Most people outside Washington neither know nor care about which staffers are running whose campaign (nor should they), but this little tidbit from Ben Smith about Nick Ayers, the new campaign manager of Tim Pawlenty's rendezvous with destiny, is actually worth taking note of, what with its cosmic significance. Upon taking the job, Ayers, who is a mere 28 years old but regarded as a comer in Republican political circles, sent around an e-mail to explain why he was taking on this thankless task:
Over the past six months, I have prayed deeply about my purpose in life and how best to utilize the talents God has given me. I wanted my decision to be wholly about how best to serve Him, not what was most politically or financially expedient for my family and me. As He often does in walks of faith, He has called me to a higher purpose. I believe that our Nation is truly on the wrong path. We need a new direction that is positive and hopeful. Simply said, we need new leadership. I believe that Governor Pawlenty is best positioned to provide that leadership. Therefore, I am pleased today to join Governor and Mrs. Pawlenty in their pursuit of the presidency.
Young Mr. Ayers just got what for most politicos is the offer of a lifetime -- to lead a presidential campaign that has an actual shot of obtaining the nomination. People work their whole careers in politics without getting that chance. But should he take the job? He wasn't sure, until he prayed about it. Then he knew that God "has called me to a higher purpose," namely, the Pawlenty campaign.
In what must surely be a heavenly coincidence, God's plan is for Ayers to take a job that will be an incalculably huge benefit to his career, turning him into a minor political celebrity and assuring him of an enormous income as a consultant or lobbyist once the election is over, the kind of opportunity only a half-dozen people in his party get once every four years. It sure is a good thing God didn't tell Ayers to give up all his possessions and join a monastery, or spend the rest of his days serving meals to homeless people. But I guess Tim Pawlenty's campaign was just too important to the Big Guy.
