“I’m not coming here to ask for your vote. That’s up to you and it’s not the right place. But I am coming here to ask you for something very special and more important: I’m asking for your prayers. I’ve faced odds that were at times seemingly impossible, situations where people had given up hope, but we didn’t listen to the doubters, we didn’t listen to the naysayers. Fear not, be strong, and of good courage.”
The dangerous pandering and invocation of a higher being in return for political success has spread like a bad disease from one candidate to another. Besides, how are prayers going to be counted accurately? Talk about an Election Day nightmare…
You’d think it would simply be good taste to refrain from invoking Deity on the campaign trail.
As if any decent God would get involved in the dirty business anyway.
The worst part is that this hoakum goes down so well with some people– image trumps substance.
So staged photo-ops, empty slogans and slick TV ads pave the way to the White House for crooks and con artists.
Objectively, one can understand why is done in times of war, however, your second observation above applies there as well.
Vince:
Nobody ever accused our politicians of being guilty of good taste.
But give them credit: They are shrewd and manipulative con men who have mastered the basics of marketing themselves to their audience: pander to their basest instincts and promise them anything.
They understand exactly what made P.T. Barnum a success.
“Now ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t think this product is the greatest thing to come along sinced sliced bread, if it doesn’t live up to everything I’ve told you…..tell ‘ya what I’m gonna do…….”