Buddy Jesus, Buddy Huckabee

I am of two minds about Huckabee. In person he is clear, pleasant, serious, everything you want. He has said some things that were very smart and sharp and focused and supportable. But I cannot stop this developing judgment of mine that his brand of religion and politics is in many ways exactly what's so messed up and weird about America. Of course it's better if people have faith and aren't obese, in my opinion, but is it right to vote for a man for President because his Christianity is particularly friendly in its practical orientation to healthy, happy living? I still need to broach the questions that Noah posed to me recently, and will, I promise, but Huckabee still presents this picture to me of a guy who people will vote for because he feels like the kind of person they would like to feel like they are. I suppose this is just the way charisma in the safe, nonpathological sense works, but it still gives me pause, especially given the way that it can be enlisted in the service of a national good cop, bad cop routine.

Comments

[Joules]

I remember when our pastor first arrived at our church four years ago. He is not one to equate being a Christian with being a patriotic American. He started inching the U.S. flag out of the sanctuary: first it left the platform then languished off to the side. Once the sanctuary was remodeled, the flag never reappeared. It was replaced with a huge cross that looks like it's going to eat everyone on the platform.