By Gary Berg-Cross
Religion continues to play a
big part in American elections as noted in Ralph
Reed Spins a New Faith, Freedom and Conservative Politics Message . A
phrase heard often in battleground states is “Souls to the Polls.” Innocent
enough. On the Sunday before election in Cleveland Ohio, R&B singer John
Legend joined Democratic public officials from around the county on a makeshift
stage to mitigate the angst of waiting
on a 4 block long line for early votes (Kent State radio)
On the Republican side it is
a bit deeper mix of religion and politics. Fundamentalist Christians are a key
part of the right wing base. HufPo,
for example, says that:
Most on the Right would
describe themselves as religious, predominately Christian-based religious, one
is left to extrapolate that their positions … are mandated by their God and
doctrine. Abortion is, of course, off-the-charts wrong on every level, at any
time, for any reason; birth control
,
For some time the
Romney-Ryan strategy has been to bash Obama over ‘Judeo-Christian’ values. A good bashing seems to have worked in quieting
down the base and helping to overcom their uneasiness with Mitt Romney’s
Mormonism (See faith”
voters were seen to have begin to rally behind Romney).
On election eve Paul Ryan
warned evangelical Christians that another 4 years of President Obama would
threaten "Judeo-Christian values" whatever that is. Maybe lower tax for money changers?
According to the NYTs his remarks
came in a conference call with the evangelical Christian Faith and Freedom
Coalition, a group founded by that new born conservative Christian strategist
Ralph Reed.Yes that Ralph Reed.
Mormons and evangelicals are
getting comfie.
Ryan stirred the witches pot
by describing Obama’s policies this way:
It’s a dangerous path. It’s a path that grows government,
restricts freedom and liberty and compromises those values, those
Judeo-Christian, Western civilization values that made us such a great and
exceptional nation in the first place.’
And there has been activity on that front too, thanks to casino mogul and Jewish fundamentalist Sheldon Adelson & wife who has invested heavily in the Presidential campaign with some $20 million for Newt Gingrich’s failed primary campaign, and at least $10 million for a super PAC supporting GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. His rationale? A mix of politics and identity:
"There
is now a visceral anti-Israel movement among rank-and-file Democrats, a
disturbing development that my parents' generation would not have
ignored," he
wrote, citing a poll as well as the tumult at the Democratic National
Convention this summer over the removal and eventual inclusion of Jerusalem as
the capital of Israel in the party platform.” (CNN)
The Adelsons’ total support for the Rabbi comes to more than $1 million this year. Pascrell and the Rabbi recently debated at Temple Sinai in Tenafly NJ. The main topics were an exchange of views on Israel and the economy. Boteach said taxes were too high under the Democratic administration, crippling job growth.
We need some religious sponsored trickle down apparently.
Images
- Ryan and Reed: http://article.wn.com/view/2012/08/11/Paul_Ryan_firebrand_from_Wisconsin_has_built_reputation_on_f/
- Sheldon Adelson: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/05/adelson-makes-his-case-for-backing-gop/
- Shmuley faces off with Hitch: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/09/christopher-hitchens-still-doesnt-believe-in-the-afterlife
