James Carville, the Ragin’ Cajun, is an American political consultant and author who has strategized for candidates for public office. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the Bill Clinton presidential campaign. Also interesting is that he is married to Mary Matalin, an American political consultant well known for her work with the Republican Party. They don’t talk politics at home. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Douthat
Lifting the Shadow of Scandal
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When I was a missionary is Kenya there was a story told to me about the 1920s and big game hunting in Trans-Mara and the coastal regions. The gist of the story is that the “great white hunters” had to be reminded – even if they had made the perfect killing shot on a charging rhinoceros, they had to move out of the way. Even though the animal was technically dead, that message had not gotten to the rest of the beast. And it was the momentum of the rest of the beast that could still run you over.
That story came to mind reading Ross Douthat – a NY Times columnist – as he paints a sober picture of the institutional (and sometimes insider) momentum that will drag at the edges of any reform movement or efforts on the part of Pope Francis. Lifting the Shadow of Scandal – NYTimes.com.
Woe to us if we lose our way
One of the axioms of life in my family is that we are convinced our mother understood the deep and true nature of Thanksgiving turkey stuffing. All other efforts to match my mother’s culinary masterpiece are vain attempts at best and heretically sacrilegious at worst. And it is not just questions about stuffing that vex us – think about the local, never-ending debates here in Tampa about what constitutes a Cuban sandwich – and that is before we even get to the question of which one is the best. We might be willing to compromise our positions on turkey stuffing and Cuban sandwiches – but what about religion? Religion and what constitutes right and true religion is as troubling a question – and that is before we consider what that religion demands of us. And woe to us if we lose our way on the question of Religion. Continue reading
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