Giuliani Exposes Evangelical Rift Over Loyalty to Republicans

[Didereaux]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=awu.XorE3jWc&refer=home

The article speaks for itself. I'll simply add that to me it is the best 'window' on this issue I have seen so far.

[incapsulated]

1. I think a lot of them are going to stay home

They feel betrayed, now, and are turning on the republicans.

It's all good.

:)

[Rageneau]

4. These Christians need someone to really hate to bring them together.

Nothing brings fundie Christians together like a witch burning or a lynch mob. Right now, the right wing is confused because it can't figure out who it ought to hate. If they ever decide, they'll come together and a pick a nomineee as they usually do.

[incapsulated]

6. Well, this is what is interesting...

They assumed no one would bring the hate like Hillary.

And it seems they were wrong.

Maybe hating ain't what it used to be.

[AlCzervik]

2. thats a good read and here is my favorite part---

Land sees things differently. ``I know a lot more evangelicals than Grover does,'' he said. ``If Giuliani is the nominee, Grover will be shocked.''

[TwilightGardener]

3. Evangelicals are starting to embrace Romney--

Land, Perkins, and Joel Osteen have been saying kind things about him, and Dobson hasn't yet rejected him. If Rudy doesn't prove strong enough to override the fundies, expect Romney to be the nominee.

[incapsulated]

7. I kinda did

And I've been rather shocked that the fundies haven't moved to him already.

Their party is really in a mess.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. Here's some of the article for those who hate having to follow a link to read what something is

about, like me,:).


Giuliani Exposes Evangelical Rift Over Loyalty to Republicans

By Hans Nichols
Enlarge Image/Details

Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- When thousands of evangelical Christians gather at the Values Voters Summit today to judge -- and potentially condemn -- the Republican presidential candidates, the ghost of an 18th-century French philosopher will be haunting the corridors of the Washington Hilton.

``I am asking them to at least consider Voltaire's question: Do you make the perfect the enemy of the good?'' said Richard Land, a leader of the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention, based in Nashville.

The evangelical movement, which has been a major force in the Republican Party since helping Ronald Reagan's presidency, is struggling this year. The movement's leaders can't agree on which candidate is best suited to stop the current front-runner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has a record of support for abortion and gay rights.

They are also divided on whether to field a third-party candidate if Giuliani wins the Republican nomination, which may deliver the White House to Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, who is leading the Democratic pack.

There has always been a difference of opinion between ``standing on principle and being pragmatic enough to win an election,'' said Ralph Reed, the former executive director of the Christian Coalition. ``That tension has been brought into full relief by this election cycle.''

`Mystified'

The pragmatists are ``mystified'' that Christian conservatives aren't more concerned by the prospect of a Clinton restoration to the White House, said Gary Bauer, who ran for his party's nomination in 2000 on a pro-life platform.

If Clinton, 59, wins, ``her administration would declare war on social conservatives,'' Bauer said. ``She'll go after conservative talk radio, she'll go after Christian radio.''

At the other end of the spectrum is James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family, an evangelical organization in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He, along with 50 other influential movement leaders, pledged two weeks ago to vote for a ``minor- party candidate'' if both the Republican and Democratic nominee is pro-choice. <snip>