At a “Plight of Black Immigrants” forum, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a Muslim, suggested her god expects people to vote in a certain way.
“God expects us to do the righteous work,” Omar said. “And, so, god does not expect you to vote for people who will ultimately hurt you and other humans around you.”
Omar: God ‘Expects’ You to Vote a Certain Wayhttps://t.co/949PmYFsOS pic.twitter.com/aDKlmB2fNN
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) September 16, 2019
Omar’s blend of faith and politics sounds oddly familiar. One political figure that comes to mind is Vice President Mike Pence.
In early 2018, Joy Behar of “The View” likened Pence talking about prayer to mental illness. Pence called out Behar, saying that mocking his Christian faith only proved how out of touch the mainstream media was with average Americans.
.@VP: “My Christian faith is probably the most important thing in my life.” pic.twitter.com/QhH3MUxvFw
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 19, 2018
How likely is it, however, that Behar or anyone else prominent on the left will criticize Omar for “bringing religion into politics”? How likely is it that journalists will follow up on these comments by asking Omar in future interviews how, exactly, she thinks her god Allah influences her votes? And what accounts for the disparity in media treatment of those who blend politics and religion in American life?
