posted on August 2, 2004 07:25:31 AM new Should be "Talking About Full-Fledged Hypocrites"
...the say anything-to-get-the-votes-club has been working overtime.
August 2, 2004
John Leo Townhall.com
Rub your eyes. Did we just see a Democratic convention brimming with flag-waving patriotism, respect for the military, and references to God and values? Why, yes, I believe we did.
Barack Obama, the impressive new African-American star of the Democratic Party, told us how blue-state Americans "worship an awesome God," the implication being that Democrats generally are deeply committed to religion and overcome by the power and majesty of God. Even semialert people who follow politics with one eye shut know this isn't really the case.
As umpteen scholars have pointed out, the Democrats are morphing into a secular, or nonbelieving party, while the most fervent nonminority Christians are moving into the Republican column.
Obama's second heresy was to announce that "there is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America. There's the United States of America." This was a not-very-credible repudiation of the politics of multiculturalism and separatism that Democrats have been busy forcing into the schools and into the law, often while expressing contempt for assimilation and the one-America ideal that Obama celebrated in his talk.
The theme of the convention, E pluribus unum, "out of many, one," was an obvious way of trolling for unwary moderates, but Al Gore's flub in 1994 more accurately reflects the party's priority. Gore got E pluribus unum backwards, translating it as "from the one, many."
The Boston convention was a festival of values that the Democratic Party either does not hold or does not want mentioned much in the public arena.
Has any Democratic gathering paid so much positive attention to the Pledge of Allegiance? Obama promoted the pledge. Ted Kennedy offered an improbable (for him) twofer: By using the phrase "under God," he invoked both faith and the pledge.
The party platform announced that the "common purpose" of Americans is to "build one nation under God." But the pledge has been under heavy fire from Democrat pressure groups for years, both for the "under God" line and the sheer fact that it is said in schools.
Millions of Americans view the pledge as an affirmation of community and national commitment. Among Democratic groups, it is usually viewed as mandatory patriotism.
The same is true of the flag. Colleges and schools frequently resist the flying of the flag or simply ban it as narrow or too provocative.
After 9/11, Lawrence Summers, the president of Harvard, asked the academic world to rethink its reflexive hostility to patriotism and urged the "coastal elites" (aka the Democratic establishment) to move closer to mainstream values. That hasn't happened in real life, but in Boston it happened in the world of political marketing.
Summers also urged the elites to show respect for people in uniform, the military, police officers, and firefighters. He complained that Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government was not giving awards to anyone in uniform. (In the three years since 9/11, the Kennedy school gave one such award.) John Kerry's impressive service in Vietnam inoculates the Democrats against the charge of indifference and hostility toward the military, at least for this election cycle. But largely Democratic cohorts keep military recruiters and ROTC units off many campuses, usually without a peep of protest from those who staged last week's military pageant and the "night of the generals" display in Boston. Applause for retired officers, evidently, is perfectly compatible with policies that keep the military from recruiting.
Perhaps the most jarring of the "values" themes in Boston was the convention's attempt to identify with religious voters. Come to the Democratic convention and sing "Amazing Grace." Many religious people, of course, are Democrats. But the secular elites who control the party have worked long and hard to marginalize religion in America and to banish it from the public square.
Two political scientists, in a 2001 study published in the Public Interest, concluded that the origins of the culture war can be traced to "the increased prominence of secularists within the Democratic Party and the party's resulting antagonism toward traditional values." The authors, Louis Bolce and Gerald De Maio, describe a "secularist putsch" among the Democrats, explaining that it made the Republicans the traditionalist party "by default more than by overt action."
According to Bolce and De Maio, the secularist constituency is as important to Democrats today as organized labor. Under these circumstances, invoking God (seven mentions in the Democratic platform) drags marketing to the point of hypocrisy.
Get used to it. The Democrats will be strongly religious -- right up till November 2.
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"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
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"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
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Those are only two reasons why we need to:
Re-elect President Bush!!
[ edited by Linda_K on Aug 2, 2004 07:31 AM ]
Bush is a bible thumper who is actively seeking the votes from the religious right, and will do anything so satisfy the the goals of that group in the fact they are a large voting block and he wants to keep his job.
This republican is voting for KERRY!
True Americans do not exclude anybody. They recognize that everyone should have the same rights. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are cancers of the mind.
posted on August 2, 2004 08:01:19 AM new
Yes, yeager - that's what this article points out. President Bush has never hidden his beliefs from the public. It's the left that has always been so VERY against what they now profess to support.
It's the 'New Bible Thumpers' [the NEW dem party] who are the ones PRETENDING that religion is so important to them....the flag and the Pledge are so important to them, who are pretending to be other than what their actions have always been...just praying this 'new found religious stand' will win them votes. Sad....
Here on these threads are the ones who so strongly have stated WE wrap ourselves in our flag....WE profess our patriotism to our country too much....WE hold strong religious values.....
....but the laugh's on them....because now THEY'RE supporting a candidate/party who's trying to convince voters they, too, hold these same values...values posters here work against....almost hate...make fun of....blame this President for.
And now....just look at them.
I've read kerry has even set up a special site on the internet for the 'Bible thumpers' he so hopes to convince to vote for him.
how come you always use capital letters when you type bush and never Kerry?
Just wondering, ok?
True Americans do not exclude anybody. They recognize that everyone should have the same rights. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are cancers of the mind.
posted on August 2, 2004 08:06:45 AM new
bush is such a strong bible thumper, he paid a visit to his pal the pope. you know the aging senile old man who can barely stand up.
