QOTD: Hillary Clinton
by digby
New York Times: If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?
Hillary Clinton: At the risk of appearing predictable, the Bible was and remains the biggest influence on my thinking. I was raised reading it, memorizing passages from it and being guided by it. I still find it a source of wisdom, comfort and encouragement.
Hey, you can't go wrong with that answer. It worked like a charm for George W. Bush:
Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a Methodist who leads the Republican race in opinion polls and fund-raising, gave the most personal testimony in Monday's debate. Each candidate was asked what "political philosopher or thinker" he identified with most. (In an interview Tuesday morning with Des Moines Register reporters and editors, Bush said he understood the question to be, "Who"s had the most influence on your life?")
Bush, the third candidate to answer in the debate, said, "Christ, because he changed my heart."
Moderator John Bachman pressed for more and Bush added: "When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart. It changes your life. And that's what happened to me."
That was after a couple of them foolishly thought the question was actually about political philosophers answered predictably with Locke, Hume, Adam Smith and the like. After Bush gave his testimony they all scrambled:
Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Mormon from Utah, followed Bush. Hatch cited Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan as his political role models, then added: "But I bear witness to Christ, too. I really know him to be the savior of the world. And that means more to me than almost anything else I know."
Gary Bauer, a Baptist, quoted Scripture in naming Christ as his favorite political thinker. "If America's in trouble in the next century, it will be because we forgot what he taught us," Bauer said.
It's only gotten worse since then. I predict that by 2024 candidates will be expected to speak in tongues on on the campaign trail. Of course, a case might be made that Sarah Palin already blazed that trail...
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