The Miracle Workers (Howard Dean courts Evangelicals)

Newsweek ^ | Oct 1, 2007 | Eve Conant

[tlb]

Land found himself warming to the liberal Democrat. "He hauled his own suitcase around, and the Capitol Hill Suites isn't exactly fancy," Land tells NEWSWEEK. "I was impressed." "Dean told me how the Democrats were pro-life in that they wanted a country in which abortion was rare. I said, 'I agree, but we disagree how to get there.' Still, it was certainly a change in tone."

Dean and other Democratic strategists hope to take advantage of deepening discontent with the GOP among some evangelicals.

There was a brief wave of enthusiasm for Fred Thompson, but that may be ebbing. James Dobson, wrote a scathing e-mail about Thompson, obtained by the Associated Press last week, in which he objected to the candidate.

Mitt Romney suffers among some evangelicals because of bias against his Mormon faith. Front runner Rudy Giuliani leaves conservative Christians particularly cold. "If the Republicans are foolish enough to nominate the pro-choice Giuliani, that will give the Democratic Party license to hunt for evangelical votes," says Land, who has been contacted by both the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns.

"In the past, we've come off as dismissive to evangelicals," Dean tells NEWSWEEK. "But our party has become much more comfortable talking about faith and values."

For now, the Democrats' best target may be Hispanics, the fastest-growing subset of evangelicals. They voted strongly in support of Bush in 2004, but many are now angered by the GOP's handling of immigration.

If Democratic candidates had called him in 2004, Rodriguez says, he's not sure he "would have even picked up the phone." But now "the GOP has completely abdicated ... the evangelical Hispanic vote as a result of the immigration-reform debacle ... . This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Democratic Party."

[tlb]

Reminds me of a Paul Shanklin song parody I have, "Howard Dean Sings the Songs of the South"

Oh the redneck cracker sings this song, Doo Dah Doo Dah And to get his vote I'll play along, All the Doo Dah Day

They're right about the Hispanics though. Pushing them away will hurt republicans nationally for a long time to come as it has for the last ten or so years in California.

[Tabi Katz]

For now, the Democrats' best target may be Hispanics, the fastest-growing subset of evangelicals. They voted strongly in support of Bush in 2004, but many are now angered by the GOP's handling of immigration.

So, the Mexicans that snuck in and are voting here illegally are voting Republican?

Implications like this make me wonder how much of this entire article can be taken seriously.

[Bonaparte]

Consider the source.

[Nextrush]

Its not that illegals are Hispanic evangelical voters as much as that some Hispanic people perceive the anti-illegal immigrant thing as something aimed at them personally.

For people who are entitled to live here and are legal but have limited English language skills, the Hispanic media message makes them feel like opposition to illegal immigration is a threat to them.

Even Puerto Ricans that I know don’t fully understand their place in the United States (they are citizens of the US since 1917).

They are concerned-confused about this issue.

This causes a wavering in support that the GOP had in 2004 from people I know.

[Earthdweller]

The illegals have legal children. Many have been here for years....They vote.

[DesScorp]

“”Dean told me how the Democrats were pro-life in that they wanted a country in which abortion was rare.”

Except that’s not true. Go to any abortion rights rally. Its overwhelmingly Democrat, and dominated by signs such as “Abortion On Demand, Without Apology”.

[tlb]

>>>So, the Mexicans that snuck in and are voting here illegally are voting Republican?

Not that you’d know it from the John Wayne movie, but many of the soldiers who held the Alamo under Travis were Hispanic. Between old Mexican-American families, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans there are loads of legal Hispanics. Perhaps in many cases their American pedigree goes back further then your own. And yes, many of them and their descendants voted Republican. The stats up to 2004 had the republicans very competitive amongst such groups.

You sort of illustrate the problem of why they are now being delivered to Dean on a platter, don’t you.

[js1138]

Dean and other Democratic strategists hope to take advantage of deepening discontent with the GOP among some evangelicals.

Intersting turn of phrase.

[I still care]

“In the past, we’ve come off as dismissive to evangelicals,” Dean tells NEWSWEEK. “But our party has become much more comfortable talking about faith and values.”

Everything Dean says always betrays him.

It’s been tough, but they are learning to talk about faith and values. Doesn’t mean they don’t still have that distaste for people of faith, but they are learning those pat phrases to try and fool people.

After all, they really are prolife even though members of their party will fight like mad to make sure a woman can abort a child right up until its born. Hypocritical liars.

[Just mythoughts]

I do not call these liberal mouth pieces moooolahs for no reason. They will all be wearing collars before this election is done.

[liliesgrandpa]

So if the Republican party is too liberal, the evangelicals are going to go to a more liberal Democratic party?

I think that they are going to go third party, like the Constitution party.

