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DEL.ICIO.USOn Republican chances and the fractured Christian base
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today’s must-read comes from the Los Angeles Times, which takes a look at the impact of a fractured and disillusioned evangelical base on Republican chances next year.
We’ve addressed this topic before, and — what with praying for rain and all — you may be tired of reading about the intersection of religion and politics.
But when it comes to the ’08 presidential race, the splintering of the Religious Right will rank with the Iraq war as a defining dynamic. And it will have everything to do with the South’s future relationship with a national Republican party.
Here’s the lede from the L.A. Times:
A fundamental shift is transforming the religious right, long a force in presidential politics, as aging evangelical leaders split on the 2008 race and a new generation of pastors turns away from politics altogether.
The result, in the short term, could be a boost for the centrist candidacy of former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose messy personal life and support for gay rights and legal abortion have not produced the unified opposition from Christian conservatives that many anticipated.
Over the longer term, the distancing of religious leaders from politics could prove even more consequential, denying the GOP one of the essential building blocks it has used to capture the White House in five of the last seven presidential races.
For you Fred-heads out there, here’s the killer quote:
“The days when Ralph Reed [and his Christian Coalition] could mobilize tens of thousands of followers are gone,” said Rich Galen, an advisor to GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson, a former senator from Tennessee. “In terms of suddenly turning on a spigot of funds and volunteers and direct mail, that just doesn’t happen anymore.”
Comments
By RJ
November 15, 2007 11:19 AM | Link to this
Well, of course, that’s true….the religious right had all they wanted - the white house and both arms of congress. And they still got bupkus from the Republicans.
Now that they’ve spent so many years demonizing Democrats, they have no where to go.
By Bill in San Diego
November 15, 2007 3:18 PM | Link to this
Ye Gods. The peasants have rebelled.
To my evangelical friends: When you let your hate-mongering “leaders” turn your movement into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Republican National Committee, cheapened the very concept of Christianity itself. In advertising terms, Falwell and Robertson all but destroyed your brand.
If the premise of this story is true, congratulations! You’ve achieved something every bit as historic as the fall of the Berlin wall or the Velvet Revolution in Prague. You’ve forced your churches to be churches again.
Does this mean you’re back in the love business?