Karl Rove: Stayaway Christians Almost Cost Bush Election

Charisma News ^ | 12/13/01

[11th Earl of Mar]

STAYAWAY CHRISTIANS ALMOST COST ELECTION

Many Christians believe that prayer played a major role in sending George W. Bush to the White House, but stayaway believers came close to losing him the election, according to his chief political adviser, Karl Rove.

Rove said that one reason the 2000 election was so tight was that as many as 4 million Christian conservatives did not go to the polls, reported "The Chicago Tribune." Although the Bush campaign had expected 19 million evangelical voters to vote for their man, election returns revealed only 15 million turned out to cast ballots.

Speaking yesterday at an American Enterprise Institute seminar, Rove said the Bush campaign "probably failed to marshal support of the base as well as we should have," said the "Tribune." Rove added: "But we may also be returning to the point in America where fundamentalists and evangelicals remain true to their beliefs and think politics is corrupt and, therefore, they shouldn't participate."

Rove said that if the "process of withdrawal" went on it would be bad for the country as well as conservatives and Republicans. "It's something we have to spend a lot of time and energy on."

[Aristophanes]

So by the same logic, you wouldn't have any problem with appointing any other garden variety murderer to high government post -- so long as the post didn't directly involve murdering babies. Is that right?

[agrace]

AMEN!!! As I strolled through this thread, intending to post but at the moment too busy eating my salad, I now see no need as your words express the very sentiments in THIS evangelical fundamentalist Christian heart. :) Thanks.

[lormand]

"When the Republicans had the power to change the law, they tried."

Wrong!

[paul544]

After reading the first dozen replies on this thread, I almost became ill. I can't even stand to make it through all the posts.

You, so-called, Christian conservatives, are nothing but a bunch of F'd up whack jobs. You are totally ignorant and without a stitch of common sense. You people are MORONS!!!

All you do is bitch and moan because Bush, or even Jesus Christ, doesn't live up to your holier than though standards. You sit home on your fat asses, then BITCH some more when Democrats get elected and send the country to hell.

Staying home and keeping liberals in office makes you responsible for what is wrong in this country.

[VOA]

Bush is a LIBERAL and you folks are suckers if you don't believe it.

No problem.
Christian voters who abstained from voting for Dubya...effectively cast
ballots for that Christian Saint and Divinity School Drop-Out, Albert Gore, Jr.
They were like the guys who road off from Roarke's Drift (as in the movie "Zulu").
And that was their right to help out Gore.

They stayed out of the fight and didn't have to do any of the heavy lifting to
keep Gore out of office.

But, I guess some must have actually like Gore more than Dubya.

[John R. (Bob) Locke]

You miss my point.

Many (read: MANY) people voted for Bush because he was ticketed as "God's Own Candidate". My comment is on-point.

[Antoninus]

Bush is a LIBERAL and you folks are suckers if you don't believe it.

Now that's going a bit too far. Bush ain't perfect, but he's a far cry better than anything coming out of the Democrat party.

I voted for the guy and will again in 2004, but I really can't blame other Christians for staying home. He's got to do a better job addressing the issues that matter to them.

[Aristophanes]

On the contrary -- if you DO vote for a RINO like Bush, you have no right to complain when he expands the government and ignores conservative principles. Those of us who abstained (from voting for Bush) have nothing to be ashamed of. We stuck with out principles, and we'll continue to do so.

One pro-choicer or another -- what does it matter?

[justshutupandtakeit]

Looney Tunes regret nothing. See the posts of the deluded popping up here.

Anyone who bases his political strategy on the loyalty and good sense of Looney Tunes loses.

[Howlin]

You go boy!

[lormand]

"If you are correct, we're doomed anyway, so why do you give an airborne improper relationship?"

Nice verbage! I had to read it twice before I got it.

[NittanyLion]

How do they know the results without even trying? It takes leadership to pursuade the electorate and opposing politicians. With your view of it, say goodbye to banning partial birth abortions forever.

I think it's pretty simple: think of what Democrats would vote to ban PBA, knowing full well that if the ban passes it WILL be signed into law at the White House. Zell probably comes to our side, maybe one or two others. Not think of how many Republicans vote against the ban: Snowe, Jeffords (at the time), Spector, and probably a few more. It wouldn't pass a simple majority, much less the 60 needed to move the bill through the Senate.

Now that the landscape has changed, there's a chance Bush can jawbone the Senate into passing the law. I'd give him 40-60 at best, even with a 90% approval rating.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I think that about sums it up. Nice job.

[Theodore R.]

Seems like I recall that over 30 percent of "born-again" people said they voted to reelect bILLclinton. Does this tell us more about bILLclinton or more about our "born-again" ranks? Or maybe "Ascerbic Bob" just turned off too many Democrat "born-againers." Remember, the Doles "worshipped" in the same liberal church as the clintons.

[Howlin]

You had the best post AND the best replies to it on this thread.

Say it LOUD!

[Bella_Bru]

Agreed. Christians need to force our leaders to enact policies that are pleasing to Him.

I sleep well at night knowing you will never succeed in turning this country into a Christian version of Afghanistan.

[butter pecan fan]

Of course not you! Everyone knows you are as solid a right wing whacko as they come.

LOL. Yes, I thought you knew me better than that by now... though I did get in trouble from some here not so long ago when I was trying to sort through both sides of the gun-control issue.

Now I have the most recent edition of Handgunner magazine on the shelf beside my desk, and my son has a picture of Eddie Eagle on his wall, so I guess I've "graduated" into right-wing wackoism on that issue too... 8-)

[Aristophanes]

Thanks for the ad hominem -- I'll take it as proof of my argument.

Staying home and keeping liberals in office makes you responsible for what is wrong in this country.

And not staying home and voting liberals IN office makes YOU responsible for more abortions, bigger government, and the loss of liberty in general.