This past Sunday, as he often does, a leading presidential candidate appeared at a local church, speaking to the congregation, hoping to inspire his main voting bloc. The pastor of the church was so enamored with the ideas and politics of the candidate that he may have stepped over the line.
In introducing the candidate, the pastor said, “the more he speaks, the more he wins my confidence, and . . . if the polls were open today, I would cast my vote for this [politician].” Then just in case that wasn’t enough, the pastor encouraged his congregation to follow his voting lead, “If you can’t support your own, you’re never going to get anywhere. . . . I want to see this man in office.”
Have you heard about this as one of the top political stories? Nope, it was only mentioned in one local newspaper and it was downplayed in that story (16th paragraph, no mention in the headline or sub-head). Why? Because it wasn’t Mike Huckabee reaching out to evangelicals. It was Barack Obama at a predominately black church.
How much play will this get in the media (if any)? And how much flak is Pastor Leon Smith and Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ going to be facing for their clear violation of federal tax law? I think I can guess.