Posted on 10/19/2012 11:56:37 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Although not widely noticed, Mitt Romney seems to be on his way to capturing as much of the white evangelical vote as George W. Bush famously did in 2004. Bush got 79 percent. A Pew poll conducted before the first presidential debate had Romney getting 74 percent of white evangelicals versus 19 percent for Obama.
Although Barack Obama got only 26 percent of white evangelicals in 2008, according to exit polls, he got about 33 percent of young white evangelicals. The latter statistic inspired hopes by Democrats and liberal evangelicals for a generational shift away from social issues in favor of more liberal-focused causes. But a Public Religion Research Institute poll, pre-presidential debates, showed young white evangelicals choosing Romney over Obama by 80 percent to 15 percent. Hispanic evangelicals reportedly are not as strongly for Romney as they were for Bush, although they are much more pro-Romney than Catholic or non-religious Hispanics.
Full throttle evangelical support for Romney was not widely anticipated. Evangelicals do not see the former Mormon bishop as one of their own, as they did Bush. And Romney has not strongly emphasized social issues that energize conservative evangelicals. Many prominent evangelical leaders endorsed Rick Santorum during the Republican primaries.
But Obama administration policies favoring same-sex marriage, indirect abortion funding through Obamacare, and the HHS mandate compelling religious groups to offer contraceptive/abortifacient coverage have antagonized many evangelicals. Several evangelical schools have joined Catholic schools in litigating against the mandate. The Democratic convention’s awkward last minute restoration of God to the party platform likely did not help.
Now the most revered American evangelical seems to have virtually endorsed Romney. On October 11 Romney met with 93-year-old Billy Graham at his North Carolina mountain log cabin. Photos of the two with Graham’s evangelist son, Franklin, were released and widely published. Graham was quoted as telling Romney: “I'll do all I can to help you. And you can quote me on that.” A statement from Graham afterwards was issued.
"It was an honor to meet and host Gov. Romney in my home today, especially since I knew his late father former Michigan Gov. George Romney, whom I considered a friend,” the statement said. “I have followed Mitt Romney's career in business, the Olympic Games, as governor of Massachusetts and, of course, as a candidate for president of the United States.”
"What impresses me even more than Gov. Romney's successful career are his values and strong moral convictions,” Graham continued. “I appreciate his faithful commitment to his impressive family, particularly his wife Ann of 43 years and his five married sons.”
After noting that it was a “privilege to pray with Gov. Romney—for his family and our country,” Graham noted he will turn 94 the day after Election Day and believes America “is at a crossroads.” He then offered his virtual endorsement: “I hope millions of Americans will join me in praying for our nation and to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms." In contrast, after candidate John McCain visited Billy Graham in 2008 there was only a statement from Franklin Graham commending McCain’s “personal faith and his moral clarity.” President Obama visited Graham in April, becoming the twelfth American president with whom the evangelist has conferred across over 60 years of public life.
Critics on the left groused that Franklin Graham likely wrote the Romney statement and got his aged father’s perfunctory approval. But there’s nothing in the statement that sounds unlike Graham. The evangelist has typically avoided the appearance of direct political endorsements, his famous last minute decision to back away from endorsing Richard Nixon in 1960 being one example. But he famously supported North Carolina’s pro-traditional marriage constitutional amendment in May, which clearly contributed towards the amendment’s large victory. Critics detected the hand of the son there too. But nobody believes that the elder Graham is anything less than pro traditional marriage and pro-life. And certainly he must share religious liberty concerns over the HHS mandate. Critics also reported that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed a reference to Mormonism as a “cult” from its website after the Romney visit.
Undeterred, on October 18, Billy Graham’s group placed a special message from the elder evangelist in a Wall Street Journal ad. “The legacy we leave behind for our children, grandchildren and this great nation is crucial,” he succinctly declares. “As I approach my 94th birthday I realize this election could be my last. I believe it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and who support the nation of Israel. I urge you to support candidates who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical values this November 6, and pray with me that America remains one nation under God.” The words are juxtaposed with a large photo of a white haired Graham stalwartly clutching a Bible, along with his signature.
The Graham ad apparently will appear in other newspapers in the coming days. The American Family Association, a large parachurch group based in Mississippi, additionally disseminated the ad with permission from Graham’s office and urged it be distributed in churches. Undoubtedly it will be.
Graham’s pro-Romney efforts may further energize evangelicals in key states like North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and some other Midwestern states. But polls indicated well before the Graham effort that evangelicals were already fully on board with defeating President Obama, whatever their stance towards the first Mormon presidential nominee.
God bless Rev. Billy Graham.
I pray this is true.
I’m RC and I’m voting for Romney/Ryan.
Two Related videos:
AWESOME VIDEO! 5 REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR OBAMA
(I’m going to get the second one right now while you watch the first)
Question the terms. No one with a true “Evangelical” biblical worldview would vote for 0bama or any democrat.
•Do absolute moral truths exist?
•Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
•Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?
•Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does He still rule it today?
•Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
•Is Satan real?
•Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people?
•Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
Here’s the second video:
Test of Fire: Election 2012 - Evangelical, Protestant version)
Three years ago, Mr. Reed formed the Faith and Freedom Coalition and began assembling what he calls the largest-ever database of reliably conservative religious voters. In the coming weeks, he says, each of those 17.1 million registered voters in 15 key states will receive three phone calls and at least three pieces of mail. Seven million of them will get e-mail and text messages. Two million will be visited by one of more than 5,000 volunteers. Over 25 million voter guides will be distributed in 117,000 churches.
Prepare for the Jesusland Map to be brought back.
You go boy!
He then offered his virtual endorsement: “I hope millions of Americans will join me in praying for our nation and to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms.”
__________________________________________
1. who will support the biblical definition of marriage,
Willard doesnt . He is the father of gay marriage...
2. protect the sanctity of life
Willard doesnt. He has been pro-Abortion-on-demand for 40+ years...
3. and defend our religious freedoms
For Willard, as long as the religion is Mormonism...
“We unite now behind Romney-Ryan, or we tell our children what it was like to be free.”
Thank you for the LINKS - The first one was new to me.
Bump!
Curious...are you voting for Obama?
Your incessant criticism doesn’t seem to have the intended effect; perhaps if you were a little more shrill.
And you think Obama with his Muslim leanings will give more freedom under Sharia law. You always seem right there to criticize Romney, but are silent about the Muslim??
The number of evangelicals that stayed home in the last election was more than enough to win it for John McCain in 2008.
I agree with your assessment of Romney but sadly it’s either him or Obama. I think people should wake up from their Romney is the “Savior of the Republic” fantasy and not be blind to his past. Then they won’t be side swiped when he veers left.
What really concerns me is that I’ve been reading how people are going to get off politics after Romney is elected, saying “their job is over” because they got a republican back into the White House. How dangerous is that? And I wonder if that’s what the GOP elite want? For everyone to go back to sleep?
In any case, pray for this country....
Is this the old testament or new testament of marriage?
So, its the guy who loves America and believes in God versus the gay atheist communist islamophile who never worked a day in his life. Which shall it be? Who should I choose?
Its a hard decision.
Actually its not that hard a decision. I think I’ll go with Romney.
That's what they're counting on. It enables them.
After the election, this site will be filled with angry ABOs demanding that Romney's feet be 'held to the fire' by the very people who enabled him.
To the ABOs: vote for Romney if you must. I respect your choice, but will vote for a more conservative alternative.
Hold no illusions about what Romney represents, and don't complain when he does exactly what drives you crazy. Because he will.
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