Religious Conservatives Take A Back Seat In '08 Elections

The New York Times:

AFTER the 2004 elections, religious conservatives were riding high. Newly anointed by pundits as "values voters" -- a more flattering label than "religious right" -- they claimed credit for propelling George W. Bush to two terms in the White House. Even in wartime, they had managed to fixate the nation on their pet issues: opposition to abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research.

Now with the 2008 race taking shape, religious conservatives say they sense they have taken a tumble. Their issues are no longer at the forefront, and their leaders have failed so far to coalesce around a candidate, as they did around Mr. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[lthuedk]

Were these eye-for-eye fundi leaders willingly tooled 'n fooled by atheistic Neo Cons and other Republican Party protofascists and theofascists?

http://www.light-to-dark.com/mininuke.html

Stalinhitlerstrauss kills because of Dobson.

[esquire07]

Religious Conservatives should be loaded up on mothballed naval ships, towed out to sea, and used as target practice.

They were at the forefront of destroying the Constituion and aiding Bush in destroying the United States.

[outnow]

"Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing." Now they know. Any questions?

[hugs4u]

It is time that the right wing religous fanatics got pushed aside. That is pretty bad that the right wing gun nuts don't want to even put up with them.

[arkansawtravler]

Couldn't happen to a finer bunch of folks I think. They are finding out their political saviours are just as bad as they are: stupid, liars, hypocrites, sexual deviants, etc. I wish for them a remaining life and eternity thereafter, forced co-existence and cooperation with intelligent and thinking peoples, especially ones of color and different culture than theirs.

[Qbear]

Come on faith community make your selection

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/FlushMitt.jpg

[Nova16]

Those who claim to have the "gift of prophecy", knowledge of the "unknown" and use the "power of prayer" are tiresome and annoying. Religious and spiritual beliefs are a matter of choice--embraced to meet the emotional needs of the individual. There is no demand upon our honesty as individuals to choose to believe them. Beliefs endorsed by the spiritual and religious cannot be imposed upon the face of the secular without causing conflict and attacking freedom. The values such honesty,love, forgiveness, compassion trust, peace, service to others, personal responsibility, etc., are available on common ground and not the ownership of any group be they Christian or otherwise. They are authenticated by reason and practical demand. Metaphysical phenomenology has no business in politics. We do not live in a Theocracy.

[pangardenguru]

very well said Nova16

[Qbear]

Why can't the James Dobson's and Tony Perkin's
just rally around their RICH, Cheney-selected, Mormon anointed candidate, if they can't stomach drag queen, anti gun, pro-immigrant, pro-choice Rudy?

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/MittPRIDE.jpg

Old Mitt New Mitt Red Mitt Blue Mitt as those conservatives call him.

[NotaBeliever]

As long as the religious right was at the forefront of political power, everyone else got to take a back seat. It will be very nice to see *them* gawping impotently at world events when We the Rest of the People take charge again. Things were so much better when We the Rest of the People ran things. So much better when the president of the United States wasn't in constant communion with his personal Spirit in the Sky.

[Mike169]

It's a shame they'e in the back seat. I wish they were driving so as to receive their share of the blame for this corrupt, deceitful, and inept administration.

[BUSHsurvivor]

I kind of feel sad for them. They've had a rough year. I mean first we have so much heat from global warming. Second, we have all the foreclosures from the subprime loans.

It can't be easy walking around the neighborhoods knocking on doors where no one lives anymore in 110 degree heat trying, pleading for anyone to listen to their annoying preaching!

No wonder they are still supporting Bush and their party, their brains are fried!

[Mike169]

I can't feel bad for them no matter what kind of year they've had. I really don't like their religion and I don't like it being imposed on people such as me who dislike what they believe. They can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that some people just don't care about their religious beliefs.

[jackjett]

As I understand from some of my male hooker friends, the religious conservatives have been taking back seats for a while at a rate of 200 bucks a pop.

I understand they are very comfortable in the back seat and more than that allow others to enjoy the comfort of their own back seat.

Those Xtions....­.are such givers, and takers...

Jack Jett

[MissingAmerica]

I have ceased to call myself a Christian, lest I should be confused with those delusional sheep who blindly follow the messages delivered by power-hungry, hateful madmen.

[ParacleteofKavorka]

Conservatives have made the word 'liberal' a derogatory term and now the word 'Christian' has become one by itself. When I was young the word Christian had a positive connotation.

[Qbear]

The SAME knuckle draggers who built the Creation Museum with dinosaurs with saddles?

The SAME knuckle draggers who build 100 foot high triple crosses in hundreds of Southern small towns at 350K a pop....but who's children can't read?

The SAME knuckle draggers who took their children to be taught values by a F*CKIN "tweaked out" Meth-addict who was getting banged in the butt like a bib bass drum by his hunky hustler?
http://newsblab.com/blabbingmikesblog/nfblog/wp-content/uploads/haggard_jesuscamp.jpg

The SAME knuckler draggers who fund the Oral Robert's president's wife text messaging to underage boys ALL NIGHT LONG?

Why would anyone BELIEVE they got somethin' wrong?

[Richard729]

Don't be too quick to count out the militant, dogmatic evangelicals led by Focus on the Family's founder, James Dobson. The 2008 election will be decided by this powerful organization which has shown how successful they can be when conducting "in-pew" registrations supporting their candidate of choice.

Yes, we know that using tax-exempt organizations to endorse a particular candidate is against the law but who says anyone really follows or enforces it? You know what they say, "If it walks like a duck..."

Some, myself included, believe there will be a donnybrook at the Republican convention which is to be held in Minneapolis next summer. Odds are, the evangelicals will bring in Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, to represent a third party candidate.

This presents a real dilemma for Republicans because they are likely to face Hillary Clinton, their most despised Democrat in November 2008.

If Republicans nominate Rudy Giuliani he will be opposed vehemently by the evangelicals and Focus on the Family organization. This could well be another Ross Perot moment when a split Republican Party will actually help Hillary Clinton win the 2008 election and the White House.

[JohnJames]

I hope so. The philandering cross-dresser can forget about their vote unless they want to make themselves look like those wicked moral relativists. Huckabee, though, had better get with the program and stop talking about crazy liberal sh@t like the environment and education.

[Gary47]

YOu're responsible for giving us george bush twice. At this point, even you shouldn't be paying attention to yourself. Why the hell would anyone else?

[consrevil]

Most of them are familiar with the back seat anyway....­and the bathroom sthal....a­nd public parks....W­here is the news story here.

[rabun666]

Every dog has its day. One cannot serve both God and man for he will prefer one and despise the other, a biblical quote. These churchiani­ty-religio­nists are pretend christians who seek the adoration of man not the glory of God. It is the hypocrites who pray and give alms publicly but according to their own Bible these are to be done in private, Matt:6. They love their delusion of power with their false doctrines[biblical fornications] and phony preachers[biblical harlots] with their congregations of fools being the gathering places of Satan.Thes­e people are so stupid that their harlot preachers insult and abuse them and their families, then beg for money and the fools give them money. It's on TV.