One thing has been really bugging me throughout this very long, very fatiguing campaign. The accusation that Barack Obama is a Muslim drives me up a wall. First of all the evidence clearly indicates that he's not, but much much much much more importantly, it shouldn't matter. Not at all, not one bit. This is America, and there are Muslim-Americans who fight in Iraq, who run for Congress, who are every bit as American as my family or George Bush's family or John McCain's family. So if Barack Obama were a Muslim, I'd STILL vote for him. There are moderate Muslims all over the world (out of 1 billion people, I'm sure they don't all want to wipe Israel off the map), and I'm much more interested in a candidate's ability to affect change, position on the environment, position on Israel than anything else. And Obama's got it together on those counts. 

I've been ranting about this to everyone for months. It's a real pet peeve. But when Colin Powell said the same thing (and infinitely more eloquently than I could) on Meet the Press this Sunday, I have to say my heart leaped. Here is a moderate, thoughtful, former General who really knows a lot more than me about this country and he also thinks that the behavior of those who insist that a Muslim-American couldn't be President is deplorable. Of course, Obama isn't even a Muslim, but if he were, what would matter?

I almost feel like this is the Muslim version of the song If You Were Gay from Avenue Q. "If you were muslim, that'd be okay I mean cuz hey, I like you anyway. .. etc etc, followed by "but I'm not Muslim". Of course, it doesn't rhyme as well . . .

Anyway, check out the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_NMZv6Vfh8