Political Liturgy

Before I launch into the main topic, I just have to say:

don't McCain and Palin look like every local news anchor team you've ever seen?  Grey-haired but still fairly nice-looking man, and 30's-40's just-this-side-of-mid-life attractive woman, twenty-plus years apart in age (the woman being the younger)?  I can see them on a promo for Action News Live At 5...

Okay.  To the subject at hand.

Listening to Obama's speech Thursday night, it struck me...

for a guy who is preaching change, he sure has adopted the standard speech structure of the political candidate.  It's so predictable, it's almost like the liturgy at St. Rose's.  There's a form for this sort of thing, you know.  

Yes, you can do it with more (or less) enthusiasm, polish, ceremony, and life than the next person (or church), but it still needs to be in the proper form.  

It goes sort of like this:

I.     Invocation:  "My fellow Americans, I'm humbled and grateful by your confidence in me."

II.   Text for the Day:   This my background, and these are our common values.

III. Sermon:  

    A.  Here are some real-life stories, examples of the problems we face.  They need fixing.

    B.  My opponent is honorable, but wrong.  His approach doesn't work, never will.

    C.  This is what I will do instead, with your trust and support.

IV. Closing Resolution:   We can win this thing, change the world!

VII. Doxology:  "Good night, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!"

Amen.  See you all next week for the other guy's version...

... and in a few years, when we'll do all this again.  Same liturgy, different pray-ers.