Evangelical threaten GOP...Sweet

[genieroze]

November 12, 2004


Evangelicals Want Faith Rewarded
*Christian leaders fear that influence on Bush, despite wide support, could be short-lived.

By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Christian evangelicals provided much of the passion and manpower for President Bush's reelection. But even as they celebrate his victory, many of the movement's leaders are experiencing post-election anxiety, worried that their strong support for the president might not translate into the instant influence they expected.

They are flexing their muscles to block Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), an abortion rights supporter, from a Senate leadership post overseeing judicial nomination debates — but Specter appears likely to get the job. They want a clear-cut ban on same-sex marriage, but Bush's newly stated support for civil unions makes them wonder how strongly the president will back their efforts.

And as much as they turned out in force for Bush on election day, many are worried that their power could be short-lived, given that a number of prominent Republicans who support abortion rights and gay rights are positioning themselves to succeed Bush in 2008.

In recent days, some evangelical leaders have warned in interviews that the Republican Party would pay a price in future elections if its leaders did not take up the issues that brought evangelicals to the polls

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-evangelical12nov12,1,4695965.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage

[Trillo]

1. Evangelicals: Isn't your reward in heaven? n/t

[louis-t]

2. Repugs in Deep Doody

Christian Conservatives think they are responsible for * reselection. They want to exercise their 'political capital'. All Hell will break loose if they feel betrayed. It doesn't take much to set these people off either.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. Right on.

And imagine how LOUD they will get when they throw their tantrums.
This should be real good.
Let them go off somewhere and form their own country.

[Winamericaback]

3. Love it

Absolutely LOVE this!

Poor evangelicals, they were pandered to and were what too stupid to realize it?

I can only hope..

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. This should be interesting

if Bush gives in to the right wing fundamentalists, won't this alienate other conservatives, especially those who are of a libertarian stripe? And I believe that a majority of Americans still think abortion is ok in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. If the Christian Taliban get their way, and all abortions are banned, won't this cause a reaction from the general public?

[BlackVelvetElvis]

8. Can george walk that fine line between the two?

I'm not counting on it.

[DBoon]

12. What fine line?

There is a deep chasm here. You try to walk it, you will start falling and falling and falling

[BlackVelvetElvis]

16. You're right. n/t

[Quetzal]

6. James Dobson, arch-conservative

James Dobson - The religious right's new kingmaker.

Although the notion that the religious right's "moral values" determined the 2004 election has been roundly debunked (for example, here and here), perception is reality in politics—and the indelible perception in Washington is now that George W. Bush owes his evangelical Christian base big time.

One corollary to this idea is that no one helped Bush win more than Dr. James Dobson. Forget Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, who in their dotage have marginalized themselves with gaffes (this week Robertson referred to potential Supreme Court nominee Miguel Estrada as "Erik Estrada"). Forget Ralph Reed, now enriching himself as a lobbyist-operative, leaving the Christian Coalition a shell of its former self. Forget Gary Bauer, now known chiefly as a failed presidential candidate who tumbled off a stage while flipping pancakes. Dobson is now America's most influential evangelical leader, with a following reportedly greater than that of either Falwell or Robertson at his peak.

Dobson earned the title. He proselytized hard for Bush this last year, organizing huge stadium rallies and using his radio program to warn his 7 million American listeners that not to vote would be a sin. Dobson may have delivered Bush his victories in Ohio and Florida.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2109621/

[gratuitous]

7. We'll see . . .

The Repressive Right talks a good fight, but where are they going to go if the corrupt Bush administration is too busy to take their calls? These are the truest of true believers, and will support Republicans no matter what, because all evidence to the contrary doesn't persuade them that the Republicans don't give two hoots about their agenda.

Republicans will continue to pay them lip service, and throw them a well-gnawed bone or two, but any meaningful action is reserved solely for the overrich. So the Republicans will "take up" their issues, but they won't see them through. They will then say, "See? We tried, really, to totally outlaw abortion and to make homosexuality a capital offense, but those darned libruls in Washington were just too tough. Give us more money and your votes, and we'll have another go at them in the next election cycle."

