They Prefer the Absent Conscience

I've known many Europeans who very nearly seem to masturbate to this type of political fiction – in this case it’s spun around the fantasy papalism of a “President Santorum”.

“But do you pray?” the president asked.
The director gritted his teeth.
“With all due respect, sir, that’s none of your business.”
“He is not a pharisee. He does not claim public adoration for his devotion,” the voice said.
The president nodded. Could it be that God was steering him towards an ally, a man so devout that he regarded public display, something which would advance his career in this administration, as sinful for that very reason?

It’s appeal is that it makes passiveness and incapacity on the part of the reader seem intelligent and noble – somehow.