How the GOP Became God's Own Party By Kevin Phillips

Washington Post ^ | Sunday, April 2, 2006 | Kevin Phillips

[Nicholas Conradin]

Now that the GOP has been transformed by the rise of the South, the trauma of terrorism and George W. Bush's conviction that God wanted him to be president, a deeper conclusion can be drawn: The Republican Party has become the first religious party in U.S. history.

We have had small-scale theocracies in North America before -- in Puritan New England and later in Mormon Utah. Today, a leading power such as the United States approaches theocracy when it meets the conditions currently on display: an elected leader who believes himself to speak for the Almighty, a ruling political party that represents religious true believers, the certainty of many Republican voters that government should be guided by religion and, on top of it all, a White House that adopts agendas seemingly animated by biblical worldviews.

[Nicholas Conradin]

When I did a search to see whether this article had already been posted, I found that there had been earlier discussion of Phillips' book, but this article is at least from the author himself. I do not find myself in much agrement with Phillips, though in the late 1960s he was a leading figure in proposing the Southern Strategy that ultimately led to GOP dominance. Appealing to religion is hardly a Republican mopoply, however.

[JulieRNR21]

The Republican Party was founded by abolitionists, many of whom were Christians who opposed slavery for moral reasons.

Abortion is a form of slavery since the mother is designated as the master over the child's life and death.

As the pro-life party the GOP has merely returned to its roos!

[Mr. Jeeves]

Well, I don't know if the GOP can be described as a "religious party", but they have certainly put social conservatism well ahead of limited government and individual liberty on their list of priorities. Instead of the Democrat "Nanny State", maybe we can call the GOP's goal "The Pappy State" - a Big and Growing Government using the Rod of Correction on wayward drug users while letting anyone into the country who agrees to pay into and prop up Social Security and Medicare and delivering sermons on Mandatory Volunteerism in a Southern drawl. ;)

[zbigreddogz]

I find it funny that he says the Republicans are the 'First religious party in history' not even noticing that it is the Democrats who are the only party ever to elect a minister President (Woodrow Wilson). It's especially funny, because Wilson actually had the kind of 'God Complex' then he accuses Bush of having.

[longtermmemmory]

I think the democrat party did it by default when they evicted god from the discussion as a thought crime and then embraced homosexual based marriage, quota queens, abortion on whim, open boarders and soak the taxpayer politics.

A person of any conscience has no place at the democrat party table.

[Dog Gone]

What utter nonsense.

Evangelicals tend to vote Republican, but black churches belong to the Rats, as do most of the Jews.

Catholic Bishops tend to be extremely left-wing.

There are plenty of Republicans who don't attend church and are proud conservatives.

The whole premise is absurd.

[jwalburg]

Which party is more into proclaiming Jeremiads, I'd like to know. The enviro-libs have that one down cold. Repent (from raping the earth) or you will be destroyed. The libs have simply extended the Puritan tradition without the religious terminology. They've just replaced it with earth-worship. No one is more self righteous than an anti-SUV activist, etc.

[meema]

He's just trying to sell his new book...

[Dr. Thorne]

Is it necessary that any one should certify, "General Washington avowed himself to me a believer in Christianity?" As well may we question his patriotism, his heroic, disinterested devotion to his country. His mottos were, "Deeds, not Words"; and, "For God and my Country."

- Nelly Custis-Lewis (Martha Washington's niece and, later, adopted daughter)

Must have been tough to have a "theocracy" right at the very beginning of our nation. However did we get along without the likes of Kevin Phillips?

[Jim_Curtis]

I don't know how WaPo, Russert, etc. can get away with promoting this Philips guy without mentioning that during the last Presidential campaign he was going around accusing Bush of arranging for the 9/11 terrorists to board the plane in DC without being checked.

[Always Right]

Theocracy?????? LOL. We can't even say Jesus on government property. You have to be an absolute idiot to think we are anywhere near a theorcracy.

[gusopol3]

that cinches it--he is psychotic; there is a paranoid grandiosity here of "being able to figure it all out" that is detached from reality.

[E=MC²]

an elected leader who believes himself to speak for the Almighty,

Bush has never claimed this or even spoken of it; an out and out blatant lie amongst many subtle lies.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

There's something missing there. The Democrats didn't just become a secular party. They became a party that tolerated a wing that believed it was right and moral to lie down before Communism and now is doing the same before Islamofascism. It is a wing that believes America is evil and needs to be defeated. It has no place in a mainstream political party.

Until the Democrats get rid of that wing there is, to me, at least no other choice, at least on the federal level, to vote Republican. The religious conservatives may have a narrower take on what our rights are than I do, but at least they believe in defending those rights. The Democrats either don't or would lose too much support within their party, if they did.

[Siena Dreaming]

Yes. and don't forget born-again" Jimmah.

[maine-iac7]

on top of it all, a White House that adopts agendas seemingly animated by biblical worldviews.

hmmm

Over a quarter-century ...the Republican democratic Party has slowly become the vehicle of all three interests taken over by the socialists

This guy's thought processes - are so twisted it's a wonder he doesn't spin off into oblivion. This article is simply a spiel - no other word for it. (Spiel: "an irritatingly long or predictably glib speech, for example, a rambling apology or a prepared sales patter." Encarta)

[Jim_Curtis]

I couldn't find the original transcript on PBS NOW with Moyers that aired 7/24/2004. I found it at the time though, this was a post I made at the time. Philips' claimed Bush was behind 9/11 as a "wag the dog" thing, dontcha know.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1179065/posts

[WorkingClassFilth]

Utterly ridiculous. God has no stake in the Republican party. He has, however, soundly condemned the Democrat agenda.