Thank the Republicans for great prime time entertainment

These debates have been wonderful theater and quite entertaining. I confess to watching all of all of them. Perhaps I should get a life.

Ah, the irony, the spectacle, the agony:

Newt: I like Newt. Newt hits home runs, bunches of them, in the debates. But Newt is a walking political time bomb. I lightly defended his adultery and multiple marriages in past months but the latest renewal of the marital revelations makes it tough. Can South Carolinia evangelicals dismiss these and feel comfortable with Newt, his moral failures, and his former adulteress, third, current, and hopefully last wife as First Lady?

I'd vote for Newt for Visionary-in-Chief but not president. His ability to debate Obama will be far less important than his lack of ability to put forth a record of character, consistency, and integrity.

Santorum: He described himself last night as not the flashiest candidate but steady, slow, consistent. Hmmm, a plodder. I kinda like the concept there, Rick. The more I hear Santorum, the more I like him. I just don't think we need a plodder as our candidate in 2012.

Paul: Unelectable. I'm still with Krauthammer who says that libertarianism is not a governing philosophy. Paul can be the Goldwater of our time - get waxed in the election but successfully frame the debate for future successes. I'd rather win the election.

Romney: I'd settle on him were I in SC.

You know the Lord has a sense of humor or we wouldn't have the scenario we have in SC:

• The best fellow evangelical candidate, Perry, was talked into dropping out by his wife this week so that he wouldn't be embarrassed by coming in behind a Mormon, a good catholic, a new catholic former Baptist, and the libertarian. He of the mammoth prayer rally back in August can get only the dregs in SC. Should be sued for political malpractice.
• Evangelicals get to choose between one member of what we always called a religious cult, a former Southern Baptist, thrice married, now Catholic or a lifelong Catholic...
• ...leaving Paul, a Baptist, as the most acceptable evangelical but who deliberately and principally refuses to cater to evangelicals on their pet issues.

It's gonna be fun...

From on high: Evangelical leaders meet to find a candidate

When the so called evangelical leadership of America meets, should ordinary workaday folks like us (a) ignore them, (b) be wary of them, or (c) thank God we finally have a word from on high about how to conduct ourselves in the remaining 2012 Republican primaries?

Plodder quickly makes a critical executive decision to cast his ballot for (a).

In a reminder that Paul Pressler was a secular political shaker and mover before and after the SBC Resurgence, the worthies met at his Houston home for their grave deliberations. I wasn’t invited. Shucks.

Gary Bauer (a forgotten former presidential candidate), James Dobson (the evangelical star whose supernova has dimmed considerably the past few years), Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and a bunch of others finally voted to consolidate around a non-Romney GOP candidate.

They settled on, get this, the non-evangelical Rick Santorum, staunch Catholic. Go figure.

This whole thing is a delightful spectacle:

• The most solid evangelical is Rick Perry, who had the mammoth prayer rally in the same city to kick off his campaign back in August but who has since flopped repeatedly. Our evangelical leaders evidently recognize that Perry is Texas toast as a presidential candidate. Oops.
• Their number two top evangelical candidate was thrice married Newt Gingrich, whose matrimonial activity must have been more than Perkins and the FRC could swallow, not to mention that former Southern Baptist Gingrich is no longer an evangelical but a Catholic colleague of Santorums.
• Ron Paul's an evangelical. His name wasn't even mentioned in reports of the summit.
• Poor Mitt Romney, not an evangelical but, having one marriage and a pristine family life, presumably meets all the moral qualifications for Pressler and his angst ridden dinner crowd but cannot get a sniff of support.

While they meet in Texas, Romney's lead in SC is over 20 points. He is almost assured of being the nominee, but I don't want to be the one to tell the evangelical leaders that their grand summit to settle on a non-evangelical candidate probably isn't worth much except as fodder for news for a day or two.

I want to like Rick Perry...

...but he is such a disappointment.

