http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/socons/ en-us Fri, 1 Feb 2008 08:49:53 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1963085/posts McCain is loathesome. And, it's not just fellow Republicans who despise him. But, if the hard core GOPers want to hate their front runner, who are we to stop them: But Sen. McCain still confronts a problem both in the remainder of the nomination race, and, if he wins, in the fall: He is simply loathed by many fellow Republicans, often for the very bipartisanship and maverick streak that attracts independents. His biggest, and perhaps final, test comes Tuesday, when 21 states hold contests -- most of them open only to Republican voters. "So it is over. Finished. In November,... AmericaBlog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1963085/posts#comment Fri, 1 Feb 2008 08:49:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945531/posts The Christmas ads that showed up in Iowa and New Hampshire — and here, on the Internet — are mostly just more ads, but with a new and disturbing twist. There is Barack Obama, being sensitive by letting his wife, Michelle, speak first; Rudy Giuliani, softening his image by joking with Santa, and Ron Paul grinning in the midst of family pandemonium. John McCain reminds us he was a prisoner of war, Fred Thompson offers heart-warming snapshots of the troops and John Edwards promises not to forget the poor. The hullabaloo has come over the ad for Mike Huckabee. He... The Seattle Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945531/posts#comment Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:35:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936502/posts COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - The South Carolina affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee has endorsed Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson. South Carolina Citizens for Life on Wednesday praised the former Tennessee senator's voting record on abortion issues. In a news release, the group cited Thompson's vote against so-called partial-birth abortion and his stance for adult stem cell research but not embryonic stem cell research. Thompson has touted his anti-abortion voting record during his campaign. He has already been endorsed by the committee's national group. WIS-TV10 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936502/posts#comment Sat, 8 Dec 2007 03:31:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1933833/posts According to The Politico, New York Post columnist and FOX News contributor Dick Morris has been secretly advising former client Mike Huckabee on his Presidential campaign. Morris claims he is acting in an entirely voluntary capacity by simply offering free advice. Keep in mind that nationally syndicated columnist George Will was pilloried by the media when it became public that he had secretly and voluntarily helped Ronald Reagan prepare for his Presidential debates in 1980. A prominent national GOP insider tells Politics1 that he believes Morris -- despite his claims to the contrary -- is paid for his services through... Ron Gunzburger's Politics 1 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1933833/posts#comment Mon, 3 Dec 2007 05:24:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932665/posts David Horsey's latest takes a stab at understanding the latest twist in the horserace of the Republican nominating contest. Horsey's simplification of Rudy Giuliani as the candidate of national security conservatives, Mitt Romney for "business conservatives," and Mike Huckabee for social conservatives doesn't quite hold true in reality but it makes for a nice cartoon. My hunch, however, is that observers with little more than indirect experience with social conservatives may be a bit miffed in full at how Huckabee can be rising in Iowa and in the South given his well-documented problems with economic/small government conservatives. For one, Huckabee's... Sound Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932665/posts#comment Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:23:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1931006/posts According to MSNBC host Chris Matthews, 2008 Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has been given "the biggest free ride from the liberal media that I have ever seen in my life." Appearing on Monday's edition of "Morning Joe," the "Hardball" anchor speculated that left-wingers would enjoy seeing the GOP "chaos" that a Huckabee victory in Iowa would produce and, as a result, are ignoring the Republican's "crazy" views on gun control. Matthews derided as "black helicopter stuff," the former Arkansas governor's assertion that owning a gun gives Americans the ability to fight tyranny. "It sounds crazy," he told "Morning Joe" host... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1931006/posts#comment Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:07:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930647/posts Forty-one percent (41%) of American voters say they are conservative when it comes to “fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending, and business regulation.” A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 43% consider themselves fiscally moderate and 12% say liberal. At the same time, 37% say they are conservative when it comes to “social issues like abortion, public prayer, and church-state topics.” On such social issues, 30% say they are moderate while 30% say liberal. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Republicans consider themselves fiscal conservatives. Fifty percent (50%) of Democrats and 49% of those not affiliated with either major party... Rasmussen Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930647/posts#comment Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:25:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1928607/posts DALLAS - When a pair of Mormon missionaries knocked at the door of Jerry Pierce's home in a north Dallas suburb last month, he marshaled his arguments and stood his ground. "I look forward to encounters like that. I like to talk to them about the nature of Christ and who Jesus is," said Pierce, a staunch Southern Baptist, the biggest Protestant denomination in the United States. