Rule number one on endorsements

I was talking with a delegate who received campaign material yesterday in support of the Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick.

No, not the discredited JesusFirst piece with embarrassing accounting errors, but a nice little letter signed by a bunch of people who say that they think the Synod can endure a few more years of the same leadership.

The letter was fine, if a bit bland. And it was bland even while it was working overtime to give credit to President Kieschnick for things he probably doesn’t even try to claim credit for himself. Talking about how well the LCMS World Relief and Human Care handled disaster relief — is that something that you would say to praise Kieschnick? It’s a better talking point for the guy who was, you know, running World Relief and Human Care — Matt Harrison. But hey, they don’t have that much to work with and they don’t get confused about basic accounting or slander anyone, so I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, the thing about the second page of the letter was that it listed endorsements from people. This can be an effective way to demonstrate support. It helps to show a broad base of support from people of varying backgrounds.

And that’s the thing. It’s possible that every single person who signed this letter has been eligible for social security payments for years. Literally. Almost everyone also has a title of “past” this or “retired” that. There is not a single person on the list who is a known confessional. There is not anyone on the list who is known as a conservative. Many on the list are known for not just being on the left, but the far left of the church. It looks like a list of people who share a very similar background.

Anyway, I don’t think the letter is available online, but if it becomes available, I’ll link to it. Here’s a scanned copy of the letter.

I don’t know if those who say “It’s Time” for the Rev. Matt Harrison have sent out an endorsement letter, but here’s one site with endorsements for him. You really should check it out — the difference is staggering.

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