Thom Hartmann Doesn't Want Any President Guided By Religion. Except, of Course, Obama.

President Obama is pursuing policies that "define all the world's major religions," Thom Hartmann gushes. Which no president should ever do, Thom Hartmann warns.

The liberal radio host tried to pass off this apparent contradiction during conversations with callers to his show on Jan. 5 (audio clips after page break)

First, Hartmann said this in response to a caller saying voters should not pick a president based on his or her "religious affiliation" (audio) --

CALLER: I mean, we're not making, we're making a president (yes -- "making a president") and we should vote on the basis of whether he is the best person to do the job, not for his religious affiliation and ...

HARTMANN: I totally agree with you and in fact, I think that a president who says that he is going to be motivated, led, or guided by his religion is, frankly, a danger to the country.

All of two minutes later, Hartmann enthused about Obama "promoting policies" that Christians ought to love (audio) --

CALLER: I just want to make a point that you keep hearing everything from these evangelicals saying they're going to eventually hold their nose and vote for Romney when shouldn't they be holding their nose and voting for Obama since Obama's a Christian?

HARTMANN: Well, not only that, he is, he is promoting policies that feed the hungry, that heal the sick, that give shelter to the shelterless, and back in Jesus's day that would be clothing the naked, but now it's housing the homeless. I mean, he's, he is pursuing those policies that define all the world's major religions and, for Christians, define Christianity. And so, yeah, I'm totally with you, Eric. If somebody wants to vote their religion, they should be voting that policy. Or, or somebody even more progressive than that, more progressive than Obama.

Got that? Evangelicals should vote for Obama over Romney because Obama is the true Christian, as far as Hartmann is concerned. Just look at his policies, right? Written all over them. But if Obama is a Christian as he professes, how could he not be guided by his faith?

Hartmann reminds me of liberals who are unhinged by the specter of Tim Tebow praying during a football game. I wonder if these same critics would be as agitated if a Muslim quarterback celebrated every touchdown by yelling "Allahu Akbar!"