During the Ames Straw Poll, Sarah Palin went on record to not-quite endorse fellow evangelical Christian Rick Perry in the following terms, reported by Ben Smith at Politico:
If Palin had a political goal today, it was to dampen speculation that she would endorse Rick Perry, which she did effectively, musing on the contrast of the "very powerful" Alaska governorship with the "not as powerful" Texas one and allowing that she'd be enthusiastic about him only in case he wins the nomination.
Anybody but Obama ? not a ringing endorsement I would say, but perhaps a case of sour grapes, since both Palin and Perry were vying for the backing of a shady religious group with whom both have quietly affiliated themselves, known as the New Apostolic Reformation. And with Perry's "Prayer Breakfast" event, it appears he has won their backing and endorsement in his Presidential run, in preference to Palin. More over the fold:
Recently, Rick Perry prelaunched his Presidential bid with an indifferently-attended Prayer Rally on August 3, reported on extensively by Rachel Maddow, who reveals what and who were the organizers and backers for Perry's 'morning o' prayer':
With the dire CT headline of "Rick 20:12: Conduit for Radical Christian overthrow of US Government?" Maddow digs deep into the attendees and endorsers of Perry's radical right-wing Christian endorsers:
Please watch the whole video if you missed her show the other day... because there is a noteworthy name that pops up in this recent New Apostolic movement: the Reverend Thomas Muthee, the witch-hunting African evangelical pastor who traveled to Alaska to bless and exhort Sarah Palin in her quest for high office.
Sarah Palin and the N.A.R.'
Commentary from the video:
Thomas Muthee visited Wasilla Assembly of God and gave 10 consecutive sermons at the church, from October 11-16 2005. As both Palin and Wasilla AoG Head Pastor Ed Kalnins have attested, Thomas Muthee ‘prayed over’ Sarah Palin and entreated God to “make a way” prior to Palin’s successful bid for the Alaska governorship. Muthee made a return visit to the Wasilla Assembly of God in late 2008. Thomas Muthee’s Word of Faith Church is featured in the “Transformations” video which details an account on how Muthee drove “the spirit of witchcraft” out of Kiambu, Kenya, liberating the town from its territorial demonic possession and enabling a miraculous societal transformation. The “Transformations” video set is used as an argument for social improvement through spiritual instead of human means, and as the best method for fighting corruption, crime, drugs and even environmental degradation.
Pundits have wondered for months now whether Sarah Palin was going to jump into the race, and journalists were bewildered by her "One Nation" bus tour that bizarrely drove off the road somewhere between Harper's Ferry and Iowa and never got back on it. Palin has refused to answer questions about it, and has deined that her tour was 'cancelled', having been called back suddenly to Alaska for 'jury duty...' but there is a more cogent explanation: her backers in the N.A.R., realizing the impossibility of her candidacy, had found a more likely candidate: Rick Perry, who opened his public campaign for President with a stadium prayer event attended heavily by pastors and leaders of New Apostolic Reformation churches.
I predict, if this is so, that Perry's campaign will characterize the battle for the GOP nomination as a religious one, pitting himself and his activist N.A.R. affiliates as 'true Christians' in order to chip away at support for Mormon Mitt Romney, and out-fundraise Michele Bachmann, who is riding on her fiscal conservatism and anti-health-care rhetoric.
Time will tell. Good work, Rachel, for digging into the details on who is funding Perry.