Obama's Got A Friend In [G.W. Bush's Favorite Philosopher]

Tim Cavanaugh | June 9, 2009

President Obama refers to Jesus Christ more often than President George W. Bush did. That's Jesus H. Christ to you, and Obama can't get enough of that man, writes Politico's Eamon Javers:

Obama's invocation of the Christian Messiah is more overt than Americans heard in the public rhetoric of Bush in his time in the White House - even though Bush's victories were powered in part by evangelical voters.

"I don't recall a single example of Bush as president ever saying, 'Jesus' or 'Christ,'" said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Christian group Family Research Council. "This is different."

Javers is coyness itself in stating that the Jeebus talk serves "at once as an affirmation of his faith and a rebuke against a rumor that persists for some to this day."

Javers writes that "Christian rhetoric offers an opportunity to connect with a broader base of supporters in a nation in which 83 percent of Americans believe in God." Bush on the other hand "was so closely politically identified with the Christian right that overt talk of Christ from the White House risked alienating mainstream and secular voters. Bush instead quoted passages from scripture or Christian hymns, as he did in his 2003 State of the Union Address when he used the phrase 'wonder-working power.' That sort of oblique reference resonated deeply with evangelical Christians but sailed largely unnoticed past secular voters." 

I have no beef with presidents quoting Zoroaster or the Eighth Dynamic in their rhetoric. I draw the line when they imply reality can be made to conform to holy metaphor, as Obama did in pulling the Sermon on the Mount into his speech on the economy at Georgetown University.

Beyond the pre-modern thinking required to believe an economy can be built on solid rock, the metaphor just makes no sense. Tourism: sand or rock? How about financial services? What's rockier: microprocessor manufacturing or customer call centers? Building automobiles is obviously not rock. But what about real estate? It's real, it tends to hold its value and they ain't making any more of the stuff: that's gotta be rock, right? So if we build an economy on real estate that will never go kerblooey. Actually, maybe the metaphor works too well.

Comments

MNG|6.9.09 @ 7:46PM|#

Interesting, but I would have liked if the article had some kind of content analysis to support that Obama has invoked God or Jesus more than GW had at this point in his Presidency.

|6.9.09 @ 7:57PM|#

Javers is coyness itself in stating that the Jeebus talk serves "at once as an affirmation of his faith and a rebuke against a rumor that persists for some to this day."

Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet, you know. So simply mentioning him in a positive light isn't enough to dispel those unnamed rumors.

Beyond the pre-modern thinking required to believe an economy can be built on solid rock, the metaphor just makes no sense.

How so, Tim? You know what the metaphor means. Or are you intentionally misunderstanding it?

underzog|6.9.09 @ 7:59PM|#

Timmy is just trying to draw away attention that B. Hussein Obama is really a Muslim and gave a Muslim Brotherhood type speech at Cairo.

His speech was complete with DAWA (prosletyzing) for Islam with his revealed and Holy Koran nonsense.

The atheistic "Reason" magazine has adopted the death cult of Islam as its favorite creed, probably because of all the Jews they kill in Israel.

Elemenope|6.9.09 @ 8:00PM|#

Interesting, but I would have liked if the article had some kind of content analysis to support that Obama has invoked God or Jesus more than GW had at this point in his Presidency.

While I don't know the numbers, from the random unscientific sample of speeches I actually bother to pay attention to from either leader, I'd readily believe it. Bush was all about the secret evangelical code, whereas Obama wears Jesus on his fucking sleeve and wants *everyone* to know it. Honestly I don't know which approach I like less.

Elemenope|6.9.09 @ 8:01PM|#

Timmy is just trying to draw away attention that B. Hussein Obama is really a Muslim and gave a Muslim Brotherhood type speech at Cairo.

[Citation Needed]

MNG|6.9.09 @ 8:06PM|#

"from the random unscientific sample of speeches I actually bother to pay attention to from either leader, I'd readily believe it"

If I had to say I would too, but I'm so cynical lately I try not to buy anything without some methodologically sound hard numbers behind it, and even then maybe not.

LMNOP
I'm afraid Underzog confirmed he's bogus to me the other day in his call for premeptive nuking of Iran.

EJM|6.9.09 @ 8:25PM|#

His speech was complete with DAWA ([proselytizing]) for Islam with his revealed and Holy Koran nonsense.

Just like (ahem) GWB?

Elemenope|6.9.09 @ 8:40PM|#

I'm afraid Underzog confirmed he's bogus to me the other day in his call for premeptive nuking of Iran.

Oh, I don't doubt if he isn't a provocateur then he's some sort of crazy (people who advocate genocide are, de facto, off their nut). But he's fun to poke. It's great to hear his defense of Israeli policy on the basis that Britain The U.N. God gave them this land and therefore all actions taken by them are always and in every way righteous.

Jordan|6.9.09 @ 9:24PM|#

President Obama refers to Jesus Christ more often than President George W. Bush did.

Paging shrike, re: Christfags.

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 9:57PM|#

...[Underzog's]'s fun to poke

I think MNG's right about him being performance art; for one thing, 'Underzog' would be a rather tongue-in-cheek name for someone who really believes in Israel.

For another, he's such an obvious asshole, that it's easier to believe his real purpose is to alienate people from his ostensible views. Sort of like Lonewacko, except I think Lonewacko really believes his own bullshit.

