There’s been some recent discussion of this news story (originally blogged by Marco). Some of that discussion has consisted of rational non-religious Obama supporters expressing shock upon seeing their candidate’s religious side.
Psst… wanna know a dirty little secret of American politics I learned from talking to the governor of a US state?
The majority of American citizens believe it’s important for their President to be deeply religious (sixty percent, to be exact). Thus, in order to get elected President, a politician must decide early on in his career to either believe in God or pretend to. Do you think it’s a coincidence that George W Bush was born-again immediately before running for governor of Texas? It’s just how the game is played.
Is Barack Obama most likely too smart and logical to be a devout Christian? Probably. Should we be concerned? No. Whether he believes it or not, the reality is that it’s a necessary part of the schtick.
