Christian right groups set sights on '08

[RedEarth]

Leaders of conservative Christian organizations plan to jointly interview Republican contenders for the 2008 presidential nomination, perhaps even endorsing one of them - steps that could expand their already considerable political influence.

"We'd like to try to stay together," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said at a breakfast with reporters Wednesday. The ad hoc group includes "free thinkers" and "strong personalities," he says, but they might unite behind a candidate who "unquestionably" best represented their views and priorities.


Gary Bauer, president of American Values, said in an interview that the sit-down sessions, likely to begin after the 2006 elections, would be "a very effective way to nail down where people are on cultural issues." He said candidates have become "very astute" at answering written questionnaires in ways that avoid making firm commitments. (Related story: Christian right bends political spectrum)


Those who plan to participate include leading figures of the Christian right: James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, the Rev. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association, Perkins and Bauer. Others also would join them.


Their groups, which represent millions of social conservatives, have taken the lead in lobbying to restrict abortion, ban same-sex marriage and confirm conservative judges. Their top priority, Perkins said, is winning confirmation of conservative Supreme Court justices.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20050616/ts_usatoday/christianrightgroupssetsightson08

[meganmonkey]

1. The way things are going

as a Republican I would NOT want to be endorsed by these groups!

I think it is becoming more and more of a liability. These 'social conservatives' (that's a polite way to put it) are not even a majority in Repub party, and it looks to me like the rest of the Repubs are shying away from the fundies.

[youspeakmylanguage]

14. They might be a minority, but they seem more than able...

...to bring their flock of sheep to the voting booths.

The quickest and most satisfying way for us to regain control and return sanity to the federal government is to pit the libertarian types against the fundies. Terri Schiavo helped, and the Patriot Act may hammer a few more nails in the GOP coffin.

[fasttense]

2. Yeah and as long as they keep taking money from the porn and gambling

industries they are sure to be a big hit with Christians everywhere.

[tanyev]

3. So now they own the country?

They are conducting interviews for the new CEO?

[prodigal_green]

4. oh really, their group includes "freethinkers?"

That's odd, because according to the American Heritage Dictionary:

freethinker n. One who has rejected authority and dogma, especially in his religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation.

-The American Heritage Dictionary


http://www.nobeliefs.com/freethinkers.htm

[Brooklyn Michael]

13. Thank You!

As I've been a Freethinker since my teens (while looking up the actual definition of "agnostic"), I'm appalled that this group would even USE the word. The LAST thing anyone even remotely associated with the FRC does is think freely......They're lucky if they think at all.

[prodigal_green]

15. beyond that

Freethinking was a crime in Europe on par with witchcraft prior to the Enlightenment.

[Brooklyn Michael]

16. Ahhh, the Enlightenment...

....something else they'd love to do away with.

[BOSSHOG]

5. The Southern Poverty Law Center has come to the rescue

I truly hope that any and all republicans seeking any and all offices get interviewed by the religious right. Check out what the SPLC has to say about bush's base.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/06/mwaaaaaaa-mommy-civil-rights-group.html

Please bookmark that sight and bring it up when the time comes.

[prodigal_green]

17. buncha commie fascists those SPLCs

just like Amnesty International and the French. :crazy:

[Zerex71]

6. Ha! Let 'em try. They'll never win.

And let's not forget Chimpeachment didn't win, he stole both elections through election fraud.

[wallwriter]

7. Let's see

Iraq War, Terry Schiavo, Social Security destruction, bashing the queers.

These people just look better every day.

[catmandu57]

8. By next year

People are going to be so fucking tired of the "christian" right, that if the majority of these evil bastards aren't in jail, I'll be surprised.
All it takes is the sunshine to fall on them for people to see them for who they really are.
Incestuous, hypocritical, thieving, lying, amoral, narrow minded bigoted, do as I say bastards. Hell, I'll lead a procession to light up their hidey holes.

[Felix Mala]

9. Is it too much to ask them to set their sights on living spriti-filled

lives and witnessing for their faith? Instead of spending their time rendering unto God the things that are Caesar's?

[NashVegas]

10. Yes!

Okay, I'm looking forward to this.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if the Republican nominee for president carries the official RW Fundie seal of approval. That way, we can list these groups' agendas and publicize the ever-fucking-loving crap out of them and show the voting populace what they'd be jumping into bed with.

[Montanan]

12. Does the voting populace really matter?

Remember that Fundies and their fellow-fascists control the might of the Federal government. They have ways of getting what they want.

[leesa]

11. "free thinkers" within the christian Right. That's hysterical!

[struggle4progress]

18. "It was good for Cotton Mather, and it's good enough for me." eom

[Initech]

19. I think people have had enough of these idiots

There's no way an extremist will win the primaries in '08.

When James Dobson is the voice of reason among the Christian right, you know there's a problem.