The religious conversatives who helped deliver the election to Bush are sanctimonious, self-righteous, and guilty of a very unchristian lust for power.
I think we need to call them on it. Publically. We need to drive a righteous wedge between the pastors and pundits still drunk on their ability to deliver money and votes to Bush, and the uncritical masses that they've led.
details on how after the break
Christians for XXXX Christ Campaign
Spotlight comes down upon a TV Evangelist in a Revival Tent - almost blinding the viewer as it flashes upon the sequined jacket. (Steve Martin in "Leap of Faith" comes to mind). The rythmic rhetoric in full swing, the baptist choir muted but rocking behind him. The paragon of Christian authority.
But this time, the message is honest. The voice you hear says this:
(quietly, to a hushed audience) "If your preacher has led thousands of your dollars to the Republican Party,"
"Say it with me brother," (a quiet chorus of "amen" is heard)
(louder, and the audience starts to respond) "If your preacher has led millions of your votes to the Republican Party,"
"Can you say Jesus" (a louder chorus of "Jesus" is heard)
(Thunderously) "But has not led one single soul to almighty salvation, then your preacher is an abomination to the Lord."
(quieter, reverently) "Can I have an Amen." (a quiet Amen is heard)
Fade to black. The logo "Christians for Bush" appears, but then the word "Bush" is crossed out, and the word "Christ" appears next to it.
Analysis - this 30 second ad campaign aims to
1] Be controversial - and thus talked about - generating multiple free repetitions of the commercial, and becoming the topic of the week on talk radio, the weekly sermon, etc.
2] Use their language and symbology against them - the preacher is in full evangelical regalia, in the midst of rapturous, self-righteous sermonizing, and thus he is EXACTLY what evangelical conversative christians have come to trust and hear truth from. Viewers will either accept the message - and thus call their preachers into question, or reject the message - which they can do only if they disempower such language and symbols, which means all preachers will find them more resistant to subsequent messages using that language and those symbols.
3] Introduce independent thought - the commercial drives a wedge between the preacher with political rather than heavenly aspirations, and his or her misled flock. Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, et alia do not earn their shepherd status by actually having their listeners best interests at heart, and should thus be deprived of a flock to fleece.
4] Reestablish the proper role for the religious enterprise - which is the building of strong communities, the reaching out to the poor and downtrodden, ministering to the sick and aged, and the cleansing of souls. Religion and Politics do not mix well, and it is mostly the power-hungry preachers who are to blame.
5] Finish on a potent and bumper-sticker ready slogan.
6] Reveal their purported strength to be their genuine weakness - by the logic of this commercial - any SUCCESSFUL rabble-rousing preacher who got tons of money and votes for Bush, is by definition missing the entire point of the bible. Meanwhile, across town, the genuine but apolitical church is shown to be following the true path, and hopefully attracting more parishioners on account of this campaign.
7] Rendering them helpless to fight back. How can one argue that a group called "Christians for Christ", that is explicitly rejecting the mixing of religion and politics, is a partisan organization? (Obviously we need to make sure donations for the campaign are not coming from the DNC).
8] Lastly, Make them go on record. Flustered and furious, evangelical preachers with a strong Bush taint are going to hit the airwaves and their sunday sermons with a impassioned attack against this campaign - and whatever they say will be easy to quote at them later to ridicule their position (which is pretty untenable from a genuine religious perspective.)