain of America that wants to exclude the other. Exclude someone who's different...
(CROSSTALK)
COKIE ROBERTS: But - but - but the bad part about this...
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS, S.: But in the long run, the forces of...
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS, C.: Right. But - but...
(CROSSTALK)
RICHARD LAND, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: Forty seven percent of white people voted for him.
Actually, it's 43 percent, but still a spectacular point by Land that most on the panel missed and most in the country ignore. They also forget that shortly after his inauguration, Obama's favorability rating was around 75 percent. That includes a lot of white people as well.
What the media just can't get their hands around is that disapproval of Obama today isn't because he's black - it's because of his policies. Or do the 70 percent of the country that now believe the nation is on the wrong track also feel this way because the President is black?
EBOO PATEL, INTERFAITH YOUTH CORE: That's right.
ROBERTS, C.: ...because the same people won't - won't say, "I don't like him cause he's black." So it's - it's - and - and the fact that it's acceptable to dislike him because he's a Muslim is the problem that you were talking about.
Calling Americans racist, despite there being an African-American in the White House, is acceptable on Easter Sunday.
I doubt I'm the only one that felt this was highly inappropriate on such a holy day.
# # #
