2012 Republican hopefuls court religious right

Here is a Religious Dilemma:

The bible encourages us to help our neighbor....

Republicans scoff at that idea as socialism.

The bible encourages sharing.

The Republicans insist "what is mine is mine".

Quoting the bible might make you a good Republican...but not necessarily a follower of the "good book".

ri mom

hmmmmm

dont think anywhere in any of their platforms do they say....you shouldnt help others.

please provide proof of that.

and again...Ron Paul is barely mentioned...Romney is in the picture...and it is him they talk about the most.

the media is pushing him right now.

the propaganda is disgusting.

RI Mom..... more simply put:

The Religous Right are neither.

The crowd warmed up when Barbour said the overriding goal, regardless who is nominated, is to make Obama a one-term president.

Do you really have to hear anything else to characterize the behavior of the Tea Party/GOP over the past three years?

The religious right are NOT Christians. They get out there and bleat about being so but the proof is in the actions. Same crap as the last time under ronnie. They really need to read both Proverbs and the new testiment again. can anyone show me ANY that live by Jesus's lessons at all!

devilsadvocate

sure...think this article sums it up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-koerner/ron-paul-and-the-love-rev_b_861399.html

let's be honest ...

GOP hopefuls pay homage to religious right

aka kissing azz for votes. Bush did the same yet here's what he and his crew really thought .......

"Tempting Faith's" author is David Kuo

, who served as special assistant to the president from 2001 to 2003. A self-described conservative Christian, Kuo's previous experience includes work for prominent conservatives including former Education Secretary and federal drug czar Bill Bennett and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Kuo, who has complained publicly in the past about the funding shortfalls, goes several steps further in his new book.

He says some of the nation's most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as "the nuts."

"National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as 'ridiculous,' 'out of control,' and just plain 'goofy,'" Kuo writes.

More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly "nonpartisan" events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races.

Nineteen out of the 20 targeted races were won by Republicans, Kuo reports. The outreach was so extensive and so powerful in motivating not just conservative evangelicals, but also traditionally Democratic minorities, that Kuo attributes Bush's 2004 Ohio victory "at least partially to the conferences we had launched two years before."

In fact, when Bush asks Kuo how much money was being spent on "compassion" social programs, Kuo claims he discovered the amount was $20 million a year less than during the Clinton Administration.

The money that was appropriated and disbursed, however, often served a political agenda, Kuo claims, with organizations friendly to the administration often winning grants.

More pointedly, Kuo quotes an unnamed member of the review panel charged with rating grant applications as saying she stopped looking at applications from "those non-Christian groups," as did many of her colleagues.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15228489/

so all you christian bush loving voters ? you got duped . used. lied to.

and wouldn't be surprised if they were that stupid again.

1.2:

hmmmmm dont think anywhere in any of their platforms do they say....you shouldnt help others.

In an appearance on "Face the Nation," Cantor (R-Va.) emphasized that, in dealing with the tornado devastation, aid would be offset by cuts to the federal budget.

Then there is this:

Republicans proposed cutting $832 million — 11 percent from this year's budget for the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food for low-income mothers and children.

Republicans' proposal would cut 10,000 housing vouchers that would keep homeless veterans off the streets next year.

The Republican legislation wants to cut $2 billion from food stamps.

Republicans want to reduce financing to the Environmental Protection Agency by $3 billion — an almost 30 percent cut from current levels.

And the list goes on....

ok

still waiting for proof

holding a gun to someones head and taking money from them by force does not equal charity.

because once it becomes forced it is no longer charity.

the question still stands...I will be waiting.

hey and dont get me wrong. there are only three republicans at this point in time that I would even defend. not even sure if one of them I would vote for...so that takes it down to two......

but the fact is...you are making a claim that certain people are so hateful that they want people to die...that they do not care.

I want proof.

somehow I dont think you will be able to produce it.

next.

great now it has that bachmann idiot up there....and she isnt even a candidate yet!!!!!!!!

ugghhhhhhhhh

Republicans proposed cutting $832 million — 11 percent from this year's budget for the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food for low-income mothers and children.

