The Rise of a New Christian Conservative Movement

This article in the New York Times highlights what I see happening among evangelicals. There is a new generation of leadership emerging among Christian conservatives. Guys like Joel Hunter, Rick Warren, Tony Campolo and Randy Brinson are creating a Christian political movement that is different from the Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell evangelical movement. I have not decided where James Dobson falls. He has certainly been a leader among evangelicals for a long time but to this point in the presidential campaign he hasn't endorsed a candidate. I believe his silence is telling. He may not be sure where the Christian conservative movement is headed.

Rising up as the leader of this movement is Mike Huckabee. Like him or not, he's here to stay. Fred Thompson tried to put Huckabee in his place regarding the Reagan Coalition during the last presidential debate. And while I understand what he was doing, I think it only served to drive more of a wedge between the republican party and Christian conservatives.

Huckabee may become president, vice president, or neither. But one thing's for sure. He will emerge from the presidential race as the new face of Christian conservatives. Just look at the network of grassroots organizations that he now has access to. Look at the media exposure, his media savvy and his likeability. Fellow republicans may not agree with Huckabee's positions on a number of issues, but one thing is for sure. He has been able to rally this "new religious right" of the republican party like nobody else. No doubt about it. Huckabee is here to stay.

Jerome

Where Will The Religious Right Turn?

Christian Conservatives still do not have a consenus candidate for the 2008 presidential election. Many thought that Fred Thompson was going to fill the void and become the religious community's choice. But as Robert Novak points out in this article many religious leaders are already turning sour on Thompson because of public statements on abortion and gay marriage. His senate voting record was impeccably pro-life. But Thompson's statements on Tim Russert's show has some religious leaders cringing.

And then yesterday Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Guiliani. How could that happen? One of the leaders of the Moral Majority endorsing a pro-choice candidate who has been married multiple times! James Dobson has said that he will absolutely not support Giuliani and might even lead Christian voters into a third party vote if Giuliani gets the republican nomination. What is going on? Pat Robertson and James Dobson are on polar extremes regarding Giuliani's candidacy. This just underscores the divide among evangelicals.

I think the religious community must unite behind one candidate. If we're fractured then we will end up with candidate choices that are unacceptable. And we'll end up with someone in the White House that will cause further decay in our culture. I'm convinced that the next president will be in a position to nominate two, if not three, judges to the U.S. Supreme Court. Who do we want making those nominations? Certainly not Hillary Clinton.

What do religious leaders find wrong with Mike Huckabee? In the article I referenced above by Novak, he writes that some say that Huckabee is part of the "Christian Left" whatever that means. The Club For Growth gave him low marks and a couple of weeks ago Phyllis Schlafly slammed Huckabee. But Huckabee continues to build support among evangelicals.

I understand the politics of why a Giuliani candidacy appeals to some in the republican party. He probably can carry New York state. Without New York, the democrats will have a hard time winning the White House. But what traditional republican states are lost with a Giuliani candidacy? Will the New York electoral votes be enough to offset the losses? Would a Giuliani - Huckabee ticket make sense? Or Huckabee - Giuliani? What about a mixture of Thompson and Giuliani. Could some combination like these appease evangelicals and at the same time entice voters in traditional democrat states like New York? It is interesting to think about the impact of different combinations.

On a completely different front, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Deadfall by Robert Liparulo. I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy.


UPDATE: After I wrote my post today, Don Wildmon of the American Family Association endorsed Mike Huckabee. If you're keeping score that's Robertson for Giuliani and Wildmon for Huckabee. Still waiting on religious leaders like James Dobson, Gary Bauer and Tony Perkins to show their cards.

Jerome

Good News for Huckabee Campaign

There's good news today for the Mike Huckabee campaign. The Evangelical Outpost blog today endorsed Huckabee. It is a joint endorsement with Mere Orthodoxy and Between Two Worlds. Yesterday Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost withdrew his support for Fred Thompson and lamented not supporting Mike Huckabee earlier -- who was Joe's favorite candidate from the beginning. His reasoning for not supporting Huckabee sooner was that he didn't think Huckabee could win the nomination. I'm not sure Huckabee can win the nomination either but I applaud Carter and the others for taking a principled position and supporting who they think is the best candidate regardless of whether he passes the electability litmus test at this point.

