Robertson/Giuliani Duo Bids Farewell to Conservative Influence

Yesterday's announcement that Pat Robertson is endorsing Rudy Giuliani is a big moment in modern political history. It signals the beginning of the end of the power that social conservatives have held over Republican Presidential candidates for many years.

Giuliani's camp is spinning the endorsement as a proof of Giuliani's conservatism. Maybe those living in the bubble of Giuliani-land believe that, but the grassroots conservatives aren't buying it. At the recent conservative mega-conference, Value Voters Summit, Giuliani took a pathetic 1.8 percent in the straw poll at the conclusion of the event. That was several spots behind 'undecided' and only a couple spots ahead of Barack Obama.

These people represented the folks that work year after year to elect conservative Republicans. Giulaini isn't their man.

In addition, James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, have teamed up with other prominent social conservatives and pledged to 'seriously consider' backing a third party candidate if the Republican party nominates a candidate that supports choice.

This division among he conservative movement is a good sign. For years, they've been unyielding in their right-wing ideology. Now that their guy, George W. Bush, has soured the American electorate on the conservative agenda, they see their long fought for power on the brink of extinction.

Further, Robertson's Christian Coalition organization endorsed Giuliani's opponent in his 1993 campaign for mayor of New York City. They cited issues such as abortion and gay rights as reasons not to support the Republican.

In an act of desperation, Robertson is willing to throw his values out the window to hop on the train of the perceived front-runner. Combined with the shifting positions of Giuliani, this new duo has more flip flops than Miami Beach on a summer afternoon.

Looking forward to 2008, the right wing surely won't be happy about this. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I'm looking forward to all of the pandering that the Republican nominee will have to do to try to achieve some semblance of a winning coalition in the general election.

In the meantime, let's hope the Democratic candidates will run positive campaigns that are about the future, so that when our nominee is decided, we will not be divided. That is the only way we will lose.

Comments

[dukeneil]

everyone seems to be missing the obvious here: robertson endorsing giuliani has nothing to do with embracing rudy but instead everything to do with making sure that anyone (even a liberal mayor from new york city) wins instead of hillary clinton.
read more here: http://littlebitleft.blogspot.com/2007/11/pat-picks-rudy.html

[ljsfolly]

I spoke to someone yesterday,a republican, who wants to vote for Rudy. I told him the very idea of that made me sick. After having seen him in action and having read how he has failed New York and the firefighters and police there I would not vote for Rudy no matter what. This guy told me the media has lied so much about Rudy that he failed to see anything that spoke to the truth from the media. I told him to do his own research as he had missed the truth somewhere when he wasn't paying attention. That Pat has joined his group of nuts makes me think they all cling together. Where is Rush he should be next on the list.

[bronceye]

Probably rudi promised to continue the bush policy of funneling money to pat for christian healings. That way, pat can keep funding his African mines. Continued wars also help the prices of his mined resources. It's ALL about money.

[CARTERJ]

Oh boy! How delicious!
Talk about your basic deal with the devil!

[desertdweller]

Foe more than one reason, I hope that the so-called christian conservatives form a third party. First of all, it would virtually guarantee a Democratic victory (in no small part by off-setting the effect of dis-affected far-left types who won't support anyone to the right of Kucinich). More importantly however, is that a third party effort in this instance would force the christian right to put up or shut up. I am sick and tired of hearing that we live in a "christian nation." I took a trip to Japan a few years ago and was chided by a co-worker for visiting, and spending American dollars in, a "non-christian" nation. (I don't think he knows I went to Cuba shortly thereafter). If these folks feel so strongly that they and their values are under attack, that there is a war on Xmas, and that our society is going to hell and we are being punished by god, then let them stand up and cast their votes as a bloc. Rather than continue to hiajack the republican party, and alienate mainstream republicans in the process, these folks can go off and do their own thing. My prediction is that they will soon realize that we do not have a christian nation afterall, that their views are minority views, and that they have been pandered to, and taken for granted, by people like GWB. While they are at it, why don't they all move to Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming and create "god's country" for themselves, make their own laws, teach creationism and abstinence, and leave the rest of us "reasonable" folks alone.

[DuffyJames]

The Faustian deal struck between Giuliani and Robertson punctuates the latter's hypocracy. For decades, Robertson has preached anti-abortion and the need to elect politicians who believe it in their hearts. Now we see clearly that Robertson isn't about anti-abortion, he's about electing Republicans. He's the worst kind of preacher, telling lies to his congregation in order to share political power with unscrupulous politicians.

[RedRooster]

"Robertson/Giuliani Duo Bids Farewell to Conservative Influence"

nuff said!

Thanks, Lane.