I don’t know if many of you have read or heard about this story, but it’s a doozy. Here’s the link to it:
Is McCain the Antichrist?
Over at The Nation, journalist Robert Dreyfuss writes about so-called "Biblical scholars" who have come to the conclusion that John McCain is the Antichrist. The reason I write about his article is because apparently this "Antichrist" charge has been bandied about a lot lately. Recently, some people have criticized McCain’s ad entitled "The One" for subtly hinting that Obama is the Antichrist. Plus, there are theories all over the Internet citing supposedly definitive evidence that Obama is, indeed, the Antichrist.
I mean, I knew that politics can get dirty and that all forms of attacks can be lobbed-- but the Antichrist?
Dreyfuss’ story was the first one I had come across that tries to present the theory that somehow McCain is the evil agent hell-bent on world domination. I had read ’Obama is Antichrist’ materials on some really whacked out websites months ago, so I had long ago guessed it wouldn’t be long before the ’Antichrist’ meme would enter the mainstream media’s arena. I just wasn’t expecting it to enter it at all with the suggestion that McCain was the "The One".
The theories supporting the idea that either Obama or McCain is the Antichrist are utterly ridiculous, of course. But I think it’s so interesting how quickly and easily the political discussion can veer off into "Stupid-ville". Like, for instance, the argument presented by the Biblical scholar in Dreyfuss’ piece who says that because McCain has Romanian heritage, then that is concrete evidence that he is the Antichrist. From what I understand, this argument comes vis a vis the "Left Behind" Series, a bunch of books chronicling a fictional account of the End Times, Armageddon, Apocalypse, or whatever you you call it in your neck of the woods.
See, in the Left Behind series, the Antichrist is pegged to be a fictional Romanian guy named Nicolae Carpathia. However, this suggestion that the real Antichrist will emerge from Romania isn’t really supported by Biblical scripture. Yet, this scholar in Dreyfuss’ piece uses a theory proposed in fiction to support his real-life theory about a U.S. presidential candidate and this info gets printed at a sort of well-established online news source.
I guess I just wonder how many of you readers here at eyesonobama have read any of the Left Behind series and/or these theories on why either Obama or McCain is the Antichrist -- and what do you make of the whole thing? I mean, do people really believe this stuff or do really only fringe groups? And once the media takes up the theories and start doing wall-to wall coverage on the suggestion that a candidate is the Antichrist (and don’t think that the media is above really covering this outrageously stupid topic), do you think large numbers of people could be, consciously or subconsciously, swayed by the topic?
And, finally, if so, do you think it could be a large enough number to really effect the election in a big way?









