Evangelical/Republican Racist Hypocrites for McCain, or Redemption?
Senator Obama would be ahead in the polls by twenty to twenty-five points if he was white. I can prove it.
With the economy in the toilet, an unnecessary war dragging on, America's standing at the lowest point it's ever been in the world, our dollar worthless, our educational system in free fall, any minimally fit Democrat would be dizzyingly ahead in the polls... if he happened to be white.
The Democrats have put forward the brightest, most compelling and inspiring candidate since Franklin Roosevelt. I say this as a white, fifty-six year-old life-long Republican and former Evangelical leader, who was turned into an independent voter and ardent Obama supporter by my disgust with the hijacking of the Republican Party by a bunch of anti-American revolutionaries. (See my book to better understand what I mean by the term "anti-American revolutionaries." Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back.)
Senator Obama won scholarships to America's top academic institutions, was voted by his peers to be editor of the Harvard Law Review, is a family man with an exemplary and obviously loving marriage, has a wife who is a brilliant charismatic woman, two lovely children, is a churchgoing born-again Christian comfortable with his faith, has avoided making the fast buck in the new gilded age of greed when he could have, served his community, is thoughtful, considered in his opinions, slow to anger, proved right in his judgment about the Iraq war, looks at every side of a question before making a decision, and is not given to grandstanding. He would be vastly ahead in the polls, even in polls of Evangelical voters who, after all, are also watching their savings and home values evaporate... unless he happened to be... black.
I speak as someone who was brought up in an Evangelical household by famous and influential Evangelical leaders (Francis and Edith Schaeffer). And this year even I've learned something new about my old Evangelical/Republican tribe! This election has shown the true nature of the Evangelical/Republican establishment as never before.
Turns out the Evangelicals would rather vote for a pagan reprobate compulsive gambler windbag philanderer of mediocre intellectual capability than for a well qualified fellow Christian (both in word and deed) because the reprobate windbag is white and their fellow Christian is black.
Everything else is just an excuse. Why? Because everything the Evangelicals and "conservatives" claim they are against is what McCain is. And everything they say they are for-compassion, justice, mercy, decency, family values, clean living, prudence and even temperament -- is what Obama is. (Note: Former diplomat African-American Alan Keyes, perpetual far right, the Rapture is on the way, support Israel, kill all Arabs, all-abortion-is-murder-from-zygot on, free-market purist, anti-welfare, anti-affirmative action Republican pro-Wall Street, trickle down, lower-taxes-on-the-rich candidate, never got more than tepid support from the same Republicans that have wildly embraced equally loony -- and white -- ideologue, Sarah Palin. So much for being "correct" on the issues!)
My point here is to cast a light on the gross hypocrisy of the Evangelical/Republican base using their own standards. By the Evangelical/Republican moral rule book McCain should be beyond the pale!
Here is how, say, Dr. Dobson or Pat Robertson or Rick Warren might describe McCain under other circumstances, say if he was running against a white Democrat:
According to a long exhaustive New York Times report (Sunday, Sept 28, 2008) McCain is a compulsive casino gambler and thus a waster of his God-given resources.
McCain is a man who has wasted hundreds of thousands of his wife's beer-empire dollars on blackjack tables across the country.
McCain has received millions of dollars in campaign funding from the casino industry and all the shady characters within that vice-saturated netherworld.
McCain is personally (and virtually solely) responsible for the spread of the Indian tribe casinos across the country that he both "regulates" (in the Senate) gambles in and receives money from.
McCain would bring with him to the Oval Office the stench of a high-flying and utterly corrupt (and corrupting) vice-based industry.
McCain has deep personal connections to the corrupt politicians and lobbyists in the pockets of the casino industry.
McCain has a reckless personal gambling habit, one that destroys untold American lives and families and drains tens of billions of dollars from those who can least afford it.
McCain pays for his gambling addiction with the money he got by dumping his first wife in favor of a rich young blond with who he had an affair before leaving his wife...
And this is the guy the "Evangelicals" are following!
As we head into the last weeks of this election season let's be very clear: in still supporting John McCain instead of defecting to Obama, the Evangelical/Republican base has shown that it's all about race. This is even the case when it comes to abortion.
The Republican policies of gutting social programs have led to more abortions not less. But the Republican/Evangelical base would rather have more abortions than vote for a black president who's programs would reduce the actual numbers of abortions.
Obama believes that abortion ought to remain legal, but he also believes in real and practical programs that would reduce abortion by doing everything possible to help women, babies and families. McCain says he believes that abortion should be illegal, but knows very well that no matter what, even if the Supreme Court reversed Roe, abortion will remain legal in almost all states since all the Court would do is return the issue to the states. So McCain's posturing is just that: more meaningless contemptible grandstanding while not actually caring about reducing abortion.
Anyone who wants more babies born than aborted would vote for Obama. Everything else is an excuse, just another smoke screen.
The Evangelical/Republican base is also ready to back Gambler McCain even though his choice of running mate is just another irresponsible gamble, roll of the national dice for personal political gain. Evangelicals will vote for a white man, even if he has shown himself to be recklessly unpatriotic, as has McCain instead of a black man who had the good sense to choose a qualified running mate.
McCain, by gambling with our future at this critical moment with his "I can see Russia from my window" Palin stunt has shown that he puts himself first, not his country. Evangelicals know, as do all Americans, that Palin is a joke. But, judging by the close poll numbers, they'd rather live in a joke country in ruins than one with a qualified black man for president.
The choice is clear. When we vote we'll be choosing between Obama; the most intellectually and emotionally even-tempered and best equipped candidate this country has produced in most Americans lifetimes' on the one hand, and McCain, a philandering gambling addict with deep and corrupting ties to one of the most dubious socially destructive industries in United States, who is emotionally reckless and unstable and willing to risk the entire future of his country by appointing a grossly unqualified running mate.
In this election we Americans will be:
1) Voting for a president and vice president.
But also...
2) Passing or failing the greatest moral test of our time; the "exam question" is: will we elect the self-evidently better candidate regardless of his race?
There is irony at work here, and a chance for grace. How sweetly ironic that the best chance the United States has to restore our standing in the world, and to overcome our self-inflicted wounds, comes to us in the form of a thoughtful, self-effacing and brilliant young black man!
By voting for our first black president we Americans may begin the slow climb back to the moral sunlight and send a message to ourselves (and the world) that we have -- at last!--turned the page on our sordid racism. We will also save our country from four more years of Bush/McCain/Palin.
We are about to learn who we are. Will we vote race or conscience, for common sense or prejudice, for national redemption or the mindless continuation of the Bush apocalypse?
In Obama we have been given two extraordinary gifts; a great candidate and a national mirror. We are about to learn who we really are.
Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back, now in paperback.
Follow Frank Schaeffer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer
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Wow Mr Schaeffer
Thank you for this article. It made me tear up, and says so many things that I wish more "evangelicals" would stop to think about.
Thank you for showing what real faith is about.
Maybe the Democrats should have nominated Clinton.
Why? If they nominated soley to avoid this problem with Evanglical and Republican bigotry, then in that action they would be bigots too. Choosing a candidate by their skin color, giving into prejudice. It would have been punishment to a good black man, and no compliment to a white woman. And I'm not sure they could ever call themselves "democrats" ever again.
Thank you; I have been saying the same thing for months. As liberal as Hillary Clinton is, and all that she and her husband has done to advance the cause of Black folks; she didn't believe in her "heart" that Whites, in great numbers, would vote for Senator O*bama, and thus she was trying to save the party and Democrats from themselves. Blacks didn’t believe it either, but we are Black.
The dems did vote for Clinton, just not enough of them. But, isn't it time to place some of the blame on the Clinton defeat on the Clinton campaign? Didn't Sen. Clinton and former Pres Clinton shoot her campaign in the foot a number of times?
Let's be honest though and call this what it is. A qualified black man who may lose this election because a large number of non black people won't look past his color and can't bring themselves to pull the lever next to his name because he doesn't look like them.
It still strikes me as odd when people ask why Mr. Obama doesn't recognize himself as white as he is the product of a biracial union and was raised by a white mom and grandparents. It should be obvious that he sees himself as a man of color because he is seen as such. Many white people don't or can't see him as white. They only see his african ancestry. Whereas, most people of color accept him as is since people of color come in many shades.
Now we can only hope that enough people remove their rose colored glasses and see clearly what the choices are that will face us in a month. As an insider, Mr. Shaeffer did a commendable job of trying to provide some clarity of this situation.