[Just mythoughts]

So if the Republican party is too liberal, the evangelicals are going to go to a more liberal Democratic party? I think that they are going to go third party, like the Constitution party.

It is not about the Constitution it is about their religious doctrine. Sadly few religions/denominations realize it is that Constitution that gives them their religious freedom.

[Joe Boucher]

Newsweek and Dean deserve each other.
Both full of pooh.

[LibLieSlayer]

Did howeird lead the Evangelicals into the desert before he temtped them?

LLS

[grey_whiskers]

I do not call these liberal mouth pieces moooolahs for no reason. They will all be wearing collars before this election is done.

Do you mean like dog collars? ;-)

Cheers!

[soupcon]

“”Dean told me how the Democrats were pro-life in that they wanted a country in which abortion was rare.”

“Except that’s not true. Go to any abortion rights rally. Its overwhelmingly Democrat, and dominated by signs such as “Abortion On Demand, Without Apology”.”

Yeah, but I’m tired of people campaigning with promises of ending abortion and then doing absolutely nothing about it once they’re elected.

[Just mythoughts]

Do you mean like dog collars? ;-)

If a dog collar got them votes, then yes they would adorn them;^)

[Kuksool]

My church has a large Spanish Bible study group. The Hispanics voted for Bush in 2004. In 2006, there was a hotly contested Congressional seat in the IL-06. The RNC ran ads bashing illegal immigration. However, the RNC stupidly forgot to insert the word illegal before immigrants. As result, the ads came across as appearing racist. The Hispanics in my church were relucant to to vote for the Republican Congressional candidate.

[Kuksool]

Some evangelicals figure that if the two parties are socially lbieral then you might as well vote for the party that gives you govt freebies.

[joebuck]

This is the same Howard Dean who, when asked what his favorite book of the New Testament was, answered that it was the book of Job. That tell’s me the guy’s never been to Church in his life.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Some of the more sickening lines in this "we hope the evangelicals forget who the Democrats are" piece:

B. Hussein Obama with "leader" Rick Warren.

Dean and other Democratic strategists hope to take advantage of deepening discontent with the GOP among some evangelicals.

Thinking evangelicals (and other Christians) won't be swayed. Instead, they'll think through and see the Democrats as people who want to tax them into poverty, control their health care, fund infanticide up to the point of birth, and appoint more judges who will do their best to remove Judeo-Christian faith and values from the public arena.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney suffers among some evangelicals because of bias against his Mormon faith.

Notice this "journalist" doesn't quote any sources regarding Mitt. Instead, this "journalist" just reflects a bias toward him.

Many younger evangelicals are worried about issues beyond the traditional struggles over abortion, school prayer and gay marriage. They're becoming vocal about the environment, AIDS, poverty and genocide—a newer set of "values" that Democrats are more comfortable addressing.

Again, no evidence offered...just a generic label about what younger evangelicals are thinking. More projections.

Such efforts, along with general disillusionment with Bush, may have already paid off. According to a Pew Research Center survey in February, support for Democratic candidates among white evangelicals under 30 jumped from 16 to 26 percent between the 2004 and 2006 elections. Some evangelical leaders now say they're tired of being viewed as an appendage of the GOP, or any other party. "We want to be viewed as we are—people of faith—not a political bloc," says Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Sure would like to SEE that quote in context, wouldn't you? As for the percentages, what was the participation among "white evangelicals under 30" between '04 and '06? Let us remember: there were no Presidential candidates on the ballot in '06, either! Such cherry-picking of stats could very well be an anomaly. And have you ever seen the LameStream Media talking about black voters "being viewed as an appendage" of the Democrats?

[Cortes, represented as an evangelical Hispanic says] "the GOP has completely abdicated ... the evangelical Hispanic vote as a result of the immigration-reform debacle ... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Democratic Party."

Gee. How many more ELLIPSES could be in that quote? Again, let's see the context...and what else is said about the Democrats...and whether Mr. Cortes....agrees with all the Democrats stand for....

Speaking at an AIDS conference sponsored by the evangelical Rick Warren last year, Obama talked about contraception as a strategy to fight the disease, and "there was a standing ovation," says DuBois.

No challenge from the "journalist" here--no research as to what was actually the reason for the applause by the evangelicals: was it the "contraception" that was applauded, or the need for responsibility allegedly alluded to by B. Hussien Obama?

Clearly, Republicans need to work harder to bring the conservative base back home. But the Democrats are NOT the party of freedom, that much is clear. Putting lipstick on a pig doesn't make it any less a pig, and hearing Democrats talk about Judeo-Christian values while they're being led around by the nose by the anti-war, pro-abort, pro-activist judges LUNATICS shows they're just the same old 'rats!

Why the hell do you think I left the stinking party?

[lowbridge]

Howard Dean courts Evangelicals