On being Commander In Chief, Perry continually, incessantly, reminds us that he has been C-in-C of the 20,000 strong armed forces of Texas. Last night he added that these troops were deployed in several "theaters of operation."

Huh?

Yep. The theater of Brownsville, El Paso, perhaps Dallas and San Antonio (gotta keep the Alamo safe, I suppose). All the hot spots of Texas.

Good grief.

Since he has done such a stellar job of C-in-Cing all those troops in all those theaters, I think I'll go ahead and award Perry the five stars that McArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, Marshall, and Bradley had.

So, Rick, go to SC for your last hurrah and then just fade away. We've had enough levity from you already. Thanks.

Plodder assesses presidential candidates...

Happy to be of help.

I would have caucused for Rick Santorum, were I a frigid Iowan last evening. Instead I worked down my wood pile and stayed warm at home in the basement. It went down to 20 degrees last night here.

Santorum: Sure, I told him to drop out back on October 22nd which should have been a hint about the worth of my political savvy. I admit that the more I listened to him, the better I liked him. Although he will not be the nominee, he has proven himself to have sufficient presence to be looked at as presidential...

...something to contrast to Newt Gingrich. How could fellow Georgian Newt rise and fall so far, so fast? To be so slick in the debates and then revert to form the last couple of weeks is puzzling...unless it is just Newt being Newt. Come on, Newt, drop out and be an idea guy.

Bachmann...the more I watched her the more she grated on me. All this 'titanium spine,' 'iron lady,' and 'most ready' stuff...she's been in the House for five years, one of 435 members of that body for crying out loud. After a while, just incessantly declaring yourself to be The Man needs some bolstering through real achievement. Go back to the House and get some things done Michelle.

Best move Rick Perry has made...going back to Texas to 'reassess' things. Oops, guess all those millions of dollars are gone. The pundits say Perry is really likeable one-on-one but, like a pastor has to deliver from the pulpit, so a politician has to do well before the crowds and TV. Bye bye.

Paul. Unelectable. Can get 20 or so percent of Iowans. Could get maybe 15 percent of the popular vote. Like Krauthammer said way back, Libertarianism isn't a governing philosophy.

Romney. I voted for him in the 2008 Georgia primary. The big Mormon dog in this race. Will be tough to beat.

This will be an entertaining year up un till the GOP has the clear nominee, then a depressingly negative grind until the November election with the two spending a couple of billion trashing the other.

Friday commentary on the human condition

...it's all around us.

Stealing a page from the National Hockey League, where the old cliche ('we went to a fight and a hockey game broke out') has been retired, two college basketball teams had an unholy brawl recently. Scholar athletes cum thugs spoke of being 'disrespected' and bragged about being 'gangstas,' the former a killing offense in some circles and the latter a virtue. Many thanks to the coach of one team who noted that his university was the place where the polio vaccine was created and that basketball is (gasp!) just a game. Good words, coach. Now control your thugs.

Upwards of ninety percent of churches will have some worship this Christmas, a Sunday. The newsworthy item is, of course, the remaining ten percent. "We're too busy" sayeth the cutting edge ten percenters. Sure.

Rick Perry is desperately trying to get a decent following and has pulled out all the stops to tout himself as the best Christian. Sure, Rick, have at it. But it would be helpful if you could demonstrate competence for the job that you are seeking. So far, you haven't.

This is my first Christmas season as a non-pastor after three decades as a pastor. I'm missing some of the serious eating that was part of pastoral duties during this time.

Do Southern Baptists really prefer another four years of a Christian president, Barack Obama, to four years of a Mormon president, Mitt Romney? I'll bet you ten thousand dollars that when it comes to voting, my colleagues will vote for the Mormon.

I don't care what people say or how many people have ebook readers, I like the heft, the rustle of pages, and the look on a shelf of REAL books.

Three Sundays consecutively I have visited other churches. I have yet to hear the pastor of a church preach. Some would call me lucky...

