The Religious Right Kingmaker

I found this article in the Wall Street Journal particularly interesting. It labels Richard Land as the "would-be" kingmaker among conservative Christians. Clearly he doesn't like or support Guiliani. I get the impression he could get behind Mitt Romney if he takes a lead -- and Land's advice. And then there is the litmus test of electability. While Land likes candidates such as Huckabee, Brownback and Hunter, he doesn't find them electable. And he certainly isn't in favor of a Gingrich candidacy. But one thing did catch my eye in this article. Land is quoted as saying that a Fred Thompson candidacy was "tantalizing." That's interesting.

Land is clearly playing his cards close to his vest and hasn't endorsed a candidate yet. But we conservative Christians are in a strange predicament this presidential election. The lending contenders are far from perfect. Of the top tier, Land clearly finds Romney's candidacy as the most likeable. He refused to describe Romney's changing position on abortion as a flip flop but rather as a journey to the truth.

Speaking of Fred Thompson, he has also generated some interest in the British press. This report in The Telegraph indicates that many former Ronald Reagan allies are lining up behind Thompson. And the Draft Fred Thompson campaign has moved into Texas. I think an announcement by Thompson is imminent.

Jerome

Single Issue Voter

If there is one issue on which you base your vote, what is it? What litmus test do you apply to candidates, particularly presidential candidates? I don't think I have just one, but I might. And if I am a single issue voter, that single issue is the candidate's stance on abortion. Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost has a post about this subject today. He quotes David Gushee who is a professor at Union University, my alma mater, and someone who I see often. David doesn't live far from me and his writings are read extensively in religious circles, particularly in the area of bioethics. As Joe Carter and David Gushee both point out, where a person stands when it comes to the sanctity of human life is an extremely important issue. And I think it will indicate what other types of decision that person will make such as what jurists to nominate to the federal bench. It is a single issue but it has many tentacles.

So where do some of the leading republican candidates stand on the issue of abortion? Mitt Romney professes that his views have evolved over time and that he is now pro-life. Some question when this conversion actually occurred. There is no question that Rudy Guiliani is pro-choice and that will create a tremendous hurdle for him toward the republican nomination. Likewise, John McCain's position on abortion has been fluid.

Candidates like Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee are clearly pro-life but their names are never mentioned in the same breath as the big three.

If you have a single issue that determines your vote? Is it abortion? If so, which candidate are you leaning toward? Are there any democratic candidates who are pro-life?

Jerome