The one thing Dems can't fake with the voters

The Pahrump Valley Times ^ | August 12, 2005 | John Brummett

[new yorker 77]

The only Democrat to unseat a Republican member of the U.S. Senate in the last two cycles - Mark Pryor of Arkansas - told a gathering of frustrated centrist Democrats a couple of years ago that one of his out-of-state consultants did some research and concluded that Pryor ought to talk about his religious faith in every speech.

Pryor said he was wholly comfortable doing that, and pretty much did so. He also ran a television commercial showing his family with bowed heads around the dinner table.

He earned 54 percent of the vote while Democrats were getting their clocks cleaned everywhere else, especially in other parts of the South.

Pryor's advantage was that he appeared not to be faking anything, most likely because he wasn't.

A serious cancer scare in early adulthood had influenced him to membership in an interdenominational and evangelical church. The preacher in that church interviewed him in a dubious and challenging way about Pryor's hairsplitting position on abortion - he thinks it's wrong, but that repeal of Roe v. Wade would be an impossible mess - and published the transcript on the church Web site.

The published dialogue showed that Pryor held his own with the minister on Christian theology, both in terms of Biblical passages and modern literature.

So, last week the Democracy Corps - an alliance of Democrat strategists founded by old Clintonites like James Carville and Stanley Greenberg - released findings of focus group studies among disaffected George Bush supporters in Colorado and Kentucky and rural voters in Arkansas and Wisconsin.

They found that nearly all the economic issues work among those rural voters to the benefit of Democrats, but that it doesn't matter because cultural issues are defining.

Particularly among non-college rural voters, there was little awareness of differences between Democrats and Republicans on health care, prescription drugs, economic policy and retirement security. Those voters assumed that the party closest to them on cultural issues would be closest to them on other issues as well.

An unidentified rural voter in Arkansas was quoted putting it this way: "I'm proud to be an American because of the way this country was founded. And (Republicans) stand up for this nation's Christian heritage. There's no question that - I believe this with all my heart - this country is blessed the way it has been for all these years because of the way it was founded. And God's looked on us favorably. And I think Republicans have that at heart, most of them do. And it shows in the moral stance they take. Because you hear all the time that there are no absolutes, but there truly is, and I think (Republicans) recognize that and try to push that in their agenda."

Unless a Democrat can connect with that fellow naturally, he'd best not try it. Howard Dean recently went to Arkansas talking about how Jesus preached more like a Democrat than a Republican, and it was fairly laughable.

Dean met in Arkansas with Tim Wooldridge, a Church of Christ lay preacher who is running as a Democrat for lieutenant governor. "I told him you have to be real, to be bona fide," Woodridge said, "because if you're not, you're going to smack of hypocrisy and gag people."

The fact is that many Democrats are like I am. They think the aforementioned rural voter in Arkansas has a narrow view of the world that actually contradicts true religion. We don't think God blesses his children in geographically based rewards. We think America was founded on religious freedom, not Christian religion. And we see plenty to be ambivalent about.

Any Democrat so inclined had best run on the two coasts and the upper Midwest and let the Rick Santorums and the rare Mark Pryor or Tim Wooldridge have the in-between, at least until this religious-right mania subsides, as we pray it will.

Brummett is an award-winning columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and author of "High Wire," a book about Bill Clinton's first year as president. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com.

[new yorker 77]

This is why someone like Paul Hackett lost in Ohio.

Hackett lied about his position on the war.

Republicans need to be wary of the fakeness of liberals like Hackett who will lie about who they are in order to win.

Had the Republicans who stayed home in this race known that Hackett planned to use this seat as an anti-war ranting post, they would have showed up to vote and crushed his fraudulent platform. Too little, too late resulted in the closeness of this race.

Pryor may be a religious guy, and Brummett points out that fakeness is something the libs can't rely on any more.

I believe the new media helps expose liberal posers.

Libs can not be themself and win.

Libs can not fake being conservative and think they will get away with it.

They just may have to nominate non-libs.

That will not happen as long as the kook fringe of muppets like Maxine Waters and Howard Dean run the sideshow.

[SampleMan]

If her pollers tell her to, Hillary will be handling snakes, while wearing rosary beads.

[new yorker 77]

And the forums she tries that in will be followed by a nationwide click of the remote.

She can scream and rant all she wants.

The 1992 media that elected her husband is DEAD.

[mtbopfuyn]

Waiting for the revamped Hitlary to become born again.

[hombre_sincero]

Mark Pryor wrote me in a response letter that he did NOT disagree with dick durbin that American troops were like Pol Pot, Hitler, and the other democrat party heroes. Blanche Lincoln - ditto.

Pryor will go down the next election ---- IF the Arkansas "Republican" party actually does something for a change.

