Tigh-Roslin ’08

Many observers were impressed by Col. Saul Tigh’s selection of Laura Roslin as his running mate in the upcoming election.

Others found Roslin to be a lightweight compared to Tigh’s 40 years of service to the Twelve Colonies and his record as a war hero and former POW.

Originally, Roslin held only a minor post in the Colonial government which–while it  showcased her genuine love for children–nevertheless was a small backdrop before an unexpected and lightning rise to executive office, which she has held for only a short time.

On the other hand, her decision to ban abortion in order to keep mankind alive, her gung-ho Cylon-hunting, and her deep religious faith will surely fire up the base.

It is less clear what the effect will be of her statement that Admiral Adama’s deeply-unpopular and protracted conflict with the Cylons is a "task that is from the gods."

Some pundits viewed her selection cynically, saying that Tigh needed to choose someone like Roslin in order to shore up his standing in the party.

Many of the party faithful have long had the feeling that the maverick Tigh was not really "one of us,"  in the words of fighter pilot Lt. Kara Thrace, who once faced disciplinary action for punching then-Col. Tigh in the face. "No matter what his service record has been or what he endured back on New Caprica," she said, "he never really seemed like he was one of us. There was always something that made him different."

These feelings were accentuated when Col. Tigh recently confirmed rumors that he is, in fact a Cylon, though he swears that his allegiance is to mankind.

"After they revealed that, I was thinking about sitting out this election," Lt. Thrace said. "But then he named Roslin as his running mate, and that won me back over. Personally, I’d rather have Roslin at the top of the ticket than a Cylon who says he’s on our side, but anything’s better than who the other party is putting up."

Tigh’s major party rival for the presidency is the charismatic newcomer Gaius Baltar, who despite shady dealings in the past has rocketed to popularlity and achieved almost messianic status with his enthusiastic followers.

"It’s really creepy," Laura Roslin said in a recent press conference "watching all those young women treating him like some kind of religious figure who will save us all. He actually has less experience than I do, with his background as a ‘computer organizer.’"

Concerned with the effect his relative inexperience could have on voters, Gaius Baltar had nominated as his running mate Tom Zarek, a long-term political figure from the tiny world of Sagittaron who is often perceived as a political attack dog, though with a reputation for being long-winded.

"What a snore-fest he is," Lt. Thrace said.

The effect of the vice presidential selections remains to be seen, but this year’s election has already stirred much comment.

Some have marveled at the unusual plot twists the campaign has taken, while others have noted eerie similarities to other races.

Asked for comment, Priestess Elyosha of the Mystical Majority responded, "You know what they say in politics: All of this has happened before; all of this will happen again."

(CHT: Fr. Z and the reader who e-mailed.)

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin