Let's be honest. Mitt Romney isn't a great singer and he's probably no Fred Astaire on the dance floor. Yet if he wants to make it onto the inauguration stage, he will need the help of a crucial dance partner. Who is his Ginger Rogers? Mitt Romney meet "The Teavangelicals.
Who are these "Teavangelicals?" They are conservative Christians (typically evangelical) who strongly support the Tea Party agenda or are active in the Tea Party movement. I coined the term after the 2010 Midterm Elections when I noticed that the Tea Party was filled with evangelical Christians. Without them, Tea Party Libertarians would be lucky to fill half a teacup. But why did they join a movement that doesn't address traditional social issues? I know this may come as a shock to some in the mainstream media but evangelicals don't just care about the life and marriage issues. As I detail in my newly released book called, "The Teavangelicals: The Inside Story of How the Evangelicals and the Tea Party are Taking Back America," the ties that bind evangelicals to the Tea Party are simple. They see the movement as a way to reclaim this country's Judeo-Christian heritage, reduce taxes along with the size and scope of the federal government, return to fiscal responsibility and restore free market principles. Teavangelicals believe Holy Scripture supports these views. They have a U.S. Constitution in one hand and a Bible in the other. In essence, many in the movement see this in spiritual terms comparing it to the Great Awakening before the American Revolution.
You may ask why Romney needs Teavangelicals since conventional wisdom states that he must court Independent swing voters to win The White House. The answer lies in the numbers and everyone knows how much Romney the businessman loves raw data! Simply put, Teavangelical turnout is the key to Romney's political future. From now until Election Day, Teavangelical type organizations will be fully mobilized. This was not the case four years ago when the Obama campaign was too much to handle. Since then, Teavangelicals have risen from their couches thanks to what they see as a perilous future for the grandchildren and real trepidation about what another four years will look like with President Obama at the wheel. In one vivid example, Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition, an influential group bursting with Teavangelicals has the cell phone numbers and emails of thirteen million evangelicals. They're using that information to electronically distribute voter guides and contact them directly with the firm belief that they can add three million new evangelical voters in 2012, possible as high as seven million. Many of these new Teavangelical voters will cast their anti-Obama ballot in the key swing states of Florida, Virginia and Ohio. If that happens, it's game, set match. President-elect Romney can send the thank you note to Teavangelical volunteers across the country.
While some Teavangelicals may be motivated to come to the polls for Romney because of three plus years of President Obama's term (a luxury John McCain did not have), this is not going to happen by osmosis. Politically active Teavangelicals may pull the lever for Romney but they may not bring a friend to the polls and might not organize for him either. Teavangelicals are the worker bees, the lifeblood of good campaign organizing in the Republican Party. Romney cannot afford for them to sit idly by. He needs to show a little political leg. A good Vice-Presidential pick leading up to the GOP Convention would be a start but what would resonate even more with Teavangelicals would be a stump speech that spoke to the morality of debt, a return to sacred Judeo-Christian principles and how good fiscal policy translates into healthy prosperous families. Weaving all of that together would strongly benefit Mitt Romney and make the sell to Teavangelicals a whole lot easier.
Whether or not Mitt Romney becomes president, Teavangelicals won't stop endeavoring to change the direction of America one city council meeting, one school board meeting and one out of touch legislator at a time. Do you want to know why you don't see the big Tea Party rallies anymore? It's because Teavangelicals are hard at work in their local communities attempting to make America a land where constitutionally conservatism wins the day. The 2010 Midterm Elections provided the first glimpse of change and in this current cycle we've seen even more Tea Party victories. But challenges surely lie ahead. Teavangelicals need to convince skeptical Americans that their message is mainstream; they need to make sure the movement doesn't get diluted with controversial social issues and they need to figure out how to all pull in one direction (Governor Scott Walker's victory in Wisconsin was a good sign). These tasks are not easy but you can be sure they'll be praying for victory. Speaking of praying, Mitt Romney better hope and pray that Teavangelicals turn out in force on Election Day. If they do, "Mitt Romney and The Teavangelicals" will be the hottest show in town.
