Christian Conservatives Consider Third-Party Effort
Monday, October 1st, 2007 | 
Email This Post
|
Posted by John under: Lovers of the Truth
Alarmed at the chance that the Republican party might pick Rudolph Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate in an attempt to stop him.
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
—Malachi 3:16
The group making the threat, which came together Saturday in Salt Lake City during a break-away gathering during a meeting of the secretive Council for National Policy, includes Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who is perhaps the most influential of the group, as well as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the direct mail pioneer Richard Viguerie and dozens of other politically-oriented conservative Christians, participants said. Almost everyone present expressed support for a written resolution that “if the Republican Party nominates a pro-abortion candidate we will consider running a third party candidate.â€
The participants spoke on condition of anonymity because the both the Council for National Policy and the smaller meeting were secret, but they said members of the intend to publicize its resolution. These participants said the group chose the qualified term “consider†because they have not yet identified an alternative third party candidate, but the group was largely united in its plans to bolt the party if Mr. Giuliani became the candidate.
A revolt of Christian conservative leaders could be a significant setback to the Giuliani campaign because white evangelical Protestants make up a major portion of Republican primary voters. But the threat is risky for the credibility of the Christian conservative movement as well. Some of its usual grass-roots supporters could still choose to support even a pro-choice Republican like Mr. Giuliani, either because they dislike the Democratic nominee even more or because they are worried about war, terrorism and other issues.
In recent polls by the Pew Research Center, Mr. Giuliani has received a plurality of support from white evangelical Protestant voters despite a rising chorus of complaints from Christian conservative leaders about his liberal views on social issues and his unconventional family life. Some players in the movement not present at the meeting may be open to Mr. Giuliani as the lesser of two evils.
Rev. Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcast Network, for example, has provided relatively generous coverage to Mr. Giuliani and his campaign. Gary Bauer, a Christian conservative political advocate and a Republican primary candidate eight years ago, said that, speaking by phone to the meeting, he urged the group to proceed with caution. “I can’t think of a bigger disaster for social conservatives, defense conservatives, and economic conservatives than Hillary Clinton in the White House,†Mr. Bauer said.
Still, he added, “But I do believe there are certain core issues for the Republican Party—low taxes, strong defense and pro life— and if we nominate some who is hostile on one of those three thing it will blow up the GOP.â€
In response to the Christian conservatives, a spokeswoman for the Giuliani campaign provided a statement from Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican who supports Mr. Giuliani, saying, “Conservatives are rallying around the one candidate with the executive experience and proven leadership our country needs.†Calling Mr. Giuliani strong on fighting terrorism and “fiscal discipline,†Mr. Sessions said Republicans want a candidate who “can beat the Democratic nominee.â€
For months, Christian conservatives have been escalating their warnings about the risk that nominating Mr. Giuliani could splinter the party. Dr. Dobson wrote a column declaring that he would waste his vote before casting it for either Mr. Giuliani or a Democrat who supports abortion rights like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Richard Land, the top public policy official of the Southern Baptist Convention, has said that nominating a Republican candidate who supports abortion rights would make white evangelical votes “a jump ball†between the Republicans and Democrats, with other issues taking the fore.
Many Democrats, including Senator Clinton, are doing their best to soften the edges of their support for abortion rights, emphasizing they favor policies that might reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
But participants in the group that endorsed the resolution said they reached their position hearing an assessment of the state of the Republican primary from Mr. Perkins, who acts as a point man in Washington for the movement. Mr. Perkins told them that Mr. Giuliani could plausibly win the primary if he carried Florida, which is also a state with many conservative Christian voters, and now was the best-chance to stop any momentum behind the campaign.
« Back to home page |
Email This Post
|
Kevin Wilson says Comment posted on October 01st, 2007
They are whipping a dead horse. Unfortunately Roe V Wade cannot be reversed by a president. Splitting the party will only aid the real enemy and that is the future Clinton admin. It is very sad to see our country going down the tubes but as I often pray that Jesus would just come NOW, somehow I don’t believe he is done growing his fig tree yet. I’m being called to save the next generation right here near my home. The Word of God is the only hope for our children.