*gasp* The horror! That's socialism, RI Mom! Please, the religious voters are simply tools for the right. Useful tools.

Religious Right = Cult thinkers

Favorite Topics: abortion & gay rights

Favorite Topics: abortion & gay rights

Ah, yes, the wedge issues. That's Rovian style politics for you. It's a somewhat effective tactic, but like most things in a dirty political playbook, such gambits often only work once or twice. It's part of what got GWB his first and second terms, you know, besides the politically-aligned Right-Wing Justices that voted him in office automatically.

The problem with Herman Cain is, there is no chance of him winning the republican nomination. Republicans only talk highly about him so they can attract more black voters, and prove they aren't racist. They can also give him free reign to attack Obama so they can't use the race card. But, repubs, would never vote for him. They like using him to attack and that's it.

Herman Cain panders to the religious right. Check out his interview with Bryan Fisher.

It's sad that a lot of people seem to think that way. I know dozens of republicans personally who not only will vote for him but are actively campaigning for him right now. It seems to be the media which is living up to what you imply in that virtually every news story either omits him or minimizes him.

Are you righties going to be demanding Cain's birth certificate? Are you going to accuse him of being a secret muslim, of hanging out with terrorists and "gangbangers"? Are you going to make jokes about watermelon and fried chicken, or about how the white house needs to be painted black if he gets in?

bonos

I would say probably not...because no matter how bad the left wants to paint it....its not about race.

unfortunately I wouldnt be suprised to see the gop establishment start pushing cain so they can play the race card back....put their own black man up there.

if you saw the focus group on fox after the republican debates...then you would understand why I am saying that.

the propaganda was just plain disgusting.

AmusedinVa

You may personally know dozens of people who would vote for him, but the power in the republican party will never let him be their canidate. The repubs, will allow him to use his rhetoric from time to time, but they don't take him seriously. It takes more than dozens of people to get the votes needed for the election. The only reason repubs even give him a platform to talk is to say see, we don't hate black people!

It's a real shame that there are so many people especially on newsvine who either honestly don't understand or willfully disregard the truth about how these nomination contests work and who decides the eventual candidate. Before attempting to address the questions posed here I'll first give a quick explanation of that process.

In both the republican and democrat parties the structure is nearly identical in organization. There is a national committee, individual state committees, and within each state district committees and local unit committees. Anyone who wants to be a candidate for any office at any level doesn't have to do anything more than confirm they accept the parties general ideals and register with the appropriate election authorities. Then either primaries or conventions are held to determine the winning nominee. in the case of the presidential race I believe all districts in both parties use primaries.

The national and state committees often finance and/or directly run ad campaigns on behalf of the winning nominee but don't provide support to an individual who is seeking the nomination. The local and district committees do the actual work of supporting individuals, manning phone banks, setting up signs, and providing volunteers to work polls. These local committees are open to anyone who wants to join them that shares the party ideals as written in the creed and oath of both parties. These local committees are also as diverse as the localities across America. They include people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, religions, and so on. Believe it or not there are liberal republicans, there are pro choice republicans, and there are even gay republicans. Just because the nationally known and criticized face of the so called "right" is a bunch of entertainers like Limbaugh doesn't mean they are the republican party. Many millions of voters will decide who the nominee eventually is not the people who are perceived to be the power of the party.

Are you righties going to be demanding Cain's birth certificate?

Not quite sure exactly which "righties" you may be referring to but I'd answer that question with questions. Why should anyone see the need to do that? Has Cain ever claimed to be the son of a foreigner? Has Cain ever lived outside the US? The idiot "birther" movement was brought on by Obama himself by his own secrecy about his past and the way he tried to keep things like college records sealed from view. Before him every candidate from either party had openly provided such information on request.

Are you going to accuse him of being a secret muslim, of hanging out with terrorists and "gangbangers"?

Again the answer to the question would be why should anyone see a reason to do that. Cain has not tried in any way I'm aware of to hide or make suspect his past or his experiences so there's no reason for the fringe people to that dream up that crap to believe he might be hiding anything.

