Who Is This That Speaks Blasphemies?

So this past weekend CNN broadcast a hoedown called the Compassion Forum. The three mainstream presidential candidates were invited to speak about matters of faith and morality and two showed up. John McCain cited scheduling conflicts, which is very honest. Really, where would religious gaffes and misstatements fit into one's schedule? The longer he can run against just the idea of an opponent, the better for him.

Both Arsenal and the Galaxy proved yesterday that I pull for losers. Or more specifically, and relevant to the above, I pull for those with incredible but often thwarted potential. Last week in San Francisco, Obama again made the choice to speak to and about Americans as if we were adults who could honestly confront the curses that we're offered to keep things going. He had the temerity to say politicians use gay-baiting, reactionary religious themes, ethnic fears, and the salvation of guns to exploit people who may feel afraid, overwhelmed, and dis-empowered in a system that depends on their being afraid, overwhelmed, and dis-empowered to continue. The speech was initially given to a private group but word got out and some people jumped on it as evidence of how out of touch he is with "real people". He had to address this again at the Compassion Forum, and probably will continue to do so for a bit, especially because you can use fear to get elected but you can't point out that people use fear to get elected. Someone can say they'll make things better, but you can't actually point out how bad things might be. You can speak of the power of faith to change the world but if you actually do something like that you're crucified. All of this is somehow out of line, it's un-American. It's loser talk.

I want to treat this segue carefully lest I be accused of or actually engage in comparing Obama to Jesus in an untoward manner. Obama was talking as if religion is something real in people's lives, as if there is actually some power beyond a quaint piety or its soul-comforting aspects.* He thinks that there is an actual give and take and some relation between people's lives and the expressions of their faith. And he's the elitist. He sees faith as more than a Precious Moments figurine or a Thomas Kinkade print and he's out of touch with how faith may actually exist in someone's life. He's so far demonstrated in concrete ways that his faith is one that understands the possibility of evil in the world. Even, maybe especially, in our religious talk there is that possibility of evil infecting what we say and do so that it is a force for death. He's addressed that possibility in his own congregation and has the audacity to think that it applies elsewhere as well.

Faith and hope, if they are worth being called faith or hope confront that and require self-reflection and a willingness to let it die. This certainly is loser talk. Who wants to hear that what they believe to be good deserves to be destroyed? What's more, who, having much invested in the way things are, would want word to get out that things need not be as they are?

Obama's not Jesus. If you think I'm confused, don't let it be on that point. Nor do I think Obama should be our Christian president- as such. I think Obama should be our president and I happen to think his faith is one that challenges his sense of who we say we are in pursuit of what we could be. Again, that's loser talk. But I'm sick of winners, especially winners so confident in themselves and their sense of the world that they have no trouble pursuing a vision of the world after and for themselves.

That said, first place is better than third and 2-0-1 is better than 1-0-2.

All These I Have Observed, What Do I Still Lack?
Warning Sign- Talking Heads
Hymn of The Orient- Stan Getz
UncleJohn's Band- Grateful Dead
Train In Vain- The Clash
Love Street- World Party
Lola- The Kinks
Trompe Le Monde- Pixies
Gimmie Some Salt- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
World's a Mess; It's in My Kiss- X
Aluminum- The White Stripes

* Interestingly enough, I find President Jesus** most sympathetic when he tells his own story as the product of "a faith-based initiative". Just be sure to understand what I mean by sympathetic. Sympathetic sure, maybe even inspiring if one includes his years of buttholery in his "testimony", but he should be president no more than Stephen Baldwin.

** Some may have noticed the switch in nomenclature to "President Jesus" from "MY PRESIDENT", the lame duckiness, the drop in approval to die hard support only, the distancing from every corner, all seem to make this appropriate.