Baptist: Giuliani won't get our votes

News and Observer ^ | 3/22/07 | Yonat Shimron

[pissant]

A top leader in the Southern Baptist Convention predicted that former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani would not succeed in winning the votes of Southern Baptists if he were to become the Republican nominee for president in 2008.

In brief comments after a chapel service at the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday, Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich would likely fail for the same reason.

"Three is one marriage too many for them," said Land, referring to the 16.4 million members of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant group. Both Giuliani and Gingrich have been married three times.

A friend and adviser to President Bush, Land keeps close watch on politics as head of the commission, which studies moral, social, and religious liberty issues for the convention.

Though Southern Baptists are independent and do not necessarily follow his counsel, Land said three others who have already entered the presidential fray were more likely to win support among Southern Baptists. Those three are Sam Brownback, a Republican Senator from Kansas, Michael Huckabee, the former Republican governor of Arkansas, and Duncan Hunter, Republican Congressman from California.

As for Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, who is a Mormon, Land didn't rule him out. But, he said, the Republican hopeful has to convince the American people that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won't dictate his policy. Land said he met with Romney recently and told him: "That's not a hill that can't be climbed. But you're going to have to climb it."

Finally, Land said he sensed that U.S. Senator John McCain was perceived as a wild card.

"People are uncomfortable with his predictability," said Land. "They tell me, 'We don't know how he's going to come down on the issues.'"

[TommyDale]

Oh, I'm glad to hear that the Pope can make exceptions for friends to circumvent the rules.

[traditional1]

"I was responding to your post regarding Hunter."

I gotcha.

I'm not a fan of Hunter do to his un-electability and his lack of national name recognition and funding.

His politics are acceptable, but I prefer an ELECTABLE conservative to assure a chance to retain the White House.

With Hunter, there would be no chance for a Republican victory.

[Gop1040]

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that the Pope can make exceptions for friends to circumvent the rules."

Well, you know what they say..."it's not what you know, but who you know".

[TommyDale]

I agree that most people (thinking or not) would not object to Giuliani because of the divorces. Many object to his running around town with his mistress in public while his wife was sitting at home in the mayor's mansion. But most object to his pro-abortion, pro-homosexual agenda and gun-grabbing positions.

[Politicalmom]

They have excommunicated themselves, so if they are partaking of communion, liberal clergy are not doing what they should.

[TommyDale]

That's one major reason why there are so many Protestant believers.

[TommyDale]

"Well, you know what they say..."it's not what you know, but who you know"."

Yeah, but I'm not impressed.

[Gop1040]

"That's one major reason why there are so many Protestant believers."

I hear you. If only the Protestants had their own Pope, then there would be some equity in the struggle.

[PhoenixFire]

> Again, one's propensity for or against drink or one's coarseness of speech is not enough criteria on which to judge a vote. You have once again pulled out your fallacious arguments to give yourself the illusion of having made a point.

And you have once again childishly twisted the obvious meaning of my words in order to engage in useless arguments in an apparent effort to avoid thinking about or responding to the issue that I raised. Perhaps you think that playing these sorts of word games makes you look clever. It really doesn't. It makes you childish. I have better things to do with my time.

[TommyDale]

:-) Right.

[airborne]

Ok, so did you go out and find another bad apple?

No.

Still the divorce argument is a straw man.

I didn't use it.

BTW, my kids were a factor in my decision. They now live with me, and she lives with some other guy.

[SerpentDove]

If Giuliani is hailed as a Republican hero, then the party of Reagan truly is dead.

[SerpentDove]

>>Southern Baptist have a way with JUDGING Others!

I do not like that about them..............<<

Most I have known (and that is a lot) do not.

Broad brushed statements such as yours can usually be dismissed.

[lapdog]

I've been a Republican my entire life and I'm middle aged. With all the threats facing this country, how can anyone say a candidate is go/no-go based on where they stand on abortion? This country is in grave danger today. We were idiots and let Congress go in 06 out of disgust. I guess we showed them, huh! If we let the White House go in 08 because of a candidate's view on abortion, we will rue the day. The President can yell and scream all they want about abortion. It doesn't change a thing. We gave Congress away! Anyone think a conservative/pro-life Supreme Court judge would get confirmed in this Senate? They wouldn't make it out of committee. Why don't we concentrate on keeping the White House out of the hands of someone who would give this country away. We just had an exercise in cutting off our nose to spite our face. We can't afford to do it again.

[garv]

Because he's a good friend of the Pope.

You're joking, right?

[Terriergal]

http://www.ontheissues.org/CA/Duncan_Hunter.htm

You're right pissant. Hunter does look pretty good here.

[DeaconBenjamin2]

The ones who voted for Clinton and Gore will.

[airborne]

What Hunter needs is money and a hard working grass roots effort.

If you like what you see, e-mail the link to all of your conservative friends.