Posted on 02/11/2017 9:24:02 AM PST by Kaslin
I used to host a radio show with Steve Bannon. Yes, that Steve Bannon.
It was a Catholic radio show, and we talked about life and faith and how you integrate the two. It aired weekly over the course of a number of months in 2012, and I do remember we had one political show around Election Day, in which we talked with Steve's friend Pat Caddell (formerly of the Jimmy Carter White House) about Catholics and the political culture of both parties.
"Surreal" would seem the appropriate word as I've watched an array of successive news stories and commentaries about Bannon, who has become the "Darth Vader" figure of the Donald Trump administration. As one young editor in the National Review office observed to me, it seems as if Bannon couldn't do anything at this point that wouldn't be viewed as sinister.
The most pernicious development in this narrative is an idea recently presented in the New York Times that he's coordinating with conservatives in the Vatican to thwart Pope Francis.
I think to take an honest look at both the American political scene and the Catholic Church is to see decades of disarray. Scandal. Confusion. Something less than courage and clarity. The good works, solid faith and stories of self-sacrificial love tend to get overshadowed by all of this.
When everything seems broken to a whole lot of people, anything but the status quo seems a very attractive alternative. And so Donald Trump was elected. Before that, a pope resigned and something new -- a South American with radical ideas about love and duty to God -- came on the scene. Pope Francis repeatedly talks about mercy and forgiveness, and I hope his message is resonating with people who wouldn't otherwise give organized religion a second glance.
When I sat down in studio with Bannon, we would talk about some of the methods of living the Catholic faith in the world as it is today. My memory of the time is that it was book-heavy -- we interviewed many authors and discussed heady ideas. I consciously wanted to help convey that the Church is made up of every baptized member and we're called to show our faithfulness in the world, not just by going to Mass on Sundays. As many have noted, Bannon is concerned about a radical secularism that has become a rival religion, and small practical things play no small role in providing an alternative to it.
Before doing the show, Bannon and myself had met a few times over the course of a decade, including around a documentary he did about Sarah Palin. Like Bannon has now, Palin had become a caricature in the news. He saw a human being and tried to show a more than one-dimensional look at her and the politics she stood for. He was also ridiculously loyal to me when I wanted to name our show "Silent Radio," a hat-tip to a Pope Benedict XVI message about the need for silent contemplation and listening in the noise of the world.
Life, the dynamics of American politics and whatever the Trump administration is up to are more complicated than my memory of pleasant radio-studio hours, I certainly know. But there may also be imperfect people trying to make things work. And we should disagree with them and protest when appropriate, but also consider saying a prayer for the common good and the human beings at the center of news stories and in the halls of power.
One of the great comforts to me as I see our beloved president facing all sorts of opposition is the knowledge that Steve Bannon is at his side. Steve Bannon is a patriot par excelance. He loves God, his Church and this nation and Liberty and would give his life fighting for it. He is completely loyal to president Trump and no one can get to president Trump to trick or deceive him as long as Steve Bannon is at his side.
Good article by Kathryn Lopez. Thanks for posting. Thanks to Kathryn Lopez.
Bump
It sure is, and I always enjoy her articles. YW
Agree. The Catholic intellectual tradition has no counterpart either in the secular or other religious world. Between the Alinskyites and the Rev. Wright’s of this world lie a broad spectrum of vacuous and shallow faiths and beliefs that run the gamut of every color and creed of con artists.
I, too, remember Steve Bannon from many years ago. He was saying the things no one else would, and was always a complete patriot.
It still is hard to believe he is in the White House at the President’s side.
Winning!
He does, however, need a haircut, some new shoes, and a new tailor. lol
The liberals who read the Daily Beast believe Bannon is pulling the strings.
In the next breath they call Trump Hitler. They are very confused. The alt-left media has gone off the deep end because their radical agenda is getting reeled in.
> “When everything seems broken to a whole lot of people, anything but the status quo seems a very attractive alternative.”
I like that.
It’s what they do. Look at Trump, even. The guy spent 40 years as an American icon - befriended by politicians, athletes, celebrities, rappers, you name it. Never once accused of racism. He had his name splashed on the side of some of the most historic real estate and golf properties in the world.
And as soon as he runs against the progressive agenda, he’s torn apart where his name is now associated with racism. It’s bizarre.
Agree. Knowing that Bannon is there by DJT’s side is quite comforting and reassuring. When I feel panic coming on, I remember this and I can relax.
It’s bizarre...
To boot, employer of everyone from casino croupiers to running backs.
And as soon as he runs against the progressive agenda, he’s torn apart where his name is now associated with racism. It’s bizarre.
ff
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