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is running into similar resistance as he tries to win over Southern Baptists and other evangelical Protestants in the race for the Republican Party's nomination for the 2008 U.S.... Yahoo! News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1928607/posts#comment Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:44:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927202/posts Because the religious right is the most visible champion of social conservative values today, and the secular socialists have worked so hard to make sure that social conservatism is defined as some right-wing religious extremism, it is in vogue to refer to social conservatives as some mutant breed of social Nazis. (snip) However, in reality, social conservatism actually has little to do with religion. In fact, until recent years, when the Democratic Party became run by Democratic Secular Socialists, it wasn’t even an idea limited to the right or Republicans. It was a very fundamental American precept shared by most... Capitol Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927202/posts#comment Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:10:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927977/posts What ails the GOP? There are as many answers as there are pundits. But there’s always one narrative that news reporters and certain establishment GOP consultants love to give, again and again. Social conservatives, this story goes, have come to dominate the Republican party with their defense of the right to life and resistance to same-sex marriage. This sort of backward thinking has caused the party to lose support nationwide, and particularly among its traditional base of high-income earners. This narrative is now being repeated as social conservatives debate whom to support in the Republican primary —the debate is particularly... National Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927977/posts#comment Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:59:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1927216/posts Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee Senator and Law & Order actor, slammed Mitt Romney for supporting and signing into law the Massachusetts Health Plan that allows for women to have an abortion with no restrictions for a $50 co-pay. Columnist David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, whose founder Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Giuliani, a pro-choice candidate, for president, analyzes the contradictions of Romney’s abortion stance. Brody writes that “the problem that Romney continues to have on abortion is that it’s hard for him to criticize Giuliani, Thompson or anybody else on the issue because he has his... Dallas Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1927216/posts#comment Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:53:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925433/posts Fred Thompson is the Republican most likely to beat abortion-rights supporter Rudy Giuliani, the National Right to Life Committee said Tuesday, announcing its endorsement of the former Tennessee senator for president. "While there are various polls, and some are up-and-down, the overwhelming consensus has been that he is best-positioned to top pro-abortion candidate Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination," the group's executive director, David N. O'Steen, said at a news conference. ...By emphasizing Thompson's political potential _ he ranks second behind former New York Mayor Giuliani in national Republican polls _ the anti-abortion group played down its own differences with... WKRN-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925433/posts#comment Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:42:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924462/posts FORT MILLS, S.C -- Campaigning in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson raised his voice and shook his fists as he described his vision of an America true to conservative values. The display of vigor last week was timely: Two months into his bid for the nomination, the former Tennessee senator is fighting to shake the image of a laid-back -- even lazy -- candidate who lacks the fervor of his rivals. Thompson not only has adopted a forceful speaking style, he has taken a more aggressive approach toward other Republican candidates. The push to put... The Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924462/posts#comment Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:58:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924107/posts There is an old hymn written by Fanny Crosby, sung at generations of camp meetings, which exclaims: "Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King!" Since the emergence of evangelicalism as a cultural force in the 1950s, three approaches to politics, represented by three personalities, have emerged. They are the prophet, the priest and the kingmaker. The prophet has been psychologist James Dobson, who dispenses child-rearing advice on the radio from his Colorado ministry, Focus on the Family. On family issues, Dobson's counsel is moderate and broadly appealing. On politics, his tone sharpens. He rails against compromise on social-conservative... Newsweek http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924107/posts#comment Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:07:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1922332/posts The Why Both Giuliani and Robertson share an apocalyptic worldview about the clash with [radical] Islam; for Robertson, it is religious and based in biblical prophecy. For Giuliani, it is secular -- but given his 9/11 experiences, just as personal. Evangelical Christians cite the war on terror as their chief policy concern, and it is not that surprising that Giuliani, who is more identified with an aggressive prosecution of that war than any other candidate, is doing well among evangelicals. It's not that they ignore his views on social issues; it's that they see the war on terror like he... The Atlantic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1922332/posts#comment Wed, 7 Nov 2007 17:59:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921543/posts RICHMOND, Va.