Random Friday stuff: Paterno/Mohler, Perry/Cain,

Paterno is out, his final chapter, an ugly one, being written for him. It didn't have to end this way.

Al Mohler steps up to say more elegantly what I said earlier, and plainer: Pick up the phone. Call the cops.

But the problem for Southern Baptists is more complicated. The PSU crimes are years in the past. What happens today when SBC churches or clergy are accused or involved in crimes a decade or more in the past? Ask Christa Brown. I don't have a simple, plain solution.

And does Al Mohler have a copy of This Little Light in his reknown library?
_____________________________

We are a nation of political pundits. Here's my punditry:

Rick Perry, continuing to be the incredible shrinking candidate, wants to be Commander in Chief, not Debater in Chief. Sorry, demonstrate competence in simple things before being given the presidency. His latest gaffe makes him more likeable but less electable.

Hummon, bro, 9-9-9 cannot be the answer to every question posed to you. I'm afraid Cain has reached his high water mark even if you excise the sexual harrassment talk of the past two weeks.

Huntsman, Santorum, Bachmann...you are all just taking up valuable time that the other candidates, ones who actually have a chance of winning, might use. Declare victory and depart.
_____________________________

Plodder advises presidential candidates...

...and, no, they didn't ask so I will not charge for the advice.

Herman Cain: Hummon, stop winging it, bro. Running for president isn't like doing your radio talk show. Next opportunity, thank all the other candidates for talking exclusively about your 9-9-9 plan (or, 9-0-9 plan). Keep up the good sense of humor which makes a nice contrast with several snit-infused other candidates.

Mitt Romney: Love your congeniality but once every day let's see a great big scowl because if you are elected there are some world leaders that respond only to angry scowls and a few predator drones. Stick with your 642 point economic plan and don't apologize it but pick a few simple points to push. Mormon/Schmormon - tell 'em you aren't running for pastor-in-chief.

Rick Perry: Drop the swagger. Drop the cheap shots. Drop the Texas stuff. Drop the little ruse of announcing that you will have an exciting new position on whatever the next week. Heck, drop out before all the evangelicals fall into a deep depression over your underwhelming performances. If you have any original ideas, by all means now is the time to let us know. Drop Jeffress from your Christmas card list. He didn't do you any favors.

Newt Gingrich: Since you are obviously the candidate who actually has something to say, just show up and keep talking but when the question is on faith, you might make your answer as short as possible. See my advice to Romney on running for commander-in-chief, not pastor or moral example-in-chief.

Ron Paul: Stick around as long as you can. You don't have a snowball's chance of being elected but I love your consistency. Don't get any big hopes of being anyone else's VP...I think you have successfully burned all those bridges.

Rick Santorum: We already know you have umpteen kids. Is that why you always seem mad at everyone? In fact, astute observers note that you have about six more kids than percentage points of supporters. Drop out.

Michelle Bachmann: Find something to say that doesn't start with, "I was the leader in congress against...." And we know you had several dozen kids and foster kids and commend you for it but my gaggle of astute observers note that you have about a dozen times more kids that you have percentage points of supporters. Drop out.

Jon Huntsman: Skip all of the remaining debates like you did the last one. Treasure your earlier shining moment with the shovel ready dog poop jobs and call it a day.

Always happy to help...

Still searching for that political messiah

One would think that the lesson of the apostles would be sufficient to cure the followers of Christ from hungering and thirsting for a political messiah. But no, it seems to be an endless search at least for American evangelical Christians.

Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann are the latest incarnations. I'm getting emails touting the fervor of the faith of Perry, as if one should go ahead and apply the term parousia to him.

Plodder was a bit put off by the Perry prayer project, er rally, with both eyebrows raised over the confluence of his political and spiritual aspirations (my humble offering on it here). There is an evangelical vote. He's after it.

Madam Titanium will uncompromisingly confront the culture. One need not be the leader of the free world to do that.

Count me as having learned the lesson that (a) there will always be those who are looked upon as political messiahs and saviors, and (b) that they will always disappoint.

