Crossing the American public
The Bush administration was unusual for its anti-intellectualism and its deep seated hypocrisy and arrogance, wrapped up neatly in an evangelical package. Whenever things got tough, President Bush would invoke God in some way or if not the deity himself, his opinions ("These people are evil"). He's not the only politician to drape a religious toga around his shoulders and have a self-righteousness party, but he is the first President to openly identify himself with evangelicals and to invoke religion in any but the most cynically abbreviated way. I am not talking about privately held religious belief, which is to Bushism like the difference between marital sex and an orgy.
I had thought that like the baby in the bathwater, this religious crassness would drain away when the plug was finally pulled on the Bush administration, but alas it is not to be.
Religion has figured way too prominently already in the presidential campaigning where many of the candidates (at least the Republicans), instead of repudiating Bushism, are running around the Midwest, reassuring the lay deacons that they embrace it.
Huckabee is trying to persuade everyone that he speaks for all Baptists and s a ghostly cross appears in some of his television ads. McCain has been ducking the issue personally, but identifies with the values of evangelical voters. Mitt Romney is trying to convince everyone that Mormonism is just as hard-core evangelical as the loudest of the Baptists while downplaying the weirdness that lingers around the fringe of the Mormon Church. Giuliani is trying to fast talk his way out of his support for abortion rights and Fred Thompson is trying to calmly backdoor bullshit his way into the White House by hoping voters will confuse his southern accent with his religious beliefs. Ron Paul has some crazy opinions about giant ordained badgers baptizing the IRS or something equally odd.
On the Democratic side, John Edwards, who Lord knows has more of a reason to pray than his colleagues (his wife has cancer), is a Methodist but refuses to discuss much beyond that. Hillary Clinton is also has a Methodist but has been vocal about bringing religion out in the open in American public life. Obama is trying to convince everyone that he is not a closet Muslim.
Where is the candidate who will say "Religious beliefs are every American's right to hold. We are here to elect the leaders of a secular government, which no matter what their personal beliefs, will not now or ever factor into my or anyone who works for me's decision making."
The First Amendment says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Thomas Jefferson described it as " building a wall of separation between church and state". I am willing to donate a brick if anyone knows a good builder.
Posted on December 20, 2007
