Joe Biden's Clever Use of the Word "Soul"


Conservatives are frustrated with their inability to destroy Biden. Biden has not delivered on some campaign promises and stumbles when he speaks due to a stuttering handicap. Yet, he won the election and polling shows him doing well in popularity. I know all this could change but in real time he is shedding the barbs thrown at him. Why is he successful?

The link is one of the best political articles I have seen. It explains that Biden and his speech/political team have substituted the word and concept of "soul" for the word and concept of a God. He uses the word "soul" often, "God" almost never.

Biden no doubt has seen the numbers, people are dropping out of churches. The unifying concept of one god is going into the dust bin of history. Another concept, that there is some unifying spirit or common goal for U.S. citizens, remains. Some will call it religious, others not. 

What fascinates me is that Biden's persona, old, religious and an orthodox pol, is perfect to talk in an optimistic way about the future and hint it is guided by some unseen but emotion soaked common concept. Obama was more my kind of politician, cerebral and cool. But he could never have pulled off the political raid of independent voters by using the concept of a "soul" as Biden has done. 

I don't mean to imply Biden does not himself believe in the "soul." I'm guessing he does. I do think he would be perfectly confident saying there is a god and it's the one he himself worships. What he does that is calculating is not refer to his god. 

Obama was the first President, so far as I know, who said we are a country of several religions and no religion. Biden just tip toes by all that and hints of religion without going there. For example, when he declared U. S. troops will leave Afghanistan he could have riffed on how difficult the decision was and that he prayed about it. President Ford said he prayed about his decision to pardon Nixon. He lost to a better prayer, that of Jimmy Carter.

Republicans probably are unable to pivot from anti abortion, anti trans, socialism, religious nationalism and their usual fare. Biden, old as he is, knows a good political innovation when he sees it. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maybe the "Original Sin" Should be Reassigned

Image
We can all agree most Catholic priests are fine people and not guilty of sexual abuse. What Catholics must face, however, it that their church harbors executives who are dishonest . There is an incredible story about the Argentine Bishop Zanchetta. The Pope worked with him in Argentina and they are considered friends. Around 2015 Zanchetta sent nude pictures of himself and they began circulating world wide. He also was too friendly with young seminarians and some left because of him.  Three different officials say they made formal complaints to the Vatican about Zanchetta between 2015 and 2017. Yet, in 2018, the Vatican claimed it was unaware of any complaints about Zanchetta. This might be a good time to repeat the Catholic hierarchy claims to have the sole authority handed down from Jesus to what the faith stands for. It condemns as sinners those who practice birth control, have abortions and gay sexual relationships. Handing the hierarchy this responsibility would make som
Read more

The Religious Capitol Invaders May Yet Win

Image
So much about U.S. society and religion can be learned from the Civil War and what happened afterwards. After its defeat, the South started a myth about the unethical soldiers from the North. The South fought for principles of God and states rights. The North did not. It was the South, this propaganda told the country, that had the high moral ground.  The Capitol invaders, encouraged by Trump, swallowed the myth that Biden's election was stolen. Thus, they think they held and still hold the high moral ground. This was reinforced by the cross and prayers during the invasion. Even with Trump is gone, we will see political opportunists like Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley stroking crowds and feeding the same lies as Trump. Like "the South will rise again" these gullible followers will talk of victory over the unclean. After the Civil War the South rallied around the phrase, Lost Cause. For decades, and maybe to this day, there are ceremonies remembering fallen martyrs, Re
Read more

Father Frank Pavone, the Ultimate Crook

Image
Recently, the Vatican defrocked Frank Pavone. His diehard fans are outraged. This is because he cleverly manipulated his fans and the press all the while living well from donations and, apparently, abusing some women. By making abortion the "sin" of the century, and himself the main opposition to this one sin, he himself could get away with any sin he pleased.  As the link points out, Pavone was the perfect priest for the Trump era. Trump is so self-important laws have no role in his life. He felt accountable to no one. Women were there to be had. Pavone and Trump are interchangeable.  Pavone was very successful raising money. In his mind, abortion was so important in Catholic beliefs and he was so important in anti-abortion the money he raised opposing it was his to do with what he liked. The Catholic Church, the brand name he used to raise this money, thought the money belonged to it. When he gave the Vatican the bird, it gave him walking papers. With polls showing the majo
Read more