I wonder, as the Evangelicals wrestle and contort to justify voting for someone whose life choices and every political strategy is the antithesis to Christian teachings, and do these moral gymnastics ultimately because McCain is white, do they remember that Christ was.....not? Do they remember that Christ was a man of color? He wasn't WASP - he wasn't white, anglo, saxon, nor was he protestant (he was Jewish).
Do they realize that to justify not votifying for Obama soley because he's not white, they logically would have to discard Christ himself as inferior because he's not - as they happily put it - "just like them". ??
What a thoughful piece, and very true. Thank you.
WOW. POWERFUL.
As always, a great post from Frank Schaeffer, and he is, unfortunately, correct about how much farther ahead in the polls the Democratic candidate would be if he (or she) wasn't a person of color. It is said that the nominee's first choice, that of his or her running mate, is a microcosm of the kind of presidency that we can expect from the candidate. The choice of Governor Palin by McCain is a horrifying selection, and more and more voters are coming to this conclusion. Add to that the awful economy, and by all rights Obama should be ahead by at least 20 points. Yet, it's only because of the bad economic news that Obama is barely ahead in the polls. How sad for this country!!
Ouch! So it hurts you guys as much as it does this American of African Ancestry. Once when I showed hatred, during the civil rights struggle, my grandmother cautioned me: She said: "all of them ain't bad". Yet I live in a region that continually vote against their own interest because of race. I fear it will happen again. Still, I pray my grandmother is right. And, perhaps white Americans will come to embrace their son, their cousin. He is one of yours also, isn't he?
Your grandmother was right. He is one of ours, also, and he's going to be the next President of the United States. As Frank said, he is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime leader. I would leave out the "potentially," but I remember what JFK did for this country even though I did not, at the time, share his view of politics. And if FDR hadn't died a month before I was born, I could be calling Barack Obama a three times-in-a-lifetime leader.
In Obama's life story and heritage, there's a little bit of a lot of us. The fact that this son of an impoverished single mother is accused of being an elitist by the likes of the fantastically wealthy and many-housed McCain and the Lady Lynn de Rothschild de Snoot is truly ludicrous.
That he is elite, and exceptional, I'll grant you. But elitist, no.
All of us ain't bad. And if enough of us ain't bad, Obama, the patently better man, will win the election.
Proud to claim him. :-)
But you know what? If he didn't have a drop of my white, if he didn't have a drop of your black, or if he were pink polka dotted 1/2 Martian, I would find a way to claim him just the same. He's a good man. He will be a good President.
I totally agree with Frank.
But I also believe that the "at the time" polls are not representing the truth on how many people are for Obama just because he is black as Frank says.Polls are another neat white affair with the conservative side of the voting force.
I love Schaeffer's articles--so cathartic--and yet I have to disagree on one point. My own mother and stepfather, who are incredibly sincere and well-meaning people who would bend over backward to help a complete stranger and who are very involved in helping people through their church, aren't against Obama because he's black. They're against him because they're hearing propaganda and out-and-out lies such as that he's a closet Muslim and his wife is a racist. As for McCain, they were clear with me early on that they didn't like him AT ALL, because he wasn't a strong Christian, but thought he was the lesser of two evils. I mean, they're single-issue voters. It's all about abortion and, secondarily, about wanting candidates who profess the same born-again faith they do. They see Bush as being incredibly brave because he opens meetings with prayers (see Woodward's "Bush at War" for an example) and because he comes out and says he's a born-again Christian. What sold them completely on the Republican ticket was Palin, for the SAME REASON. She's anti-abortion and the ultimate whacked-out evangelical to the point of being on the frine.
And I want to note that Focus on the Family's James Dobson, a very divisive person if there ever was one, was outspokenly AGAINST McCain early on. Only upon the announcement that Palin would join the ticket did he begin supporting them.
That's his exact point. EXCUSES. EXCUSES.
I think there is a deep fear in whites that a Barack Obama presidency means the tables will turn, that things will be topsy turvy, i.e., the new black will be white. So, they use the excuse that he is a muslim, unpatriotic, that Michelle is a racist (blacks cannot be racist, bigoted and prejudiced, but not racist), etc. It is too bad that people don't get that Barack wants everybody to prosper and flourish. McCain is a liar but the color of his skin makes him an easy choice. Sad!
What if he was a Muslim? So what? That in itself is a racially defined assessment. How many white "loony" Muslims do you know? For that matter, how many Muslims, period?
Google "This is your Nation on White Privilege" by Tim Wise. Perfect.
