Bestselling spiritual author Marianne Williamson presses on with against-the-odds presidential run

Published

6 months ago

November 14, 2023

admin

Marianne Williamson has kept barnstorming for months across America — to audiences large and small, from churches and colleges to spiritual centers and soup kitchens — in a demanding schedule of appearances in her second tenacious, against-the-odds run for the presidency.

The bestselling spiritual author and one-time advisor to Oprah Winfrey didn’t make it to the 2020 primaries in a wide-open Democratic field. Now she is running against a sitting president from her own party, and the Democratic establishment has closed ranks behind Joe Biden.

Even some of her most devoted followers doubt she can be elected. So why is Williamson even running? She says it’s the faith she has in herself and the American people.

“The most important things you do in life, not because there’s guaranteed success on some external level, but because you feel in your heart it’s the right thing to do,” Williamson, 71, said during an interview in New York City.

She admits it has been grueling at times — not just the punishing campaign schedule, but more so the emotional bruising from a barrage of unflattering characterizations.

For her, it’s “the ultimate challenge to have tough skin, but a soft and open heart,” she said. But Williamson worries that negative perceptions detract from her policy positions, which include financial reparations for Black Americans and creation of a Department of Peace.

“What are the words they use? Wacky, kooky, crystal lady,” she said, listing the names she’s called. “People will take one line out of a book, completely out of context. That has certainly been done to me. Plus, you know, they lie.”

Born in Houston to a Jewish family, Judaism remains her core belief, and she also embraces universal spiritual themes, like loving one another. Williamson came into the spotlight with her popular 1992 book, “A Return to Love.” Oprah, highlighting it on her own site, wrote: “I have never been more moved by a book.”

Williamson, the author of more than a dozen titles and well-known for supporting LGBTQ people, retains a legion of dedicated fans. Millions buy her books, attend her lectures and engage with her on TikTok.

“She is extremely sincere in her beliefs, wise in many ways even,” said Issac Bailey, a communications professor at Davidson College in North Carolina who has written about Williamson’s faith and politics. “But she also has a streak that takes her beyond the pale.”

He pointed to her wariness and sharp criticism of government vaccine mandates that came up during her last campaign. She later said she supports vaccines.

“I’m a socially middle of the road Jew who goes to the doctor,” she said. “I’m not a crystal lady. I understand how important science is.”

Williamson entered politics with an unsuccessful independent congressional campaign in California in 2014, then broke onto the national stage two years later as a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders’ failed presidential bid.

In 2020, she entered the race herself. She acknowledges making what she calls “cringeworthy” comments back then, like how she would harness love to defeat former President Donald Trump.

“Once they could be contextualized in a way that made me appear silly, there was almost no getting past the mockery,” she said.

People may embrace quasi-spiritual language in their private lives, but if it’s from political candidates, it typically doesn’t play well on the campaign trail, said Galen Watts, a sociology and legal studies professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

But this is not new territory for Williamson. For years, she has been under fire from intellectuals who call her theology too shallow, from politicians who mock her ideas, and more recently from some former campaign staff who say she’s irascible and is only trying to sell more books. She concedes that she probably swore more than she should have in her last campaign, but scoffs at the book-selling gibe.

“The way to sell books is by going on a book tour, not a presidential campaign,” she said. “The way to sell books in my field is to never mention politics.”

Some have questioned her political inexperience. But she dismisses that: “I reject the notion that only those whose careers have been ensconced in the car that drove us into this ditch are the only people we should consider qualified to drive us out of the ditch.”

She announced her candidacy in February, and now is arguably the best-known Democrat still challenging Biden for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination. But recent polls show her running more than 60 percentage points behind.

She is well-liked by many young people, including Jose Serna, a 21-year-old at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Serna hopes she stays in the race “because she is illuminating the ideas that young people care about” including Medicare for all, equitable wages and affordable housing.

“While I do believe that it is unlikely that Marianne will win the nomination, it is not because of her policies,” he said, citing a common complaint by Williamson and her backers about a lack of media attention.

Marie Griffith, a professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Washington University in St. Louis, says there’s a practical reason why Williamson stands no chance of winning.

“She has no connection that I know of to Democratic machine politics — meaning the people who raise all the money and make or break the political careers of those identifying as Democrats,” Griffith said.

Williamson talks at times in religious and spiritual terms to describe America as a nation in need of confession and atonement. She worries about vast economic inequality and wants to declare a climate emergency.

One of her signature policy proposals would have the government pay Black citizens reparations for centuries of enslavement and discrimination. She advocated for this in her 1997 book “The Healing of America.” Today, she proposes creating a council of Black academic, cultural and political leaders to disperse at least $1 trillion to Black Americans over two decades.

Author and rabbi Jay Michaelson lauded Williamson for raising the issue before other political candidates, and for her work during the AIDS crisis, but in 2019 he wrote a scathing critique of her bid for president. He called her “selfish, deluded and dumb by denigrating science” and said she gives spiritually a bad name.

Michaelson, in a recent interview, said he agreed with Williamson “that our spiritual commitments and our religious commitments should impact our political lives.” But he says she will remain a fringe candidate because some of her policy positions are too radical for many.