Are you going to make jokes about watermelon and fried chicken, or about how the white house needs to be painted black if he gets in?

Those don't even warrant wasting time on because that's not relevant to the campaign. As I've pointed out many times the racists that are out there do not recognize or care about political party lines. When Obama ran yes the racists jumped into the republican side to oppose him because of their racism but a lot of them were also crossover democrats that voted against the black guy. If Obama had been a republican we'd have seen all the racists gravitate to the democratic side. If Cain gets the nomination they'll just have to sit home and pout because there only choice would be to vote for a black man and the real racists out there are not going to do that.

You may personally know dozens of people who would vote for him, but the power in the republican party will never let him be their canidate. The repubs, will allow him to use his rhetoric from time to time, but they don't take him seriously.

What a lot of people aren't yet seeing is that the republican primaries are not a closed process only available to certain parts of the party. Your right that a few dozen aren't enough votes to win a primary but a few dozen in one town and few dozen in another town and a few dozen in another town become a powerful force when combined nationally. Those of us that are working to help him now are not the only ones who will vote in those primaries and I think it will be a much larger group than many want to admit that will support Cain on voting day in their states primary.

He will have a very uphill fight in some areas which Cain himself openly admits. But he'll also be very strong in some areas and you don't need to win in all 50 states to get the nomination. In a way though part of what some imply is to a degree right in that there are segments of power in the republican party that will fight to keep him from winning. But he is very extremely popular among the so called "Tea Party" and we all saw in 2008 that they were very influential in defeating many entrenched establishment candidates during the primaries of 2010.

Why does it always have to be about race? Of course their goal is to make Obama a one term president. Not because he's black, or because he's bad for the country, or because he's a boogieman. Because he's a Democrat. Has there ever been a presidential race where the goal wasn't to defeat the opposition?

Why does it always have to be about race? Of course their goal is to make Obama a one term president. Not because he's black, or because he's bad for the country, or because he's a boogieman. Because he's a Democrat. Has there ever been a presidential race where the goal wasn't to defeat the opposition?

KYPIAKOC, I think people are tired of the winking and nodding from conservatives on this issue. No, it does not apply to everything. Conservatives allowed this undeniable undertone to become an overtone of the party because they wanted the numbers. It existed before President Obama on a wink and nod basis pertaining to social issues and socioeconomic/class triggers in people, but under President Obama they've escalated winking and nodding to outright verbal assaults and crude signs...heck even much worse. This is the profile they've embraced, but we're supposed to keep playing the political correctness game by not calling out that behavior? Note that political correctness refers to conscious awareness and exercise of care in our interface and dealings with others, not just the use of a word. Conservatives NEVER quite understand the concept. This is what makes the winking and nodding so @!$%#ing ridiculous!

They've trained the conservative base just like Pavlov's dogs to react the way that you did upon mention of the word "black" or other key words. It's quite fascinating the way that they've figuratively labotomized so many people by doing absolutely nothing.

You make a lot of good points. I don't identify as either republican or conservative. After all the crap the republican party has pulled over the last few years, I can't imagine myself ever voting for a republican. But that aside, I think American political discourse has reached a repulsively sad state on both ends of the spectrum. Instead of addressing issues of importance and proposing solutions, we're focused on "calling them out," and that only tears our social fabric apart.

You make a lot of good points. I don't identify as either republican or conservative. After all the crap the republican party has pulled over the last few years, I can't imagine myself ever voting for a republican. But that aside, I think American political discourse has reached a repulsively sad state on both ends of the spectrum. Instead of addressing issues of importance and proposing solutions, we're focused on "calling them out," and that only tears our social fabric apart.

Likewise. Concur. Actually refreshing to not get the "i'm rubber, you're glue" response for a change around here. Lol!

Injecting religious/moral overtones into one's campaign is standard operating procedure, and I don't see it as a breach of separation of church and state. Obama quotes from the Bible all the time, and yet he doen't take any flack for it.

Quite different from pawlenty asking the country to turn to god. That is why you guys need to read this book for dummies.

Thank you for proving my point.

Peace and love.

