Politics as religion

One reason people are cynical about politics is the inevitable letdown after each campaign. Our would-be leaders continually up the rhetorical ante, promising the moon, then the stars, then the universe. Then it comes time to govern, and reality sinks in. We've come to expect too much from government. But is it really just material expectations, or is it something more?

For some, the political world is an attempt to satisfy the longing for the transcendent. Politics appropriates religious language, imagery, and oratorical style. "True believers" rally around individual candidates (rather than principles), and are then disappointed to find, yet again, those "messiahs" are just as human, just as fallible as the voters they attracted. If not more so.

Even with the most well-thought-out program, we do not have it in our ability to create "heaven on earth." Only One possesses that power, and He will determine when it's time to hit the reset button. Until then, we should guard against giving our hearts to others who say they'll take us to the Promised Land. All of us possess, at best, flawed discernment, and even angels of light are not always what they appear.