The Family Research Council (and Focus on the Family) held their big "Value Voters Summit" in Washington, DC over the weekend. The Summit has replace the With the Christian Coalition struggling, FRC has jumped in to establish itself as the preeminent "decider" for evangelical voters who believe abortion and same-sex marriage are more important issues than health care, education or the war in Iraq.
Now that the Summit has ended, the big question remains --"Will evangelicals hold their nose and vote?"
The New York Times reports:
After an earnest appeal for acceptance from Rudolph W. Giuliani, Christian conservatives ended their two-day summit here Saturday still divided about which of the Republican presidential candidates to marshal their collective might behind.
Mitt Romney edged out Mike Huckabee in the straw poll at the Values Voter Summit. But questions were raised about the way the voting was conducted — votes were permitted to be cast online as far back as August — and even top leaders said there did not appear to be any consensus.
“I don’t think the question is anywhere close to settled,” said Gary L. Bauer, an influential Christian conservative leader and former Republican candidate himself in 2000. “I think it’s going to play out over the next several months.”
Mike Huckabee was the clear favorite of those attending the Summit, while he and Mitt were in a virtual tie in the overall straw polling. (click image to enlarge)When you compare "Value Voters" numbers with other polls, it doesn't look good for them.
And with the last few elections being decided by only a few percentage points, losing the evangelical vote could spell disaster for the Republican party. One can only hope!
Summit organizers certainly gave Giuliani time to make his case.
Mr. Giuliani spoke for about 40 minutes, twice his allotted time. The response was gracious and even warm, despite his own acknowledgment that members of the audience probably had serious differences with him. Nevertheless, he highlighted his willingness to be forthright and cast himself as more principled than his primary opponents, insisting he would not bend and sway to the political winds.
Mr. Giuliani took a thinly veiled shot at his rival, Mr. Romney, whose campaign has been vigorously courting social conservatives but has battled skepticism about his authenticity.
“Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe, instead of pretending to change all of my positions to fit the prevailing winds?” Mr. Giuliani asked, drawing murmurs of approval and applause from the audience.
It's going to be a long time until November 2008!
5 comments:
This is so upsetting to me at so many levels. I really don't eve know what to say.
I predicted that Giuliani would be out on his ass a long time ago. Yet like a virus, he persists. He is like a staph infection in the form of a politician. Ick. Eew.
That whole lot disturbs me. As you know, I actually try to live in some way that approximates Christianity as I understand it.
Most atheists, agnostics and others who are socially aware and interested in justice are much more Christian in general.
And is it ever going to be a long, long and odious time between now and 11/08.
May I say, from my own lips, God help us all! (one never knows if one's irony and humor is apparent so one must point it out. one now has.)
The Republican party is far less dependent on keeping all of it's constituents happy than is the Democratic party.
This is a two edged sword,however. While the bulk of it's supporters have kept silent,held their noises, and voted Republican, while the crazies ran muck, if the neo-cons lose control of the party,or abandon the religious right,both groups will continue to vote Republican too. They have no place else to go.
I find the news to be pretty uplifting for the left. What is most interesting to me is that it seems that Rove might be lurking around Giuliani's campaign (through associates at Bracewell & Giuliani - a shady link that Giuliani has to a legit Texas law firm).
True Christian Conservatives should be making Huckabee the stand-out leader. But Huckabee does seem to profess an interest in social justice and working on poverty issues (no, I would never vote for him, and this is not an endorsement). What Huckabee, the most 'christian' of the group is not is as big a corporatist as Romneuliani. It ain't about teh god, as Rove knows. It's about business. And business is telling the fundies who is the most godly.
Whether they fall for it again is another matter.
Regardless, I love watching them being hoisted on their own wedges.
Jess it is fun to watch them squirm. There truly are having internal struggles. One side wants to back whoever the GOP/GOD party picks, and the other has threatened to back a third party candidate if the Republicans pick Rudy.
My theory on why Dobson, and others, would go the third party route is that they would actually rather see Rudy lose -- and be able to fundraise off whatever Dem is elected -- rather than have Rudy win, and be ignored.
Rudy has made it pretty clear he does not intend to cater to them the way Bush has, and I don't think Dobson's ego will allow for a Republican president who will not give him full access.
BAC
If Dobson attempts to lead his people out of the GOP,he will quickly discover that he aint Moses,and they can live with Pharaoh,rather then face that fecking desert.
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