Here're the opening sentences of a Wall Street Journal editorial on Holy Saturday:
In short order, John McCain has gone from Republican presidential front-runner to political death watch. On Wednesday, the Arizona senator kicks off a month of high-profile events, seeking a resurrection of sorts.
He badly needs it.
Only a right-leaning bastion of greed that serves as the main tool for those rich people who can pass through the eye of a needle easier than through the pearly gates could come up with making this comparison - equating McCain's political status as akin to Jesus' death and resurrection. Let's set the record straight over the flip.
McCain's version of Psalm 23 : Though I walk in the valley of Baghdad I fear no evil cause I am surrounded by a battalion with armor and air cover.
Mankind rejected Jesus' message and crucified him, causing his death; McCain has no real message and is committing political suicide trying to come up with one.
Jesus preached peace; McCain clamors to prolong death, destruction and turmoil.
Jesus undertook death to redeem us all; McCain just trying to save his own floundering ass in his run for the presidency - the hell with truth and everyone else.
Jesus commands us to love our neighbor, McCain would have us keep killing them.
McCain is not fooling anyone!
All of that makes next week -- and the next month -- critical to the survival of his candidacy. Mr. McCain's campaign scheduled three policy speeches in consecutive weeks, culminating April 25-27 with his "official" announcement tour through early nominating states of New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina and finally to his home state of Arizona. Wednesday's first speech, at the Virginia Military Institute, will showcase Mr. McCain's "commitment to winning the war in Iraq."
Trouble is, no one doubts Mr. McCain's commitment. But recent polls show the public is increasingly doubtful of the prospects of winning the war. And that, in turn, may be undercutting Mr. McCain's chances of winning the nomination.
When the WSJ spouts the glass-half-empty position in its editorial pages, I tend to hear omnious drum rolls. Its use of the Easter metaphor, however, says one thing - McCain's run for president is dead. I mean, how can one who is the presumptive front runner fail so miserably to raise campaign funds. No amount of trying to compare McCain to Jesus will bring it back. The only announcement we will get from McCain on April 27th will be his "official" dropping out or the race.
There is a more visionary metaphor hidden in this editorial, however. America's appetite for continuing to occupy Iraq, unlike McCain's, is gone. America is no longer willing to let those who have mislead it into (and continue to urge it to stay in) a pre-emptive, mis-managed, optional national catastrophe have their way. The American way of dissent has been resurrected. Once more, we the people are taking back our power to direct what roads our nation will tread. McCain's political demise is a clear sign that American Democracy, once more, has risen.
Happy Easter!