Evangelical Christians

The Assault On Mitt Romney In His Own Party

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be ahead in all of the polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, but that is not necessarily good news.

By being the front runner so early, Romney becomes the target for all the discontented groups in the party, who would prefer someone else.

All elements of the party are assaulting him, which may have the effect of weakening a person who could be the strongest nominee for the party.

Social conservatives are suspicious of him because he was once pro choice and for gay rights.

The Tea Party conservatives don’t like the “RomneyCare” health care plan put into law in Massachusetts under his Governorship.

The religious conservatives don’t like that he is a Mormon, which evangelical Christians feel is not truly Christian.

The foreign policy conservatives, led by John McCain and Lindsey Graham, are angry that Romney has suggested a path out of Afghanistan, which they regard as reckless and dangerous to the national security. And McCain has NEVER like Romney on a personal level, and this weekend, accused him of being an “isolationist” in his views on foreign policy and troop commitment.

And the “Establishment” Republicans, led by the Bush family and its followers, and particularly President George H. W. Bush, are favoring former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who is about to enter the Presidential battle, and is a major threat to Romney’s support.

So Romney must, right now, be feeling battle scarred, as it becomes evident that IF he is to win the nomination of the party and have a chance at the Presidency itself, it will only be through much “blood, sweat, and tears”!

Any chance that the GOP could win the Presidency and make major gains in Congress could go down the tubes because of the internal struggle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party!

Mitt Romney: Will He Sell His Soul To Be President?

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be in the lead in public opinion polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, but it is clear that many Republicans are desperately seeking for someone else, whether it is Governor Rick Perry of Texas or Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey or others.

The Tea Party Movement does not like Romney, and neither do evangelical Christians who are suspicious of Romney’s Mormon faith.

Plus, Romney’s health care plan causes discontent, and the feeling that he does not really relate to Republicans voters, or in reality, maybe to ANY voters!

The latter is shown by his insensitive comment in New Hampshire that he is unemployed too, said as a joke to unemployed people he was meeting with. Could he truly commiserate with them, when he has at least $200 million personal fortune behind him?

Also, he made a comment not much noticed right after the New Hampshire debate, but recognized in the aftermath. Romney criticized the federal intervention by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the days after the floods and tornadoes in the Midwest in April and May. He termed the intervention and spending as “immoral”, said FEMA should be privatized, and declared that deficit spending to help the victims made no sense at all, and burdened future generations with extra debts!

If we pursued what Romney has now advocated, it would mean only wealthy, well connected people would be guaranteed food, shelter, clothing, and protection if a disaster struck. How moral is it for someone to be so heartless and unconcerned about the tragedy of natural disasters?

This is Tea Party Movement extremism to the level of crazy and loony, and is obviously Romney’s attempt to appeal to the extreme right wing of his party, but if he were to win the nomination and become President, would he really pursue such narrow minded views, defying the history of the United States regarding the “general welfare” of the population, as enunciated in the “Elastic Clause” (Article 1, Section 8) of the Constitution? Romney NEEDS to clarify this matter, as an issue to consider regarding voting for him to be our President!

The Iowa GOP Presidential Caucus Will Likely Have No Effect On The Nomination

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A lot of attention is being paid to the Iowa Presidential caucuses due on February 6, 2012.

A lot of the GOP candidates are partaking in that series of caucuses as the first time to measure popular support of their candidacies.

But the fact is that the Iowa caucuses for the Republicans are unlikely to affect the ultimate nomination next year, as Mitt Romney seems unlikely to participate, much like 2008, and Jon Huntsman has announced he will not be part of the process.

In both cases, it is because of the Mormon faith of Romney and Huntsman, which is unlikely to go over well with Iowa social conservatives, a majority of whom are evangelical Christians.

The real race in Iowa is likely among Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, and Herman Cain, with Sarah Palin also a possibility to influence what happens if she runs, which still seems unlikely.

But Pawlenty, the most most legitimate of the four above, has to compete with Iowa born Bachmann, who would have to be favored. And if Palin enters the race, it makes it all the more difficult for Pawlenty, who knows that his whole strategy is to win Iowa, and use that to overcome Romney, who now lives in New Hampshire and is from neighboring Massachusetts, a tall order for Pawlenty to accomplish!

