The only time you’ll find a liberal politician in a church is if she’s campaigning in one.
Just ask Vice President Kamala Harris, who recorded a video advertisement for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe that played in hundreds of black churches across the state.
“I believe that my friend Terry McAuliffe is the leader Virginia needs at this moment,” Harris says in the video. “Early voting has already started, and this is the first year that you can vote on Sunday, so please vote after today’s service, and if you cannot vote today, make a plan to go vote.”
Putting aside the fact that Harris’s advertisement is almost certainly illegal — the Internal Revenue Service does not allow tax-exempt entities to “participate in, or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of [or in opposition to] any candidate for elective public office “ — it’s also distasteful. Sunday mornings are a time for worship and reflection. Imagine being asked to open up your Bible only to have Harris appear on-screen begging for your vote.
It’s not clear whether any churches have played the advertisement yet. A body of believers that values its tax-exempt status should avoid doing so.
But Republicans in the state might be secretly hoping that churches air the video anyway. Harris is remarkably unpopular, and McAuliffe’s campaign is right on the verge of collapse. Harris’s advertisement might be enough to push him over the edge.
And if that happens and a Republican beats McAuliffe to take over deep-blue Virginia, one might have to chalk that up to providence.
