The Last Election The Republicans’ party line that Barack Obama was “palling around with terrorists” didn’ t work, although some people believed it because then they wouldn’ t need a racist reason not to vote for Obama. Next, the campaign acted as though his advocacy of age-appropriate sex education for kindergarteners meant putting condoms on cucumbers. That didn’ t work, either. Then John McCain tried calling him a_ “socialist.” Also didn’ t work. Ironically, Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas ran for president six times, and never won, but every one of his platform planks were eventually adopted by Democrats and _ Republican administrations alike. They just didn’ t ca//it socialism. In January 2009, Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson stated that God told him America is headed for veritable socialism as well as an economic rebound under President-elect Obama. “What the Lord was saying,” he claimed, “the people are willing to accept socialism to alleviate their pain. Cast off all the gloom and the doom because things are getting ready to turn around. | say with humility, | hope I’ ve heard the Lord. | spend time praying and asking him for wisdom, and if there’ sa mistake, it’ s not his fault, it’ s mine.” Humility in action. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015318