A CHRISTIAN THIRD PARTY?

A RANT
Talking Points Memo has some disturbing news about a possible Third Party split of religious “Christians” who will refuse to vote for him, and will run off on their own.  I would take this more seriously, if it weren’t for the fact that the “usual suspects are involved.   For well over a year I’ve been writing that something is going on with “Christian Conservatives” and I am not taking about Republicans. 

The problem?  Power, and the quest there-of.  The untimely death of Jerry Falwell has left a vacuum.  The old cliché is nature abhors a vacuum.  Evidently “Christian” conservatives do, also.  And so we have a gathering of the “usual suspects” who are pathetically seeking their place in the sun and POWER.

This is all about power and jockeying for position.  It’s also all about King-Making.  James Dobson evidently now fancies himself the NEXT GREAT THING. 

“Christian” conservatives are in a unique position this year.  There’s no heir-apparent so they think that someone died and made them God (I couldn’t help that one) so they get to tell the GOP who is going to run.  It’s the POWER stupid.  They can be in the position of being the Samuel to their chosen David, pour the holy oil of anointing – and then they get to call the shots. 

The big problem is the fact that their influence is starting to wan.  I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we are experiencing an “ism” in the zenith of the illusion of power.  They allegedly dominated the conversation on immigration where they displayed their august “Christian” charity and understanding of the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount.  They really don’t like George W. Bush.  He has betrayed them by thinking for himself and not jumping at their commands.  (Don’t worry, this same bunch did the same thing to Ronald Reagan, and now they lie about their devotion to him).

But now they can pick their very own POTUS, or so they think.  Just don’t fall for the fallacy that they are REPUBLICAN, because they aren’t.  This has been going on for the past two years, at least.  I think it began with the Miers’ nomination, when they began flexing their alleged political clout.  Then on to the mid-terms where they feel they helped manipulate the immigration conversation, when in all reality they are nothing but pawns in John Tanton’s grand liberal scheme of population control and eugenics. 

Just don’t be drawn into the idea that this is new.  It isn’t.  They think they are on a role after that Values Voter fiasco and can manipulate opinion.  Chuck Baldwin and ex-judge Roy Moore have formed an alliance to collect something like 800 ministers and churches for the Constitution Party. 

These aren’t Republicans.  Don’t be fooled by their rhetoric. 

NON REPUBLICAN PLAYERS
Ted Pike - National Prayer Network  Pike links to an assortment of fringe “conservative” “Christian” groups that are borderline white supremacist in nature.  Right Wing Watch

Chuck Baldwin (News With Views)  absolutely detests the Bush family.  Baldwin is Constitution Party, controls Crossroads Baptist Church in Jacksonville, and has a radio show. He is also putting together something called the Black Regiment, an alarming association of extreme conservative congregations to manipulate elections. Note the association with Ex-judge Roy Moore.
The Chalcedon Foundation
The Traditional Values Coalition

VALUES VOTER DEBATE
The whole “Christian Voter” leaving the GOP comes out of the Values Voter Debate of a few weeks ago, where another “Christian” leader arranged for the performance of “Why Should God Bless America” (something few conservative blogs even mentioned).

From Crooks & Liars
“…In case there was any doubt that the religious right’s power is on the wane, the evidence was quite clear last night in South Florida. Several evangelical groups co-hosted what they labeled the “Values Voter Debate,” featuring theocratic right-wing luminaries like Phyllis Schlafly, Roy Moore, Paul Weyrich, Don Wildmon, Rick Scarborough, and Janet Folger. The event was “moderated” by Joseph Farah, the unhinged activist who founded WorldNetDaily. Shortly after the event was announced, the debate organizers said seven of the nine GOP candidates would participate. Shortly thereafter, sponsors lowered expectations, saying only that a “majority” would participate. By the time candidates took the stage last night, the entire Republican top-tier — Rudolph Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain — was a no-show….To get to seven, organizers had to include Alan Keyes and John Cox. Worse, debate organizers said they had a waiting list with people anxious to attend the event, but they were probably bearing false witness — about a third of the 2,700 seats at the Broward Center for Performing Arts were empty…”

NYTimes
“…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.” 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…."
Memorandum

Salon
“…A powerful group of conservative Christian leaders decided Saturday at a private meeting in Salt Lake City to consider supporting a third-party candidate for president if a pro-choice nominee like Rudy Giuliani wins the Republican nomination.The meeting of about 50 leaders, including Focus on the Family's James Dobson, the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, who called in by phone, took place at the Grand America Hotel during a gathering of the Council for National Policy, a powerful shadow group of mostly religious conservatives. James Clymer, the chairman of the U.S. Constitution Party, was also present at the meeting, according to a person familiar with the proceedings…. According to a New York Times profile, the CNP was established in 1981, with the help of Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation, and the Rev. Tim LaHaye, the bestselling author of the "Left Behind" book series. In recent years, President Bush, former Undersecretary of State John Bolton and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have met with the group, the Times reported. CNP membership is a closely held secret, and its meetings are not publicly announced or open to the press.

Dobson, who is one of the nation's most outspoken Christian leaders, has previously announced that he does not support Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain or former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson as nominees for the Republican Party….”

Memorandum
 Talking Points Memo
“…If this doesn't cause the Republican Party some anxiety, it's just not paying attention. Indeed, this scenario made Karl Rove exceedinly nervous in 2004, when there were rumors that former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore might make a suitable far-right candidate, who would pick up support from Dobson & Co., split the right, and throw the election to the Democrats. And that was with Bush, who is pretty conservative. A Giuliani candidacy is obviously far more problematic, given his scandalous personal history and his previous support for abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, and stem-cell research. Let's also not forget that there's already a vehicle in place for a further-right campaign -- the ridiculously right-wing Constitution Party has a spot on the presidential ballot in 41 states, and a party leader was on hand for the Utah meeting yesterday….”

A QUICK MINI RANT
I think Talking Points Memo is over stressing on the actual clout of the "Christian Right".  As I have said, repeatedly there is this false assumption that the "Christian Right" equals Republican.  It does not. 

In early August, Bill Berkowitz reported that the religious right appeared to be lining up behind Fred Thompson. I would love to know what caused the religious split between Thompson and the Dobson people.  I suspect he found he couldn't push Fred around.
Powerline
Flopping Aces
No More Mr. Nice Blog
PoliPundit
MacsMind
Shakesville
“…The question then becomes who would they pick? Who's out there they could rope in that thinks the way they do that isn't already either in the race (Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee) or is just too crazy for even them to back (Alan Keyes)?

I think it's hilarious that these blowhards are up the creek with Giuliani as the front-runner. After all their big talk about being the heart and soul of the base of the Republican Party, after all their threats, intimidation, coercion, and just plain bigotry and bullshit against gays, women, science, the law, the Constitution and anything else that doesn't fit into their exact measurement of right and wrong, they end up finding out that they can't even get the Republicans to do their bidding.

I do hope they run a third-party candidate, and I hope that whichever white bread right wing blowhard they pick sinks like a turd in well. Then we can finally give them the burial they so richly deserve….”

Frankly, I think this is hilarious.  I agree.

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