Politics & Power Quote by George J. Mitchell

Mitchell’s line is a small masterclass in American civil religion: it punctures a familiar campaign-season habit without sounding anti-faith. The opener, “Although he’s regularly asked,” dryly concedes the reality that politicians and voters keep trying to draft the divine into their coalitions. It’s not a theological claim so much as a civic reprimand. God, in this framing, becomes the most sought-after endorsement that never arrives.

The intent is practical and corrective. A politician who spent years negotiating bitter conflict (and, as Senate leader, refereeing partisan warfare) is warning that moral certainty can be counterfeit when it’s stapled to a party platform. If God “does not take sides,” then no faction gets to launder its agenda through Providence, and opponents aren’t automatically cast as enemies of the good. That’s not kumbaya; it’s conflict management. You can still argue fiercely, but you can’t claim the argument is pre-settled by heaven.

The subtext cuts both ways: religious voters are being told their faith shouldn’t be reduced to a voting guide, and secular listeners are being reassured that democracy doesn’t require theological referees. It also nudges leaders toward humility. “God is on our side” is a shortcut around accountability; if outcomes go badly, the temptation is to blame sabotage instead of flawed policy.

Context matters: American politics routinely borrows the language of destiny and righteousness, especially in moments of crisis. Mitchell’s sentence is a pressure release valve - a reminder that legitimacy comes from persuasion and governance, not celestial co-signs.