What Scott Walker knows and doesn't know about the POTUS

Dana Milbank, who writes opinion pieces for the Washington Post and is unabashedly liberal, claims that Gov. Scott Walker's doubt about President Obama's Christianity is part of a program of sheer ridiculousness mounted by Republican Presidential aspirants. They're all in "the Clown Car" because that's how to reach voters who are angry as hell and not going to stand for it anymore, whatever it is.

Hence, the Trump phenom.

Gov. Huckabee suggests that the President is a Nazi: "This president's foreign policy is the most feckless in American history," the good Gov said. "It is so naive that he would trust the Iranians. By doing so, he will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven." Obama as Eichmann. 

Milbank says Walker wants to suggest that Obama isn't a Christian because he knows just about 60% of Republicans actually consider the POTUS a Muslim. Gov. Walker, the son of an evangelical preacher, is currying the favor of those who believe that Obama's religion is his Kenyan father's, a man he met only once or twice in his life, a man who really had no religion at all.

That's rather pitifully calculating on the part of Wisconsin's labor-union fighter, and I'd guess that his great admirers wouldn't agree with Milbank because they wouldn't want to believe their guy is saying things only to ingratiate himself to people like themselves. 

And neither do I want to believe that.

I too think he means it. We've only got three options, after all. 1) Walker says he doesn't know about Obama's faith because he wants to win votes; 2) Walker says it because it's true--Obama actually is not a Christian; and 3) Walker says it because he believes what he said.

I'll take option #3 myself. I think that, as an evangelical Christian (as am I), Gov. Scott Walker most definitely believes he doesn't know with any definiteness. After all, when asked to explain, he said he can't know anyone's heart really--only God can. Who can argue with that? Presumably, he doesn't know if Franklin Graham is a Christian either, although he wasn't asked that question. 

What his comment about Obama's faith says about him is not, as Milbank claims, that he's trying to ride shotgun in the Clown Car. Trump's got the whole front seat bought and paid for already anyway. What his doubt about Obama's faith suggests about Walker is that he believes Christians hold only certain cards in the Rook game we call life. Christians vote in definable ways on issues like abortion, gay marriage, guns, the national debt, the size of government, and our national policy on Israel, and those votes and political positions determine who is and who isn't "in the Word."  The Republicans are the only ones who can play the Rook card.

You might think that Walker's version of an old Sixties hymn goes like this: "They'll know we are Christians by our votes, by our votes./ O, they'll know we are Christians by our votes."

But don't be deceived.  Look, we know Gov. Scott Walker is a Christian because he shares absolutely nothing with President Obama. Because that's true, Walker's saying that he doesn't know if Obama is a believer is a warmly considerate response, a nice thing to say, even, well, loving, don't you think? He could easily have hacked Obama by saying the President isn't a Christian. That's what he could have said since it's likely what he believes.

But he didn't say that. And, he's not just pandering. We've already decided that he's not just oiling the wing-nuts.

What Scott Walker actually said about Obama's faith proves Walker's faith is strong and vital because he could have ripped Obama but didn't. He simply said he didn't know if Obama was a Christian.  That was an act of kindness. Maybe pity too. 

Seriously, think about it. What he said was a mightily gracious answer, carrying a kind of amazing grace all its own. He could have condemned Obama, but he took the high road, the righteousness angle and lovingly demurred. Love your enemies, saith the NT, right? 

See? It's still true. "They'll know we are Christian by our love, by our love;/Oh they'll know we are Christians by our love."

Those Republicans are so sweet. Watch them tonight. See for yourself.  Love in action.