In a country filled with a strong majority of Christians — 85 percent or so, last I checked — the “downtrodden Christian” meme still resonates with epic appeal.
Loosely, the reasoning behind the thing seems to be:
I am a devout Christian.
Christians are savagely threatened for adhering to their faith.
Therefore, I am a hero.
Anita and Rick Perry, Downtroditorians from Texas, have now brought the meme to the Republican presidential race.
Anita Perry, campaigning for husband Rick Perry in South Carolina, suggests he’s been “brutalized” by the media and the GOP because of his faith. Perry is the most religiously expressive candidate in the Republican field. He hosted a seven-hour Christian prayer rally in August in advance of entering the presidential race. And at last week’s Values Voters Summit, he was introduced by a Dallas Baptist pastor who said rival Mitt Romney is not a Christian and Mormonism is a cult.
Perry has suffered several extremely bad weeks, stumbling in the debates and losing the coveted endorsement of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s backing Romney. Here, in emotional remarks at a South Carolina campaign stop, Anita Perry said:
“It’s been a rough month. We have been brutalized and beaten up and chewed up in the press to where I need this today. We are being brutalized by our opponents, and our own party. So much of that is, I think, they look at him because of his faith. He is the only true conservative – well, there are some true conservatives. And they’re there for good reasons. And they may feel like God called them too. But I truly feel like we are here for that purpose.”
Presidential candidate Rick Perry agrees.
God save the poor, poor multi-millionaire state governor presidential candidates and their wives who suffer this inexcusable brutality.