Senate candidates' unusual 'drop out' bargain collapses over religion question

[pstokely]

Source: St Louis Post Dispatch

FENTON • Two Republican candidates for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat tried again Friday evening to strike an unusual agreement for one of them to drop out of the race based on polling, in an effort to take on GOP front-runner Josh Hawley.

But talks fell apart when one of the candidates insisted that the poll inform respondents that his opponent is religiously agnostic before asking which candidate they support.

The meeting between candidates Austin Petersen and Tony Monetti took place shortly before a candidate forum both men were attending in Fenton.

The two men and their staffs came to a tentative agreement on three poll questions that simply measured support and name-recognition for each candidate. But then Monetti backed out, because Petersen wouldn’t allow him to have the poll topped with a question asking respondents if they would vote for Petersen if they knew additional things about him, including that he “does not believe in God.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/senate-candidates-unusual-drop-out-bargain-collapses-over-religion-question/article_d3c59de5-c4bd-52a6-875c-ca4443351c8d.html

[pepperbear]

1. Religious test much?

[getagrip_already]

2. some on scotus are ok with this particular test

they openly jeer at atheists and agnostics saying they have no constitutional right to protections for not believe in god.

And it wasn't just scalia, kennedy also holds this opinion, and others likely do as well.

[Hortensis]

3. Obvious dishonorable ploy to draw media and voter attention to that.

This supposed "poll" would become a push poll and negative political ad, hopefully (for Petersen) leading to more of the same as any negative results were discussed. Clearly, Petersen never intended to go through with this deal.

A lot of Repubs are really unhappy about their own party's behaviors, so hope this backfires on the slimedog.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Only in Missouri...sigh......

Oh well, at least they're fighting among themselves. Such a unified repug party in MO! The repug-controlled legislature is close to impeaching repug. governor Greitens, and now infighting among the repugs on who will run against our very talented Claire McCaskill here in MO.

It is not amazing that despite having the power in the state of MO, they still find something to fight about (the repugs)?

I'm not surprised, being that they somehow claim to be the party of morals, and yet one of their biggest repugs in MO got in trouble taking a picture of a lady who he was forcing himself on (Greitens)...

[YOHABLO]

5. Because, you see, if you don't go to church and don't believe in God ...

You're a bad bad person