And, Roe v. Wade won't be overturned anytime soon-it's a stupid reason to vote for McCain. There are no good reasons to vote for him.
I know, it's stupid. I can't believe that in 2008 some of these RRighters don't believe that it's not ALL Muslims who are jihadists. I mentioned that only to point out that it wasn't his being black, it was for another ridiculous reason or two that they reject him.
Out of curiosity, if you pose it to them directly, how they justify Bush's warmongering, stance on torture, etc.? Is it cleared because he starts the meetings with prayer? (This isn't an attack by the way - I know it's family. I'm just wondering how they separate the two, admiring his stances on one and excusing stances on the other.)
Genesis reveals that God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if they had been concerned about "social issues" - the issues that many money-worshiping Americans throw into the trash can and which will haunt them. The remedy? Googling "Zombietime" and clicking on "Up Your Alley Fair." After recovering, they should Yahoo "God to Same-Sexers: Hurry Up" and "Dangerous Radicals of the Religious Right." If Americans are tired of being blessed, they can ignore what Washington, Jefferson etc. said and choose death and stop calling themselves "Americans"! Louey
As a former Evangelical, they have shut down their minds, if their pastor says to vote McCain, they do.
If you choose to ask questions, you are shut out, so very few do. I still have friends in the movement, but very few, because I choose different thinking.
You know, Frank, I'm sincerely hoping you're writing for Beliefnet or Christian Science Monitor, or something. I love your articles, but you're preaching to the choir, here. You need to be talking to the Evangelicals directly.
Christianity Today.
"And ye shall know them by their fruit"----Gospel of Matthew, New Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
From the Republican Vine we see these fruits hanging: Unjust War, Torture, Proud To Be Ignorant, Economic Disaster, Corporate Theft, Trashed Environment, Wounded Science, Broken Levees, Nearly Dead Government, Long Dead Cities, and, If My Lips Are Moving I'm Lying, I Know It, You Know It, I Know You Know It, and I Don't Give a Damn.
Strange Fruit growing on the Republican tree. Strange fruit apparently relished by so many who claim to be Christians, and patriotic Americans.
Strange fruit, indeed.
Right on.
AMEN!
Intrade: Obama 61, McCain 38!
I think it's far simpler and less ominous than that....nationally, people vote their party...now and forever, amen.
People simply vote Republican if they're "right-wing" and vote Democratic if they're "left-wing". How many conversations have you had with people of differing political views and anything they said made you think that they would vote for the "opposing" party for even one second? Under any circumstances? We are entrenched, utterly divided, a nation of partisan choirs and our heroic preachers...I fear some of us live in hatred/disgust of our neighbors simply for a difference of opinion. An opinion minimally exaggerated by partisan talk and bobble head absolutism molded into a pseudo-intellectual mash of righteousness disguised as sober contemplation.
I could of course be wrong, I would hope that I am actually, but I doubt the unconsciousness of people on the other side of the fence are stopping simply because the opposition candidate is black. Meanwhile, the Republicans could run a GI Joe doll and a Christmas tree ornament and the Republican base would still never consider voting Democratic. They might stay home, yes; but most people invested into their party through emotion, identity, and passion would rather die than vote for the opposition. It is now, simply, voting against yourself.
Look within the party confines to find the racism you speak (Keyes)...the moment you step across the fence, all bets are off.
EXCUSES. EXCUSES.
Please. I'm not defending these people, I'm just suggesting that not everyone who still insists on voting Republican might have a reason not purely steeped in racism. In many cases, I think it is absolutely true but in speaking with my Republican friends, none of them are saying anything other than "Obama wants to take all my money and give it to poor people and immigrants". Perhaps that is their "copping mechanism" for dealing with their own closeted racism but before you dismiss whole swaths of the population as being small-minded racists...please consider the whole picture.
And nice way to presume that I'm one of those people who wouldn't vote for Obama simply because he's black. You err presuming the minds of others...be it thinking that since they don't agree with you the only reason possible is racism or that if someone attempts to explain why there might be a simpler explanation that it is somehow making excuses for those individuals in question.
So who's wearing blinders? Let me clue you in...it is the one whom speaks in presumptions or generalizations obviously. You condemned the post of a fellow "brother-in-arms" without hesitation and yet I'm the one in denial of racism and *not* entrenched party affiliation.
Wearing blinders and finding safety in denial; good for you; it's called a coping mechanism.
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