When it comes to the 2016 Presidential election in the U.S., the Republicans are suffering from what I can only call an embarrassment of riches, with a field so wide that they have yet to fit them all on a single stage. They are also suffering from a surfeit of public piety, which compels them to cite divine guidance whenever they enter and/or leave the hunt for high office. In this post, I will track each of them as they drop out; end-of-campaign dates are noted in parentheses.
Scott Walker (21 Sep 2015)
I'm in. I'm running for president because Americans deserve a leader who will fight and win for them. – SW http://t.co/DZG253QjfP #Walker16
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 13, 2015
Just after announcing his run for high office, Scott Walker released an e-mail to his supporters making it clear that it was not his decision alone:
My relationship with God drives every major decision in my life. Each day I pray and then take time to read from the Bible and from a devotional named Jesus Calling.
As you can imagine, the months leading up to my announcement that I would run for President of the United States were filled with a lot of prayer and soul searching.
Here’s why: I needed to be certain that running was God’s calling — not just man’s calling. I am certain: This is God’s plan for me and I am humbled to be a candidate for President of the United States.
And now we know how “God’s plan” for Scott Walker turned out:
Please see my statement from earlier tonight on my campaign –> https://t.co/OGhOQgEPyO – SW
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) September 22, 2015
“I want to thank God for His abundant grace. Win or lose, it is more than enough for any of us.” Sometimes God calls his servants to impossible tasks, one must suppose.
Rick Perry (11 Sep 2015)
https://twitter.com/ErikBCorcoran/status/642090787791093760
The sitting governor of Texas first gained national notoriety by hosting a massive prayer and worship service in the same stadium which hosted the 38th Super Bowl. Perry did a fine job of muddling church and state together that day, but he did not say at the time whether God was leading him to run for President. His wife later made it abundantly clear that God was definitely speaking to them about a presidential bid, although she was hearing the divine voice somewhat more clearly at the time.
Oops.
According to The Christian Post, Perry was led by Christ to suspend his campaign:
When I gave my life to Christ, I said, ‘Your ways are greater than my ways. Your will superior to mine. Today I submit that His will remains a mystery, but some things have become clear. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States.
"Today I step aside knowing as long as we fight for the cause of conservatism, our nation is in good hands." – @GovernorPerry
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) September 11, 2015
Evidently, God’s will was for Governor Perry to run for President and then fail to gain political traction. Twice. Mysterious ways, indeed.
Who will be the next GOP contender to drop out of the race? God only knows!
