Patron: [River is about to be burned at the stake] This is a holy cleansing. You cannot think to thwart God’s will.
Mal: Y’all see the man hangin’ out of the spaceship with the really big gun? I’m not saying you weren’t easy to find, but it was kind of out of our way and he didn’t wanna come in the first place. Man’s lookin’ to kill some folk. So really it’s his will y’all should worry about thwarting.
Mal: [to Simon] Gotta say, Doctor, your talent for alienatin’ folks is near miraculous.
Simon: Yes, I’m very proud.
Mal: [about River] Cut her down.
Patron: The girl is a witch.
Mal: Yeah, but she’s our witch.
[Cocks shotgun and aims at Town Patron]
Mal: So cut her the hell down!

The only question I have about this is whether or not she has been weighed against a duck.

Irrelevant as Rove and the Establishment want to "Burn her Anyway"

I'm having a really hard time figuring out how this could be used as political capitol anytime in the last 50 years, or so. Probably more.

I mean, even if you assume a solidly devout Christian electorate, you just come out and say "God has forgiven me for my sin and welcomed me back into the arms of the Church after I strayed." and you're home free -- even the most devout of your opponents have to accept that, or make a mockery of the core of their own beliefs.

I mean, this probably wouldn't fly in Salem back in the day, but short of that...

Karl Rove attacked her like she was a liberal, for whatever reason.

I think you underestimate how much the Christian right's power over the GOP. And how many people still actually believe that Witchcraft is real. On both sides of that equation.

So if she was a liberal, it would be ok to attack her this way?

And I'm pointing out that it doesn't matter if the Christian right has power over the GOP -- it's a religiously unwinnable attack. Unless you find somebody out there preaching Old Testament law in lieu of New Testament forgiveness, "she strayed to witchcraft for a while" isn't something you can really smear a Christian with. God forgives, so should people towards whom the attack intends to play. Thus making it a really lousy attack.

It's the same reason the most powerful speakers who talk about their journey to Christ are people who turned their back on Him for a time and did lots of awful stuff, and then found forgiveness when they hit rock bottom again. Nobody attacks them, because there's nothing to attack. They've been forgiven and redeemed by God's grace and infinite understanding.

And I'm pointing out that it doesn't matter if the Christian right has power over the GOP -- it's a religiously unwinnable attack. Unless you find somebody out there preaching Old Testament law in lieu of New Testament forgiveness, "she strayed to witchcraft for a while" isn't something you can really smear a Christian with. God forgives, so should people towards whom the attack intends to play. Thus making it a really lousy attack.

It's the same reason the most powerful speakers who talk about their journey to Christ are people who turned their back on Him for a time and did lots of awful stuff, and then found forgiveness when they hit rock bottom again. Nobody attacks them, because there's nothing to attack. They've been forgiven and redeemed by God's grace and infinite understanding.

While that is true, it also requires that you be VERY fervent in your beliefs and make them a prominent part of your message. If you don't, then it becomes a weak point for you and many will believe your conversion is not sincere. I have no idea what her current religious status is, so I'm not sure where she falls.

And I'm saying that the political attack relies on religious conviction to hold any water. And to anybody with that degree of religious conviction, it's an empty attack because the message for which they have conviction teaches them not to hold that kind of a grudge.

I think you underestimate how much the Christian right's power over the GOP. And how many people still actually believe that Witchcraft is real. On both sides of that equation.

While that is true, it also requires that you be VERY fervent in your beliefs and make them a prominent part of your message. If you don't, then it becomes a weak point for you and many will believe your conversion is not sincere. I have no idea what her current religious status is, so I'm not sure where she falls.

So if she was a liberal, it would be ok to attack her this way?

It makes a lot more sense when you realize that the Republican party views Christians as puppets the same way the Democratic party looks at black people as puppets.

You're looking at that (already very large) number of people for whom their faith is based on what the preacher says on Sundays.

Big damn heroes.

While that is true, it also requires that you be VERY fervent in your beliefs and make them a prominent part of your message. If you don't, then it becomes a weak point for you and many will believe your conversion is not sincere. I have no idea what her current religious status is, so I'm not sure where she falls.

No it doesn't. Most people will believe you are sincere unless you're continually engaging in behavior that really indicates you just don't give a ****.

There's a vocal element that demands extreme fervence, but they are neither as common or powerful as you are claiming.

I agree for normal folks. But we're talking about someone who's entering the political arena, and the requirements for them are different in my experience.

Shiny.