[presidentsfriend]

You just happened to hit on something that really upsets me.I believe that Pryor is a total phony that completely pulled a fast one on some very naive Christian voters.Firstly if he was a true Christian he could not run as a democrat.Secondly I dont believe he is a Christian at all.Look at his vopting record on the Bush judges.He told the voters as I remember that he would vote for Bushes judges.He is a total loser!!!Arkansas had a fine Senator before Pryor came along.Pryor is a total loser IMHO

[new yorker 77]

In 1992, I subscribed to The Journal News, a local liberal rag.

In 1992, I did not have cable television. I had to watch CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and local news to get my news.

In 1992, I didn't listen to talk radio. I got my news from 1010 WINS.

In 2005, I did not have a computer. What Internet?

In 2005, I canceled the rag paper years ago.

In 2005, I have cable. I watch Fox News. I wait for a new Fox Business Channel to replace CNBC. I have placed MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, CNNHN on Parental block.

In 2005, I listen to 77 WABC.

In 2005, I surf the net. I have websites I like. I like DRUDGE. I have the AP wire at my fingertips and Powerlineblog crushing juggernauts.

Hillary lives in the media of the past.

[peyton randolph]

The 1992 media that elected her husband is DEAD.

Yes. But it only takes McCain to run as an independent (like Perot) to dilute GOP vote enough to put the Hildabeast into the White House.

[Thebaddog]

Where you been. Get on over here with the other "Modern" men and have a cold whatever you want.

[new yorker 77]

McLame acts in the theater of the irrelevant.

Republican voters carry a giant hook to pull him off stage.

[Soul Seeker]

Republicans/conservatives despise McCain en masse.

He stands to drain off more voters among the Democrats than from the Republicans.

[PGalt]

Democrats, liberals, progressives, socialists who CANNOT DENOUNCE the anti-truth, anti-freedom, anti-life CRIMINALS in their own party are like "moderate islamists" who cannot denounce the anti-truth, anti-freedom, anti-life terrorists.

You're either with us, or you're against us. Make no mistake about it, we are coming after you. We will not tire, we will not waiver, we will not falter, we will not fail.

[MassachusettsGOP]

Pryor only won because Hutchinson had a messy divorce. This is BULL.

[Soul Seeker]

I would disagree that Democrats cannot be Christians. But, in my own personal experience, it became extremely difficult to justify supporting what the leadership had become. This is why the party is leaking people of genuine faith to the only Party that in majority still evidences respect toward Christians/Jews etc.. and their Faith. There are exceptions...but overall this is the case with the Republican party currently.

An unidentified rural voter in Arkansas was quoted putting it this way: "I'm proud to be an American because of the way this country was founded. And (Republicans) stand up for this nation's Christian heritage. There's no question that - I believe this with all my heart - this country is blessed the way it has been for all these years because of the way it was founded. And God's looked on us favorably. And I think Republicans have that at heart, most of them do. And it shows in the moral stance they take. Because you hear all the time that there are no absolutes, but there truly is, and I think (Republicans) recognize that and try to push that in their agenda."

Pretty well stated in this quote.

Dean met in Arkansas with Tim Wooldridge, a Church of Christ lay preacher who is running as a Democrat for lieutenant governor. "I told him you have to be real, to be bona fide," Woodridge said, "because if you're not, you're going to smack of hypocrisy and gag people."

Precisely what I stated last year when kerry ran. I don't have a litmus test that a politician must be a believer but don't you dare use my God to attempt to fool people into voting for you. I will never tolerate it, it'll only anger people of real faith.

I don't know if Pryor is a Christian, I usually do not make that judgement unless it becomes blatantly obvious after intence prolonged coverage such as in the case of the Clinton's and Kerry, but his pledge to vote for the judges is the same as was made by the one in Colorado. That lie can easily be smacked down for use by other Democrat politicians by making Pryor and the one from Colorado the warning label for giving Dems the benefit of the doubt.

[Temple Owl]

Every Democrat should take a ride through Lancaster County (PA) and count the churches. Better yet, they ought to start attending services,

[EagleUSA]

Republicans need to be wary of the fakeness of liberals like Hackett who will lie about who they are in order to win.
------
Stating the obvious. :-) Just look at the Clintons and Kerry...talk about LIVING LIES.

[twntaipan]

Do you still have that email from Pryor? Care to post it?

[labette]

If her pollers tell her to, Hillary will be handling snakes, while wearing rosary beads.

I realize that you are posting sarcastic humor, but...don't be surprised.

[Christian4Bush]

I don't have a litmus test that a politician must be a believer but don't you dare use my God to attempt to fool people into voting for you. I will never tolerate it, it'll only anger people of real faith.

Preach that.

[Balding_Eagle]

Mark Pryor wrote me in a response letter that he did NOT disagree with dick durbin that American troops were like Pol Pot, Hitler, and the other democrat party heroes.

Welcome to FR.

A charge as strong as the one you've made deserves some supporting evidence.