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Boo-Hoo Republicans

One Republican after another is denouncing the direction of the party. Today Vic Gold, former press secretary to Barry Goldwater and a friend of Bush 41 and Dick Cheney, joins the club. The trend conveniently began just after the 2006 election. Many dyed-in-the-wool conservatives—including Mr. Gold—claim that pandering to the religious right precipitated the Grand Old Party's downfall. Some claim that over-identifying with the Republican Party has tarnished Christian evangelicals.

But both groups entered into the marriage willingly—and have been happily married since 1980. Yes, it was Reagan, that poster boy of pre-lapsarian conservatism, who presided at the ceremony. Twenty-seven years later, it strikes me as disingenuous to claim that the party's essence lies somewhere else. It's almost like saying Republicans are really like Abraham Lincoln. Meanwhile, evangelicals have been hurt how? Their numbers continue to rise, and they have inserted the issue of "[biblical] morality" into a vast spectrum of legislative issues when, in a secular state, there is no shared morality—or at least not one that goes beyond the basics of "No killing" and "No stealing." "Do unto others" is most definitely not part of the Republican platform (nor was it under Goldwater). The only thing that's really changed in the last six months is that the Evangepublicans blew their cover by pushing to legislate way beyond what can plausibly pass for political problems (think attempts to make divorces harder to obtain, redundant laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage in 22 states, etc., etc.)

One interesting convergence between Gold's account and Matthew Dowd's complaint in Sunday's New York Times is that both were at one point Democrats (Gold for about half a minute, Dowd for substantially longer) who describe falling in love with the virile optimism of a particular Republican candidate. Funny how it's easy to be filled with confidence and optimism when you believe God exists to support your wealth and power. Maybe the cracks forming between evangelicals and Republicans will check that omnipotence a bit, but beyond that I don't foresee any major shift in how Republicans do things or how many keys to the stateroom rest on how many church altars.

Comments

Yeah, even the Mormons here at my work-place are expressing doubt (if that's possible for a Mormon) that Bush got his marching orders from god. They are, however, still convinced that god individually told them to vote for Bush though. I'm not sure if they’ve “mentally” reconciled god telling them to vote for a dumb-ass.

Posted by: john on 04/03/07 at 5:36 PM Respond

Christofascist fundamentalists are a danger to every human being on the planet given their war-death-kill agenda. And that includes the catholic church,my church. How do these people reconcile the teachings of Jesus with their war-death-kill for profit agenda. As far as Reagan was/is concerned he was installed into the presidencey by the catholic church hierarchy, directed to do so by Pope John Paul II who totally aligned himself and the catholic church with the republican party and their war-death-kill agenda. And John Paul is being fast tracked for sainthood. I guess anyone can become a saint these days given that todays catholic church is defying the teachings of Jesus who clearly against the merging of cxhurch and state when he said render to caesar... render to God... Mayhap the Popes think it is okay to change the catholic church from a religious organization to a political organization. Our US Constitution also forbids such a merging but the Popes don't seem to care about laws. Scalia of the SCOTUS in a speech he gave in May 2000 advocated the end of american law and further advocated, in that same speech, the end of democracy. And he speaks for the catholic church and the catholic agenda. Scalia must be impeached and taken off the SCOTUS. Hopefully a more intelligent and thoughtful president will do just that.
All of this happened before WWII when Pope Pius XI signed the Reichskonkordat of 1933 and gave his imprimatur, endorsement and support for Hitler and the Nazi Party as did his successor Pius XII, in 1939. When internal corruption of the catholic church, including it's cover up and protection of pedophile priests and it's movement into politics, ie selling itself to republican politics then the church has at least temporarily gone over to the 'darek side' and sold it's religious values to satan vua the republican party of death for profit. That doesn't sound pro-life to me but then the so called pro-lifers have all given themselves over to death for oil profits.

Posted by: bobt on 04/04/07 at 7:57 AM Respond

Republicans the party of law and order, christian values and family values and war-death=-kill for profit is always crying about something and they cry all the more when anyone asks them about taking responsibility for what they have done and continue to do as we can all see almost on a biweekly as each new scandal comes to light. Boo-Hoo, Crying christians.

Posted by: bobt on 04/04/07 at 8:03 AM Respond

None of them really mean any of this of course.
Too many people have started to not drink the koolaid handed out by Bush. So, to make sure they, and the party are not damaged, and to help make sure another fellow helpful republican/neocon gets into office, the religious right are just trying to distance themselves and erase their history and association with bush.
As bobt pointed too, moving on and erasing their historical tracks/missteps in people's minds is something they have been quite adept at doing thoughout history. How can they manipulate people into voting for their next favorite puppet if people remember what happened after they listed last time.

Posted by: Nicole on 04/04/07 at 6:09 PM Respond

What a shame our human failings take over in whatever we do on this planet - can't the religious right understand they are falling into exactly the SAME trap that the extreme muslims have fallen into - one and the same - this war has been faught over and over throughout history - - please put down your 'shoulds' and have a little graciousness about other people's 'crazy' views - the only thing left to do is laugh at it all !
human beings are so-o-o- stupid !!!

Posted by: Vero nica on 04/06/07 at 4:53 AM Respond

I am new to Mother Jones which lead me here - I can't believe I have found this site. The blogs and comments are the truth and facts I knew existed and have been seeking. The comments riterate and eloquently and intelligently sum up what I am thinking. Sorry I have no more to offer at this time - just deliriously happy to have found site. You guys rock on.

Posted by: Tami Schmidt on 04/06/07 at 4:01 PM Respond