KYPIAKOC

Injecting religious/moral overtones into one's campaign is standard operating procedure, and I don't see it as a breach of separation of church and state. Obama quotes from the Bible all the time, and yet he doen't take any flack for it.

quoting a book and actively campaigning and pandering on so called religious morals are two different animals.

That is why you guys need to read this book for dummies.

I don't appeciate your insinuating that I or anyone who thinks like I do is a dummy. For the record, I lean more to the left than to the right. I simply feel it is hypocritical to demonize the political right for being religious while turning a blind eye to the left also pandering to the religious voting block.

Obama quotes from the Bible all the time, and yet he doen't take any flack for it.

Yes, and if he didn't, he'd be accused of being a secret Muslim terrorist. (Then again, he STILL gets accused of that anyway). Go figure.

If you don't understand that plenty is mixing politics with His religion......I suggestion read a bit more.

I wont turn to god and how dare he even say that as he runs fir president of the entire country.

KYPIAKOC

That is why you guys need to read this book for dummies.

I don't appeciate your insinuating that I or anyone who thinks like I do is a dummy. For the record, I lean more to the left than to the right. I simply feel it is hypocritical to demonize the political right for being religious while turning a blind eye to the left also pandering to the religious voting block.

turning a blind eye to the left also pandering to the religious voting block..........

could you show me links to this ??

I can list tons of right wing sites/politicians/right wing religious nuts that do .... as well as ...

real christian terrorism in the US . snaking it's way into our government ... grooming it's self . No different than Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/books/review/Easton-t.html

Patrick Henry College
From SourceWatch

The mission of Patrick Henry College, as adopted by the Board of Trustees September 28, 2002, is "to train Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding. In order to accomplish this mission, the College provides academically excellent higher education with a biblical worldview using classical liberal arts core curriculum and apprenticeship methodology." The College's vision is "to aid in the transformation of American society by training Christian students to serve God and mankind with a passion for righteousness, justice and mercy, through careers of public service and cultural influence." [1]

The College's "Statement of Faith" includes, but is not limited to, the acknowledgment that "Jesus Christ literally will come to earth again in the Second Advent" and that "Satan exists as a personal, malevolent being who acts as tempter and accuser, for whom Hell, the place of eternal punishment, was prepared, where all who die outside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity."
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patrick_Henry_College

04 God's Next Army
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzCIduBvl1I&p=596B2A143DC53EB4&playnext=1&index=29

and to help them in their endeavor ??

Conservative Bible Project Cuts Out Liberal Passages
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/conservative-bible-projec_n_310037.html

Religious intolerance among conservative Christians:

A few conservative Christians have made statements that categorize other religious groups as evil, degenerate, sub-human and/or hated by God. Some examples are:

- A former Southern Baptist president told two large meetings recently that God does not listen to the prayers of a Jew.
- A Baptist minister in Texas has allegedly called for the mass murder of Wiccans by napalm.
-An Evangelical minister explained that there are two groups in the world: the children of God (those who are saved), and the children of the devil (everyone else).
-Another stated that New Age beliefs are another attempt by Satan to pollute Christianity, promote immorality and foster unethical attitudes.
-Still another stated that non-Christians hate God, love sin, and don't care whether anyone is struggling with sin or not.
-A prominent televangelist called for the round up and extermination of all Wiccans by the U.S. Federal government.
-Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern religions have frequently been described as variations of Satanism.

We have not been able to find any comparable statements by mainline or liberal Christians.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/relintol2.htm

Unfortunately, I don't think we are getting smarter , I think it's quite the opposite actually. Proof of that would be the last elections. Repubs promised everything under the sun, and now people are surprised by the results.

Steve, the President is a Democrat, The Senate is controlled by Democrats, the current Republican House has passed no major legislation signed into law. The Democrats held both the House and Senate from 2007-2010. They had a Democratic President and Congress from 2009-2010, The recent results you must be referring to are overwhelmingly based on Democratic policies. The Dems are in power now and have been for quite some time. At some point I would think the Dems should have to take some ownership of the current state of affairs. But I guess it's easier to blame Palin(not in elective office, has no legislative power), and the Republican with only 1/3 of the legislative branch of government for all our current problems. The real surprise is that those on the left refuse to accept the fact that their policies are not working.

glotz, what are you fishing for?

