Posted on 10/23/2007 11:47:00 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
Christian conservatives want more respect. They were instrumental in propelling George W. Bush to power—twice—and now they're feeling neglected. At a "Values Voters" summit in Washington last week, leading evangelicals gathered to speak out and take a straw poll. The survey showed how unhappy they are with the twice-divorced, pro-choice Republican front runner for the presidential nomination, Rudy Giuliani. He got less than two percent of the overall vote. (Some Christian activists have threatened to back a third-party candidate if Giuliani wins the GOP nomination.)
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won the straw poll of 5,775 conservatives, which included voters who have been able to cast online ballots since August. But many evangelicals are uncomfortable with Romney's Mormon faith. That may have factored in the voting of people who actually attended the summit: Romney lost that tally by a wide margin to former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who is also an ordained Southern Baptist minister. To better understand the current thinking of Christian conservatives, NEWSWEEK's Jeffrey Bartholet and Eve Conant spoke to Richard Land, a leading evangelical who serves as president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Excerpts:
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
I think that it’s right on the money that Giuliani is the worst political danger we face right now. I’ve said before that the problem is we don’t know if we can trust any Republican right now. That amnesty bill just knocked the wind out of a lot of us. We need someone in the Presidency to watch our political backs, not go behind them. I’d rather have an enemy in the WH than someone from our Party that we can’t trust. Being old out sticks in my craw! Rudy can go screw himself!
I have to explain who the Christian elites are? Let’s just summarize that they, just like the liberal elites, believe they have the answer for everything, and also like the liberal elites believe they must impose, rather than expose, their theology on society.
The WOT is a right to life matter.
Life means that you get to live. Enemies don't get to just blow you up with impunity because they feel like it some morning.
As opposed to abortion, the right to life IS actually found in our constitution....and our Declaration of Independence.
It is the most basic right....and is far too important to be called a mere "issue."
You don't negotiate away your life. That's insane.
“And that would be in the direction of Rudy Giuliani?
FWIW: Delacon Since Jun 19, 2007”
Leaning Thompson here. I just don’t think religious cons should rule the roost anymore. They aren’t good at it. They’ve failed. FWIW “shoot the messenger” attacks are a sign of weakness.
They never have. But no Republican has won the presidency in the last half century without the fervent support of the religious right. We are the ones who pounded the pavement for Ronald Reagan and GWB. We did not suppport Ford (Carter was the choice of the religious right in 1976) and we were lukewarm on the re-election of GHWB and on Bob Dole.
We will not be there for Giuliani.
Apparently not dumb enough to vote for someone who flat out lies to them.
So basically, you will not answer who you think the Christian elites are. Whatever.
“They never have.”
You saying that Bush isn’t a religious conservative? Give me a break. You act like religious conservatives are the only ones to get republicans elected. Its not so. Its independents and cross over democrats that have gotten republicans elected president. And the more adamant religious conservatives are that its their way or the highway, the less likely independents and democrats are going to be to join to get another one elected. If other cons make the case that Giuliani(or anyone else for that matter)is the only one that can beat Hillary then religious conservatives should fall in line. If they do a third party candidate or stay at home, then they should get what they deserve which is Hillary.
If America abandons God and embraces the culture of Death (through abortion) by limiting the presidential ticket between two abortion proponents, then America deserves no better than Hillary.
If the Republicans choose Giuliani, I am more than prepared for a Hillary presidency. Such a presidency might just bring the Republican party to its senses.
After 4 years of Jimmy Carter, America was ready for Ronald Reagan. After 4 years of Hillary, I suspect that America will be ready for Tom Tancredo.
Are you in Hunter's district?
I can't understand his lack of traction in his own state. You'd think they'd favorite son him after all his work in congress and military on their behalf.
That said, it is the base that gets a candidate elected. Candidates should wrap up their base by the end of the primary season. The base's support now in line, the candidate then turns his attention to the rest of the electorate.
Rudy is not accomplishing the gathering of the base. He will still be trying to campaign to his own people when the general election rolls around. Obviously, he will lose.
I would prefer Duncan Hunter, but Tom appears to be even further to the right than Duncan, so I used Tom for effect.
If the Republicans choose Giuliani, I am more than prepared for a Hillary presidency. Such a presidency might just bring the Republican party to its senses.”
Its that sort of short sightedness that furthers the culture of death. If every con doesn’t stand behind whoever gets nominated and do whatever it takes to get him elected then President Hillary will end up appointing a liberal judge to replace the most liberal Justice Stevens at SCOTUS. If we get any Republican president then we will get at least a shot at a conservative nomination to the bench. This matters. It will effect jurisprudence in this country on things like immanent domain, racial preferences, fairness doctrine, not to mention abortion for the next 30 years long after a Giulianni or a Romney has left office. Worry about republicans coming to their senses after this election please.
They are just as much "elites" as the liberals on the other side of the aisle.
It is until an actual candidate shows up.
He who? What specifically was said and by whom? I don't get to listen to Sean's show, so I didn't hear it, but I'd be skeptical unless Dobson himself clearly stated "I am supporting Newt Gingrich for President", and if he said that, I'm quite sure it would be reported at least as widely as the supposed Fred Thompson comments made by Dobson.
“But many evangelicals are uncomfortable with Romney’s Mormon faith.”
The fact is that MOST Mormons are key political allies with Evangelicals and I call this an effort to divide Values Voters/SoCons by creating religious wedges.
Romney’s religion is not a deal breaker. His flip flopping is.
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