What is with Republican presidential campaign staffers in Iowa? First there was Newt Gingrich’s Iowa political director ” title=”gotten his boss in trouble” target=”_blank”>gotten his boss in trouble for sending an email over the summer that asked, “Is it God’s highest desire, that is, his biblically expressed will … to have a woman rule the institutions of the family, the church, and the state?”
That’s actually an arguable biblical question. What isn’t clear from the reports I’ve seen is the context within which the email was sent. Was it really about whether God would approve of a female president, which is what Michele Bachmann’s camp claims. ” title=”even if she hadnt done so poorly” target=”_blank”>even if she hadn’t done so poorly in the state she was born. And just because pastors called for her to bow out doesn’t mean that they did so because they don’t believe that God would support a female president. (“God endorses ____.” Interesting concept.) Needs more context.
But what about the other question that this raises? The email was reportedly sent from a personal email account and between friends, not as part of the staffer’s campaign job. Even if the staffer sincerely believed that the Bible condemns female leaders, does the fact that it has created a controversy suggest that it’s not OK for people in politics—even political staffers—to discuss such things? Or is it only relevant here because political agendas are shaped by staffers and here one of Santorum’s might hold objectionable, though biblically arguable, views?
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