The real battle will be between Romney and Huntsman, both Mormons and actually cousins, with Huntsman seeing the New Hampshire primary as the necessary first step to overcome Romney, and then to triumph over Romney and others in Florida, where he is setting up headquarters, evidence that the Sunshine State will be crucial to him if he is to take off at all after New Hampshire!

Will “It’s The Economy, Stupid!” Outweigh The Death Of Osama Bin Laden And Help Mitt Romney Against Barack Obama?

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A month ago, President Barack Obama’s public opinion polls skyrocketed, following the successful elimination of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.

Now, a month later, due to the unstable economy and lack of major job growth, and general economic pessimism, Obama has lost the majority support he had last month, and has slipped below 50 percent in the polls.

In the Washington Post-ABC News poll, Obama has slipped to 47 percent, and in a matchup with Mitt Romney, he is behind by three points, 46-43, emboldening the former Massachusetts Governor to believe he has an advantage for 2012, and that such an advantage will give him the edge for the Republican Presidential nomination.

The problem is that Romney might, for now, be ahead, and he might, realistically, along with Jon Huntsman, be the BEST candidate for the GOP, but that is no guarantee that he will win the nomination of his party or the election in November 2012!

The fact that he has stated his belief that global warming and climate change are a real factor, if not the sole one, in what is happening regarding weather and environmental conditions, will not win friends from the social conservatives.

Nor will his Mormon faith, the same problem of Jon Huntsman, help Romney, since evangelical Christians do not regard Mormons as Christians, but rather as a cult.

Nor will his Massachusetts health care plan, often compared to Obama Health Care, although he has carefully defended it, while saying he would not foist it on the nation as a whole.

Nor will his chameleon nature, constantly changing his views with the shifting political winds, with many seeing him as a moderate to liberal Republican in his past, but now claiming to be a conservative.

Nor will his slick manner, his seemingly perfect family and clean image, help him because it seems, somehow, contrived to many!

But will an economy with a high unemployment rate, poor housing prices, high gasoline prices, and a stagnating stock market, be enough to help Romney or some other Republican, and outweigh the national security issue, including the death of Bin Laden, and the fact that America is involved in fighting terrorism in FIVE nations by bombing and drones–Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Yemen–making Obama look tough on defense and security issues?

Just about 16 and a half months away from the election, and eight months from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the Republican Party has some hope, but many daunting challenges ahead, but then again, so does Barack Obama, to convince the nation to re-elect a President with high unemployment numbers and percentages, greater than since Franklin D. Roosevelt!

The Internal Struggle In The Republican Party: Minnesota Vs. Mormonism!

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With the announcement today that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will not run for the Republican Presidential nomination, the race seems more than ever to be one of FOUR who are likely to dominate vote getting in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the early primary and caucus states next winter!

As one looks at the field, it seems clear that Newt Gingrich has self destructed in his first week as an official candidate. Rick Santorum seems unlikely to take off as a candidate, based on his own past crazy statements and walloping defeat for re-election in Pennsylvania in 2006. Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, and even Ron Paul, will make noise, but are unlikely to poll many actual votes.

So unless someone such as Chris Christie or Jeb Bush suddenly enters the race belatedly, there seem to be four major contenders for actual popular vote support in the primaries and the caucuses early on–Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, and surprisingly, Michele Bachmann!

Bachmann is the favorite of the Tea Party people, more even than Ron Paul, who is seen as too old and flaky to be much of a vote getter. Even though she is outrageous in her statements and actions, Bachmann is likely to have a serious following in Iowa at the least, and could affect who of the other candidates benefits by her candidacy.

Bachmann, being from Minnesota, and therefore from the Midwest, poses a real challenge to former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has been very careful to avoid outrageous statements and actions, and yet is competing for the Tea Party support and for the backing of Midwesterners. Iowa is a crucial state to both, so they are therefore at loggerheads as Bachmann could ruin Pawlenty’s chances. So expect the beginning soon of sustained attacks by each on the other, and increasingly so, as the campaign gets closer to the first vote test in Iowa, which has many evangelical Christians and Tea Party people, and will likely kill off either Bachmann or Pawlenty. So it is the battle of Minnesotan vs. Minnesotan!

