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I’d be curious to hear how those of us who have in the past shown a resistance to conservative religiosity in politics feel about Obama’s quite clear theme of a politics inextricable from personal faith.

This column analyzes his religious message, which is the reverse of what usually frightens liberals. That is, while liberals fear that Christian conservatives want to use politics to force religion on the people, Obama seems to want to use religion to force his politics. that he refers to this, however, as establishing a "kingdom of Heaven on Earth" should be at least a little troubling.

Meanwhile, Fred Seigal summarizes my key problem with Obama much more succinctly than I’ve been able to:

But now as then, a charismatic political personality carries more
dangers than benefits. The “politics of meaning,” which emerged from
the Kennedy years and has now resurfaced with Obama as its empty vessel
of hope, is doomed to disappoint because it asks more from politics
than politics can deliver.

I don’t believe that government is capable of transforming society, at least not in any positive way, so while I find his messages emotionally appealing, our worldviews are diametrically opposed.

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