I’ve been hearing a lot from Todd Rokita on the radio lately. Clearly these aren’t campaign ads because they are airing with public money. And that would be wrong. Ergo, they aren’t campaign ads. iPOPA flags one of the ads that really made my ear perk up. I forgot to blog about it, and I’m glad iPOPA did.
Rokita came over the top this week with a clever, new public service announcement warning people of the dangers of “faith-based affinity fraud.” . . . What struck me was when Rokita says it’s hard to detect fraud “especially when it’s done in the name of the Lord.” Notice how Rokita doesn’t say “in the name of religion” or “in the name of faith” or “even in the name of God.” He specifically refers to “the Lord,” an undeniable, not-so-subliminal statement of his Christian faith.
The reference to faith-based fraud struck me as gratuitous and injected into the concerns of the commercial so that Secretary Rokita could identify with Christians in this matter.
That’s not to say that faith-based fraud is non-existent. The commercials also remind me of a line in Jon Krakauer’s “Under the Banner of Heaven.” He is discussing how one county in Utah with particularly fervent Mormons also had the highest incidence of white collar fraud in the country. The grifter would close the deal with his mark by suggesting that the person “pray on it.” The voice of God, apparently, would often tell the person to participate in the fabulous new investment opportunity. Krakauer quoted one law enforcement official as telling people in his jurisdiction that God was not a very good investment adviser.
I wonder if, later on down the line, Secretary Rokita will suggest that voters “pray on it” when they have a new voting opportunity down the line.
It would be tedious to recount the lengthy “justifications” fundys tout as the basis for a theological justification for fraud. But true believers are somehow always excused from the burden of honest dealings in the service of God. I can recommend Krakauer’s book. He has another, not quite sure of the title “Into Thin Air” I think, which was riveting.
Rokita’s use of the word “Lord” in this context is a classic political dog whistle technique.
My wife seems to be on his latest mailing list.. of course the salutation is always ” Dear Jeremiah “.. Her name begins with a C