2 Tim 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
jen-o says Comment posted on October 02nd, 2007
i have just three words…
Remember Ross Perot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
back in 1992, ross perot received 20% of the popular vote, thereby allowing bill clinton to win the presidency (with 43% of the popular vote)… a vote for ross perot ending up becoming a vote for clinton… because the majority of people who voted for ross perot were conservatives…
so i’m not sure this is really such a great idea… i fear that a vote for a third party candidate is (in essence) a vote for hillary clinton… i agree with gary bauer… hillary clinton in the white house would be a disaster!
so what’s a christian to do??
i don’t have the answer to this, and would welcome some suggestions…
:~D
these look like the options to me:
1.) not vote – because there is no one worth voting for…
(somehow, i don’t really like this option)
2.) vote for a third party candidate (more as a vote of protest), knowing full well that this would probably put hillary clinton into the white house…
(gee, i really don’t like this option either)
3.) vote for the lesser of 2 evils (so to speak)… this would be a vote for the republican candidate (whomever it may be… probably rudy giuliani)… this vote would be cast mainly to prevent hillary clinton from getting into the white house…
(this option is looking better all the time)
there is NO candidate that represents my viewpoint and supports the issues that i support (and there is NOT going to be one)… but i still have to live here til Jesus returns…
the democrats have control of the legislature… and i can just imagine what clinton and the legislature would accomplish together… and the damage they could do, spiritually speaking…
i am absolutely pro-life… but do i really want to cut off my nose to spite my face?… evil abounds, and will get worse and worse in these last days… that is NOT going to change by an human endeavor…
so what is the answer?… vote for the lesser of 2 evils, and become more of a christian activist (by writing letters, contacting governmental powers to express my opinion and viewpoint on issues, standing outside of abortion clinics with bible in hand ready to speak the truth, etc. etc. but most of all, going door to door to share the gospel… we cannot change the world, and personally speaking, i do not think that we can reverse what is happening in our nation… does that mean we should do nothing?… God forbid, we may not be able to change the systems of the world, BUT we certainly can have an impact on individual lives (by sharing the truth of God’s Word with people)…
[i'm just thinking out loud here]
what say the rest of you?
Linda says Comment posted on October 02nd, 2007
oh, jen-o,
what to do, what to do??
If Rudy is our best bet, I say go for it & pray the Almighty will speak loudly & clearly to Rudy regarding every issue & pray that the Holy Spirit will soften Rudy’s heart & cause him to be obedient to G-D’s urgings. Never know, we may have a modern day Paul on our hands.
wishful thinking? no, prayerful thinking!
Remnant says Comment posted on October 02nd, 2007
Dear Jen-O
In the past I’ve been through the same quandary !
Most of the votes I’ve cast have been to keep a candidate out of office rather that to elect one. I felt that I should vote for “professing christian candidates†to see that time and time again they have proven to be a disappointment. I’ve chosen the lesser of the two evils, thus compromising myself .
It was all very frustrating, in my frustration I went to God’s Word. It showed me that no matter who we vote for, G_D will put who He wants into office, to serve His purpose.
Dan. 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Prov. 8:15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
Prov. 8:16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
1Pet. 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
every ordinance of man — “every human institution†[ALFORD], literally, “every human creation.†For though of divine appointment, yet in the mode of nomination and in the exercise of their authority, earthly governors are but human institutions, being of men, and in relation to men. The apostle speaks as one raised above all human things. But lest they should think themselves so ennobled by faith as to be raised above subordination to human authorities, he tells them to submit themselves for the sake of Christ, who desires you to be subject, and who once was subject to earthly rulers Himself, though having all things subject to Him, and whose honor is at stake in you as His earthly representatives. Compare Romans 13:5, “Be subject for conscience’ sake.†king — The Roman emperor was “supreme†in the Roman provinces to which this Epistle was addressed. The Jewish zealots refused obedience. The distinction between “the king as supreme†and “governors sent by him†implies that “if the king command one thing, and the subordinate magistrate another, we ought rather to obey the superior†[AUGUSTINE in GROTIUS]. Scripture prescribes nothing upon the form of government, but simply subjects Christians to that everywhere subsisting, without entering into the question of the right of the rulers (thus the Roman emperors had by force seized supreme authority, and Rome had, by unjustifiable means, made herself mistress of Asia), because the de facto governors have not been made by chance, but by the providence of God. (From Jamieson, Faust, and Brown’s commentary Critical and Explanatory on the whole Bible)
This was an immense relief and being reminded that G_D is in control,allows me to stop compromising myself and vote for the Candidate who spoke and acted upon G_D’s Word, even if they are unelectable. Knowing that I’m in this world but not of it, I can proclaim the Word of G_D and know that He will honor that.
