Conservative Christians meet in Texas to block Romney and find consensus candidate
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The smoke filled rooms of the past have been replaced by the prayer filled rooms of the Hidden Hills Ranch. Conservative Christian evangelical leaders are meeting this weekend at the home of former Texas judge Paul Pressler. The invitation to the meeting reportedly says that “conservatives of faith need to attempt to reach a consensus on which Republican presidential candidate or candidates we can support, in order to be most effective.”
Several media outlets are reporting that several hundred conservative Christian leaders were invited to the two-day “call to action” near Brenham, Texas. The McClatchy news service reports that the meeting will begin tonight and last throughout the weekend, and that more meetings in the future are likely in an attempt to choose a consensus candidate to block frontrunner Mitt Romney from the nomination.
The concern among Christian conservatives is that support for a presidential candidate that shares their values and vision has been too fractured so far. With candidates such as Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and Michele Bachmann splitting the evangelical vote, Romney has been able to win the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. According to Real Clear Politics, Romney is leading the field nationally by 11.4% and by 8.7% in South Carolina.
Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning news reports that participants share one thing in common, “Romney is not their guy.” Texas Gov. and fading Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry reportedly attended and spoke at other similar meetings at the ranch of Christian conservative James Leininger and at the Euless church of televangelist James Robison. Leininger is an influential education activist, and one of the major bankrollers of the Texas Republican Party.
The list of those possibly attending the meeting is a who’s who of the conservative Christian movement, people deeply involved in the culture war who have fought against abortion rights, gay rights, and other issues important to social conservatives.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, has been designated as the spokesman of the group. The Family Research Council has been significantly involved in promoting anti-abortion legislation and attacking marriage equality throughout state legislatures. Recently the American Independent reported that they backed Personhood Florida’s campaign to place a “fetal personhood” amendment on the state’s 2014 ballot, and collaborated with organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage.
The president and chief executive of Plano, Texas-based Liberty Institute, Kelly Shackelford, is reportedly among the attendees. Shackelford is among those that signed an open letter asking the conservative Christian leaders to refuse to support Romney’s campaign for president, stating “a Romney candidacy would be disastrous for the conservative movement and for the country.” The Liberty Institute was also involved in the campaign to prevent Rep. Joe Straus’ reelection as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Don Wildmon, president of the event sponsor American Family Association (AFA), was one of the organizers of “The Response,” a highly publicized religious rally attended by Rick Perry. As the Texas Independent reported, following “The Response,” Wildmon sent an e-mail message to those who’d registered for the event, encouraging them to become involved in the group’s effort to register 5 million new conservative Christian voters. As a religious nonprofit, the AFA — a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-gay hate organization, is barred from directly or indirectly supporting or opposing any candidate for public office.
Other leaders reportedly attending the meeting include Gary Bauer, president of American Values, and David Barton, president and founder of WallBuilders; and Christian Zionist leader John Hagee of San Antonio.
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Ron Paul is the only candidate not to drop the religion card but does base his policies on biblical principles and the constitution. Sound money, end deficit financing, will overturn Roe v. Wade, not attack its enemies without provocation, and get the government out of the marriage business and leave that to the churches.
And Israel, well his plan supports Israel better than the current administration as well as Bush/Clinton. Paul’s plan to end all foreign aid will actually be a benefit to Israel as at this time we give more than 8 times the aid to Israel’s enemies. Some of that money eventually ends up buying arms from Iran which are turned against Israel and our troops.
As far as Iran, they are in no way able to cause major harm to Israel. Israel has for more military assets (300 nukes to none) than Iran (it’s ridiculous to consider that Iran will destroy Israel). Israel just knocked off another nuke scientist yesterday so I think they have that situation under control. You don’t see Israel complaining to the IAEA about Iran’s nukes.
I always thought the difference in Christianity is that Salvation in Christ only comes to living souls. And year after year we go to Afghanistan, Iraq, and African among other places and 10s of thousands of innocent men women and children die with no hope of salvation, their only crime being Muslim.
I really think this group of so called evangelicals ought forget about hedging their bets and decide with principles.
With further examination evangelical Christians might see that the constitution is actually designed to accommodate the free expression of our faith. The current state of the union is as an antagonizer of one group toward another one over the other, it was never meant to be in that roll domestically or internationally.
Ron Paul polls equal to Romney against Obama. If the evangelicals would unite behind his message of liberty I believe the United States of America could once again be the light in the wilderness to those that would seek the Lord.
Paul is a born again Christian, a Baptist and the only protestant in the field. He is the only choice for Evangelical Christians.
Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth
admin / Many thanks Mark, so glad that you enjyoed it! I’m delighted to have it out there for people to see after many years in our loft, and I’m sure that dad would have been pleased too.
All of us Paulians in the blogosphere need to help Paul implement his strategy.
Paul’s strategy is to argue the issues. When sticking to the issues and relying upon his record he is so compelling to the vast majority of people once they are fully informed nothing can sway them from supporting him.
If he starts attacking his opponents and relying upon emotion to sway people he will be vulnerable to the same and lose his unassailable position. As his supporters, our job is to emulate him and not engage in emotional attacks. Differences with other candidates should be limited to pointing out undesirable positions or logical inconsistencies with the other candidates’ positions, arguments and statements, or the arguments, positions and statements of their supporters.
Something I’ve recently found quite useful is the following link which shows how to identify specious arguments:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/index.html#index
It can be useful when replying to various attacks against Paul by pointing out that they are logically fallacious. If attacks can be defused NO ONE can argue with Paul on the positions – his positions are eminently defensible.
Vote Vertebrate – Ron Paul 2012!
How is it that a private meeting of Christian “leaders” warrants public police security services? Of course, being Texas, guess the church and state are the same.
Time to start taxing the freeloaders.
I think she has a good shot of being in the top 3 in Iowa. However, that’s not going to be the key. Everyone expects her to do well there. Let’s see how well her mesgase resonates in the south, particularly South Carolina and Florida. Good showings there and she has a real chance.Dump Um Out
