Social conservatives warming to McCain: Evangelicals flocking to formerly 'unacceptable' candidate

The Washington Times ^ | July 6, 2008 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[2ndDivisionVet]

Sen. John McCain is making surprising headway with religious conservatives - that part of the Republican electoral coalition he was expected to find the most resistant.

For a campaign that Republican critics have called ill-managed, disorganized and message-challenged, the Arizona senator's organization has, from all outward appearances, been doing things right in its appeals to evangelicals and other religious conservatives.

In the past week, Mr. McCain won over a major group of social conservatives, thanks to personal appeals, and the campaign has made personnel moves appealing to religious voters.

In Denver last week, a meeting of nearly 100 religious conservative leaders and activists resulted in about 75 of them deciding Mr. McCain is their man. Some of those present told The Washington Times on the condition of anonymity that distrust of Sen. Barack Obama was a big part of their conversion to the McCain cause, though the Arizonan's own persuasiveness on the values issues generally impressed them the most.

McCain

Mr. McCain, who had attacked evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as "agents of intolerance" during his failed 2000 nomination bid, has reportedly met with hundreds of leading evangelicals in recent weeks and, by all accounts, turned them around by the force of his personality and personal credibility.

"We - I mean the values voters - said about a year ago that John McCain doesn't like us and we don't like him," Ohio-based evangelical insider Phil Burress told The Times. "About the same time, we said McCain and [Rudolph W.] Giuliani were the two unacceptable Republican candidates."

[2ndDivisionVet]

This is good news, since the alternative is UNTHINKABLE!!

[Dilbert San Diego]

There was a story recently about evangelicals for Obama. I think Obama was campaining among them?

On issues such as abortion and marriage, there’s no way a devout evangelical would prefer Obama.

[Mr. Mojo]

John McCain is making surprising headway with religious conservatives

Not too surprising, really. They've had enough time to deeply consider the consequences of a B-HO Presidency.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Amen!

[TennTuxedo]

It was funny, because the "drive by" media was touting that Obama was picking up all of the evangelical voters.....then the next day they ran a story about Obama and his wife courting the gay vote!

The evangelicals are not voting for Obama.

[goldstategop]

Why, here I thought RINOs viewed values voters as the crazy aunt in the basement and wanted nothing to do with them. If this development bears fruit, Christine Todd Whitman will be the one left deeply saddened!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[pepsionice]

If you look at the various episodes going on with environmental focus within evangelical groups....there is a split of some sorts going on...with even some SBC folks leaning away from social conservatives. A major cog in the Republican victories of the past twenty years has been evangelical support. I don’t see this support as what we are used to. I think we are talking about a 30 percent cut on previous election year numbers. For McCain....this isn’t a good trend...and it represents a major shift for the Republicans in future elections if this continues.

[hosepipe]

Any that thinks all three candidates would not say anything to get elected are morons.. And after elected would not do pretty much the same things.. AFter the election McLaim will veer sharply to the left.. and Obama will lean slightly to the center..

Republicans generally are willing to hear what they want to hear..
McLaim will become a tool of the left.. as he has been for a decade.. ANy that will tell you different are Bushbots.. Even more a tool of the left than Bush was/is..

[Mr. Mojo]

Self-proclaimed evangelicals voting for a candidate who supports abortion and homosexual marriage.....

...well...they're not evangelicals. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.

[TheWasteLand]

Life imitates Star Wars with Obama as the Death Star.

General Tagge: "But that's impossible. How will the candidate maintain control without the conservative policies?"

Governor Tarkin: "Fear will keep the local constituencies in line. Fear of this Democratic candidate."

[Slump Tester]

"Evangelicals flocking to formerly 'unacceptable' candidate"

Well DUH! Who else can they flock to - the pro abortion guy?

[jrooney]

People are starting to wake up and realize the absolute disaster if Obama is elected. Obama would make Bill CLinton look like a choir boy, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson look like patriots and Janet Reno competent.

[EternalVigilance]

Some of us have known for months that many of these so-called “leaders” were going to fall into line for McCain.

They deserve everything they’re going to get.

[LegendHasIt]

Wishful thinking.
At best, they are flocking AWAY from Obama.

[TigersEye]

The sheeple are getting restless. Baaaa baaaaa baaaaaa.

[jveritas]

The great news is that the vast majority of Republicans and Conservatives are smart enough to know that we either have McCain or Obama and that McCain is much better on all issues where as Obama is a socialist and a defeatist. Of course there will be those people who cannot be appeased and they hide under the “Principles” excuse not to vote for McCain. The great news is that they will constitute a very tiny portion of the electorate and McCain will get ten times more from independent voters and even democrats.

[jveritas]

Obama will get a smaller minority of evangelical voters than the minority that Gore and Kerry got from this voting group.

[KC_Conspirator]

Of course this is happening, despite the lies told by the media that social conservatives are voting for Osama.

[jveritas]

Exactly correct.