I’ve known Bill Koenig for a few years he is a man of God and his platform is one that I agree with. Voting for him may put Ms. Clinton in office or Obama. And who knows, they may be what G_D uses to bring in the Rapture!
And I’m no longer a double minded man!
In Messiah
Remnant
Kevin Wilson says Comment posted on October 02nd, 2007
Amen brother Remnant and Sisters jen-o and Linda. I do believe in the greater good and so I also believe in a lesser evil. I’ll vote for Rudi just because he wants to bomb Iran (oops slipping into the fleash again).
Maybe Remnant is right and this Clinton Abomindistration (made-up word) will usher in the Raptue! Amen!
Perhaps Hillary will be the one who sits on the purple beast in Revelation 17. Dr. David Hocking has an excellent study on Babylon and what it really means today as described in Rev 17. It’s a 4 CD set and I highly reccomend it, he is a very detailed and wise teacher.
I don’t know if the Rapture occurs before or after Rev 17, many bible scholars have different opinions, I hope the Rapture occurs before the first seal is broken and we can all watch the action from heaven (I bet the popcorn dosen’t even get stuck in your teeth in heaven) LOL
May we all be blessed with the grace to love all of Gods children through these end times.
Kevin
JEFF CALVERT says Comment posted on October 03rd, 2007
Kevin, brother i loved your post. I too work as the youth minister in my church, and our future is in OUR hands. I do believe however that the Lord is growing that fig tree even now. But that doesn’t mean we are to quit and just wait for the victory to come, we work harder….we educate our youth as to what is happening. I’ll pray for you, and ask that you pray for me as well
nanc says Comment posted on October 03rd, 2007
you are very wise, remnant.
a friend and i have been discussing this very issue. although we believe the u.s. to be a conservative nation, bending to the will of a few – if the clintons take the office, it really just puts u.s. closer to that day of the Lord.
i do like koenig and tancredo, but somehow do not see good men in the white house.
Lance Gilman says Comment posted on October 03rd, 2007
If the influential Christian leaders have a candidate in mind we need to know who it is.
Most of the country I believe is already tired of the political dysfunction in Washington and I think we’ll have a low voter turn out.
The republicans haven’t “energized ” the base as they say in politics.
But the base needs to stand for principles of the party not who the nominee is.
Billary is a strong contender for the Presidency, only
the most influential leader in the world with the most power.
Remember what we got for 8 years of Clinton’s in the 90′s?
The day of the Lord may just be way off in the distant future.
Just ask(as if we could) any of the past generations of believers
in the last 2000 years when they believed the Lord was returning.
Many of them believed as we do today – any day now!
Plan for tomorrow. Live for today.
Kevin Wilson says Comment posted on October 04th, 2007
Amen Brother Jeff, I couldn’t agree more. We need to stay in the fields and be about his business when he returns and the youth is our only hope on Earth until he does!
Praise Jeshua HaMashiach
Kevin
pat says Comment posted on October 07th, 2007
Why do the christian right not support Gov Huckabee? He seems to have the qualities they say they are looking for. Pro life, anti gay marriage, and he is a Baptist minister to boot. Many moderates like him, and if the Dobson group got behind him, perhaps he could over take Guliani. If you listen to the polls a third party will put Hilliary in for sure, two party , probably. I am pretty liberal, pretty left, and pretty political. I know of only 2 friends who are voting for her. I don’t understand where all these polls are putting her in such a lead.