As most of you have probably already heard, Sen. Barack Obama (Democrat-IL) has asked gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who has offended gay rights groups by promoting the view that homosexuality is a choice and that gays can be "cured," to sing at a campaign stop in South Carolina.
John Aravosis over at AmericaBlog is livid.
Earl Hutchinson of the Huffington Report thinks Obama should rescind the invitation.
What do I think? It's a HUGE misstep by a candidate fighting to catch up to Sen. Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. That is already a tall order and this definitely won't help.
Yes, this move has certainly dropped Obama a few pegs on my list. Whether or not he moves back into my good graces will depend largely on how he handles this. Unlike most of the blogosphere, I don't fault him for asking the guy to perform. After all, Obama's campaign is all about healing divisions, and that can only be done by reaching out to those he disagrees with.
But I'll be keeping my eye on the actual South Carolina event. If McClurkin uses his time on the stage to advance his anti-gay agenda, and if Obama doesn't school him for it, then we have a problem. In the mean time, everyone should take a deep breath.