But the 2012 race is also of Mormon vs. Mormon, as Jon Huntsman, former Governor of Utah, and seen as a moderate to some extent, is challenging Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, who is also often seen as a moderate. Both are working very hard to wipe such ideas out of voters’ minds, as both oppose health care and support Medicare reform along the lines of the Paul Ryan Budget plan. Both are much more electible on paper, but being Mormons and having the old image of moderation could harm both, and certainly, one will be hurt by the success of the other.

What is likely is that the nomination will come down to Pawlenty vs. one of the two Mormon politicians, with Huntsman being newer and fresher and more interesting a candidate.

So the final struggle is likely to be Pawlenty vs. Huntsman, and it would seem likely that Pawlenty would have the edge, but only if he can overcome the influence of Bachmann with Tea Party faithful.

For the election, Huntsman or even Romney would be a better bet to win than Pawlenty, but the Tea Party influence is such that the bet would be that Pawlenty will be the sacrificial lamb, with the likelihood that Barack Obama would win a major victory, possibly on the level of George H. W. Bush over Michael Dukakis in 1988!

Forget Jon Huntsman! His Disgraceful Surrender To The Far Right Of The Republican Party!

Ronald 2 Comments

When one thought about the upcoming Republican Presidential race, there was some hope that someone moderate might actually show principle and be an alternative to the extreme right wing of the party.

And this author had hope for Jon Huntsman, the former Governor Of Utah and President Obama’s Ambassador to China, as a possible alternative who, were he to win the nomination, could give the President a real race for the White House, and were he to win, would be acceptable as the occupant of the White House.

Well, such illusions have now been destroyed, by Jon Huntsman himself! And this is very upsetting!

Huntsman has now changed his view on climate change, on the economic stimulus, and the health care issue, and has told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that were he in the House of Representatives, he would have voted for the Paul Ryan plan on Medicare, which would destroy Medicare as we know it in ten years.

The man may be charismatic, handsome, and appealing in an intellectual way, but he is a major disappointment by his abandonment of what he believed in.

His decision to move his unannounced campaign headquarters from Utah to Florida indicates he hopes to have an impact in the Sunshine State, but that indicates that he might even abandon his support of gay civil unions, as in Florida and many other states, the opposition to gay rights is still very strong in Republican primary voters, many of whom are evangelical Christians.

If Huntsman, who is Mormon, and must deal with that issue just as much as fellow Mormon Mitt Romney, hopes to gain evangelical backing, he will have to change his position on gay rights. Not that such a decision will guarantee evangelical support, but without such a switch, there is no hope at all of such backing!

So, disllusionment with Jon Huntsman just adds up to a sense of hopelessness that there is any chance of ANY Republican being mainstream in the traditions of the party in the age of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, and EVEN Ronald Reagan!

WIth Mitt Romney backing away from “Romneycare”, and Jon Huntsman surrendering to conservative extremist views, the GOP is a shell of its old self, and gives progressives no hope that there could be any sense of acceptance of ANY Republican Presidential winner in 2012!

The Gallup Poll And Gay Marriage

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The latest Gallup Poll shows a growing support of gay marriage among Democrats and Independents, but stagnant among Republicans.

According to the poll, 69 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Independents now support the right of gay men and lesbians to marrry, with both numbers growing rapidly over the past few months.

But Republicans in the poll remain frozen at 28 percent in support, with a lot of this based on evangelical Christian influence on the party, plus the fact that the GOP has NEVER stood for any major reform that promotes civil rights and equality since the 1920s, although they were ahead on reform in the Reconstruction period after the Civil War (Radical Republicans) and the Progressive Era (Progressive Republicans).

Among younger people, particularly, the opposition to gay marriage is small in number, although among older Americans, particularly the elderly who are Christian, the opposition is stronger.

What is clear is that gay marriage is eventually going to be seen as a norm, with the passage of time.

When one looks back 30-50 years from now, one will wonder why such strong opposition existed, similar to those who look back now to 1967, when finally the Supreme Court declared interracial marriage to be constitutional. One will wonder why such a big deal was made over it fifty years ago!

