Dec 12 2007
Religious Purity Wars Decimating GOP Contenders
The GOP far right have been on a purity putsch for years now – ever since they starting losing support in 2005. It alienated moderates – affectionately derided as RINOs – and now is opening up into an all out ugly religious war on who’s religion is better. Sadly this latest disaster has been fueled by the latest up and coming candidate to challenge Giuliani – Huckabee:
Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks in an upcoming article, “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”
Dumb question and totally irrelevant to being President. And in fact this shows Huckabee too willing to questions someone else’s beliefs – something a President should never do. The problem is these candidates are trying to appease the evangelical base of the GOP. Fine, that can be done without creating religious wars on whose religion is the better brand. Romney has responded (h/t Drudge), but the fact is he had it right the other week when he noted America is a Symphony of Faiths – or something to that effect. I loved the use of the word ‘symphony’ because it implied an underlying harmony that allowed syncopation beats to work of each other to create a common theme. Whoever wrote that line deserves a Pulitzer for writing. It is how America should be and normally is.
This gaffe probably spells the end of Huckabees run. And it should be a signal to the GOP base to end this useless contest of who is more right (pun intended) on religion, beliefs, policy. We can debate ideas, we should NEVER debase ideas (unless they fall into the realm of thought shared by Hitler and al-Qaeda of course). End the purity wars.
Whatever. I just get so tired of the theological discussion. I really don’t care what religion a candidate is. I want to know how they are going to defend my country and spend my money. I really want a New Hampsire “Live Free or Die” than a Vermont “Live Free, Your Neighbors Can Afford It” approach to things.
I get so sick and tired of the media harping on religion because it is one thing they can use to drive a wedge between people and cause controversy. What religion is Hillary? Have you heard her being asked a bunch of religious questions? What about Edwards? Heck no.
Mac, I agree to some extent but I see the religious right DEMANDING their way which is them doing to the rest of the republican party exactly what they say is being done to them. They have become untrustworthy as part of a coalition. Dobson and Weyrich have their views but they are not the majority of American views and they have failed in the past to win votes with “their” candidates. This election is apparently about a power struggle in the republican party: neocons, paleocons, single issue socons, or just cons. And this is a recipe for defeat. One (socons) wants to establish dominance over the others. Ain’t gonna work and is turning many off to them. We have come so far to see all our work go right down the drain because HIllary or Obama gets the White House. It will be too late to turn that train around. The secular progressives rooted in our culture will finish their “coup” and there will be absolutely nothing that we can do about it. Is there NOTHING we have learned in the past 30 years?
Agree the theological debates are out of place and we conservatives should be trying to find common ground and not the upper hand.
There are more Independents in Texas than there are Republicans or Democrats. Whoever says that the Independents don’t matter has their head in 20 year old sand. The Independents are a growing political demographic nationally, the Republicans a shrinking one.
You can win an election in some states without getting a single Democrat or Republican vote. As time passes, the two major parties are making themselves less relevant.
I meant in my above comment that it is now a mathematical possibility in some states to win an election without a single vote from the major parties.
CP,
True enough, but “independents” don’t vote as a block and may be as divided as Repubs. So, appealing to them is a crap-shoot.
Thanks Mac. Glad we agree on this. 🙂
America the Beautiful may live to fight another day after Nov. 5th if we all stick together to win…
“So, appealing to them is a crap-shoot.”
It had better be more than a crap shoot. You better go in knowing you are going to get more than half of them because if you don’t, you lost. That’s the only reason the Democrats won in ’06 … because they got the majority of the Independent vote. I don’t think that is going to happen again. The Democrats have squandered their good will with the Independents .
My point is that a Republican candidate can lose the conservatives and still win. You can’t lose the Independents and still win.
In almost each and every election I have seen (and that’s a bunch) the left keeps pushing the goal posts further to the left…so for the right to win some of the middle they have to move somewhat left of where they were.
Sooner it’s going to be somewhere we have to take a stand to stop the slide or eventually we will end up where they were and most wont even know it.
Well it seems even people writing over at Townhall are saying the same thing.
Huckabee–The Ultimate Liberal Plant
What this country needs is a devout Pastafarian candidate.
I agree Huckabee comments were not called for. He is also apologized which I hopefully shall see in a post of yours soon enough to update us on the situation
As to Huckabee. It should also be noted that he has come to Romney’s defense in the past as was noted in the early debates.
That being said. I have never seen such unfair attacks as to policy record in Arkansas. The Far right is attacking him daily yet the other side calls him a far right fantatic.
As ot these conspiracy theories abotu Huckabee. I guess I am hitting the wrong places. I am seeing the far left attack Huckabee left and right. I am not seeing them give him a moments peace.
HUckabee in the end if he does not get the nomination will stay in the party no doubt. Even though many will try to go third if Rudy gets the nomination.
IN the end I hope that rational bloggers which I include this blog as one and others rather they support Huckabee, Romney,. Rudy, McCain, or Thompson remember that after this primary we are ALL going to have to come together. At least that was how it worked in the old days. I see even evidence in the comment section here of Social Conservatives vs real conservative. Conservatives versus Republicans etc etc. Well we all need each other to win. SOmething that is often lost in the heat of primary time