Is there an Evangelical favorite?
Townhall.com: Talk Radio OnlineShow
Bill Bennett interviewing Richard Land, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention:
Bennett: Lets turn to the future, 2008. Is there an Evangelical favorite? Is there somebody who's running who's going to be ahead of the pack? What about the emgergence of ...what... two days ago of Rudi Guliani, can he make it?
Land:No.
Bennett: He can't.
Land: I do not believe that Rudi Guliani can get the nomination. Being pro choice, pro gay rights, and pro gun control is a "three strikes and your out." He's a Yankee fan, he knows what "three strikes and your out" means. There's no way he can win the primaries. If, by some chance, he were to win the primaries, he would lose big in the elections, because most Evangelicals aren't going to vote for him.
Bennett: All right, what about John McCain?
Land: I think that remains to be seen. I think John McCain is someone who has... He starts off with a lot of good will from most evangelicals because...most evangelicals are pro military. Most evangelicals look upon the military as an honorable profession, and somewhat akin to service in the clergy. The senator,of course, his heroic wartime record, and his strong defense of the american military, gives him a good starting point. He has a very good pro life voting record. The marriage amendment vote is going to be a difficulty for him; he's going to have problems with that vote, because most evangelicals were very supportive of the marriage protection admendment and remain so.
But, you know, nobody, I don't think anybody is a clear favorite. There's some clear non-favorites. I think I could save Rudi Guliani and Governor Pataki a lot of money. They don't have a prayer in Republican primaries.
But, you know, Senator Brownback may run. Mitt Romney, you know, I've had people tell me, you know a Mormon can't be elected. Well, I disagree with that. I think that if you look at the polling that says that 37% of Americans would not vote for a Mormon; the majority of those are seculars, who don't like religion anyway and look upon Mormonism as sort of religion on steroids. Most Evangelicals understand that were voting for a Commander in Chief, not a Theologian in Chief, and it's going to depend on where they stand on the issues whether or not they'll get the support of evangelicals.
But no, I don't think there's any one person or any one candidate who has a lock, or even a solid hold on the evangelical vote, but I know this, there will not be a republican president who will be innagurated in 2009 unless he has the overwhelming support of evangelicals in the general election.
Bill Bennett interviewing Richard Land, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention:
Bennett: Lets turn to the future, 2008. Is there an Evangelical favorite? Is there somebody who's running who's going to be ahead of the pack? What about the emgergence of ...what... two days ago of Rudi Guliani, can he make it?
Land:No.
Bennett: He can't.
Land: I do not believe that Rudi Guliani can get the nomination. Being pro choice, pro gay rights, and pro gun control is a "three strikes and your out." He's a Yankee fan, he knows what "three strikes and your out" means. There's no way he can win the primaries. If, by some chance, he were to win the primaries, he would lose big in the elections, because most Evangelicals aren't going to vote for him.
Bennett: All right, what about John McCain?
Land: I think that remains to be seen. I think John McCain is someone who has... He starts off with a lot of good will from most evangelicals because...most evangelicals are pro military. Most evangelicals look upon the military as an honorable profession, and somewhat akin to service in the clergy. The senator,of course, his heroic wartime record, and his strong defense of the american military, gives him a good starting point. He has a very good pro life voting record. The marriage amendment vote is going to be a difficulty for him; he's going to have problems with that vote, because most evangelicals were very supportive of the marriage protection admendment and remain so.
But, you know, nobody, I don't think anybody is a clear favorite. There's some clear non-favorites. I think I could save Rudi Guliani and Governor Pataki a lot of money. They don't have a prayer in Republican primaries.
But, you know, Senator Brownback may run. Mitt Romney, you know, I've had people tell me, you know a Mormon can't be elected. Well, I disagree with that. I think that if you look at the polling that says that 37% of Americans would not vote for a Mormon; the majority of those are seculars, who don't like religion anyway and look upon Mormonism as sort of religion on steroids. Most Evangelicals understand that were voting for a Commander in Chief, not a Theologian in Chief, and it's going to depend on where they stand on the issues whether or not they'll get the support of evangelicals.
But no, I don't think there's any one person or any one candidate who has a lock, or even a solid hold on the evangelical vote, but I know this, there will not be a republican president who will be innagurated in 2009 unless he has the overwhelming support of evangelicals in the general election.
posted by Peter Wiscombe | 6:27 PM
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