“You’re all foolish, but in a good way. Your poor living conditions, the unjust economic system under which you toil, and your perceived inability to do anything about it, leads you to seek solace in non-economic activities. For some, this can be emotionally charged but misguided and divisive political activities, such as black nationalism or opposition to immigration. For others, you channel your hopes and dreams to belief in a Trinity or some other Godhead. I won’t bother to convince you that your positions are misguided, because that is pointless: your positions are determined by your economic conditions and the social institutions that shape your lives. Rather, I am seeking your vote so that I can change the economic infrastructure that leads to your poor state, and I hope that I can utilize the social networks you created in pursuit of your foolish guiding ideals to help me do that.”

Barack Obama will have to go with the Homer Simpson defense. In one episode the Reverend Lovejoy asked Homer Simpson if he had listened to any of the sermons over the years. Homer replied that during the sermons he usually slept or spent his time mentally undressing the female parishioners. It’s not a great option, but I don’t think Obama has any others at this point.