Why the Christian right is so excited about 2014

[Warren Stupidity]

A change to obscure procedural rules in the Senate could present a rare opportunity to enshrine their dogma as law
CJ WERLEMAN, ALTERNET

Elections have consequences. The Senate Democrats’ detonation of the “nuclear option” has dramatically raised the stakes for secular progressives in 2014, because if there are two issues that juice the Christian Right the most, it’s women’s reproductive rights and judicial activism. On the latter, the Religious Right senses a once-in-a-decade opportunity to impose its radical worldview on America.

Last week, the Senate voted 52-48 to eliminate the ability of the minority party in the Senate to filibuster executive branch nominees and any judgeship below the Supreme Court by changing the requirements for passage to a simple majority vote. It was a historic move made because there was no other alternative, given the GOP’s unprecedented abuse of the filibuster. In the history of the United States, 168 presidential nominees have been filibustered. Half occurred under all presidents from Washington through to Bush. Remarkably, the other half has taken place under just one president: Obama.

...

The Christian Right, which is the GOP’s most reliable and agitated voting bloc, is obsessed with the courts, and the Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit is the nation’s second most important judicial body, which is why Republicans “gave the game away when all but a few of them opposed Obama’s three most recent appointments.”

Now that Democrats were forced into limiting the filibuster, the Christian Right has its incentive to mobilize for 2014. A simple majority control of the Senate gives it an opportunity to pack the courts with judges straight out of the Justice Scalia mold, who once said that separation of church and state would come under scrutiny under a Supreme Court with a Scalia majority. If the Christian Right sweeps Republicans to control the Senate in next year’s midterms, the anti-secularists will take a big step forward toward their stated ideological goals.

http://www.salon.com/2013/11/30/christian_right_sees_2014_as_a_crucial_election_partner/

[Squinch]

2. Yep. That's politically incorrect, all right. And as ignorant as any prejudice.

PS. West Virginia's Senators and Governor are all Democrats.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. And hide-worthy, too...

On Sat Feb 1, 2014, 10:39 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Okay I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to be politically incorrect here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1218&pid=110818

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

This seems to be going over a line. The poster could have said this in a less abraisive manner.

JURY RESULTS

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sat Feb 1, 2014, 10:45 AM, and the Jury voted 4-2 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: This middle-aged honkie sez "hide it".
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Not sure if there really is a less abrasive manner of putting that point, which really didn't seem all that abrasive to me in the first place.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Yes and sounds kinda racist too.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Squinch]

8. Huh! Appears so.

[SamKnause]

3. They are praying for a Theocracy.

They are voting and positioning politicians who will vote to end 'Separation of Church and State'.

[Distant Quasar]

5. How will a simple Senate majority allow the Christian Right to "pack the courts"?

For that they also need the presidency, which, last I checked, was not up for grabs until 2016, when the GOP would also have to defend their Senate majority on much less favorable terrain. (Also, the author is misusing the expression "packing the courts" to mean "appointing lots of judges I think are awful," which is not actually what it means.) The reality is disturbing enough - but not for Salon, apparently.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Yes. 2014 would be, for them, a step towards what they want

because a different set of Senate seats are up fro election then than in 2016. This means that if they do well in the Senate in 2014 and in 2016, and they get the presidency, then the Democrats wouldn't be able to filibuster crappy Republican nominations. But I don't think that suddenly gives them a motive when they didn't care before.

[okasha]

7. Given the damage the Republican Party

did itself over the government shutdown--a mistake Cruz is determined to repeat--I think the Senate majority is safe. What's going to be crucial for us is picking up more seats in the House.