Elemenope|6.9.09 @ 10:04PM|#

for one thing, 'Underzog' would be a rather tongue-in-cheek name for someone who really believes in Israel.

Yeah, I pointed that out once, but I don't recall his bullshit explanation for why he'd use an antisemitic code word for his user name.

For another, he's such an obvious asshole, that it's easier to believe his real purpose is to alienate people from his ostensible views.

So, provocateur, then? We should take a poll.

Is underzog

1. an antisemite trying to heap scorn on pro-Israel positions

or

2. a batshit insane Israel supporter?

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 10:09PM|#

I'd have to go with 1) - he seems too calculating to be batshit insane.

Xeones|6.9.09 @ 10:09PM|#

Shut the fuck up, Lone... oh. Sorry, BP.

</|6.9.09 @ 10:11PM|#

Obama is a secret Muslim atheist cosmotarian just like you and me.He just apes that Jesus stuff to appeal to the ignorant masses.

underzog|6.9.09 @ 10:19PM|#

"Reason" Magazine's Pali friends celebrating the death of thousands of Americans after the twin towers were hit

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 10:27PM|#

How about it, Underzoggy? Do you really look like this?

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 10:32PM|#

Xeones: yo, fuck - ...the Red Wings.

underzog|6.9.09 @ 10:38PM|#

Baked Penguin, your word for the day is Turnspeak

Your calling a defender of my fellow Jews fits the best tradition of Goebellsian/Islamic propaganda technique of turnspeak.

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here."

Mike|6.9.09 @ 10:39PM|#

When a presidential candidate is asked who his favorite philosopher is, and the person replies Smith, Spencer, Mises, or Nozick, then I'll know we've won.

underzog|6.9.09 @ 10:42PM|#

One of Reason's Muslim heroes explaining why murdering the army recruiter was a good thing

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

Elemenope|6.9.09 @ 10:46PM|#

Your calling a defender of my fellow Jews...

Underzog, you are no defender of Jews. Either, you try to be and hurt the cause (in which case, stop! for fuck's sake), or you are a provocateur, in which case you need very badly to fuck off.

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 10:47PM|#

Your calling a defender of my fellow Jews...

underzoggy, what I called you was an asshole, which you are. I asked you if you were actually a neo-Nazi provocateur. Because you are such an asshole, you discredit intelligent defenders of the state of Israel.

While you're blathering, why don't you answer Elemenope's question? Why did you choose a handle that a neo-Nazi might have come up with?

underzog|6.9.09 @ 10:49PM|#

underzoggy, what I called you was an asshole, which you are

Ohhhh noooooo.... Now you hurt my feelings (sniff).

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

BakedPenguin|6.9.09 @ 10:49PM|#

Crap. edit:

Because you are such an asshole, you discredit intelligent defenders of the state of Israel - if you are who you say you are.

underzog|6.9.09 @ 10:58PM|#

Intelligent defenders of Israel? Such as yourselves?

Antelope and baked penguin -- this is for you!

"There's no need o fear. Underzog is here!"

Elemenope|6.10.09 @ 12:09AM|#

I do think Israel has the right to exist, so you miss. That is if you were referring to me and merely are incapable of reading my actual posting name. If you see antelopes dancing before your eyes...I can't help you.

|6.10.09 @ 2:47AM|#

underzog, your trollery is so...awesome. I have to think you know what you're doing because otherwise psychotropic drugs are the only possible solution.

|6.10.09 @ 7:56AM|#

GW Bush? May the shoe throwers of the world converge on his Texas Mansion!

Ralphie
www.anonymity.2ya.com

|6.10.09 @ 8:49AM|#

Why is Obama bothering trying to please the nut jobs on the religious right? Hell even his own bases is getting pissed at him.

|6.10.09 @ 10:27AM|#

Obama is a secret Muslim atheist cosmotarian just like you and me. He just apes that Jesus stuff to appeal to the ignorant masses.

That, I would agree with.

|6.10.09 @ 10:28AM|#

Why is Obama bothering trying to please the nut jobs on the religious right?

They aren't his audience. The black community is very religious and culturally conservative in a lot of ways, and (to a lesser degree) so are the blue collar workers.

Artavazd Papazian Odadjian-Gor|6.10.09 @ 12:40PM|#

Hell even his own bases is getting pissed at him.

Yeah, but what are they going to do? It's not like they're going to vote Republican or their bases are belong to third party.

Will|6.10.09 @ 12:49PM|#

OMG OBAMA IS INTRODUCING JESUS IN POLITICS. EVERYONE WHISPER AMONG YOURSELVES.

Harpoon|6.10.09 @ 1:37PM|#

So where are the panicky and dire warnings about the imminent Obama theocracy?

|6.10.09 @ 2:03PM|#

I read all the comments and i have to say that picture at the top was from one very cool scene of what would have been a really awesome movie had there not been a nude scene of Harvey Keitel that will stick with you for the rest of your unnatural born life.

|6.10.09 @ 3:39PM|#

Was just listening to Richard Wolffe talking about his experience hanging out with the Obamas. Apparently (and not surprisingly) all the Rev. Wright nonsense was pretty ridiculous considering the Obamas rarely actually went to church.

|6.12.09 @ 12:05PM|#

I continue to find it interesting that the MSM, who are quick to excoriate Republicans (often rightly so) for their ties to fundamentalist christianity, give Pres. Obama a complete, 100% free pass for his.