Posted on 11/07/2007 3:39:53 PM PST by SmithL
(AP) -- The splintering of prominent Christian conservatives over the Republican presidential contenders reflects a schism — between the dogma of God, guns and gays and the desire to beat Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Months of disagreement within this important GOP voting bloc culminated this week in a flurry of endorsements:
Televangelist Pat Robertson is backing Rudy Giuliani. Conservative Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas is supporting fellow Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich is going for Mitt Romney.
All the candidates are flawed in the eyes of the Christian right, which is why some evangelical leaders are holding out and might favor a third-party candidate.
"You've got a wide-open primary, and you have various people who are ideologically acceptable — not perfect, but ideologically acceptable," Brownback said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.
"If they're acceptable and can win, that's better than losing," Brownback said, speaking by telephone on a campaign swing through Iowa with McCain. "I think you're seeing a more pragmatic expression taking place."
For his part, Robertson said he worries not about electability but about terrorists. Also, he feels reassured that Giuliani would appoint Supreme Court justices who view abortion from a conservative stance.
"To me, the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the bloodlust of Islamic terrorists," Robertson said.
"I don't think evangelicals have coalesced around any candidate," he said Wednesday in Washington, with Giuliani at his side. "I just believe that I needed to make a statement, and I am speaking for myself, that ... Rudy Giuliani is, without question, an acceptable candidate."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Thanks. I don’t expect the FR crowd to support Romney until after he is nominated.
I agree. We got earned our defeat in ‘06 by tolerating huge spending and an open-borders mentality within our own party.
Get real. The DNC takes the time to write an anti-Fred rant nearly every f-ing week.
No.
Having only two LIBERAL scumbags to choose from...
assures evil of victory.
No, the Evangelical "Leadership" sold out to the liberals. I'm not an Evangelical, but I know plenty of them, and they can and will think for themselves. I don't agree with them on everything, but they are not a bunch of hive-minded groupthinking retards like the MSM will have you believe.
Everybody knows by now that Robertson is a snake-oil peddling fraud anyways.
I won’t support him in any case. I might be persuaded to vote for him, but I won’t volunteer or donate money. Many others feel the same way. Do you seriously think it’s a good idea to nominate somebody as unpopular as him? Even if he sweeps Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina (which will not happen, btw) by spending huge amounts of his own money there, so what? He’s still fighting to stay in the top tier in the national polls, which doesn’t bode well for him in the general election. He’s got unfavorables on par with Hillary.
Although it has nothing to do with Robertson, here is one Christian who decided just today to support whichever GOP nominee wins. I am adamantly opposed to Guiliani leading my children's nation, but I am more opposed to Clinton and her extreme views.
Anyone who genuinely believes a pro-illegal immigration, pro-”sanctuary city” stance (such as Giuliani’s) does anything to enhance their safety from terrorist attacks is — plainly and simply — too bone stupid to be allowed to vote, come Election Day.
Wouldn’t support the Romnoid no matter who was in the race.
“Rudy Giuliani is, without question, an acceptable candidate.”
Now there’s a ringing endorsement. I rank it somewhere around “I think my left kidney is still working”.
I'm disgusted with their lack of backbone - but hey, I guess I didn't believe any of them really had backbone anyway.
“We have seen something of a conservative leadership vacuum in the 20 years since Reagan.”
We’ve had GHWB, then Newt, and then GWB as our standard bearers, And other conservative leaders besides in media, political office, etc. This simply underestimates so many leaders, because they dont measure up to the ideal of Reagan (who was imperfect when he was in office but our fond memories gloss over the details).
” Messers Robertson, Brownback, and Weyrich are showing, by their poor judgment, why they were were never able to lead.”
Your opinion. but its wide of the mark. Their judgment differs from yours but that doesnt make them unable to lead.
“The majority of the conservative base has lined up behind Fred Thompson.”
This is simply untrue, in fact it is wishful thinking. Too many real conservatives are a bit underwhelmed by Thompson as a candidate. He may be the truer conservative, but he is not the strongest candidate in the eyes of many. And it is wishful thinking to assert otherwise.
Right now Rudy and Romney are the strong candidates, and even John McCain, whose campaign was DOA two months ago is now back at it. This return, and Huckabee’s rise, is a consequence of the let-down of the Thompson campaign, which could have changed the dynamic but in the end didnt. Thompson could have come in and stolen McCain’s base, but today Thompson is no higher against Rudy than he was in June.
“The liberals are terrified of him, which should only increase our esteem for Fred.” - the liberals are bashing everyone republican, including Rudy. Indeed Rudybots were using that as a reason to support Rudy. There is Romney-bashing, which is dutifully reported by FredHeads as proof of his flaws, not clued into the irony of doing the dirty work for the liberals by reposting on that score.
If that happens, if the Purist Pubs stay at home, the Dems will win an electoral landslide. So any 3rd Party nonsense is just madness.
“Maybe evil is supposed to win this one, to begin the End Times.”
Or more simply to teach us a lesson.
Good Morning President Clinton
The lesser of the evils is not an activist for the cause of evil; the other one is. I will not vote for Rudy in the primary, but if it is between him and SheWhoMustBeStopped...
OK, you win; I'll vote third party (staying home is not an option) and help accelerate our descent into socialism, and our eventual demise!
I won't donate any more until our side gets serious about border security and cutting government- and I've told them so.
If it’s Fred or Hunter, I’ll not only vote, I’ll campaign.
If it’s McCain or Romney or Huckabee, I’ll have to hold my nose but I will without doubt vote for them against the Hildebeast.
If it’s Rudy, I won’t vote on the Presidential race. Sorry. Just can’t do it.
And before someone wants to take me to task as some evangelical fundie purist... I’m actually agnostic. I just think Rudy will destroy the conservative movement in a way Hillary never could.
Qwinn
So you think Evangelicals should not have a voice in the upcoming election?
Hillary and fellow communist hope for a totally split conservative vote, that gives her the White House with about 32% of the vote.
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