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A Third Way for the Religious Right?
Moore, echoing conservative complaints about the White House and the previously Republican Congress, cites, among other things, "wasteful government spending;" failure to address a "drastic increase" in illegal immigration; the failure of Congress to exercise oversight over the executive branch and check "abuses of power" by the president; "the widespread rejection of moral principles by many Republicans elected to office" (meaning mostly Congressional corruption). Here is an excerpt in which he zeroes-in on how the GOP insufficiently embodies the divisive spirit of anti-gay, and religious bigotry that make Moore's well known Christian nationalism and demagoguery so dangerous.
These instances only exacerbate the open affront to Christian principles that occurred when Mr. Bush appointed Mark Dybul, an admitted homosexual, as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. That appointment was confirmed by a Republican Senate, which had previously rejected President Clinton's nomination of an avowed homosexual as ambassador to Luxembourg. At Mr. Dybul's swearing-in ceremony, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice introduced his parents and his male "partner," Jason. Miss Rice then referred to Jason's mother as Mr. Dybul's "mother-in-law," showing disdain for traditional marriage and an open acceptance of homosexuality. Bush's dalliance with moderation in appointing a gay man to an important post, and his belatedly diplomatic gesture to religious tolerance in acknowledging the historic Abrahamic religious tradtion from which Christianity, Judaism and Islam all stem, is an affront to Roy Moore. We are likely to hear more of this kind of rhetoric, as religious rightists prepare for the 2008 elections. If Moore's views are any indication, we can reasonably expect them to run as reformers against a Washington culture of corruption and the selling out of their principles. As for Moore, in 2004, he flirted with running for president on the ticket of the overtly theocratic Constitution Party, (which is usually on the ballot in about 35 states.) He then went on to lose the 2006 GOP primary for governor against the popular incumbent by almost 2-1. Moore and other conservative Christians have made the threat to bolt the GOP a quadrennial exercise in leveraging power. It will be interesting to see if they finally make good on their threat this time. If they do, the likely place to go is the Constitution Party, which is having its fall national meeting in Concord, New Hampshire on December 1st. Among the speakers are Alan Keyes -- another perennial GOP candidate who is too far right for his party, and Jerome Corsi, author of Unfit for Command, a book that smeared Sen. John Kerry during his run for president. The Constitution Party press release on the meeting continues: Recently, Corsi has worked closely with Minuteman Project founder, Jim Gilchrist, and with him co-authored Minuteman: The Battle to Secure America's Borders. In addition to working for the cause of border security and a halt to illegal immigration, Corsi has become the leader in the battle to expose the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and the Bush Administration's attempt to quietly merge the United States with Canada and Mexico into a North American Union. The Constitution Party enjoyed a rare electoral success this year when Rick Jore was elected to the Montana House of Representatives. Constitution Party chairman James Clymer optimistically reports that the defeat of the GOP in the mid term elections is great news and that there were positive notes for his party as well.
All this presents a golden opportunity for the Constitution Party! It is critical that we seize this opportunity while it is before us, as it may pass quickly. Although at this writing the votes are still being tallied, I think it will be clear when the counting is done that the Constitution Party has made great gains this year. Candidates wearing the Constitution party name have won at least three partisan seats, the highest profile one being the Montana State House seat won by Rick Jore by a margin of 54% to 46% over the incumbent Democrat who outspent him by nearly five to one. Many others made remarkable showings in efforts that, while falling short of election, revealed a party that has become a force that the major parties must recognize as potent players. Unfortunately, in the volatile world of far right politics, some things did not go so well for the party this year. They lost several state affiliates (at least New York and Ohio) in a factional dispute over whether all Party candidates and officers must conform to the antiabortion purism of the plarty platform. Nevertheless, the GOP will certainly be keeping a wether eye on the Constitution Party this year -- and the potential breakaway of such figures as Moore, Keyes, and Corsi.
A Third Way for the Religious Right? | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
A Third Way for the Religious Right? | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
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