The reason this is significant for the Huckabee campaign is because Evangelical Outpost is one of the most read blogs on the internet -- particularly among evangelical conservatives. This is quite a feather in the cap for the Huckabee campaign. We'll see if it translates into more fundraising and support for Mike Huckabee.

Jerome

Fred Thompson Still the Topic of Conversation

I haven't posted all week because I've been consumed with the decades old desegregation lawsuit in Madison County and in trying to obtain unitary status for the school system. So I haven't had time to blog.

But in looking back at the week I was surprised at the number of hits on my blog from people looking for information about Fred Thompson. The search requests for Fred Thompson far exceeded any I've ever had for the other republican candidates like Rudy Guiliani, John McCain or Mitt Romney. Many of the search requests were for information about Thompson's religious beliefs. I would like to know something about that too. I've asked around but can't find any public pronouncements by Thompson on this point. Perhaps he will make one some time.

There really does seem to be a tremendous amount of interest among conservatives about Thompson. I've received two e-mail blasts from Bill Frist and his VOLPAC. I've received e-mails from friends wanting me to sign a petition at Grass Roots Voters urging Fred Thompson to run. One friend's e-mail said "finally a candidate I can support." What is it about Thompson that is exciting conservatives?

My last post outlined his positions on issues important to conservatives, but is it just that? He has been married previously but that doesn't seem to dissuade conservative Christians from getting behind him. I suspect it is the old litmus test I talked about before: electability. He has the conservative credentials and conservatives see him as someone who can win.

Some pundits believe that Guiliani and Romney will keep Thompson out of the race. Others say that he is in line to take Paul Harvey's place on his popular radio show and that is too enticing to Thompson.

I don't know if Thompson will get in the race or not, but I do know one thing at this point. He certain is garnering more attention than the candidates who have already announced. Will see if the conservatives are able to draft Fred Thompson.

Jerome

Should Religion and Politics Mix?

It's an age-old question. Some argue that religion and one's relationship with God should be a personal matter and not have a bearing on politics. They are argue that religion should stay out of politics. Similarly, others hang their hat the "constitution" and argue that there should be a "separation of church and state". The problem with that argument is that this provision is nowhere to be found in the constitution.

Jim Wallis of Time writes today that the era of the religious right is over. I doubt that is true. If it is, then why are so many candidates courting the support of religious leaders? Another article takes the position that voters are more likely to find Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in church than Rudy Guiliani or John McCain. The point of the story is that the religious gap between the republican party and the democratic party is narrowing. Is it?

Others are tauting Rudy Guiliani as having the ability to sway conservative voters without bowing to the religious leaders. Guiliani has said that he hates abortion but supports a woman's right to choose. He is in favor of civil unions and gun control and has been married three times. Richard Land of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said that Guiliani is "unacceptable" to social conservatives. But Guiliani says that he will appoint conservative judges like Alito and Roberts -- judges that are strict constructionists -- and that is music to conservatives' ears.

It's an interesting discussion: The mix of politics and religion. One's religion has always been part of that person's decision making. And that makes the separation of politics and religion virtually impossible. A person's fundamental belief -- whether shaped by religion and faith or something else -- will influence their decision making if they hold public office. There is no way around it. So should religion and politics mix? I think it is unavoidable.

Jerome

Christian Writers Market Guide

When I first began writing several years ago and wanted to learn how to find a publisher or agent, I turned to Sally Stuart's Christian Writers Market Guide. I still have the 2001 edition on my shelf. It contained a gold mine of information.
Sally Stuart is out with the newest edition and the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is blogging about it this week. Here is a link to Sally Stuart's website. And if you are interested in ordering a copy, you can do so here. Like Terry Whalin's Book Proposals That $ell, the Christian Writers Market Guide is a must-have.

Jerome