I’m not thrilled with Rick Perry’s Christianism, but his otherwise libertarian instincts are damned appealing. After watching his announcement to seek the Republican nomination for president, I’d be tempted to vote for him, and I’m a liberal!
President Obama is highly unlikely to beat this guy next year, and Romney’s Mormonism dooms him among the Republican evangelical base. Michelle Bachmann passes all contemporary right-wing ideological purity tests, but lacks gravitas.
So, by a process of elimination, Jesus appears to be putting a big Texas smile on Rick Perry.
Ladies and gentleman, meet the man who is almost certainly going to be the next President of the United States.
.
Christianism, by the way, is a term coined by Andrew Sullivan for Protestant fundamentalism blended with nationalism. It’s an almost perfect word for the fake-out heretical Christianity that pervades contemporary America. It would be nice to see Sullivan’s word for this ideology gain traction. And, if you’re an adherent of this ideology, Sullivan’s name for you is Christianist.
Prometheus Unbound 
Are you serious? Either that ass clown is serious (in which case, call the crazy train. He thinks God is a genie handing out wishes) or (more likely) he’s just spewing all the God stuff to get elected, in which case fuck him with a giant dildo. I HATE Obama, but I’d vote for him in a heart beat if this douche bag gets nominated. Fuck Rick Perry.
Andrew,
I don’t believe in the sincerity of any of the presidential candidates’ faith professions. They’re all full of shit on the subject. And Perry is especially full of shit.
But that’s exactly what makes him so effective. He can transition to any audience, and he’s in line with the reduce government/libertarian zeitgeist that is going to drive the 2012 election.
—Santi
There’s just a level of dishonesty that goes above and beyond. Romney waivers on issues, but his lies are lies of omission. When you can be that bold and straight faced while you spew something you don’t believe, then you must just despise the people you’re talking to. I can’t back that kind of dishonesty. Even if he says everything I want to hear, I can’t trust it. I will never vote for that man.
Santi
I don’t get it. Some days ago you’re certain that Obama will be reelected easily, what I thought delusional then. What changed? Just curious.
Well, I’m torn between two scenarios: if the debt commission gets a debt reduction agreement at the end of this year, and the economy comes back strong next year, then Obama will be able to run on those two facts, positioning himself as a center-right deficit hawk (but not too far right that he hurts social security).
But then I look at Perry’s press conference above, and how appealing his libertarian message is, and how effective his hammering of Obama is likely to be if the economy doesn’t pick up next year, and I think that Obama may well be cooked.
It comes down to the success (or failure) of the debt commission this fall, and where the economy is at next fall.
And there are always two jokers in next year’s pack of cards: Iran gets the bomb (or Israel unilaterally attacks Iran to keep it from getting the bomb), or there is a major terrorist incident that freezes up global trade. Both of these things work against Obama and would sink his presidency (were one or both of them to occur).
—Santi