Saturday, December 15, 2007

The Religious Reich

Here's a scary quote I read in Liz Clarke's profile of Mike Huckabee in the Washington Post this morning:

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer," [Huckabee] told a group of pastors on the eve of the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention. "I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives." He concluded that speech with words he says he'd phrase differently today: "I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."

I don't know which scares me more: that an American in 1998, with even a passing acquaintance with the First Amendment, could think that this is an appropriate agenda for an aspiring President, or that millions of people would vote for him based on this single criterion. And I realize he says he'd phrase it differently now, but I don't see how different phrasing would change the idea.

3 comments:

hepsmom said...

In my opinion, there have been FAR worse reasons for running for president. Two, which I can think of immediately, are to increase family oil profits and to achieve better hook-ups.

Jason said...

I don't know that Bush's agenda included increasing oil profits, but I can join you in the idea that he's a disaster as president. Worst of all time, as far as I can see.

As far a Slick Willie is concerned: I don't care how many fat girls he wanted to attach to his crotch--he was the best president since FDR, hands down. If he wanted to bugger Barney Frank during cabinet meetings, I'd be cool, as long as he got results. And he did. A more fiscally conservative president than either of the Bushes or Mindless Ronnie, and socially liberal enough to make sense.

If only he were running for office instead of his Wife-Bot. There's no there there with Hillary.

Jerry said...

Well, with a quote like that I am sure he has lost the vote of all the venerable members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster