Dan Gilgoff: January 2008 Archives

Shortly after God-o-Meter finished its post about how well John McCain's endorsements from the socially liberal Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger would go over with the GOP's Christian Right base, it got an email trumpeting John Danforth's endorsement of the Arizona senator. Danforth's latest book is a case against the religious right called Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together. How do you think that will go over with James Dobson & Co?

In this morning's Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove echoes what God-o-Meter has been saying since Iowa: Mike Huckabee's hefty evangelical support ain't strong enough to carry him to the nomination. Here's what Rove says about some of the "old rules" of campaigning still applying:

-- Appealing to one part of the party isn't enough. Mr. Huckabee rode the evangelical wave to victory in Iowa. Since then, he has not figured out how to increase his appeal to non-evangelicals. For a candidate to win, he must appeal to more than one constituency group -- even one as large as social conservatives. Mr. Huckabee has yet to do that.

In each party, the winner will be the person who can draw support from the greatest number of diverse elements within the party. Being strong in just one or two of those communities is not enough.

McCain's endorsements from Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger may win him more moderate Republicans and Independents (was McCain really suffering in that department?) but they're sure to turn off to the Religious Right, which had recently shown signs of warming to the Arizona senator. Here's what Focus on the Family's James Dobson has said about Rudy. Just imagine what he thinks of Arnold:

I cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy Giuliani in 2008. It is an irrevocable decision. If given a Hobson's – Dobson's? – choice between him and Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama, I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran – or if worse comes to worst – not vote in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life. My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to do nothing else.

David Brody's right. If it weren't for Huckabee denying him a decent share of the evangelical vote, Romney would probably be the GOP frontrunner:

Huckabee caught fire in Iowa and took crucial votes away from Romney. It left Romney with one of those silver medals. But you don't spend millions of dollars to get a silver medal. That was strike one.

Strike two was in Florida. Huckabee once again dipped into the Evangelical communities in the panhandle and the Jacksonville areas and dealt Romney another blow.

Strike three may come February 5th. Romney will troll for votes across the country especially in the mountain states and in the south but here comes Mike Huckabee again. He will sweep in and burn Romney again with Evangelicals and take away from Romney's vote count. It's kind of like the Road Runner and Wild E Coyote. Or here's another analogy for you. It's like Lucy and Charlie Brown with Huckabee in the role of Lucy who keeps taking the football away from Charlie Brown.

Hillary Clinton spoke today to the National Baptist Convention of America , a meeting of the country's four largest black Baptist denominations, and emailed her speech to religious supporters. A few excerpts are below. And be sure to keep reading beyond that... God-o-Meter has attached a sort of Hillary faith resume that the Clinton campaign is also sending 'round:

Everyday I try to act on the lessons of my faith, to reach that higher place. Yet, so often, like all of us, I fall short. But each new day, I keep striving and praying to work harder, to correct my imperfections, to improve on the day before and on the day before that. That's what I've tried to do in my personal life but also in every aspect of my public life. That’s how I try to go about the work of breaking barriers and expanding opportunities. Work that I, myself have benefited from throughout my life. That is how I practice my faith. I’m living by the scripture that says we are all members of God’s household. That we are called, not asked, not urged, not requested, nor ordered, but called to love one another as Jesus has loved us....

Christ came to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind; to release the oppressed. Our faith calls us to do what is hard, to give voice to the voiceless, to lift up the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick. But for the past seven years, our leaders have gotten wrong. They’ve gotten it upside down and backwards.

They have given corporate tax breaks to Wall Street and then cut Head Start, child care and drop out prevention. They have lifted up the drug and insurance companies, but vetoed health care for millions of children in need. They have given tax breaks to the oil companies but cut off home heating assistance for our seniors this winter. They have waged a war in Iraq that has taken more than 3,900 of our sons and daughters. But they also regret the poverty, the disease and violence that afflict our brothers and sisters here at home and around the world.

Every day you perform good work rooted in the values of our faith. Isn’t it a shame when we have leaders that talk a lot about values, but then go and do exactly the opposite in betrayal of those same values. It reminds me of what the writer, Elie Wiesel, once observed: The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. And for the past seven years, that’s what we have seen in Washington, an epidemic of indifference. A collective turning of our government’s back on the least among us. It is in every way possible the opposite of love.

When our children attend schools that are separate and unequal in the 21st century, when anyone votes on a broken machine and their vote isn’t counted, that is the opposite of love. When we see nooses hung in a school yard, when the screams of Selma and Montgomery are clouded by the nightmare of Katrina and Rita, that is the opposite of love. When some members of God’s household have every advantage while others are shut out of the circle of opportunity that is the opposite of love...

And that faith resume...

Hillary Clinton: Faith, Family. and Values

--Hillary Clinton grew up in middle-America in a strong Methodist family, going to church every Sunday, attending Sunday School, and learning about the world through the youth group at her church. Her family’s church was First Methodist Church of Park Ridge, IL.

--The teachings of her faith, the principles of the Methodist church, and the examples of her family have been the guiding light throughout her life: “I first learned about social and personal responsibility as a young girl growing up. I learned it from my parents; I learned it from my church.”

--She learned the value and power of prayer at an early age: “Someone asked me some years ago if I were a praying person, and I said I was fortunate to have been raised by parents who prayed, and grew up in a church that from the earliest years emphasized the importance of prayer. I remember seeing my late father on his knees every night by the side of his bed as well as him watching me by the side of mine.”

--Hillary Clinton remained active throughout her teen years. In fact, it was a church youth trip to hear Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak that had a life changing impact on her life. She continued to grow in her faith through college at Wellesley and into adulthood.

--During her years as First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary Clinton hosted church picnics on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion, taught Sunday School, often attended the Southern Baptist Church of her husband, and always remained active as a member in a local Methodist Church. Chelsea grew up, like her mother, grounded in church activity.

--During her years as First Lady of the United States and a Senator from New York, Hillary Clinton’s faith has been the driving force in her work and vision to build a society where families grow and prosper, communities are whole and full of opportunity, and all people have a strong education, excellent health care, and the ability to achieve their dreams.