Judge Moore for President? Religious Conservatives & the Danger of Disrespecting a Popular Icon

22 Aug 03 | xzins

[xzins]

It is reported that Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “It is religion that keeps the poor from murdering the rich.” Rich is, of course, a relative term. One can be “rich” in money, and in the world of religion one can be “rich” in spirit, and in the political realm one can be “rich” in power.

Who is in danger of being murdered?

James Dobson, the leader of “Focus on the Family” has recently voiced his displeasure with the Republican Party over their failure to deliver benefits to the Christian conservatives for their support over these many years. Despite a Senate majority, despite a ‘conservative’ President, despite an iron-grip conservative hold on the House of Representatives, there is precious little (nothing?) from the conservative Christian agenda that has been successfully guided to implementation. In fact, there appears to be backward momentum.

Abortion is as big as ever. School vouchers are little experiments here and there but not under federal authority. Sexuality is now considered under the heading of a newfound freedom of ‘privacy’ that allows any sexual practice to escape even the most reasonable bio-medical review by a state legislature. Marriage is in jeopardy from Massachusetts to California as liberals successfully redefine that institution, considering any form of partnering leading to sexual release on the same par with a man and woman creating and rearing a family.

And now activist judges, seemingly in league with the ACLU, are excising our country’s religious symbols at what can only be described as a hostile pace. They are being permitted to dismantle America’s historic culture of Judeo-Christian morality and replace it with a culture that these judicial architects claim will be neutral, but which is in fact anti-theistic.

Permitted? Who is permitting it?

The religious conservatives would say, “Those we placed our hope in have permitted it. None of the big names stood with us on the firing line. None of them picked sides, went public with their verbal support, and then went public with their actions which demonstrated support.” Not even Attorney General John Ashcroft, the supposed insider religious conservative, spoke up. (John hasn’t spoken up in some time now. Is he gagged?)

We are reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

The Republican Party, very rich in power, is in danger from the common people who make up its religious base.

And right now Judge Roy Moore has immense “good will” with that same religious conservative base of the Republican Party. Where did this good will come from? In the eyes of those conservative Christians, Moore was willing to sacrifice himself for one of their concerns. Make no mistake, they trust this man. His stock is very high in that group at this moment.

We’re told that if Al Gore had received even one percent less of the African American vote, that the 2000 election wouldn’t have even been close. How much more if George W. Bush had received one percent less of the Christian conservative vote? We’re told that Bill Clinton won two elections without ever having a majority of the vote because Ross Perot took up to nineteen percent of the Republican vote away from them. The message is clear. A third candidate popular with religious conservatives will kill the Bush Re-election.

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you...." (William Arthur Ward.)

To refuse a hearing at the highest level is an insult to a man who in his own sphere has reached the top rung. Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, Judge Roy Moore, has definitely worked his way to a high enough position to have earned the right to be heard. And, in giving a hearing to Moore, they give a hearing to his supporters. Whether the powers in the Republican Party understand the necessity of giving him his hearing is entirely a different subject.

But, if I were an operative for the Constitution Party, and if I were a disgruntled conservative Christian, I would definitely see a man with tremendous name recognition, a solid base of support, and a whole boatload of determination.

Someone needs to talk real-politik to the Republican members of the Supreme Court.

[Dave S]

I would like to know who paid for this monument. If it was the state of Alabama based on Judge Moores signature, then the state ought to assess Moore. It's not the governments responsibilty to erect religious monuments.

If the monument was paid for by non-governmental funds, what the hell is it doing on government property?

[xzins]

Liebermann ran for Pres. AND didn't have to give up his Senate seat.

Is there some law that says Moore has to give up his Judgeship just because he runs for some other office? I can see it if he wins, but it's not always necessary if you only run.

[BamaG]

His term is up in 04. You can't run for two seats at once in Alabama. The demagogue would have to put up or shut up.

Actually, all the talk here is that he will challenge Richard Shelby, who comes up for re-election next year. I've always held my nose and voted for Shelby, but if Moore ran against him, I'd put a Shelby sticker on my car.

[Servant of the Nine]

What could Howard Dean do that hasn't been done in the last year?"

Raise taxes 30% to pay for HillaryCare for a start.

Principal has no place in politics, because politics is made by politicians.
Moore is no different than Bill Clinton, they are classic Southern Flim Flam Men.
If he decides tomorrow that there are more votes in mandatory Athiesm or Satanism, he will change his position in a flash.

So9

[Mo1]

Senate or Governor... which one is he running for soon?

If Judge Moore does this, my opinion of him will sink big time.

It's one thing to stand up for the right to keep this monument .. it's totally different thing to use this monument to boost poll numbers to run for office

[BamaG]

The monument was paid for by a tv evanglist out of Florida.

the monument was erected without the other judges knowing about it.

However, the tv preacher knew, he paid for it, built it and had it delivered after the other judges had left. THEN, they filmed the installation process. They use the tape as a money raiser for the preacher.

This is all written in the courts decision, you can access it yourself, for all of you "Cult of Roy" types who think I am smearing him.

[dogbyte12]

My bet is he is going to run for the Shelby seat. His campaign stump speech will be something along the lines, that the federal government is trying to take God out, well I am going to Washington to bring him back. Going to do a constitutional amendment, bill, what have you to get the ten commandments etc back. Give me money, send me there.

[xzins]

The operative word in the sentence, in terms of your comment, is "willing."

