HATCHET : Sifting through the GOP field
Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2007
Political labeling is a useful practice.
When a candidate self-identifies
herself with a partisan or ideological tag, voters then have a basis from which to start in evaluating these candidates. Granted, one should not rely solely on a Democrat or Republican and / or conservative or liberal label when making a vote choice — in the end, you vote for the candidate, not the party. But labels provide busy people who aren’t spending all day every day following the nuances of each candidate to have a foundation to make an educated choice when it comes down to pulling the lever for someone who represents their viewpoints and ideology.
Thus being the case, when I look at candidates, I bring two filters — first, I am looking to see who is an evangelical Christian. Second, I rely heavily of my partisan filter, almost exclusively considering Republicans. Even if I didn’t consider partisanship, the Democrats rarely field a bonafide evangelical Christian candidate, especially on the national level.
With those filters in mind, here is how I rate the GOP candidates (or presumptive candidates ) for president. (Note that this is an evangelical filter, not a basic conservative filter — which would have weighed issues like taxation and immigration more heavily. )
1. Gov. Mike Huckabee. As a former Baptist preacher, an avid pro-life champion, and a supporter of traditional marriage who practices what he preaches, Huckabee has grade A credentials as an evangelical. More so than any of the other candidates, I feel Huckabee is an evangelical Christian because of his convictions, and not because of political expediency. Granted, my years in Arkansas as an journalist certainly have afforded me an opportunity to see Huckabee up close and personal, so you could accuse me of being a cheerleader for the home team. But because of the close examination, I believe Huckabee is the real deal. A +
2. Sen. Sam Brownback. Brownback is clearly the leading evangelical Christian in the presidential race today. Although the tone was clearly mocking, a Rolling Stone magazine article asks the question, “ Who would Jesus vote for ? Meet Sam Brownback. ” In the absence of a breakout Huckabee candidacy, Brownback certainly has the most legitimate claim and legislative track record (he was first elected to the House in 1994 ) of supporting the evangelical Christian movement. Brownback’s conversion to Catholicism in 2002 may spook some evangelicals who have a negative view of Catholicism. A
3. Speaker Newt Gingrich. While Gingrich is not an official candidate, he certainly is acting like one. I struggle with Gingrich a lot, as will many evangelicals, because of his marital fidelity and divorce issues. However, Gingrich, a Southern Baptist, has forged what seems to be an alliance with Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, one of the most powerful kingmakers in evangelical Christendom. A prolific historian and writer, Gingrich seems to be emphasizing God in the public forum more now than ever before, as evidenced by his latest book “ Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation’s History and Future. ” Gingrich, more than any other candidate, seems to be able to articulate the importance of faith in a pluralistic government. B
4. Gov. Tommy Thompson. The former secretary of Health and Human Services and Wisconsin governor has a solid track record on marriage and abortion issues. He is a Roman Catholic. B
5. Sen. Fred Thompson. The “ Law and Order” actor and former Tennessee senator has star power and a solid pro-life voting record. However, his divorce, which coincided with the start of his Hollywood career, may prove distasteful to some evangelicals.
B-7. Sen. John McCain. McCain is saying all the right things now to get into the good graces of the evangelicals, and he has a solid pro-life voting record, including going on record as saying Roe v. Wade was a bad decision by the Supreme Court. After making disparaging comments about some evangelical leaders in 2000, McCain seems to have come around to embrace them now. McCain is an Episcopalian. C +
6. Gov. Mitt Romney. The former governor of Massachusetts tried to position himself as appealing to the evangelicals in the GOP base, but his past comments supporting abortion rights have hurt him, no matter what he says now. Also, many evangelical Christians consider Mormonism a cult because of their reverence of the Book of the Mormon in addition to the Bible. C
7. Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani scored major points with evangelicals when, as mayor of New York City, he fought against blasphemous art exhibits in his city. Otherwise, his multiple marriages, his frequent appearance in drag, his support of abortion rights and gay rights, are all negatives for the Roman Catholic candidate. D +
Lucas Roebuck is a former managing editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times and the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online