IMO there are good reasons to think that W isn't strongly religious except that he needs the image to pander to the fundies who were critical to his success and remain his only support left. For example, although the media certainly refuses to talk about it, W doesn't really attend church, which even if not entirely diagnostic is certainly worth pondering. Also, his "brain", Rove the man who made W the politician, is an atheist, which seems to demand an "openness to the devil" not entirely consistent with citing Gog to justify the occupation of Iraq.
Reagan, to whom Bush is a disciple, preferred his adversaries to doubt his sanity and rationality. Keeps your opponent off guard and always wondering what you are capable of. It is an entirely effective technique and the Bush people are not running amateur hour here.
It is my feeling that they are pure globalists who believe that the nation state is outdated and they serve a new world that most people haven't noticed exists yet. The constituency of the current US Administration is the wealthy class and Bush has made as much clear when speaking to this audience.
Watch what they do, rather than what they say and it's all very simple.
In the same line of thinking, the french should certainly not underestimate Sarkozy by attributing his actions to a little man complex.
But - if this report is true - why would he feel the need to play-act with Chirac?
I suppose you could interpret it as : watch out! I'm a crazy mother fucker!
As paving says:
Reagan, to whom Bush is a disciple, preferred his adversaries to doubt his sanity and rationality.