Jimmy Carter was the most godly president I know of. Unsuccessful president.

Reagan never went to church, nor talked up the evangelicals, but did well as president.

Bush the First: Good Episcopalian, decent president.

Clinton/Gore: Our two Southern Baptists; we had the board covered with Southern Baptists, but few of us voted for them.

Bush the Second: Great testimony, greatly expanded the welfare state and deficit spending.

And no one did anything with the social agenda.

The solution is spiritual, not political.

I have ceased to eagerly await a political messiah but remains steadfast in expectation of the Blessed Hope, the one who is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

He may come the first Tuesday in November 2012, but will not be on the ballot.

The Epiphany of Perry, the Shining Evangelical Christian Knight

What might get Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s Richard Land together in the same room with female megapreacher Joyce Meyer and, ugh, Kenneth Copeland?

Why, a common political purpose, I suppose – the election of Rick Perry who is beginning to look like the choice of the Religious Right for the 2012 presidential election.

Ex-SBCer James Robison, who fell from SBC grace years ago, summoned our two big guns (really big guns in Hatari Patterson’s case) to meet with Meyer, Copeland, David Barton, Ruth Graham and about 75 others at his HQ in Euless, TX. They had a little confab on saving the nation.

Alas, Plodder wasn’t invited to be among the Christian Worthies. I'll try to cope.

Reported from Robison’s spirituo-political summit:

It’s not about politics but about revival.

It’s not about ‘who’ but ‘what.’

Purely spiritual.

Yeah, sure. It's political. It's about who. It's partly spiritual.

Participants were reported to hunger and thirst for their Shining Christian Knight, presumably Perry, to use the campaign to get the nation to pray and straighten up and fix all these messes.

I'm deep, deep into cynicism here but the more I read the less I like the concept of another political messiah like the one the country elected in 2008: Obama, the Anointed One.

Bah humbug. I want a president who can run the country. I don't want a president who thinks he is Moses, or, to give him the benefit of the doubt, one whom our supposed spiritual leaders thinks is Moses.

Am I too far afield in asserting that there is no political salvation to the nation’s problems?

Is it heresy to state that God doesn’t need politicians to invoke revival and spiritual awakening?

Isn't it more likely that they will mess it up anyway?

Hey, Rick! Run for office. Throw your sombrero in the ring. I'll vote for you if you're the Republican nominee. Go for it. But don’t let them talk you into hijacking God as your running mate.

Report of the meeting of Robison's Evangelical Oligarchy may be found here:

Did the road toward the White House begin in Euless?

Rick Perry playing evangelicals with prayer rally?

Rick Perry may run for president. I may vote for him if he does. He would be preferable to many of the GOP candidates and infinitely preferable to the present occupant of the White House.

But my radar is up on politicians who start marshalling the evangelical Christian vote and I'm getting a pretty strong reading on Perry. Not that other politicians aren't capable of the same but I just hate to get the feeling that evangelical Christians are just another voting bloc to be wooed, cajoled, and romanced into one politician's camp.

I started getting fwd:fwd:fwd emails last week about Perry's big prayer meeting - evangelical notables pumping 'our kind of guy' and all that. I'm all for prayer. I'm perfectly willing to grant the benefit of the doubt to him. I'm not questioning his sincerity in the prayer meetin'. Maybe it just looks like the governor has started to strum the evangelical strings as a prelude to declaring his candidacy.

There are critics. Some far more harsh than anyone quoted in this article: Perry's upcoming prayer event draws sharp criticism

So, this is merely Plodder pondering on the Perry prayer pow wow. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Perry, if he had thought of it, would have called for a mass prayer meeting back when Obamacare was passed, or when the Congress was furiously spending our grandchildren's trillions rather than when it's time to fish or cut bait on running for president in 2012.

Maybe the funny feeling I'm getting over this is too much sun, sugar, and cholesterol.

Hope so...