Who Will Be the Best Christian for the White House?

Thank God — who of course remains the great master of American politics — that Friday in Washington fans like us were able to see and compare, one after the other, practically all the Republican contenders for the 2012 presidential election. The “Faith and Freedom Coalition,” a new lobby of “evangelical” Americans, invited them to come on Friday and Saturday to profess their faith and all (Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann and even Donald Trump), or nearly all, came — whether or not they had already declared for the next election. The most notable absence was that of Sarah Palin, who is pursuing a very personal approach to politics and continues to spin her wheels. Newt Gingrich also spared himself from coming and submitting his married life to this suspicious public. But his campaign seems, in any case, already under way.

In the hit parade for best Christian, the best seemed to us to be Michele Bachmann, who is more and more obviously like a better Sarah Palin: a bit less photogenic perhaps, but with speeches that are as extremist and much better supported. On Friday, the patron saint of the tea party faction in the House of Representatives was by far the most pugnacious (“Obama will be a one-term president”), while also daring to conclude with a prayer directly addressed to “Father God”: “We pray for your spirit to come down into this nation.”

The other “revelation” of the day, since it is still little known in Washington, was Jon Huntsman, whom Barack Obama sent to China as ambassador, but who is back and preparing his candidacy. Like Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman is starting with a serious handicap, especially before this ultra-Christian public: He is Mormon. He managed the situation by bringing up God by way of his adopted daughter from China. “[W]hen asked who found her … she simply replies Jesus,” he said. Jon Huntsman also tried out a few jokes, for example by beginning his speech in Chinese, but it was clear that the audience did not particularly appreciate it. If he really wants to enter the race, he will need to stop walking like a diplomat — leaving the podium and hugging the wall. He needs to learn how to flex his muscles and exude a little self confidence, as befits a politician.

For the rest, except for a few slight nuances, all the speeches of these candidates — declared or potential — stated the same obligatory points: They are “pro-life” (which is to say, anti-abortion), for “traditional marriage” (one man, one woman, no gays, except Huntsman, who didn’t talk about it because he is more flexible on the subject), pro-Israel (another must for evangelical Americans), references to Ronald Reagan (quoted by nearly all the speakers), a promise to overturn the health reform that Obama worked hard to impose and are upset about the debt that “stifles America.” Even before this audience became preoccupied with the Holy Spirit, the question of the state’s deficit occupied the heart of the speeches. “What so many people don’t get about this fight about the debt ceiling is it’s not just about debt,” explained Jon Huntsman. “It is about the size of government and the role of government in our society and our lives.” But, like the others, he did not specify which government expenses he is ready to sacrifice — the remedy proposed by Republicans being to reduce taxes more. We’re convinced: It’s certainly much better to believe in an all-powerful God in order to appreciate these Republican arguments.