|
To hear the press tell it today, Evangelical Christians are now all in the campaign camp of Rudy Giuliani, the pro-abort, pro-gay, anti-gun, pro-illegal alien, pro-sanctuary city standard bearer for liberal Republicans everywhere.
Of course the MSM plays it off this way because of one mildly past his prime faith-healer who has a hunch about Rudy's candidacy based on a flight from Israel to New York in which the two were able to talk about the importance of security, terrorism, and the future of the free world. One might remember that he's also the only member of the religious right to actually run for President in a very ill-advised campaign twenty years ago.
The New York radio world was little on its ear on Wednesday, and I was consumed with our attempt to help feed hungry New Yorkers through the holiday season so forgive me for not addressing the issue until now (early Thursday morning.)
But come on Pat? Have you lost what grey matter you had left? Rudy?
So now Mr. "Put your hand to the television and let me pray with you" has decided that Rudy is more qualified to dictate the course of policy via the social issues the next administration will face - particularly as it pertains to the attempt to redefine marriage, return the issue of abortion to the states, set the judiciary in the continuing path of Alito, Roberts, and Thomas, keep taxes from escalating to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton era stratospheres, monitor the borders and make sure that only legal immigrants come and are given safe haven in our nation's urban centers, AND agressively fight the war against Islamic-fascists who have announced their intentions to kill us. Hey... 1 for 6 ain't bad is it?
Does Pat Robertson feel comfy with Giuliani's inability to keep his word and integrity to those who trust him most? Thrice over. How does Pat Robertson attempt to cross the threshold of believability on the issue of federal funding, federal funding, and more federal funding for abortion - causing every tax-payer to become complicit in the act of taking innocent human being's lives?
Nope it seems to me that Pat's gone 'round the crazy bend, and Mayor Rudy is willing to give him a lift to get there...
The truth is - significant evangelical voices have spoken with great conviction about the qualifications of one of the leading top tier candidates of recent - and more voices continue to come forward almost weekly.
While Mayor Giuliani's faith would on the surface expect to share similar values with evangelical voters, apparently the Mayor himself does not.
But Mitt Romney - who has not been ruled out of support from prominent leaders like Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Tony Perkins. Is also enjoying expressed outspoken support from additional prominent conservative evangelical voices like Paul Weyrich, Dr. Wayne Grudem, and perhaps most surprisingly of all - Bob Jones III.
It might also be noted that Mitt's past has troubled some of us who only knew parts of the story on his former positions on abortion and the defense of marriage.
He did indeed candidate and campaign previous to his governorship as an ardent supporter of the pro-choice viewpoint. But to really understand with the Governor on the issue of life one needs to read the behind the scenes narrative as penned by Hugh Hewitt in his best-seller A Mormon in the White House. Because of key people demonstrating to him the real evidence of what and where life begins on the issue of stem cells, the Governor awakened to the moral calling that his conscience knew was right all along. The Governor - just like former President Ronald Reagan - when confronted with the evidence, became thoroughly and completely 100% pro-life from that time forward.
The issue of the defense of marriage is also tricky. Simpletons - like the MassResistance.org group have thrown the former Governor overboard saying that the Governor had executive power that he did not excercise in ignoring the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of Massachusetts, further they claim that the Governor took extraordinary initiative in "bringing" gay marriage to the state.
Of course to argue this you also must argue the differences in viewpoints between the role of the different branches of government and the balance of powers as the Governor understood them to be in the Constitution of the Commonwealth.
It was obvious that in the Governor's mind the ruling of the court - and in essence the rule of law - is a settled thing. To argue that he gets to ignore the court argues for a super concentration of power in the executive branch. That was a position that Governor felt was unconstitutional. MassResistance and talk radio hosts that have described this series of decisions from a very narrow point of view have refused to accept the view that believes in the rule of law.
It might be added that it is these same people who also argue for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In other words - they wish for a Supreme Judicial body to assert a final judicial finding and thusly settle the "rule of law" on the federal government's role in the matter of abortion. But one can't have it both ways in a Constitutional government - to demand the rule of law on one the one hand does not give one the right to ignore it when it is inconvenient or does not suit one's purposes.
For people to argue that Mitt Romney should have ignored the finding of the highest court in his state - while serving as that state's Chief Executive is akin to telling crazies to go shoot abortion practitioners because they are saving lives in doing so.
It is in understanding Mitt's commitment to the rule of law that one begins to appreciate his deep convictions on the weighty matters that he has examined and yes - come to new positions on. But not just because he is running for President, but because he is attempting to be consistent in the principles he holds and the methods by which he governs.
Paul Weyrich had been one of the voices that had previously been unfairly difficult upon Mitt Romney, and Weyrich himself has now endorsed him.
Dr. Dobson has ruled out all of the top tier candidates except Mitt, and as Romney said on my show not long ago he is, "grateful that Dr. Dobson has not marked him off the list."
To call Mitt Romney a flip-flopper is a charge that is not only intellectually lazy, but it is one that is not based in reality. And Christians, people of faith and conviction, and everyday voters who are looking for someone whose word is their bond should understand this.
There has been no more sacrificial defender of marriage in elected office than Mitt Romney, and a fair analysis of his performance demonstrates that for this reason, he shares more values with the evangelical voter than Rudy Giuliani does - crazy faith-healers tagging along or not...
|