Is DeMint getting in?

Are we so in God's grace that He would visit upon us not just Donald Trump, and not just Sarah Palin, and not only Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee and Herman Cain, but Sen. Jim DeMint, too?

Well, according to The Hill, we may still be hovering purgatorially, but things are looking up. For DeMint "has discussed a White House bid with his wife and will pray on the question out of respect for his supporters across the country."

Hallelujah.

The story proceeds: "Some conservative activists compare DeMint to former Sen. Barry Goldwater and former President Reagan, predicting he could quickly unify social and fiscal conservatives."

A note -- to those "conservative activists" -- of urgent clarification. It's true that Ronald Reagan happily enlisted the socially conservative cause, but Ronald Reagan never really cared about the socially conservative cause. Indeed, some of the very conservatives who today are floating DeMint as their social salvation -- e.g., Richard Viguerie -- once did the same with Reagan, yet by the end of his presidential tenure they were (accurately) denouncing him as a lackluster traitor to that cause.

Goldwater was a bit more complicated, for he never happily enlisted the socially conservative cause. Yes, he did in time enlist it out of political expediency -- the cultural turmoil of the 1960s was just getting underway, and was thus an easy political target and Goldwater was desperate for an "issue" -- but rarely has the term "Reluctant Warrior" been more apt than it was with the Arizona senator. As an old-school libertarian, he detested any admixture of politics and religious sensibilities, but mix he did with an epic lack of sincerity and a heroic display of politically pragmatic fortitude. He came to regret it; some twenty years later he sadly reflected on his contribution to the rise of the hypermoralistic New Right and confessed that "Perhaps I'm one of the reasons this place" -- Washington -- "is so redneck."

So, to those who retain hope that their peculiar version of the nation's moral salvation will ever be secured by a professional pol: Beware. Not that we'd object to DeMint's trying, mind you. Quite the contrary. It'd be loads of fun.

Comments

[Bulworth]

"For DeMint "has discussed a White House bid with his wife and will pray on the question out of respect for his supporters across the country." "

What a tease.

[Peter G]

Hey, what's one more Keystone Kop chasing after the elusive nomination but just good enterainment. One has to wonder, though, just how much fragmentation of the fundraising can occur before it starts to seriously affect the quality of the campaign ads. I think more Bachmann quality media are just what the world needs.