Religious conservatives find little to love in GOP race

[cbayer]

IMHO, the decline of the religious right as a political force is good news.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/22/4203783/religious-conservatives-find-little.html

God knows what has become of the religious right.

The movement of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson has been in decline for some time, but events of recent days suggest it is wandering in the political wilderness.

A fresh symptom of the trouble came during the meeting of 150 evangelical leaders in Texas this month, where the deeply divided deacons of the religious right had to take three ballots before opting to endorse Rick Santorum, who has no real chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination.

Richard Land, a top figure in the Southern Baptist Convention, explained to NPR the choice of Santorum over Mitt Romney as such: "Before we marry the guy next door, don't you think we ought to have a fling with a tall dark stranger and see if he can support us in the manner to which we'd like to be accustomed?"

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/22/4203783/religious-conservatives-find-little.html#storylink=cpy

[Taverner]

1. Good. Fuck 'em. They are, by their own admission, "Not of this world"

So why should we, the world, give a shit about them?

[cbayer]

2. Because they have exerted way too much political leverage for way too long.

[Taverner]

3. Yes. Why do THEY think they are the voice of America? They AREN'T!!!!

Why do they think they are the voice of Christianity? THEY AREN'T!!!!

I wish ill upon very few people in life.

They are part of that small group.

[silverweb]

4. Good.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]n/t

[Silent3]

5. It's not like they aren't getting a lot of their demands met...

...or at least given lip service (*cough* Romney *cough*).

All of the remotely viable Republican candidates have had to declare being anti-choice, anti-gay marriage, anti-evolution, anti-separation of church and state, and pro-school prayer. Apart from those particularly religious issues, most of the Christian right also insist upon, and largely receive from the Republican candidates, the whole right-wing package deal that also includes global warming denial, insistence on even more tax cuts for the rich, slashing social programs, beating the war drums even more over terrorism and Iran, etc.

Yet the far-right fundies are still unhappy. They don't feel that the candidates are quite enough fervent about and dedicated to and exemplary of their extreme views. At the same time they're dismayed, perhaps even mystified, that no one who is everything they want has come along who also seems highly electable.

Many don't seem to get that a candidate being everything they want is what MAKES that candidate highly unelectable, at least on the candidate's own merits.

The only reason I nervously await the next election is because I know the American public is perfectly capable of electing absolutely terrible people, especially if the economy turns even worse, or any other major problem arises. They will petulantly punish the current President regardless of where the real blame lies.

[skepticscott]

6. Exactly

If the religious right has declined as a political force, you sure wouldn't know it from the Republican candidates for president, nor from the people holding office in the Senate and House currently. No one who matters in the Republican party today dares to deviate very far from the fundy Xstian party line.