Follow David Brody on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebrodyfile
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 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
~Opinion~ "Mormons are Christians". The title of the LDS church starts with these 5 words ;
1) The
2) Church
3) of
4) JESUS
5) CHRIST
Any questions ? (that should be clear)
I do adMitt (-: that we Mormons are a little different. maybe even odd or eccentric. But you almost sound as if you think we are evil. I hope you don't think that. I respect any pastor that has the courage to say this out loud. For 5 years of my life I was an anti-Mormon, largely due to excommunication. Can you explain your opinion in simple terms...maybe even without quoting too many scriptures ?
Thanks
ps- Your post is both courageous and humble. Honest. I appreciate that. (I am fan#26 now)
pps- Actually, feel free to quote a scripture. That might have been dogmatic of me. Mea Culpa.
Those who tend to forget or rewrite history are doomed to repeat the same mistakes found in history.
That is why the following, which I excerpt and quote from http://messenger3.cjcmp.org/religiousright.html, is so appropriate now.
"Since so many right-wing partisan Conservatives make a show of being Christians, it is helpful to observe how Liberals and Conservative interpret Christianity differently.
Conservative Christians focus on the patriarchal aspects and love to quote all the things based on the idea that "I am the Way, and the Truth," even though they don't understand what Jesus meant by that. Instead, they sum up Jesus’ message as "Obey me or you're going to suffer in hell for eternity." It's an authoritarian, patriarchal approach.
Liberal progressive Christians, on the other hand, focus on the matriarchal aspects that are around the Golden Rule, and around peace, love, freedom, compassion, charity, forgiveness, and pacifism, acknowledging the idea that it will be the humble, gentle, peaceful and meek who shall inherit the earth.
Those two approaches inevitably produce the situation we have now, with proud and militant Conservative Christians trying to impose and enforce their beliefs, while Liberal Christians usually do not retaliate but instead tend to turn the other cheek.
So, who are the real Christians?
Thomas Jefferson wrote: “I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect (or religion) over another.”
(Quoted from http://messenger3.cjcmp.org/religiousright.html)
clout of televangelism or the televangelicals is minimized and they are constantly losing ground. Televangelism is finding itself in a desperate state these days, simply by continual immoral and unethical acts in the news media and the continual blundering of imposing upon the American Populace their religious views. There is no official religion of the United States and for any christian organization to be involved politically is a defiance of the separation of church and state and no where does it state in the scriptures "to go into all the world and make my gospel political." To politicize the gospel is intentional democratic tyranny or dominance of a faith opposing the free moral choice of all people... who have every right to choose their own destiny.
Romney has not ethical or political core. He will say anything to anyone to get elected. OK. Now that begs the question: what motivates him? Is it pure vanity and power-lust? Very likely, but that is pretty thin. Is he motivated as a Mormon Bishop to 'make good' for his religion? That seems more likely to me. I want an open, and not too polite, dialectic about the religious beliefs of politicians who have the power of life and death over billions of people. But this will not happen. Somehow, it is not polite.
Hey - you're not the only one who can spread weird stories around.
You hit the nail right on the head. Go, Mitt, go!!
Joseph Smith taught that it was Satan who made people believe they could be saved through Jesus Christ alone.
Do Teavangelicals agree with all that?
Obama is Pro-choice and an explicitly-on-the-record proponent of Gay Marriage -- These are the only 2 issues that traditionally matter to Evangelical Christians. Add Obama's fiscal policies to the mix and you have the anti-Christian candidate in the eyes of many in the Conservative, Evangelical Christian Right.
The Evangelicals are in a tough spot this time around in November... They must choose between Romney, the cult member, and Obama, the "Socialist" who advocates legalizing "infanticaide" and "sexual abomination".
I think they'll choose Romney, but in the sort of "unenergized" way that will allow the incumbent Obama 4 more years.