Christian leaders threaten to abandon Republicans

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | September 30, 2007

[Man50D]

WASHINGTON – Some of the top leaders in Christian pro-family activism – including James Dobson of Focus on the Family – met in Salt Lake City yesterday to plot a strategy if Rudy Giuliani or another supporter of legalized abortion is nominated by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate.

Not only was there a consensus among activists to withhold support for the Republican nominee, there was even discussion about supporting the entry of a new candidate to challenge the frontrunners.

It's no secret that Dobson, founder of one of the largest Christian ministries in the country, has no use for Giuliani.

In June, he said: "I cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy Giuliani in 2008. It is an irrevocable decision. If given a Hobson's – Dobson's? – choice between him and Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran – or if worse comes to worst – not vote in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life. My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to do nothing else."

Dobson reportedly drove from his headquarters Colorado Springs to the private meeting, held between sessions of the Council for National Policy in Salt Lake City this weekend, just to weigh in with other leaders of family groups, including the Family Research Council, Bott Broadcasting, Capitol Resource Institute, Salem Communications, Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America

[writmeister]

As I posted next, I understand his opposition to Giuliani as it mirrors my own opposition to Giuliani.

[Noumenon]

Talking to so-called Republican ‘leadership’ is like talking to a brick wall. They’re not interested in what grass-root conservatives have to say. They’ve got an agenda, and it evidently has little to do with life, liberty and the sanctity of private property.

Sad.

[roamer_1]

Exactly when did I say I would vote for RUDY?

Whaa? Where did I say that you did say you would vote for Rudy?

you said the "big picture" was to keep Hillary out of office.
I said that was a narrow view.
You angrily said that was an ad hominem attack.
I gave an example of why "Anything but Hillary" was a narrow view, explaining what current Republicans were doing right now, and apologizing for having somehow made you angry in the first place.
You replied by asking me when you had said you would vote for Rudy in a rather demanding fashion... When I had not mentioned Rudy in our conversation at all.

Once again, i apologize that you have taken offense, though I cannot see why you would be offended in the least.

but work on reading what a person writes. Thanks !!

Indeed!

[DesertSapper]

Electing someone like Guiliani is not the same as voting for the socialist Clinton.

Other than support for the Patriot Act and some aspects of funding the Iraq War, how are they different? I'm no Rudy expert but I'm hard-pressed to find many differences between him and Hillery.

[gitmo]

I'll give you this example, and I know many Freepers do NOT want to hear this, but it is fact and more widespread than people know: in the 2000 campaign, I was at a local donut shop frequented by people on their way to work. I was seated behind four businessmen---salesmen or realtors, as best I could tell. They were discussing the campaign. These were OBVIOUS and NATURAL GOP VOTERS, and they were saying about Bush, "I think he's too connected to the religious right." and, "I don't like his connections to Falwell." Now, ignore for a minute what, if any, "connections" Bush had to Falwell. The point is, there are millions of those natural GOP voters who, for whatever reason, are repelled by what THEY view as "fundamentalist" Christianity.

So you are saying the evangelical right is not welcome in the party? I think that is what Dobson is coming to realize.

The GOP is having an identity crisis, and it needs to decide if it is hot, cold, or lukewarm.

[KDD]

Let’s say this, Northerners see Rudy as a Conservative, maybe that is simple enough.

And Westerners see him as a fascist authoritarian and Southerners see him as that, and as decadent "damn" Yankee.

[Suzy Quzy]

Misleading Headline.

[P-Marlowe]

It is important that Dobson understand that electing Clinton by throwing away Republican votes will bring his heart misery he has yet to imagine.

If the Republican Party nominates Rudy Giuliani, then the Republicans (and the country) deserve Hillary Clinton.

I have taken that stand too. If Giuliani is nominated, I am ready to endure 4 years of Hillary, as we deserve nothing better. Keep that in mind when you cast your primary vote.

[Mr Rogers]

Dobson may not be alone, but he isn’t part of a large crowd.

I’ve been a Baptist since my teens. I don’t know anyone who is waiting for Dobson’s seal of approval. Sad to say, I’ve met plenty of older Baptists who have voted democrat because they want maximum social security handouts.

If the GOP nominates a conservative, it will do fine. If it nominates a half-breed liberal, it will lose some support from conservatives. The political calculus is in judging if the loss of conservative votes will be offset adequately by the pickup of ‘independent’ (ie, people who don’t have any particular beliefs and who therefor vote for whoever they ‘like’) votes.

Will the 2-5% drop be balanced by a 6-8% pickup in the mushy middle? Or will there be a 6-8% drop that cannot be balanced by a 2-3% pickup?

My guess is that the mushy middle will find Hillary pretty objectionable...but many will want her handouts. A candidate like Hunter would pick up 2-3% of conservatives and lose 20% of the mushies. My guess is that either Giuliani, Romney or Thompson can pick up a significant number of mushies. THAT is where Presidents are made (or not), sad to say.

[gitmo]

obson doesn’t represent millions of us Christian and we all have sense enough to see the big picture and that is, Hillary must be kept out of the White House.

