The New York Times is reporting that a group of Christian Conservatives is considering supporting a third-party candidate if Rudy Giuliani is the Republican nominee:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 — Alarmed at the possibility that the Republican Party might pick Rudolph W. Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate.
The threat emerged from a group that broke away for separate discussions at a meeting Saturday in Salt Lake City of the Council for National Policy, a secretive conservative networking group. Participants said the smaller group included James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family, who is perhaps its most influential member; Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council; Richard A. Viguerie, the direct-mail pioneer; and dozens of other politically oriented conservative Christians.
Almost everyone present at the smaller group’s meeting expressed support for a written resolution stating that “if the Republican Party nominates a pro-abortion candidate we will consider running a third-party candidate,” participants said.
The participants said that the group chose the qualified term “consider” because it had not yet identified an alternative candidate, but that it was largely united in its plans to bolt the party if Mr. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, became the nominee. The participants spoke on condition of anonymity because the Council for National Policy meeting and the smaller meeting were secret, but they said members of the smaller group intended to publicize the resolution.
A revolt of Christian conservative leaders could be a significant setback to the Giuliani campaign because white evangelical Protestants make up a major share of Republican primary voters, including more than a third of voters in Iowa and South Carolina.
But the threat is risky for the leaders of the Christian conservative movement as well. Some of its usual grass-roots supporters might still back a supporter of abortion rights like Mr. Giuliani, either because they dislike the Democratic nominee even more or because they are more concerned with other issues, like the war.
If he wins the nomination, the Giuliani candidacy poses a dilemma for the Christian Right. Either they hold their noses and support a candidate who doesn’t agree with what they claim to be the most important part of their agenda in the hope that he can defeat an even worse alternative, or they bolt, and virtually guarantee that the GOP will lose in 2008.
Either way, while I don’t care for Rudy one bit, his candidacy is a welcome sign that the stranglehold of the Christian Right may be loosening.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:12 am
Don’t bet on it. I would not at all be surprised if many Christian conservatives actually did follow through on a third party vote to serve a one-time notice that that part of the Republican party is essential to winning elections. I imagine that could hold true even if Hillary were Giuliani’s opponent. Call it foolish if you want, but I doubt that will stop them.
October 1st, 2007 at 12:47 pm
CR,
You may well be right, but I hope they can live with 4-8 years of the Hillary Clinton Presidency; because I guarantee that will be what will happen.
Now understand this, I don’t support Giuliani. I won’t vote him in the primary and, if he is the nominee, probably won’t vote for him then either.
But my disagreements with Rudy go beyond, and aren’t even related to, his stand on social issues.
October 1st, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I am certain that most evangelical conservatives have just as much concern about a Hillary presidency as you. However, we are not puppets within the Republican party, parroting the same words told to us. And one thing that is forgotten is just how large a part of the Republican party Christians are; that is a large reason why they do have a “stranglehold”, as you say.
“Either way, while I don’t care for Rudy one bit, his candidacy is a welcome sign that the stranglehold of the Christian Right may be loosening.” “Stranglehold of the Christian Right”? I know the libertarian wing of the Republican party does not appreciate the social conservatives; however, it is statements like this that make social conservatives consider such actions.
I agree with you on one point; if it comes down to Hillary and Giuliani, I’ll vote for Rudy only as a case of the lesser of two evils. However, if evangelicals keep hearing statements like the one you made in this post from others, I hope you all are the ones ready for a few years of Hillary.
However, the best thing for us this election cycle is unity, and hoping for divisiveness within the Democratic party.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:10 am
How is voting for a pro-infanticide, anti-marriage, liberal in a Republican mask going to help support Christian principles? We vot for Rudy and the Republicans will think they can ignore our contirutions and do what ever they want. If rudy gets the nomination, I for one will express my disapproval by staying home or voting a pro-life third candidate. My first affiliation is with Jesus, not the Republicans.