“To say, ‘We need a politics of love’ without explaining what that is,” he said. “Or that we need a new paradigm, or that we need some kind of revolution — that doesn’t play on Main Street.”

Williamson denies denigrating science and disputes broader criticisms of her campaign.

“This idea that I am unserious — my campaign is the one talking about one in four Americans living with medical debt. My campaign is the one talking about the fact that the majority of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck,” she said.

“My campaign is the most serious campaign.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Sports

‘Very emotional’ Sergachev returns, Lightning win

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

admin

'Very emotional' Sergachev returns, Lightning win

Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterApr 27, 2024, 09:43 PM ET
Close

Mikhail Sergachev‘s return sparked the host Tampa Bay Lightning, who avoided elimination, with a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday.

One of the Lightning’s top defenseman had been out since fracturing the tibia and fibula in his left leg on Feb. 7. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper had predicted the Lightning would need to “go far” in the playoffs to see Sergachev dress for another game. Sergachev surpassed all expectations by suiting up just 80 days following that break to be a last-minute addition to the Lightning’s starters.

“I felt like a hockey player again. It was unbelievable,” Sergachev said. I found out yesterday the [doctors] cleared me, and it was Coach [Cooper’s] decision [if I played]. I stayed at the rink a little longer waiting for the coach to say yes or no. And he said yes. I got very excited.”

Sergachev had hoped he’d be able to come by for Game 1 of the series but that didn’t pan out. Instead, he logged 17:03 in ice time and notched an assist on Brandon Hagel‘s second-period goal through his Saturday debut. Sergachev admitted to being “a little bit tired” in the end after so long on the sidelines. But Sergachev’s smile never wavered.

Even though he’s played nearly 500 NHL games since being drafted by Tampa ninth overall in 2016 and established himself as one of the league’s rising stars on defense, there were still a few butterflies present before Saturday’s game.

“Honestly, I couldn’t really sleep last night; it felt like my first NHL game again,” Sergachev said. “And then you go on the ice, and you get that [reception] from the fans in the warmup — it made me very emotional. I’m thankful to be here.”

The Lightning are grateful to be alive in their series, too. Tampa — still trailing Florida 3-1 — narrowly avoided being swept by its in-state rivals. The Lightning held a 3-0 lead after the first period but the Panthers roared back to cut the deficit to 4-3 after 40 minutes. However, Tampa scored the game’s final two goals to extend the series.

Tampa finally found its footing offensively. The Lightning exploded up front, led by two-goal performances from Steven Stamkos and Hagel and a three-point effort by Brayden Point. The Lightning power play also had its best showing of the postseason, going 2-for-5.

Stamkos credited Sergachev’s return for adding emotional energy to the group before the puck dropped.

“I got chills myself, with the reception he got,” Stamkos said. “The amount of work that goes into coming back from an injury like that, it’s impressive. The timeline is impressive, everything he’s done is extremely impressive. To go out there and jump into a series when we’re down and on the ropes, it was a huge boost for our team. I thought Sergy played outstanding tonight. Hopefully that continues because he’s a big part of our defense for sure.”

Sergachev in turn thanked Stamkos for providing much-needed inspiration from Stamkos’ recovery from a broken leg in 2013.

“Our trainer was showing me videos of Stammer skating like four weeks after [that injury],” Sergachev said. “That kind of pushed me and made me work because the first four weeks since the injury, it was tough mentally. But seeing those videos of him walking pretty much the next day and doing all that stuff kind of helped.”

It wasn’t easy for Sergachev to be back on the injured list. That February game marked Sergachev’s first night back from a previous lower-body injury that held him out of 17 contests. Sergachev was admittedly devasted to see his entire season halted at just 34 games, with two goals and 17 assists. And clearly he was missed, not only by the Lightning players but the fans who welcomed him back warmly.

“Did you hear the introduction? The roar just kept going on,” Cooper said. “All the guys on our bench got up. It was a stirring moment and I thought we carried that right into the first period.”

Cooper had no hesitation either inserting Sergachev immediately into an elimination game. Regardless of Sergachev potentially being rusty — or the high stakes at hand — Cooper knew his defenseman was a lock for the lineup.

“You can tell when a player is ready and when a player is not ready,” Cooper said. “Yesterday, we knew he was ready. I just wanted to check the box today when he showed up. I’ve seen it time and time again. It’s the look in the eye. He was a believer.”

Tampa Bay will continue to believe as well that its playoff run won’t end in Monday’s Game 5 — especially not with Sergachev now along for the ride.

“It was phenomenal,” defenseman Victor Hedman said of having Sergachev in the mix. “We’ve watched from close up how hard he’s worked to get to this day. Super impressed by the way he played. Big momentum boost for the guys. It’s huge.”

Sports

Favorite Fierceness draws No. 17 post for Derby

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

admin

Favorite Fierceness draws No. 17 post for Derby

Associated Press

Apr 27, 2024, 09:27 PM ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fierceness was named the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and will look to make history in next Saturday’s milestone race as the first entrant to win from the No. 17 post position in 45 attempts.

