A Bomber Too Far

James Carville must be a brilliant man. I say this because so many politically powerful people have called upon him for counsel. His brilliance is exhibited by his rise to such lofty status in spite of remarkably unpleasant vocal characteristics and a face made for radio. He has also shown outstanding cleverness, or perhaps just dumb luck, in his choice of a spouse, Mary Matalin. Clearly his equal or better intellectually, she brings to the marriage a kind of insurance no one can buy. If Carville’s policy suggestions are implemented to ill effect (as I believe they must be) Mary’s position on the opposite side of the political boat will prevent a family capsize.

I further respect James Carville for his present willingness to address the goose as he has the gander. Carville was quick to cast blame on George W. Bush for the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yesterday, in true bi-partisan spirit, Carville screamed at George Stephanopoulos that Obama needs to, “Git down h’yah. We are dyin’ down h’yah.” He insisted that the unfolding tragedy of the Gulf oil spill demands nothing less than direct Presidential intervention. He went on to predict political disaster if the oil reaches Florida’s beaches. We all remember how important Florida can be in Presidential politics: hanging chads and all that.

I see a WWII B-17 bomber, flames enveloping both wings, smoke trailing ominously behind as it arcs relentlessly down into the war torn landscape. Carville sees it too. An increasing number of Democrats see it as well. The independents who fueled its maiden flight averted their eyes weeks or months ago. The irony in this failed bomber mission is that enemy fire did not bring it down; perhaps it was the effort to climb too high too fast or the refusal to throttle back the engines after take-off that brought disaster. Whatever it was that doomed this flight, it happened because of the actions of those on board.

I wrote some months ago of rats deserting a sinking ship. I like the bomber analogy better. In the 1970s there was a war movie called A Bridge Too Far. The movie I am imagining might be called A Bomber Too Far. This seems to be the opinion of many decent, well-meaning folks who voted for Barak Obama. He has gone too far. But lest we Christians get too smug, we should recall the Jimmy Carter fiasco. Many believers thought it was going to be wonderful to have a Sunday School teacher in the White House. That turned out not so well.

I would rather have a wise atheist running our government than a foolish Christian. The President of the United States is not a ministry position. The man in the White House is the CEO of the world's largest operation. Would I prefer someone there who shares my values? Of course. But let us not be foolish this November. From the Oval Office to the Drain Commissioner, let us elect men and women who hold to the uniquely American expression of a democratic republic and have experience suitable for the job. Certainly, we can assess their understanding of the divine nature of their appointment. But we must not again stumble into electing an incompetent. If we leave men like Barak Obama at the controls much longer, we may not pull out of this dive in time.