That George W. Bush has been "open" about his religous faith is one of the great understatements of the twenty-first century. From calling the "war on terror" a crusade to claiming Jesus is his favorite political philosopher he's managed to inject his religion into virtually every speech he gives and many of the policies he has initiated. And now he's telling reporters that his "war against terrorism" is heralding a new age for America, a "third great awakening."

See if Bush actually paid attention to the way science and statistics work, rather than just brushing them off as fodder for the "reality based community", he might have a clue why his observations point in that direction. It's called confirmation bias, and it's unfortunately the basis for many of Bush's failed policies. Someone who so obviously sees the world through the lens of "good and evil" and Christian religion will surround himself with people who think similarly. Observing those people might indicate that most people see the world that way; in fact, it's only proof that the president and his buddies do. In addition, the president has an alarming propensity to only evaluate empirical evidence that supports his hypotheses and chuck the rest (ie. WMDs in Iraq, al-Qaeda's relationship with Saddam Hussein, etc.) So while memories of individuals who do not see his "war on terror" in stark terms of good and evil may lazily breeze through one ear and out the other, unresisted, those who do stick in his mind, and suggest to him that everyone does.

This is why statistics are useful and anecdotal evidence is usually garbage. None of which has ever stopped the Bush administration in the past, but it's a useful lesson for the rest of us, at least. Semi-official word is trying to water down the unavoidable logical leap that Bush is somehow operating with a higher authority in prosecuting his war.

I'm not buying it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the great awakening does not refer to a surge in any religious piety but that of evangelical Christianity. That historical context shouldn't be lost on someone like Bush who seems unable to think of much besides evangelism, and these comments were made to a group of conservative reporters unlikely to ask touchy questions like "What about Jews and Muslims?"

Bush continues to try and frame his war in such a way that makes him the "good guy" and whoever the enemy du jour happens to be, the "bad guy." That he's surrounded by people who think as he does comes as no surprise, but he shouldn't mistakenly believe that everyone in America is coming around to his way of "thinking."