President John McCain: The Fear Factor

Last updated on: May 9, 2013 at 6:09 am by Faithful Democrats

President John McCain: The Fear Factor 2013-05-09T06:09:06-06:00 Faithful Democrats

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In the spirit of "It's My Turn" Bob Dole, Republicans once again choose fear over progress; tradition over hope; stay-the-course over humility.

In what has to be one of the more boring presidential nomination campaigns in US history, Sen. John McCain appears to be headed for victory unless, of course, divine intervention prevails in the Mike Huckabee ascension.

In the spirit of "It's My Turn" Bob Dole, Republicans once again choose fear over progress; tradition over hope; stay-the-course over humility. As though the past eight years of lies, distortions and corruption have failed to shame even the least erudite of the lumbering GOP, Republicans cannot bear to make a mid-course correction. Quietly into the night go Rudy Guiliani, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney, never, I suspect, to be heard from again.

Last week, Dr. James Dobson endorsed Huckabee, giving strength to the perception that evangelical Christians, the current power behind the presidential throne, will support anyone for whom familiar church phrases triumph over substance. Huckabee has thrown out such dog-whistle Christian gems as "the widow's mite," "five loaves and two fish" and "smooth stone versus a whole lot of armor,"[1] veiled references familiar to the faithful.

McCain, who cleverly skated on the Keating savings and loan scandal of the early ‘90's and has earned a reputation as a GOP maverick, is poised to stick his finger in the eye of the Christian Right while appealing to another more virulent faction – the "them or us" crowd of malcontents who live in a strange world of macho aversion to minority rights and power. The great cover for these folks is often a cabinet full of guns, cases of self-loaded ammunition and a fierce belief in individualism. They refer to this phenomenon as "conservatism," as though fear of losing your position in the pecking order could be spun as an ideology worth defending.

Needless to say, politically naïve Evangelicals and macho traditionalists have a lot in common. They are severely threatened by the daily barrage of encroaching foreigners and people boasting alternative lifestyles or political ideals. Both, however, are blustering paranoids whose security lies neither within the Kingdom of God nor in upscale suburban ghettos with their alarm systems, double-locked doors and community watch patrols.

Both currently oppose the McCain nomination for his lack of "conservative" principles. Both, however, will find a home with McCain as he begins to promote locking down America against the incursion of foreigners and ideas threatening tradition.

McCain has gone on the record as promoting a 100-yr. war in the Middle East – first in Iraq and moving on to Iran.[2] Once opposed to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, he now supports them. Look for him to align himself more closely to the walled-nation paranoia that has infected Israel and now the American job market.

All of this suggests a firm commitment to the military industrial complex that exports democracy as the inevitable gateway to capitalism, albeit that the two are often historically separate and distinct. Recall that communist China is becoming a major economic player on the world stage. Nevertheless, power brokers will find a friend in John McCain.

Nothing characterizes McCain's politics more, however, than his Zionist position with respect to Israel. In a 2002 speech to an AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference, McCain had this to say:

"The terrorist onslaught against her (Israel's) people represents not progress towards a re-foundation of historic Palestine but a plunge into an abyss of moral decay perpetrated in the name of the Palestinian people by their own leaders. There will always be an Israel, because the Israeli people will defend their homeland against murderers who pose as martyrs, and will never accept justice imposed on them by leaders who send children to kill their children."[3]

To illustrate how little the economic wellbeing of the average American means to those who have what they need and want, take a look at this jumble of words from the GOP candidate designee:

"Like Mike Huckabee, who joked recently that he may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night,' McCain suggested to reporters Monday that American consumer culture offered a short cut to expertise. 'The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should,' McCain said. 'I've got Greenspan's book.'" (Sasha Issenberg, "McCain: It's About The Economy," The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/, Posted 12/18/07)

This should bode well for those who long to keep America strong. Indeed!

[1] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18821021

[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFknKVjuyNk

[3] http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=16124&CategoryID=3

Featured Writers

Previous Post

February 9, 2008

Obama: Disturbing "Change"

Next Post

February 13, 2008 One of our own running against Goode

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category About Us About Us Action Center Advertise Ask a Theologian Ask a Theologian Blogs Books Campaign Blog Candidate Spotlights Commentary Donate Facebook Featured Writers Fellows Fellows From the Pulpit General Information Hillary Clinton Interfaith Blog Latest Media Center Media Center Media Center MyBlog MyBlog News Newsflash Newsflashes Our Team Reader Blogs RSS Sermon of the Week Shop Social Networking Static Items Support Talking Points Test blogs The Basics Theology Uncategorized YouTube

Select a Month November 2020 October 2020 February 2020 August 2019 July 2018 July 2017 March 2017 February 2017 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 January 2006 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

To whom did Jesus say, "Today you will be with me in paradise"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The repentant thief Peter Nicodemus Pilate