I think what it is about religions and political leaders is they are driven mad by religious postulates that don't match reality, and forced to stick to them by social pressure, resulting in extreme cognitive dissonance. Those who survive the pressure do so by intelligently compartmenting, realizing that a bogus set of religious tenets is not applicable in solving secular issues.

This is NOT to assert that there is no such thing as a set of religious tenets that could align with observed and experienced reality. But buying the Old Testament sure ain't it.