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt enters the 1¼-mile opening leg of the Triple Crown races on May 4 off a dominating 13½-length win in last month’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and has a third-place finish as a 3-year-old. Fierceness aims to give the Hall of Fame trainer his third Derby win and first since 2017 with Always Dreaming.

Coming just a year after Pletcher-trained Derby favorite Forte was scratched hours before the race with a bruised right foot, Fierceness owner Mike Repole said he is glad to have another top choice, even with history working against the post position.

“We’re in a great spot,” Repole said. “If you could draw it up, you want to be somewhere outside and you don’t want the speed inside. It’s blessed, couldn’t have asked for a better (post) for us other than we found out that (No.) 17 is 0 for 44. And I’m 0 for 9, so we’re 0 for 53 combined, but we’re OK.”

Also, Brad Cox-trained filly Tarifa is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks after drawing the No. 8 post.

Sierra Leone, whose 155 points led the Derby qualifying trail, drew the No. 2 post as the 3-1 second choice for the $5 million Grade I premier race for 3-year-olds. The son of Gun Runner and Heavenly Love by Malibu Moon has rallied from deep in the field to win both starts this year including a thrilling trip in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland three weeks ago, which followed a testy entry to the gate.

“He’s just a touch farther in than I wanted but he didn’t get the 1 hole, so I’m OK with that,” said trainer Chad Brown, whose other Derby entry, Domestic Product, drew the No. 15 post at 30-1 odds.

Catching Freedom is the 8-1 third Derby choice from the No. 14 post and will aim to give Cox his first outright Derby victory after Mandaloun was named the 2021 Derby winner following the disqualification of deceased colt Medina Spirit for a failed postrace drug test.

Tarifa will start Friday’s Oaks from the No. 8 post as the 7-2 favorite. She has won all three starts this season to lead the Oaks trail with 150 points and has won four of five lifetime starts while earning $456,000. The dark brown filly will attempt to give Louisville-born Cox his third Oaks win and first since 2020 with Shedaresthedevil.

“Very happy with how she’s coming into it,” Cox said of Tarifa. “I need her to settle. (Jockey) Flavien (Prat) knows her now, rode her in her last two, and he’s had opportunity to breeze her the last two weeks. Hopefully, she gets away well, gets a good, clean trip, and I think she’s gonna like the mile and an eighth.”

Just F Y I, trained by Hall of Famer and four-time Eclipse winner Bill Mott, is the 9-2 second choice in Friday’s $1.5 million Oaks and will start from the No. 13 post. Pletcher-trained filly Leslie’s Rose is the 4-1 third choice from the far No. 14 post, looking to follow up her win in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland on April 5.

The draw was held on opening night of Churchill Downs’ spring meet for the first time and a week ahead of the milestone race, two days earlier than in recent years.

Post time for the Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET. Friday’s Oaks is scheduled for a 5:51 p.m. post.

Politics

Rishi Sunak does not rule out July general election – but insists ‘there’ll be a clear choice’ when it comes

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

admin

Rishi Sunak does not rule out July general election - but insists 'there'll be a clear choice' when it comes

Rishi Sunak has failed to rule out holding a general election in July, as speculation remains rife over the timing of the national vote.

The prime minister has repeatedly said his “working assumption” is the election would take place in the second half of this year – with the law stating January 2025 is the latest he could call it.

But while many commentators have predicted an autumn vote, Sky News’ Trevor Phillips put to Mr Sunak that it could mean as early as July.

Analysis: Sunak needs to learn voters aren’t always governed by the logic of the computer

“Well, look, when it comes to a general election, I’ve been very clear about that multiple times,” the prime minister said.

“And again, I’m not going to say anything more than I’ve already said, I’ve been very clear about that.”

In his interview – which will air in full on Sunday at 8.30am – Trevor Phillips pushed Mr Sunak five times over whether he would rule out a July general election, but the Conservative leader refused to confirm or deny if it could take place then.

“You’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say,” he said. “I’m going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, [the] same thing I’ve said all year.

“But the point is… there’s a choice when it comes to the general election. And look, over the past week or so… the country can have a very clear sense of what that difference is going to look like.”

Outlining his recent commitments to overhauling the welfare system, cutting taxes and increasing defence spending, as well as finally getting his Rwanda bill through parliament in an effort to tackle small boat crossings, Mr Sunak said: “That is the substance of what this government is about and what it’s going to do in the future.

“And when the election comes, there’ll be a clear choice, because the Labour Party has tried to frustrate our Rwanda bill, because they don’t believe in stopping the boats, their economic plan will put people’s taxes up.

“They haven’t said that they will invest more in our defence and they certainly don’t agree with reforming our welfare system to support people into work.”

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Labour has said it wants to match the hike in defence spending when the financial circumstances allow, and has promised to scrap the Rwanda bill if it gets into power.

This week, its pre-election focus has been on railways, promising to renationalise train operators and “sweep away” the current “broken” model if the party wins the next election.

Watch Rishi Sunak’s full interview on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips at 8.30am