He has received a lot of abuse, had his colleagues disagree with him, and I heard there's even the threat of removal from office.

That sounds like a willingness to sacrifice to me.

[onedoug]

Your posts undergird Islamism fairly well. Or is that just a coincidence?

[magellan]

Let's look at this from another angle.

The SCOA building is public property. The monument is Roy Moore's personal property. The state has every right to have Roy Moore's personal property removed from the public building's lobby.

In fact, part of the Circuit court's judgement was Roy Moore could keep his monument in his office, but not in the lobby. Maybe a minature of the monument as a paperweight, but I don't think the full size model could make it through the door.

The "public safety" bit about installing the monument after hours is complete B.S. The presence of the monument was a complete surprise to everyone who worked in the SCOA building after it was installed. It dominated the day's news in Montgomery.

[Mo1]

My bet is he is going to run for the Shelby seat. His campaign stump speech will be something along the lines, that the federal government is trying to take God out, well I am going to Washington to bring him back.

I really hope he does not do that .. IMHO that is wrong to use God for the sole purpose of getting elected. I don't have a problem with folks that have strong religious beliefs that run for an elected office .. but you DON'T use God

[xzins]

It was paid for by private funds. It didn't cost the taxpayers anything.

I've read the relevant section of the Alabama Constitution to which Judge Moore refers. He is correct. It is an explicit acknowledgment of God.

He truly is following his constitution.

And this provision of his constitution has never been ruled unconstitutional by the Fed. In fact, since all constitutions of states must be reviewed by the Fed before being accepted, one could say that it was APPROVED.

[xzins]

Why do you suppose that this is the moment that the Decalogue must be banned from all of our Courts?

Right on target!

[xzins]

His history says that is not so.

He is a true believer. Do not be misled by those who deny the existence of committed true believers.

"I have yet 7,000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal."

[Mo1]

He has received a lot of abuse, had his colleagues disagree with him, and I heard there's even the threat of removal from office.

I have heard the critics and at the moment I am giving Judge Moore the benefit of doubt.

As I stated, I am glad that folks are fighting for the right to keep this monument, because IMHO the ACLU is on a witch hunt to remove all 10 Commendments and the name of God from everywhere in this country and they need to be stopped

But no, he hasn't sacrifice anything yet. When Martin L. King march he was prepared and was arrested for what he believed in. I saw everyone but the Judge being arrested for what they believed in.

[magellan]

Remember, Roy Moore did a similar thing in his courtroom in Mobile, but there it was a small Ten Commandments plaque on the wall. The issue of the Ten Commandments actually came up during Moore's run for Chief Justice. The monument in the lobby was done in defiance of those who said he could not put a Ten Commandments plaque in the SCOA courtroom. I don't remember who it was, maybe the other justices of the SCOA, or perhaps the whoever sued for the removal of the Mobile plaque.

The Roy Moore/Ten Commandments saga has been going on in Alabama for about five or six years. He only got elected because many Republicans held their nose and voted for him rather than the Demonrat candiate for CJSCOA who was a shill for the Alabama trial lawyer lobby (which is one of the worst in the nation).

The hope of most Republicans was that Moore's days of zealotry were behind him, and that a Republican CJSCOA would allow much needed tort reform to occur in Alabama. This has proved otherwise. Roy Moore is more an iman than a judge, and some of his opinions have read more like fatwahs than legal interpretations.

In one SCOA decision that supported the right of the state to prevent a lesbian couple from adopting, Moore, instead of agreeing with the majority of the SCOA that the state could prevent lesbians from adopting, actually gave a dissenting opinion from the majority that said it did not matter what the Alabama's Constitution said, the only thing that mattered was God's law.

Clearly Moore probably would not have done this if the majority of the court was not going to decide against the lesbians.

However, his dissent could have been cause for his impeachment, as it was willful defiance of his oath and his duty to interpret the laws with respect to the Alabama Constitution.

Perhaps it was intended to cause an impeachment battle. Methinks Justice Moore has a martyr complex.

[Catspaw]

I just don't think Moore's firebrand style will play well in the Senate. I can't see him as one of 100, a very junior senator--and given the "collegiality" of the Senate, plus their reliance on compromise, he wouldn't do well at all. Not only that, with few exceptions (Hillary comes to mind), a very junior senator is expected to keep very quiet, with floor speeches approved by the leadership. Additionally, Moore doesn't speak to local media, and he'd have to cultivate them to get favorable statewide coverage if he ran for the Senate. He'd fit into the House, but I doubt if he wants to be one of 435.

I can't see him as governor, either. I can't see him struggling with budgets, administrating the hundreds of agencies the state has, negotiating with various groups, plus the ribbon cuttings and other ceremonial duties. And he also runs the risk of being sued again if he puts up the Ten Commandments in the State Capitol building, with a good chance of the lawsuits having the same outcome.

Moore seems to be angling for a national forum of some sort. I don't think he's going to be limited to the state of Alabama for very long.

[BamaG]

lol.....I hear you...but what has he been doing up to this point? He ran as "The Ten Commandments Judge" That was the only thing he had in his adds when he ran.

[BamaG]

Correction, he was in Gadsden, not Mobile, the other end of the state.

And the Ten Commandments more than just "came up" in the election, it was the only issue he ran on.

[Roughneck]

"Moore seems to be angling for a national forum of some sort. I don't think he's going to be limited to the state of Alabama for very long"

IMO, thank GOD!