This is exactly what’s wrong with the US media, neatly encapsulated in a single sentence.

One thing’s for sure: The race instantly becomes more interesting if Rick Perry runs.

There’s no discussion of whether the man’s accomplishments as Governor of Texas qualify him to hold the office of President of the United States. There’s certainly no discussion of whether a man who says this has any capacity to run a complex country and represent it around the world:

Fellow Americans,

Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy.

Some problems are beyond our power to solve, and according to the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, this historic hour demands a historic response. Therefore, on August 6, thousands will gather to pray for a historic breakthrough for our country and a renewed sense of moral purpose.

I sincerely hope you’ll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking God’s forgiveness, wisdom and provision for our state and nation. There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think praying to a specific God who’s only revered by two-thirds of the American public is really gonna help solve the nation’s problems.

To the author of the blog post at the Washington Post, those things aren’t nearly as important as whether the race for the Republican nomination becomes more interesting.

Shamelessly stealing a favorite line of Brad DeLong’s, “Why Oh Why Can’t We Have a Better Press Corps?”