Osler's Razor

This past week, right before announcing his candidacy for president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry initiated an event called "The Response" at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The event drew a huge crowd of about 30,000, who seemed to enjoy the day-long prayer service.

Perry spoke twice, briefly, and avoided talking about politics for the most part.

Many liberal groups went a little ballistic about the event. While I, personally, am on record as not being too fond of prayer breakfasts, I am not sure I understand the furor over this one in some circles.

The accusation, in short, seems to be that Rick Perry staged the event in order to position himself as he announced his run for the presidency. Well... of course he did. That's what candidates do. Mitt Romney speaks at economic forums. Sarah Palin goes to Biker rallies. Ron Paul... well, I'm not sure on that one. Anyways, politicians always launch themselves into a campaign from an event that is artificially constructed to generate enthusiasm.

Is it somehow wrong that Perry used a prayer service rather than a biker rally to do so? I'm not sure why it would be. His crowd of bedrock supporters is a certain type of Christian (and certainly not all Christians), and I disagree with them as much as I do with some bikers and some Republican businessmen. But... it's not my rally.

Public faith festivals are almost always contrived and artificial, because they have to be-- that is how a big show is sustained. The circus is the same way, or a monster truck rally or NFL game. It's the nature of the beast.

Is Perry's rally my kind of church? Of course not. I didn't go. But, it's not some kind of blot on democracy either, any more than Palin's bikers or Romney's businessmen waving signs and shouting the name of a person who really is just a symbol, a trope, for what they want and hope for.