And they'll gladly be gulled again.

[genieroze]

18. Just like Regan did

LOL

"And they'll gladly be gulled again."

[girl gone mad]

25. The fundie leadership is in bed with the GOP.

They are getting rich whipping their congregations into a frenzy over "liberal secularists" and "moral relativists". Not to mention all of the cash they are getting from the government now through fairh based initiatives.

I think it will be tough to get the leadership to turn on the Republican party, but we might be able to convimce some of the sheep to at least stay home.

[Chimpanzee]

9. Great read - John Nichols hits a home run here

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/nichols//index.php?ntid=16513&ntpid=2

John Nichols: Dems shouldn't fight for 'moral values' voters

By John Nichols
November 11, 2004

Democrats who place too much credence in those exit polls that suggest that American politics is being reshaped by voters who are charged up about "moral values" - as defined by conservative opposition to same-sex marriages, the right to choose and out-of-control Super Bowl halftime shows - run the risk of making a mistake that could put them not on the wrong side of one election but, rather, on the wrong side of history.


After every election, the insta-pundits seek to explain the results with a one-size-fits-all analysis that often becomes the accepted wisdom of the political seasons that follow upon it. The flavor of the moment this fall is the suggestion that voters are dramatically more interested in moral values than in the past.

This?theory is based on the fact that, when exit pollsters asked voters which of seven issues was most important to them, 22 percent chose "moral values." And 79 percent of voters who picked moral values backed President Bush. Hence the theory that a silent tide of moral-values voters - as opposed to shameless exploitation of the war on terror by the Bush team, vapid media coverage of the campaign, and major missteps by the Democrats - tipped the election to the president.

[prodigal_green]

23. 79% of 22%

is around 17.38%. Why do they think anybody is going to listen to them now? Nearly 5% of the voting public voted based on "moral values" AND voted for Kerry.

The Christian Reich is idiotic if they think that the chimp gives a rat's ass about them. He only cares about his wealthy cronies.

I hope they start their own party. That would be sweet.

[SilverSeraphim]

10. :wtf:

"In recent days, some evangelical leaders have warned in interviews that the Republican Party would pay a price in future elections if its leaders did not take up the issues that brought evangelicals to the polls"

Oh? What are they going to do about it? Form their own political party? Not in this political culture.

[DBoon]

14. "pay a price"?

Ya promise? please please please...

[genieroze]

19. "What are they going to do about it? Form their own political party"?

Yup, but remember it's the Zealots who own the crooked voting machines.

[KennedyGuy]

11. All together now....HA...HA...HA...HA...HA...

[librechik]

21. Bushie doesn't need you anymore, ChristoFascist whackos

Go tribulate yourselves. And twice on Sunday for listening to Satan!

[Kat45]

13. the repubs need these issues to remain unsettled.

They're the wedge issues that allow them to get rabid fundies working for them and voting for them. If the fundies ever got their way on these issues, they'd have no reason to bother voting and the repubs would be out on their butts.

[lthuedk]

15. Bush no longer needs these disposable voters.

[AnIndependentTexan]

17. Mortal Kombat has began!!!!!

[bobbieinok]

20. Dobson et al threatened GOP before

was it after 2000 or 2002 or maybe earlier.....thing is, they have no other party where they might have power....they could start a christian party, I think they should, but they won't

[Cronus Protagonist]

22. They should start their own party

It's the only way to get what they want.

Show your support for the president, wear a FUCK BUSH button!

http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
(We usually ship same or next business day by first class mail)

[Desperadoe]

24. Republican Party would pay a price in future elections

Holy shit!! Does this mean they are thinking of becoming Democrats?? Bush better do something about this now, and I mean NOW!!

Bush ain't gonna do shit about this and they better just "move on". If they think for a millisecond that Junior is going to piss off the power brokers by caving into a bunch of "End-days Idiots", they are in for a rude awakening. These goofballs are bad for bidness and bidness is what the Repukes are all about. If Dobson gets to be too much of a big mouth, he will come home some night and find the FBI Pedophile Task Force camped on his doorstep.

The big tent just got a little smaller.