I think he will be fine and considering the thumper that put our country in the dumper, minorities especially looking at a black president will listen to his words, even if they dont agree with nonbelievers. Our common ground outside of right wingers, even Mormons, is that xenophobia has prevented them as well from holding high public office.

The difference between Bush and Obama, is that Bush was trying to unify Christians, not all citizens. Obama is pointing out, as he did in our address that because we are growing, we cant cling to the past.

He understands what the founders must have faught over between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution, that the sectarian squablling as to which god and how to represent him, the founders threw up their hands and left out the mention of a specific god other than to say we will not be for or against any religion, but we, the founders, will leave that personal issue up to you.

This is a concept lost on the right wing and Bush preyed upon that ignorance and was backed up by the funding of theocrats who sold a revisionist attitude about the founders intent.

I think because our economy is in such shambles and the wars are questionable as to long term success, people are now open to the idea the actions are more important than religious claims. It is unfortunate that it took Bush to teach people that lesson. Hopefully this time it will stick.

And Jefferson owned slaves and I am not embarrassed to quote him.

"Baby steps".

In theory politicians should be able to tell religious people, "No I wont speak in your church, but you are invited to a public forum where all are welcome to disscuss what we have in common", if you listen to that speech when he talks about abortion, he clearly says that you cant present your case from a sectarian viewpoint. I cant think of a better place to confront people with their phobias than in their own den."

Many of the founders were abolitionists, but how far would they have gotten at the time if the war's platform that they were selling was making blacks equal. They did the best they could and worked with what they had at the time.

To hear a President, not a congressmen, not a media pundit, but a President saying that "non believers are citizens" in his inaugural adress is a milestone and certainly reflective of the criticism even the founders had of pulpit politics.

But as they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day".

How many Jews could Oscar Shindler have saved if he went around saying, "You cant hurt them, they are human. They are equal to us".

Cut him some slack. He may be a typical politician in many ways, but for someone to confirm our citizenship right after 8 years of theocracy and Big Brother mentality, took balls.

If it takes him going into a church to call us citizens, I am all for it, and mind you, I have been keeping up with his campain, and he has, which the media has not put on the front burner, repeatedly stated that atheists were citizens.

So it wasn't just this video where he said that. My friend Rodney watched his train speech, in person and he said the same thing.

He knows we wont be treated equally right now, because he cant demand it. But just like some of the founders were abolitionists, he is doing what he can so that eventually we will not be treated like we have a third eye.

The original video was removed by the user (I think), I added a new one in it's place.

 It's really, really weird to look at the President of the United States, and think that I'd like to talk to him. Not only that, but if I did talk to him, I wouldn't have to be afraid of saying something that he wouldn't understand. Also being bombed.

No, seriously. I'm Canadian (for those who don't know) and have been embarrassed for my American friends for 8 years. 8 years! The President of the United States is permanently associated with idiocy in my mind. Between Reagan and Bush Jr, that's half my life that a moron has been ostensibly in charge of your country!

Who the fuck is this brown guy who can actually read? I can practically hear Strauss in the background, with a giant 2001:space odyssey monolith rising up, and being touched by the President's Office.

I don't care if he's a miracle worker or not, or even if he'll be able to come up with everything that he promised. At least you don't have to be embarrassed to be associated with your own government anymore. That sucked to watch.

Wow.  I'll be adding that to the mental image I had for the last 8 years of Bush standing over the Constitution and urinating on it.

The full speech this is from is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tdoQr3BQ1g Unfortunately, it's not quite as anti-xtianity as the commentors in the video would suggest.