If the party really believes this, and if they think they need the votes of the evangelicals, then they should carefully select their candidate.

When it comes to the uninvolved voters, they are going to have a hard time distinguishing Rudy from Hillary. Their stands on the issues will line up identically, even on national defense.

[oldbrowser]

Other than support for the Patriot Act and some aspects of funding the Iraq War, how are they different?

If that were the only differences that would be enough. Unless you are against the Patriot Act and the war in Iraq.

Have you been following the Hsu drama? Are you aware of the many campaign donation issues? Have you noticed the constantly changing Clinton positions of various issues and/or the refusal to comment on hot button issues such as the "General Betray Us" ad?

Now consider that Hillary is not qualified to be president. She has always been one of the indians, never the chief. She was a member of the Rose law firm, she was a member of the Senate. She has never demonstrated much leadership in the senate other than getting the name changed on a couple of federal buildings and a few other meaningless resolutions. There is a big difference between being one of the pack and being the leader.

[gitmo]

So, people, how about making up your mind. Is a candidate who will fight the war on terror AND shut down illegal immigration, but who is soft on abortion acceptable or not?

Why not a candidate who is anti-abortion, will fight the Muslim jihadists, and will tighten the borders? Protecting the country from foreign invaders but destroying the nation from within is foolishness. Apparently a lot of party-members see the latter as just rhetoric, and a lot of us see it as an immediate and present danger every bit as destructive as al Qaeda.

[Paige]

I do not support RUDY. My support and money is with Fred Thompson. As for Dobson, I don’t give a flying fig what he says or think. Dobson causes problems because he speaks before he thinks.

As a Christian, I decided where my support and money would go based on Fred’s prior voting records,etc.

Dobson should be ashamed and as a Christian I find such control offensive. If Dobson understands the WORD, he should understand he has offended a lot of believers.

[roamer_1]

My guess is that either Giuliani, Romney or Thompson can pick up a significant number of mushies.

Unfortunately, I must disagree. The way the Republicans lose every-single-time-they-lose is because the base walks. They can never make up the loss of the base with the independents they pick up.

This is turning into another "broken glass" election where the conservatives are supposed to BOHICA. I am pretty certain that will not work. The base was weak last election but the GOP leadership didn't get the clue. This time the base will walk if a RINO is the candidate. it will be a slaughter.

The party would do well to look to the base- To stand for the things it used to. Voting against hillary is not a reason to vote for whatever the RNC throws up.

[Lady Heron]

It is important that Dobson understand that electing Clinton by throwing away Republican votes will bring his heart misery he has yet to imagine.

It is important for republicans to remember that many of these Christians already left a party because that party left them and their morals. They have already had to choose if their morals and their country are more important than any party.

This group will sit this election out if not given a candidate to vote for, and if by the next time around they still do not have a candidate they can vote for they will create their own party....they are politically active enough.

Don't think it is just this group within the Republicans that sit out elections when not given a candidate they can stomach... the gun rights people will not go to the poles for a gun grabber, nor will most of us conservatives go to the poles for higher taxes and not only are Christians the only ones strongly pro-life.

There is a reason we are called the stupid party....put out a liberal and we do not go to the poles, and the party leaders knowing their voters will have willingly gave the election to the dems.

[LS]

I agree with many of those things you posted. My issue is the hypocrisy of so many here who, when the issue is abortion, well, "That's THE defining issue for me! Won't ever vote for a pro-abort candidate no matter what." But then as soon as the issue is "illegals," we hear the same thing.

No party in American history has been 100% pure. The Lincoln Republicans were heavy on tariffs and government subsidies to RRs. The TR Republicans were big on social control. Even Reagan sacrificed high deficits (rightly so) to win the Cold War. EVERY era has its tradeoffs, which is why politics is an "art."

[Walkingfeather]

and you have to realize after years of panic generating fund raising the Christians are used like charlie brown kicking the football for lucy. Promised everything and never given anything.

Conservative Christian gave MILLIONS of dollars and got both branches of the senate and the presidency and did they get abortion ened in america? NOPE. We actually got the same Schtick promises followed by excuses.

If Hillary gets elected I think we can deal with it, since we stopped most of Clintons agenda. We are not going to sit around and told by lucy ( republican fundraisers) that they will hold the football this time.

Nope we’re done.

[Lynne]

I don’t know the answer to this, but maybe someone out there does. Have any of Guiliani’s positions changed since 911? That horror had to effect him somehow, I just don’t know how.

[LS]

Absolutely that is NOT what I’m saying. I’m saying that MANY perceive that the Republicans are ONLY the party of the “evangelical right,” and even many who ARE of the “evangelical right” have priorities. Mine is to keep my family safe #1, period. Dot. Exclamation point. If that requires abortion go on the back burner, I’m all for it. There are no rights for the unborn if there aren’t any people left to “born” them.

[Lynne]

I don’t know the answer to this, but maybe someone out there does. Have any of Guiliani’s positions changed since 911? That horror had to effect him somehow, I just don’t know how.