The Daily Show Mocks Republicans for Invoking the Rapture to Stop Healthcare Reform

On The Daily Show last night host Jon Stewart and correspondent John Oliver satirized Republicans like Rep. Todd Akin for invoking the rapture and asking God to stop healthcare reform. Oliver said that the rapture would, “link healthcare reform with lakes of fire, marauding demons, and the destruction of mankind on earth in the minds of surviving swing voters.”

Here is the video:

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The real highlight of the segment came when John Oliver described the rapture as Republicans emergency backup plan to stop healthcare, “Think about there’s a certain brilliance to the strategy here.” Stewart said it would send the Democrats back to square one, and Oliver added, “Also indelibly link healthcare reform with lakes of fire, marauding demons, and the destruction of mankind on earth in the minds of surviving swing voters.”

Oliver listed the signs of the rapture, “They’ll be a number of signs. Bright lights, the ground feeling warmer, John Boehner on the floor of the House lifting his arms wide and turning his head to the sky, Eric Cantor being left behind realizing being Republican does not trump being Jewish, and finally Nancy Pelosi sitting astride a five headed beast as it emerges from the ocean.” Stewart pointed out that after the rapture the Democrats would be in total control to pass healthcare reform, and Oliver summed up the Democrats by adding that they’ll find a way to f**k it up. It’s what they do.

As feeble as it may seem, there is an actual strategy at work here. Every time Republicans invoke God in their attempts to stop healthcare. By linking healthcare reform to religion, the GOP hopes to motivate the Christian Conservatives to get to the polls and cast their dependable votes for Republican candidates. This is a tried and true tactic that has worked for Republicans for decades. What The Daily Show did last night was point out the absolute absurdity of trying to tie God to healthcare reform.