Reading this piece and this piece in quick succession gave me a feeling of whiplash and one of deja vu.

For a long time, Democrats have been seen as a “godless” party.  This is manifestly not true; anyone who knows Hillary Clinton knows about her commitment to the Methodist church.  The noise around Butigeggegg has been from the beginning that he is a lucid expositor of how he understands his progressive politics to flow from his religious commitment.  

(Note: this is all fine, but just once I’d like someone to explain how there is, at most, a somewhat loose fit between their politics and their religious convictions.  I’d like it to be the case that we all see our core religious commitments not flowing inexorably in one direction, but as possibly inhabitable with several rival political stances.  But that’s for some other post.)

Warren’s announcement suggests some energy here.  The Democratic leaders I know are deeply serious about religion—their own, most of them, and those who are not religious are deeply respectful of that of others.  Some younger activists are very different, but then again, younger activists always are, aren’t they?

In any event, it’s a bit exasperating to feel like we’re going to see this movie again.  Especially against a person so manifestly personally impious, and in terms of policies irreligious, as Donald Trump.

Here endeth the lesson.