So the GOP’s game of presidential So-Long-Sucker continues in the shadow of evangelical bigotry. The McCain-Huckabee team undoubtedly holds the strongest hand but it ain’t over ’til Romney walks away from the table. Until then, I’m sticking with him.
Why hasn’t Romney done better so far? On that question, I’m with Mark Steyn who — with help from John O’Sullivan, John Lillpop, and scholars at Vanderbilt University — pins a large share of the blame on the chest of religious bias:
There was an explicit anti-Romney vote in the South. A mere month ago, in the wake of Iowa and New Hampshire, I received a ton of e-mails from southern readers saying these pansy northern states weren’t the “real” conservative heartland, and things would look different once the contest moved to the South. Well, the heartland spoke last night and about the only message it sent was that, no matter what the talk radio guys say, they’re not voting for a Mormon; no way, no how.
Vanderbilt University’s website quotes poli sci prof Brett Benson:
“We find that of those who accuse Romney of flip-flopping, many admit it is Romney’s Mormonism and not his flip-flopping that is the real issue,” Benson said. “Our survey shows that 26 percent of those who accuse Romney of flip-flopping also indicate that Mormonism, not flip-flopping, is their problem with Romney.” Benson noted that the pattern is especially strong for conservative Evangelicals. According to the poll, 57 percent of them have a bias against Mormons.
I’d be more specfic: The Southern Baptist Convention have their fingerprints all over Huckabee’s success in the South. He’d never be elected president, in part because he’s just not qualified for the post. But for one self-obsessed segment of the electorate, Huckabee satisfied an historical urge to denigrate and marginalize Mormons. The urge is well-documented by the SBC itself.
That said, while I’ve been as outspoken as anyone on McCain, the more I contemplate the prospect of a Hillary or Obama in the White House, the more I think that McCain might be a better bet. I’m not yet ready to abandon Rush’s line from yesterday. Maybe the country and the GOP would be better off ditching McCain to avoid being tarred with whatever he might do in office. But I can be persuaded otherwise.
Hugh Hewitt offers “seven reasons for anyone to support the eventual [GOP] nominee no matter who it is: The war and six Supreme Court justices over the age of 68. ” He has a point.
I just can’t see John McCain sending up judicial nominees anywhere near as left-leaning as those from Obama or Hillary. And with the Supreme Court currently balanced on a knife’s edge, the choice of those judges will have vastly more impact for a much longer time than anything else the next president might do besides start another war.
Who’s more likely to start (or indefinitely prolong) a costly, unnecessary war — McCain, Clinton or Obama? There’s an argument to be made that it’s Obama. Like Jack Kennedy — who very nearly fried the world by provoking the Cuban Missile Crisis — Obama is young, naive and idealistic.
Beyond JFK’s youth and ignorance, Obama has no military or foreign policy expertise. I addition, Obama has so loudly broadcast his pacificism that he may have to overcompensate on the “tough” side to give himself leverage on the world stage. When you signal to bullies like Vlad Putin and Hugo Chavez that you’re a pansy, you’re asking for a bloody nose. Few would accuse McCain of being a pansy.
Not a pretty situation. It’s a shame that religious bigotry continues to have such a strangle hold on America. Some things never change.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
No way will McCain, who gave us McCain-Feingold, overturn his own self-serving, stupid limitations on free speech by appointing anything like a conservative judge. I will not hold my nose (and drown) while voting for that man.
Does any influential talk show host, presidential candidate, or anyone else with influence have access to this kind of information relating to McCain? Of so, what are they doing with it?
It is probably a safe guess that these people who so glibly subverted a presidential race in the interests of unreasoned bigotry would do far more than that, if present circumstances allowed. The KKK is not that far removed from the present.
You “could be persuaded otherwise”? Are you kidding me? That’s a pretty quick turn-around. Talk about flip-flops! The primaries aren’t even over and you’re talking about caving in to the liberal republican elites and accepting their unacceptable offering?! No way! If it comes that, I will write in Romney.
I’m writing in Romney too. McCain will choose the huckmonster as his vp and there is no way I will vote for either one, holding my nose or whatever. There is no way he would appoint judges that we support. He will reach across the aisle, as he has stated so many times, and nominate those who are supported by the dems. Don’t even think otherwise.
After analyzing the voting and the exit polls, Alan Wolfe, professor of political science and director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, states “I think there’s a lesson: No Mormon should ever consider running for president in the Republican Party. The evidence from the South speaks volumes.” To which I add, would it be any different in the part of the democrats? I don’t think so. It may take another fifty years for the south and the rest of the country to understand Mormonism. But for now, they ain’t there yet. The false information, misinformation, stupidity, and down right bigotry is sad.
So, today Romney leaves the race. Another victim of intolerance and bigotry.