Obama Speaks of "My Muslim Faith"-- Watch and Listen, Decide

[John317]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMUgNg7aD8M

Context: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVn59TC2QqM&feature=related

What do you think?

[John317]

I can't imagine making a slip of the tongue and saying "my Muslim faith," "my Buddhist faith," "my Catholic faith," or anything like that.

How did this happen? The interviewer had to correct Obama's slip and say, "... your Christian faith,' and then Obama says, "yes, my Christian faith... you know where I'm coming from."

There is no question it was a mistake and something Obama could not conceivably have meant to say.

[Bravus]

It's pretty clear that he is talking about the *allegation* that he has a 'Muslim faith' - and the fact that the people he is talking about have not raised that allegation.

[John317]

Ok. I think you could very well be right.

“Let’s not play games,” he said. “What I was suggesting — you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you’re absolutely right that that has not come.”

Mr. Stephanopoulos interrupted with, “Christian faith.”

“My Christian faith,” Mr. Obama said quickly. “Well, what I’m saying is that he hasn’t suggested that I’m a Muslim. And I think that his campaign’s upper echelons have not, either. What I think is fair to say is that, coming out of the Republican camp, there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I’m not who I say I am when it comes to my faith — something which I find deeply offensive, and that has been going on for a pretty long time.”

But if that was an appropriate, correct thing to say, why would the interviewer correct it to "my Christian faith" and then Obama agree that he intended to say, "my Christian faith"?

I think the fact that the interviewer thought Obama had misspoken shows that the phrase "my Muslim faith" was not appropriate there.

Let's say someone was making the allegation that I am a Hindu. Would it be appropriate in that context for me to say, "You are absolutely right that those people have not been talking about my Hindu faith"?

I might say, "You are right that they they not been saying I am Hindu," but I don't think it makes sense to say, "they are not talking about my Hindu faith."

At the very least, in someone who expresses himself so well-- and in an attorney who knows the meaning of language-- it seems like a very awkward thing to say.

But then anyone can make a slip, even the best speakers or writers.