The Noble Lie

This is not a political discourse or an endorsement of either candidate. If (big IF) I vote for anybody, it will be Cynthia McKinney, because I think she has integrity. I'm chiefly interested in language and invoked symbols in this post. McCain is powerless but Sarah Palin is not. As far as I'm concerned, this race is between Obama and Palin.

Thanks to UV Garden again for this first clip. Here is a pretty disgusting video of some Sarah Palin supporters.. and Sarah being blessed by people standing around her speaking in tongues. This video is just disgusting, especially the person who is screaming about the MURDERERS who take birth control pills.

[embed file="video/Palin_LandofQueenEsther.flv

Here is a video of Louis Farakhan preaching to his people to consider Obama as an ambassador from God. Hard times and struggling people need a hero to worship, and Obama is being offered up for that role. He is trying to make Obama sound like something more than human, like he comes from a special womb, or a magical place.

A lot of people on the web freaked out claiming Farakhan called Obama the Messiah, but if you listen he didn't really do that. He called Obama the Herald of the Messiah, and I think he mentions how careful he has to be about what he says. In Bible terms, this would cast Obama in the role of John the Baptist. The herald of the messiah, in the case of John the Baptist, prepares the world for the messiah's coming, anoints the messiah, and is killed.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Christ.' They asked him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' He answered, 'No.' Finally they said, 'Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?' John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'I am the voice of one calling in the desert,"Make straight the way for the Lord."'

Book of John

The Herald of the Messiah is also the dawn or morning star which heralds the "new sun rising."

“A light will shine down from somewhere. It will light upon you. You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, I have to vote for Barack. I have to do it."
-Barack Obama

A lot of people are riding on their candidate, on both sides, so that they can reshape America in their own image. Besides the messianic overtones, both of these clips also mention a need or desire to transform America. And we will be transformed, by hook or by crook.

I know I am not the only person who gets the chills pondering Kennedy's very liberal sentiment, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Messianic links

• John The Baptist, The Herald of the Messiah's Coming
• Gospel of Barnabas (didn't make the Bible cut)

EDIT: I meant to include this, here's a great article (from somebody who would think I'm a loon, no doubt, but it's still a great article) on the the power of image over issues in politics.