She’s into superstition
Black cats and voodoo dolls
I feel a premonition
That girl’s gonna make me fall

– Ricky Martin, ‘Living La Vida Loca‘

Miss Cleo is standing by

When Pratibha Patil ascended to India’s presidency, many were ashamed of making a woman with irrational beliefs the face of modern India:

… Pratibha Patil… seems to be in communion with spirits… “The Baba came into the body of [her guru]… he had a chat with me… He also made me very lucky…” [Link]

But during the race for America’s presidency, some candidates volunteered magical beliefs of their own:

[John McCain] admitted to carrying the same coin he found — face up — on a street in Portsmouth, N.H. on the day of his last campaign stop of 2000 in his left pocket. He said he was also wearing the same sweater (green). “Any superstition you can imagine, I indulge in it…” [Link]

One of the most famous GOP mage-believers was Ronald Reagan:

Mrs. Reagan enlisted Quigley’s astrological advice on a regular basis, and would hold regular telephone conversations with her… [Said a staff member,] “She had become such a factor in my work, and in the highest affairs of the nation, that at one point I kept a color-coded calendar on my desk (numerals highlighted in green ink for “good” days, red for “bad” days, yellow for “iffy” days) as an aid to remembering when it was propitious to move the President of the United States from one place to another, or schedule him to speak in public, or commence negotiations with a foreign power…”

… “Intelligence officials say the CIA went nuts when it learned the First Lady was discussing US-Soviet relations with an outsider [the astrologer] on non-secure lines… She picked the departure time for the Reykjavik Summit, the optimum time for signing an arms control treaty, the best time for the trip to Moscow… Quigley plotted every takeoff and landing. Her scheduling for that visit to the Bitburg cemetery was so complicated that former White House aide Michael Deaver sought permission from Mrs. Reagan to talk to the astrologer directly.” [Link]

McCain said the other day:

“We’re a Judeo-Christian valued nation.” [Link]

I’d say we have more in common with countries like India than McCain likes to think.

Related posts: Youth without youth, Junior McCain, First female Indian president