Last time I checked, a gaffe is a mistake or blunder someone makes themselves. I'm sure Obama didn't personally interview every single member of his entourage to make sure they held no homophobic views. The fault should lie with his staff. They are the ones who should be looking out for these things.

As to his statement, the non-committal vagueness is the same of thing Bush and Hilary have been doing for years. Why is Obama not allowed to also speak without saying anything?

I too, am at a loss as to how this is a gaffe. There is no mitake. Barack Obama's campaign has always been about bringing together differing groups. Obama is not responsible for Rev. Donnie McClurkin's views, nor should he "shun" McClurkin.

McClurkin can sing his gospel hits and take his place seated with the audience or backstage. As long as McClurkin doesn't preach his views on homosexuality, no problem. If he does, Obama should do exactly what he has always done: speak the truth.

Black America does have a problem with homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. Obama has been very direct about that. Perhaps Brother McClurkin will learn a thing or two from listening to Brother Obama.

The real issue here is NOT that Barack has a supporter who believes that gays should repent and turn from their 'ways', but that Barack is running to be the president for BOTH the gays and the non-gays. He is running to be the president of all the people not just some gay people or some opposed to the gay lifestyle. Barack has to be judged on his own beliefs on gays, and he has and will continue to bring more people together. Why are some gays surprised that someone who is in opposition to them could join to endorse the senator? This is about realizing that Barack is running for all the people, and it is wasting time to be surprised that some people who will support the senator will obviously have views which offend you or me or any other group who will be supporting Barack.

Well said.

Every American has a right to opinion. One of the things that trouble most about the GOP is their inability to accept differing views. Obama is showing that he can accept differing points of view from others. Obama has been correct on many issues where the so called main stream has invented "gaffes".

Hello, friends.

One post credits Obama's bringing together different groups. Think about it. What a sound, what an excellent idea.

Our first ancestors were black. We whites are modified blacks through micromutation &weakened. (Don't worry--micromutation isn't at odds with the creationist concept of a Supreme Being Who determined what life forms should be here. So what I wrote is not a controversial statement to any of the faithful with a latemodern education.) So don't on the basis of pigmentation withhold a vote from one who probably is our best bet.

Those with more pigmented skin are more enviable! and we're all relatively pigmented (my apologies going out to true albinos). We've all got much melanin the pigment, not expressed on the surface of our skin due to our having less of the activator melatonin. Now melatonin helps you sleep soundly and not get depressed. Nor would we be so susceptible to skin cancer, had we more melatonin. It's an advantage. And electing Obama would be to our national advantage. Perhaps the fact that he's had to demonstrate electability on the basis of good judgment rather than on any instant-popularity formula is why he manifests so many of those traits which are desirable in a leader. Or Almost all of these.