Presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), disgusted a lot of people with a sermon during her recent speech to Florida tea partyers. She dug deep into her religious side and came up with a reason as to why Hurricane Irene took such a toll on the East Coast.

She proposed that God sent the hurriancane because the government is “too large and intrudes too much on people’s lives.” Bachmann preached that God is trying to get the attention of politicians. Apparently, the only way to do that is through natural disaster.

When interviewed on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Bachmann claimed it was a metaphor, and that everyone knew she was just kidding. Whether she was kidding or not, the country seems to be in an uproar over this particular metaphor. Move over Sarah Palin, because America is obsessed with the newest, most outspoken woman in politics.

I am not one to go in depth about politics but I do feel bad for Bachmann. This rare ounce of sympathy originates from fact that I always feel bad for people whose jokes are taken too seriously. Take for instance Chelsea Handler, one of our country’s most loved comedians, who is currently being criticized for calling Angelina Jolie a “home wrecker.”

Stressed college students during finals week will often say things like, “This is God’s message to me that I need to stop partying.” But no matter how religious we are, we do not literally think that God is scheduling three papers due the same day because of our fondness for red cups.

In Bachmann’s case, we can ask ourselves when is something no longer funny.

Bachmann’s joke should definitely not have been taken seriously, however, the concern becomes whether it’s appropriate for a presidential candidate to joke about a natural disaster that killed and destroyed many American homes. Inappropriate? Definitely. Funny? Slightly.

There are two points being made here. First and foremost, we should probably stop using God’s name to make sense of our problems, and natural disasters for that matter. Secondly, although the comment was completely inappropriate in context, it was meant to be taken as a joke, or “metaphor” as Bachmann puts it.

It is impossible to determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, but Bachmann does seem ready to take on the role of the next big reality TV star. With the amount of controversy and love-hate debates her sarcasm inspires she is the perfect candidate for a primetime Bravo, or E! slot. If she does not get past the other GOP hopefuls she can always fall back on a career in comedy, or maybe just go on “Dancing With the Stars.”

— Caroline Nachazel is a junior studying journalism and communications. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.