Uncovering The Reckless Ambitions Of John McCain genre: Polispeak & Six Degrees of Speculation

WitchDoctor.jpg

On the one hand, I understand the calls for ignoring Sarah Palin and focusing instead upon John McCain. On the other hand, the choice of Palin is so utterly astounding that it cannot be ignored...and it most certainly reflects upon the judgment of John McCain and his assertion that he puts country first. As such, the prevailing reason to expose the real Sarah Palin is to demonstrate the cynical calculations driving the ambitions of John McCain's candidacy.

As you read the following account of Sarah Palin's belief that the prayers of a Kenyan witchhunter may have helped propel her to the governorship of Alaska, ask yourself what could possibly lead John McCain to place such a person only a heartbeat away from the presidency? There are few plausible explanations; none of which are sufficient.

I've touched upon the first above in suggesting her selection was a matter of political expediency...an effort by McCain to appease the far right and perhaps draw the support of disenchanted Clinton supporters. Another would suggest that, on the heels of George W. Bush's belief that a higher power guided his decisions in the White House, John McCain's recent reconciliation with evangelical leaders was more than a political calculation; it was also a religious catharsis...much like that of his predecessor.

From The Times Online:

The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.

At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Mrs Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.

In video footage of the speech, she is seen saying: "As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he's so bold. And he was praying "Lord make a way, Lord make a way."

"And I'm thinking, this guy's really bold, he doesn't even know what I'm going to do, he doesn't know what my plans are. And he's praying not "oh Lord if it be your will may she become governor," no, he just prayed for it. He said "Lord make a way and let her do this next step. And that's exactly what happened."

She then adds: "So, again, very very powerful, coming from this church," before the presiding pastor comments on the "prophetic power" of the event.

An African evangelist, Pastor Muthee has given guest sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God on at least 10 occasions in his role as the founder of the Word of Faith Church, also known as the Prayer Cave.

Pastor Muthee founded the Prayer Cave in 1989 in Kiambu, Kenya after "God spoke" to him and his late wife Margaret and called him to the country, according to the church's website.

The pastor speaks of his offensive against a demonic presence in the town in a trailer for the evangelical video "Transformations", made by Sentinel Group, a Christian research and information agency.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, six months of fervent prayer and research identified the source of the witchcraft as a local woman called Mama Jane, who ran a "divination" centre called the Emmanuel Clinic.

Her alleged involvement in fortune-telling and the fact that she lived near the site of a number of fatal car accidents led Pastor Muthee to publicly declare her a witch responsible for the town's ills, and order her to offer her up her soul for salvation or leave Kiambu.

According to accounts of the witchhunt circulated on evangelical websites such as Prayer Links Ministries, after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon.

After Mama Jane was questioned by police - and released - she decided it was time to leave town, the account says.

Pastor Muthee has frequently referred to this witchhunt in his sermons as an example of the power of "spiritual warfare". In October 2005, he delivered ten sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God, the audio of which was available on the church's website until it was removed around the time Mrs Palin's candidacy was announced. The blog Irregular Times has listings and screen grabs of the sermons.

It was during that these sermons that Mrs Palin, who was then preparing for her gubernatorial run, was anointed by Pastor Muthee. His intercession, she says, was "awesome".

Look, if Sarah Palin is at all willing to consider attributing her election, as governor of Alaska, to the incantations of a witch doctor, what would prevent her from acting similarly with regards to her actions and decisions as vice president or president of the United States?

Let me be clear...I have no way of knowing if Sarah Palin truly believes Pastor Muthee's prayers influenced her election or if she states as much because it furthers her political ambitions by ingratiating herself to an important voter constituency. Either way, it raises serious doubts about the prudence of granting her further power. If we can't be sure that the leader of the free world will prosecute her position with reason and rationality, how on earth could we ever expect accountability?

If an individual can invoke the influence or guidance of a deity as justification for their actions...and therefore claiming it cannot be contested...we are effectively subjecting national policy to the same mystical ideations that led Pastor Murthee to apply an arbitrary target to an innocent woman.

If that target were to be similarly applied to Iran or Russia or any other nation state by those leading the United States, the implications are unfathomable. The fact that George Bush seemingly stated as much with regards to the invasion of Iraq makes it frighteningly tangible. The prospect that the ambitions of a McCain-Palin victory could lead to more of the same must be soundly rejected.

Tagged as: 2008 Election, Alaska, George W. Bush, Iraq, John McCain, Pastor Thomas Muthee, Sarah Palin, Wasilla Assembly of God

Daniel DiRito | September 17, 2008 | 10:16 AM
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Post a comment


Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Uncovering The Reckless Ambitions Of John McCain:

» Uncovering The Reckless Ambitions Of John McCain from www.buzzflash.net
Sarah Palin shouldn’t be the focus of opposition to a McCain presidency. However, his selection of Sarah Palin, in light of ongoing revelations as to her fringe beliefs, should raise serious questions as to the judgment and motives of John McCain. His ... [Read More]

Tracked on September 17, 2008 12:20 PM


© Copyright 2024

Casting

Read about the Director and Cast

Send us an email

Select a theme:

Critic's Corner

 Subscribe in a reader

Encores

http://DeeperLeft.com

Powered by:
Movable Type 4.2-en

© Copyright 2024

site by Eagle River Partners & Carlson Design