The Republican Sense Of Desperation As Fox News Channel Debate Occurs In Five Days!

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The Republican Party, the Grand Old Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Reagan, is facing a sense of desperation as the first scheduled debate among GOP Presidential candidates is only five days away, due on May 5 on Fox News Channel.

No one has really emerged from the pack, and those who have been noticed–Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump–have embarrassed themselves as well as the party. If this is the best the GOP can do, they may as well concede the election for President next year to President Obama!

Of course, no such thing will happen, but the mainstream candidates–Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman–have not excited the party, and Mike Huckabee seems unlikely to run, and in any case, has put his foot in his mouth too many times already to be the ideal candidate.

With the decision of Haley Barbour to drop out of the race, attention is being drawn again to Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, and former budget director under George W. Bush, but he has alienated social conservatives by emphasizing economic and budget issues, and suggesting there be a truce on social matters, such as gay rights, abortion, and school prayer. He also lacks charisma and presence, and since the budget debt doubled under George W. Bush, one wonders if his so called “magic” abilities with budgets, plus his strong anti labor stand in Indiana, ahead of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida, is to be seen as a plus.

But once you go past Mitch Daniels, the others being promoted are even less thrilling!

To suggest “Bully” Governors, including Chris Christie of New Jersey and Scott Walker of Wisconsin seems suicidal, as neither has high public opinion ratings, has declared war on labor, and has an aggressive public personality that turns many people off!

And to suggest Texas Governor Rick Perry is really to promote desperation, as Perry is not too bright, and has advocated secession of his state in past political rhetoric! What the Democrats could do with that–wow!

But then, those who suggest Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the author of the GOP budget bill that wishes to make Medicare privatized in ten years, but admits no balanced budget for thirty years, are even more crazy. Not only is Ryan seen as a “wise guy” arrogant person, but also he has received many attacks at Town Halls in his own district, and his plan has been attacked bitterly by people of all age groups, and become cannon fodder for the Democrats, which they will be able to use next year in the Presidential Election of 2012.

The way things look, the best bet for the Republican Party is to turn toward Mitt Romney, as the most “mainstream” they can get to run against Barack Obama, but will the Tea Party activists and the evangelical Christians allow a Mormon, who was once a liberal to moderate in the party, to be its nominee? Stay tuned!

Three Internal Struggles Within The Republican Presidential Race: Business Experience, Mormonism, And Being From Minnesota!

Ronald Leave a comment

The upcoming Republican Presidential race has three potential major conflicts.

The first is between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and real estate mogul Donald Trump, over the issue of business experience, both having it, but Trump declaring that his business background is far superior to that of Romney. Additionally, Trump is bragging about his greater financial assets, as compared to Romney, but no one should feel sorry for the size of Romney’s fortune!

Secondly, Romney and former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman both are Mormons, which could make an interesting race on that issue, but could actually hurt both of them with evangelical Christians, who see Mormons as part of a cult, and not Christian!

Thirdly, former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann both come from Minnesota, and that could create a major complication for Pawlenty, as more excitement centers around Bachmann as a rabble rouser in the party establishment and among Tea Party Movement people!

In the long run, the more serious candidates are probably Romney and Pawlenty, so the problems of Trump, Huntsman, and Bachmann make their quest for the GOP nomination all that much more difficult!

Support For Gay Marriage Grows To Majority

Ronald 1 Comment

An ABC-Washington Post Poll indicates that 53 percent of those polled now support gay marriage, five years after only 36 percent supported the concept.

People in their 30s and 40s, Catholics, political moderates and men have increased greatly in their support of gay marriage rights.

At the same time, evangelical white Protestants oppose gay marriage by a 3-1 margin, and Republicans and conservatives are against it by a 2-1 margin, but even those groups have seen some improvement in the numbers that support gay marriage.

It is obvious that the country is acclimating itself to gays marrying, but ironically, it is the unpredictable Supreme Court which will ultimately decide whether the Defense of Marriage Act, stating a marriage is between a man and woman, is to be upheld, or if gay marriage must be accepted by all of the states.

This is an issue which over time will grow in support, however, as young people in broad terms have no problems with gay rights and gay marriage, but the Supreme Court could hold back progress on this major social change.