McCain and God in Iowa

Lest you think that the religious right has modified its hatred of and opposition to Senator Barack Obama, consider the following.

McCain, who is almost certain now to lose the state of Iowa, is campaigning there nonetheless, trying to revive some interest in his candidacy. Iowa is a hotbed of religious right fruitcakes, which in past years, McCain called "agents of intolerance."

In this run for the White House, however, McCain knew from day one he could not possibly win without the votes of the Christian right and, as we all recall, has been crawling on bended knee seeking the blessings of Robertson and Dobson and Hagee, and of all those who spew hatred from their pulpits in the name of Jesus.

That's why he chose Sarah Palin, the Pentecostal nutcase and Alaska-firster, to be his VP running mate. McCain wants to win. He was ordered to put Palin on the ticket by the poohbahs of the Christian Right. Because McCain wants to win, he did what he was told.


Down in Iowa, in Davenport, McCain toned down his rhetoric after a few unpleasant encounters in Minnesota, and after numerous Republican leaders said he was inciting incivility and possible violence.

But it was in Iowa that old John caught a break.

The Rev. Arnold Conrad, being a fundy Christian of the Evangelical Free Church persuasion, tried to help out old John by calling down the power of God upon McCain's campaign. Conrad got up in front of the bunch who had gathered at the convention center for a McCain appearance and prayed thusly:

"I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god -- whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah -- that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons.

"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day."


Obviously, Mr. Conrad is a moron, with a poor grasp of syntax, who indicates a certain ignorance about Hinduism and Buddhism. But he's also a moron for opening up his mind and his prejudices in such a public manner. It's interesting that he thinks his god might not notice that his godly "reputation" could be soiled by an Obama victory, so he, Conrad, has to remind him, and that he's afraid all those other gods would be laughing their asses off in some pantheistic pantheon if Obama should gain entrance to the White House. So Conrad tries to help his old, tired, ignorant god along.

It's pathetic. Conrad is pathetic. McCain and his supporters are pathetic. Palin is perversely pathetic!

Conrad's god is pathetic.

[Note: The McCain campaign "distanced" itself from the Rev. Conrad's remarks. Hah! You can bet your bippy that's only for public consumption. You can also bit your bippy the McCaniacs welcome every single show of godly solidarity for the McCain machine they can get. It's easy to "distance" yourself after the damage is done. McCain's done that all of his life!]