GLOTZ

The reason why the democrats have the White House and the Senate is based on the Repubs destroying the country. The tax cuts, that we were told was supposed to create jobs, created nothing but high rates of unemployment and jobs overseas (that wasn't the jobs we were hoping for). A war in Iraq, that costs trillions of dollars and we have no reason to be there. Senate bill 5, enough said there. Destroying social security with medicare next on the agenda. At least with the democrats, things got a little better, seeing an improvement in an economy that was borderline depression. The democrats are trying to get us out of this mess, while the repubs are stepping backwards. Serving their corporate masters has put a toll on the working and middle class.

No two ways about it GLOTZ, the people proof their ignorance about what is right in America depending on who they vote for. We need a change but we need a Complete change. Not a One World Government. That is where we are headed and it was predicted long ago in God's word.

Ok Steve, Let's just say for the sake of argument that the evil Republicans destroyed the country. Please list the current economic policies enacted by Mr. Obama and the Dems that are making our current economic situation better. Please list the for the following: Employment, home values and foreclosures, the deficit and debt, inflation, and health care. I look forward to your response.

"Read bible or church attendance will only makes [sic] people minds become stupid.[Really?] Religion quotes such as In God we trust should not be printed on US paper currency or used as US motto becaues [sic] it violate [sic] the separation of church and state. Religion quotes such as In God we trust should only be hang [sic] inside the church,not on US paper currency or used as US motto."

Wow! What an erudite lecture on the evils of faith and religious observance! I guess the next thing we should do is go firebomb every church and seminary. Then we can be more like our future Islamic overlords!

Then we can be more like our future Islamic overlords!

The candidates that pander to the religious right depend on people like you to vote for them based on irrational fears like this while ignoring any qualifications that the may or may not possess to address the real problems that face this country.

LOL, if ever there were an oxymoron, and yet there it is;)

Islamists get here, can you be more specific, i don't understand are we expecting some kind of events. PCwillkillusall.

And using the word libtards is some how less prejudical. LOL

There is no Christian vote in America. You can have ethics in politics and society, but as our Founding Fathers knew from their British roots, when you mix religion with politics, you have oppression and chaos.

Our country was based on Judeo-Christian ethics, with some of the authors having a faith in Christ and who studied the bible.

Look today at how unethical our politicians and business leaders are, and claim to be christian. Being a religious zealot in politics today gives you a free pass to be unethical.

Not everyone understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because His Spirit needs to open their hearts to hearing and believing it. But every man understands the ethics or universal truths of God of the universe. Like don't steal, don't lie. Even kids on a playground understand those truths.

Michelle Bachmann and their ilk are being supported by the Heritage Foundation and Israel. They don't represent democracy, or America. Just look at the damage the Relgious Right has done to not only this country but the world in the last 3 decades. These are the dangerous apostates, Timothy warned us about in the Bible.

Good News, His Spirit is moving, and awakening this earth.

These people will be exposed soon for what they are, and they are not for God. I would even say that in due time, they will support the Antichrist.

Corrections:

Gos will spit them all out.

That should be God, not Gos, and She is Michelle Bachmann. Here are some more insightful links:

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/The%20Age%20of%20Laodicea%20has%20arrived%20next%20comes%20the%20rapture%20and%20the%20tribulation.htm

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=25759&forum=45

http://biblebb.com/files/dobson.htm

Beloved, if you have ears listen. This is a dangerous political arm of the GOP. They are wolves in sheep clothing.

Indeed Christians are hypocrites. Aren't all sinners both Christian and non-Christians hypocrites? The Bible tells us not ONE is good. ALL fall short. ALL are hypocrites.

Religious is man made.

Nothing new under the sun, but today; we have nuclear weapons, electronic financial/banking system, instant Internet communication, digital online infastructure command centers, so the fake religious can control the masses even worse than during the dark ages.

Beloved, does this religious political party sound dangerous to you? If you have ears, then listen.