—There's no shortage of polls underscoring America's sour mood these days. Surveys generally show that 7 in 10 Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction and that most Americans believe their leaders in Washington are doing a poor job. U.S. News led the way in explaining this trend with a recent special report on why Americans think Washington is broken and what can be done about it. If anything, the warning signs are getting gloomier. A new focus group of Republican voters from the Richmond area, conducted last Thursday evening, was a case in point. All... U.S. News & World Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921543/posts#comment Tue, 6 Nov 2007 08:58:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921538/posts I'm speaking with a Thompson Associate now, and he points out: Today the Fred Thompson campaign announced the addition of Shannon Royce, an experienced social conservative coalitions director and former Executive Director of The Arlington Group, who will be joining the Thompson Campaign to serve as Grassroots and Special Projects Director. The Associate says, "If Bill Wicherman is the salve for Mitt Romney, Shannon Royce is the howitzer for Fred Thompson." The National Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921538/posts#comment Tue, 6 Nov 2007 07:58:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921374/posts The Republican party’s having a gay identity crisis as of late - and the ideological winner could change the party’s political fate, not to mention the election. As Kerry Eleveld eloquently explains in the Advocate, three of the presidential contenders oppose a federal amendment against gay marriage: John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson, although the latter wants to make sure no one state has to endorse another’s married gays. Regardless of Thompson’s middle ground, his and his peers’ moderate stances show that the Republican party’s facing an important decision. Will they stick to their guns and give the once... Queerty http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921374/posts#comment Mon, 5 Nov 2007 23:10:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921212/posts MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 5 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today the Fred Thompson campaign announced the addition of Shannon Royce, an experienced social conservative coalitions director and former Executive Director of The Arlington Group, who will be joining the Thompson Campaign to serve as Grassroots and Special Projects Director. Shannon Royce most recently served as Executive Director of the Arlington Group where she managed a coalition of over 70 organizations advocating on numerous pro-family initiatives. In that capacity, she coordinated coalition efforts on behalf of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. A former Legislative Assistant to Senator Slade Gorton and... Earned Media http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921212/posts#comment Mon, 5 Nov 2007 17:20:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920588/posts The cover story of Sunday’s New York Times Magazine pronounced the demise of the religious right in America. The ranks are demoralized, split, and liberal evangelicals are taking over with a new agenda for the environment and the poor. On the editorial page, the acerbic Frank Rich coordinated his column with the magazine, concluding, “Inauguration Day 2009 is at the very least Armageddon for the reigning ayatollahs of the American right.” Wow! Just three years ago the press touted conservative evangelicals as the most powerful voting block in America. What happened? Nothing. The press is up to its old tricks.... The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920588/posts#comment Sat, 3 Nov 2007 21:28:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915827/posts The former president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention has retracted his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The Romney campaign has agreed to withdraw all references to Pastor Don Wilton's endorsement of Romney, the Baptist Press reported on Tuesday. Click here to read the Baptist Press article. Wilton said the endorsement — first announced by the Romney campaign last Friday — was a "mistake.: Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915827/posts#comment Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:03:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914130/posts Based on the smattering of applause that Mr. Romney got when his name was announced as the top vote getter, with 1,595 votes or 27.6 percent, it is safe to say that many in the hall were surprised that he won, surpassing Mr. Huckabee by 30 votes... Things shake up differently when looking at only the votes that were made by those on-site. Of 952 votes cast on-site, Mr. Huckabee received 488, or 51 percent, a virtual runaway in such a crowded field. Mr. Romney had only 99 votes, or 10.4 percent; Mr. Thompson received 77 votes, or 8 percent;... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914130/posts#comment Sun, 21 Oct 2007 04:02:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1913950/posts <p>Fred Thompson may have failed to impress Beltway insiders when he finally launched his run for the White House last month, but he is winning over a critical segment of the Republican coalition, new polling suggests.</p> <p>Conservative Christians favor Thompson by a 10-point margin over his closest rival, Rudy Giuliani.</p> The Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1913950/posts#comment Sat, 20 Oct 2007 17:18:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1912862/posts Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his rivals for the Republican nomination will face a tough crowd when they address the religious conservatives at the Values Voter Summit starting Friday. “I think what we can expect is a lot of folks talking about how dissatisfied they are with the choices they have,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said. Giuliani’s positions on abortion and gay rights continue to dog him as he looks for support within the leadership of the religious conservative movement, and those leaders say they want to hear more from the former mayor this weekend than... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1912862/posts#comment Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:32:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909436/posts Conservative evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson admits that a third-party plan supported by pro-family leaders might unintentionally help elect democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. The influential pro-family advocate still contends, however, that he would rather vote following his values than compromise and be forced to choose between two pro-choice candidates. “We’re very, very concerned about the implications of a Hillary Clinton presidency, but you know, we have been working … for 35 years, I’ve been trying to defend the unborn child,” Dobson said on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes show Monday. “That’s been my life. That’s been my belief, along with... The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909436/posts#comment Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:07:32 GMT