True Americans do not exclude anybody. They recognize that everyone should have the same rights. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are cancers of the mind.
posted on August 2, 2004 08:15:04 AM new
Hmmmmmm? If Bush isn't a Catholic, then why would he going to visit him. Oh, that's right! I remember now! To court the vote of the religious right. That's all!
Recently, a Detroit black political leader said of Bush. He will do anything to be reelected and doesn't care about anything except his job. And I agree with that.
True Americans do not exclude anybody. They recognize that everyone should have the same rights. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are cancers of the mind.
posted on August 2, 2004 02:04:02 PM newIf Bush isn't a Catholic, then why would he going to visit him?.
Most likely for the same reason EVERY ONE of our Presidents have paid him a visit - since Eisenhower - They represent our Nation. LOL
Out of the past 10 Presidential visits to the Pope....only JFK was a Catholic.
you're just too silly.....
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on August 2, 2004 05:44:39 PM new
Linda, what is Bush anyway - Methodist, or some demominational Baptist? I never did take note of that.
I think the presidents go see the Pope because he still is a world leader. I dont know the exact numbers, but every time they show the Mass from Rome on Christmas Eve they quote the amount of catholics in the world. And it is not some peddly insignificant number.
Also do not think Republicans have the entire market on religion. I've known many democrats my whole life who've been part of a church or religion. The difference, I think, is between the religious right and maybe moderate democrats is that the democrats believe you are responsible and accountable to your God where the conservative religious right thinks it should all be done their way. Seems to me though, both should have to live within the laws of the land regardless of religious beliefs.
It always struck me funny how the catholics (and others) denounce gambling, but run bingo halls? Or are supposed to be against birth control, but many secrectly and pragmatically use it anyway? I wonder how many of the religious right do so too?
posted on August 2, 2004 07:16:05 PM new
Below are the core values from the Republican party.
In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont."
Republicans have a long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.
Funny how the Republicans are getting away from their core values.
Bush wants to limit the rights of individuals, give more power to the government and take away equal rights. It will be interesting to see how much bullsh** is shoveled at the RNC.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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YOU CAN'T HAVE BULLSH** WITH OUT BUSH.
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We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on August 2, 2004 07:51:34 PM new
President Bush has always been open about his relegious beliefs. Unlike the current demo hopeful.
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David Aikman's book on the Christian faith of President George W. Bush, A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush, begins where it probably must, on the evening of Dec. 13, 1999, at the Greater Des Moines Civic Center when Bush first startled the nation with a public profession of faith.
The Republican Party's six presidential hopefuls were there to debate in front of about 1,500 Iowans in the half-full auditorium. Local TV anchor John Bachman was hosting the event along with NBC star anchor Tom Brokaw.
Several minutes into the debate, Bachman announced that he had a question that came from "the good folks of Iowa," one that he had selected from a stack of questions submitted in advance by viewers. "What political philosopher ... do you most identify with and why?" he asked veteran Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes.
"John Locke," answered Forbes. It was a reasonable response given Locke's enormous influence on America's Founding Fathers.
The next response, which came from Alan Keyes, was reasonable, too. Keyes said the political philosophers - he used the plural noun, rather than the singular - he most identified with were "the founders of this country." Keyes urged his listeners to "get back to their thinking."
Then came Texas Gov. George W. Bush's turn. "Gov. Bush," said Bachman, "a philosopher-thinker, and why."
Without hesitation, Bush responded, "Christ, because he changed my heart."
President Bush's family has been predominately Presbyterian.
I've heard a lot of different sermons in a lot of different churches. I grew up in the Presbyterian church in Midland, served communion as an altar boy at an Episcopal church in Houston, married into the Methodist church. I've attended revivals with Billy Graham, chapel at Camp David, Easter sunrise service in small-town Texas. I've been spellbound by the passionate preaching of Tony Evans and T.D. Jakes in Dallas.
posted on August 2, 2004 08:01:57 PM new
Thankyou bear for that article and answers. But when he says married into the methodist church...does he mean he became methodist when he married Laura....or, and this sounds dumb - but I never do understand awhole lot of Texan speak - or that he just got married in a methodist church? lol!
Logans, if that is their motto, then I agree with it. Whats wrong with a government that empowers people to make their own way? Is a false premise to you?
posted on August 3, 2004 06:31:21 AM new
neroter: Logans, if that is their motto, then I agree with it. Whats wrong with a government that empowers people to make their own way? Is a false premise to you?
I fully believe in that as well as all people being free and having equal rights. I just found very funny and ironic that is what the Republicans believe in, but yet we have a President that wants to deny people freedom and equal rights.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
YOU CAN'T HAVE BULLSH** WITH OUT BUSH.
------------------------------
We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on August 3, 2004 05:05:46 PM new
LOL BEAR! Now that makes it real clear! Laura was a member of the Methodist church where they were married.
I guess I will have to do my own research and see if Bush now claims to be a Methodist his'self. hrrrmp!
(That is, if I dont get past it in about a minute and decide its not whats important of my forming a view on him. Just a momentary bit of curiousness there - and you were a big help...LOL>>>>
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Democratic National Committee's new adviser for religious outreach was one of 32 signatories on a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief backing an atheist who sought to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.
In February, the Rev. Brenda Bartella Peterson was one of almost three dozen Christian and Jewish clergy who — along with the Unitarian Universalist Association — asked the Supreme Court to support Michael Newdow, the California plaintiff trying to change the Pledge's wording.
posted on August 4, 2004 02:37:55 AM new
Religion is the root of all EVIL!
There have been so many wars and murders based on religious beliefs.
True Americans do not exclude anybody. They recognize that everyone should have the same rights. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are cancers of the mind.
Should be "Talking About Full-Fledged Hypocrites"
