Using faith as a campaign gimmick

[NV1962]

A fascinating read, this profile by WaPo's Alan Cooperman of the religious alter ego of George W. Bush.

Bush doesn't mind pandering to arch-conservative Catholics like the Knights of Columbus - as long as he won't get caught straying beyond the use of code words that resonate well with the fundies. There's no need to imply he's getting ready to turn this country into a theocracy; he painstakenly sticks to being his plainspoken, folksy and subliminable self.

Fat chance you'll catch him saying openly that abortion equals murder, for example. He just attends a campaign rally where the rapturous crowd is primed with a documentary about an Italian woman who chose to die after giving birth to an instantly orphaned daughter, instead of having a life-saving abortion. Pope John Paul II thinks that was so cool of her that he posthumously bestowed the Catholic equivalent of the President's Medal of Freedom, putting her on the fast track for induction in the Catholic hall of fame: sainthood no less.

(more)

[punpirate]

1. This article seems to have avoided...

... the "God speaks through me" and "God told me to strike Saddam and I did" remarks, hasn't it? And the "crusade" remarks that were rather quickly swept under the diplomatic carpet. And the pumping his fist in the air, pronouncing that starting an illegal war, "feels good!"

Not to mention his outbursts of temper, for which he is legendary--long after his conversion. Or that the dominionists get ready access to the White House while others with more important issues don't get a hearing.

With any luck, the public will find him out for the wacko that he is. Hey, Hitler talked a lot about God, too.

Leave it to the WP to write a puff piece that says Bush's faith is an enigma. He might be religious, but in a way that most people would describe as insanely so.

[KharmaTrain]

2. It's Tough To Soundbite These...

since too many people in this country...especially in the "red states" believe those buzzwords or variations of them.

Give the Rove Machine credit, it's got their boy buzzing words right and left and throwing out the red meat and sound bites to the various right wing and fundie groups that have them ready to cram those church busses and flock to the polls.

The media ignores these messages as the Democrats can't find just one lie to focus one...jumping back and forth from one Rove game to another...from Swiftboats to IBM Selectrics to Who Duped Rather and so on. Meanwhile the buzzwords and soundbites are playing on local hate radio and TV newscasts.

[NV1962]

4. Have you read "Jesus plus nothing?"

I have a link to the text of it in the article, in case you haven't I recommend it - as long as it is.

But that's the eerie, stealthy "rapture" obsessed crowd that the Selectable panders to; although more attention is given to craven, power hungry hucksters like http://christianity.about.com/library/weekly/aa100302.htm">Pat Robertson, it's those shady groups that should give one pause. All too often, criticism of the real political agenda that they have is brushed half-minded under the broad blanket of the "inoffensive" nature of religious practice in general, whereas those guys are engaged in turning this country into place run by sects.

Honestly, it reminds me of Adolf H's obsessive affinity with occult, mystic groups who babbled on and on about "Thule" and the promise of a "revitalized" nation... Spooky resemblances.

That is why I attacked his seemingly "half-hearted" commitment to the ultra-fundies; he knows that by doing so, people won't see the trees for the religiously tolerant forest. The sight should scare 'em off...

[punpirate]

6. Oh, yes, I've read it....

That's why I mention the dominionists. Any administration with comfortable relations with them is more than a little worrisome.

Cheers.

[devinsgram]

5. The sad part is that the little shrub

has a mental problem. Everyone needs to read "Bush On The Couch." An extremely good book. He is the one who is "UNFIT".

[izzie]

3. Bush does this well .

Can any one believe we are going to be a second rate country that all go to fundie churches. Save us from the "Puritan's"

[laruemtt]

7. i suggest we play right along

with his little "faith" scam and call him and all of *co pharisees. repeat it loud and often. of course he'll have to go look it up in the bible and i'm sure he's too stupid to recognize himself in that parable. but maybe other gone-astray "christians" will remember what their faith is supposed to be all about.