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First up from the God Machine this week is a look at the recent track of the religious right movement and its spectacularly unsuccessful attempts to dictate the Republican presidential nominating contest.
Dana Milbank takes stock today and ponders, “God knows what has become of the religious right.”
The movement of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson has been in decline for some time, but recent events suggest that they are wandering in the political wilderness.
A fresh symptom of the trouble came this month during the meeting of 150 evangelical leaders in Texas, where the deeply divided deacons of the religious right had to take three votes before opting to endorse Rick Santorum, who has no real chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination. […]
Things have not gone well generally in this electoral cycle for the once-vaunted movement. Preferred candidates, particularly Mike Huckabee, didn’t run. The front-runner belongs to a church that some Christian conservatives consider a cult. The one religious conservative remaining in the race, Santorum, has virtually no chance. Michele Bachmann flopped. Rick Perry flamed out — and, upon exiting the race, endorsed Newt Gingrich the same day that the former House speaker was publicly accused by a former wife of seeking an “open marriage.”
We can take this accurate observation much further, though, by looking back at the last several cycles and noticing that this isn’t the first time the religious right has struggled.
In 1980, as the movement was just coming together in earnest, the religious right wasn’t sold on Reagan, and didn’t want to see H.W. Bush on the ticket. In 1988, the movement fought to prevent H.W. Bush from winning the nomination. In 1996, the religious right had no use for Dole. In 2000, the movement desperately wanted John Ashcroft to run, but he didn’t. In 2008, the religious right rallied behind Huckabee in the hopes of derailing McCain.
And in 2012, leading social conservatives threw their support to Santorum, hoping to give him a major boost in advance of the South Carolina primary, only to see him slip to fourth place in the polls.
If readers looked hard enough, I suspect they could find me contradicting myself about the relative strength of the religious right movement, and I’ll concede I go back and forth on this. On the one hand, evangelicals and other social conservatives maintain large numbers, help provide foot-soldiers for the Republican Party, have access to GOP leaders, and can get prominent party officials to routinely pander to them. On the other, Republicans tend not to put the movement’s agenda very high on the national to-do list, and when push comes to shove, the GOP presidential nomination invariably goes to candidates the religious right doesn’t like at all.
But if Santorum continues to fade immediately after a high-profile, enthusiastic endorsement from the movement, it’ll be time for the religious right to pause to consider a disconcerting realization: it doesn’t have the influence it thinks it does.
Also from the God Machine this week:
* Church arsonist going away for a while: “A white man who admitted to helping burn down a mostly black church to protest against Barack Obama’s election as the nation’s first black president was sentenced on Wednesday to four-and-a-half years in prison.” (thanks to R.P. for the tip)
* The Roman Catholic Church’s international scandal involving the sexual abuse of children intensified in Belgium this week, when Belgian police “conducted a third day of raids on Catholic church offices on Wednesday as part of an operation targeting priests suspected of child abuse.”
* And Tony Perkins, head of the religious right’s Family Research Council, reflected on MSNBC this week on why social conservative voters can support Newt Gingrich despite his past. “People don’t want to be seen as that judgmental, because they’re not judgmental,” Perkins said. He didn’t appear to be kidding.
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c u n d gulag on January 21, 2012 9:32 AM:
'“People don’t want to be seen as that judgmental, because they’re not judgmental,” Tony Perkins said.'
LOL!!!
Psycho!
No, that's an insult to a good actor...
Ah, the poor Dominionist Christianista's.
Who have they got left?
2 Catholics.
1 Mormon.
And the religion that is Ron Paul.
Paul - then Rick, Newt, and Mitt.
'Between the devil, and the deep blue "apostasies."'
Ckelly on January 21, 2012 9:39 AM:
Gee Tony... I just can't imagine why anyone would think the FRC and it's minions we're judgmental!
Mitts Magic Underwear on January 21, 2012 9:43 AM:
A cult? Just because in 1978 God changed his mind about black people, and the rest of the Republican base hasn't??
stormskies on January 21, 2012 9:45 AM:
And Tony Perkins, head of the religious right’s Family Research Council, reflected on MSNBC this week on why social conservative voters can support Newt Gingrich despite his past. “People don’t want to be seen as that judgmental, because they’re not judgmental,” Perkins said. He didn’t appear to be kidding.
****************
This group has a choice of supporting a true religious freak in the form of Santorum, or a slithering evil snake like Gingrich. It should be a no contest yet they are supporting the slithering snake. It's just more evidence that these Christian conservatives have no actual values whatsoever. No actual principles that are defined by their religious convictions like Santorum's even as they parade around in their puffed up by their self righteousness. They are nothing but phone hypocrites who have exactly one principle: to win at all costs.
morgansher on January 21, 2012 9:46 AM:
Lets not get too comfy ... the religious right has seeded our local and state government's offices, both as elected officials, and on public payrolls, with their believers.
Danp on January 21, 2012 9:54 AM:
I would be far more concerned about Santorum becoming a puppet to the pope than to Tony Perkins and his ilk, or Romney to the LDS church, for that matter. That said, I think Southern Republicans want a Southerner more than they want a religious leader. Santorum doesn't fit that bill.
DAY on January 21, 2012 10:07 AM:
Every four years the GOP plays Lucy and the football with the Religious Right, promising THIS time we really mean it.
And the Religious Right, bless their souls, fall for it, donating their money and their vote to the next Messiah.
-But they have to be excused; they are simple folks after all, believing in talking snakes and redemption.
jilli on January 21, 2012 10:38 AM:
GW Bush used the evangelicals like a cheap whore. You'd think they'd eventually wise up and realize that they're pretty consistently played for dupes. I understand the whole redemption schtick, but how many times do you have to get screwed before realizing they're not that into you - they're nothing but useful pawns.
N. Bates on January 21, 2012 10:39 AM:
Newt, gaining in one of America's outposts of soaking piety? Here for me is a major indicator: Gingrich can't say he has repented and repudiated his wrongdoing, since he is now married to the woman he cheated with during his previous marriage. (It's not just having an affair and coming back, or even breaking up and starting over with a third party; which is all IMHO bad enough but at least "forgivable" as something done but then retracted, as it were.) That (as logical metaphor, not about the status of humans) is like stealing something, *keeping it*, and then saying "I'm sorry I stole that and now I want to be forgiven." No way. If "evangelicals" (evanjellycals?) and other "social conservatives" pretend to forgive Gingrich (and voting for such a man to run for President implies as much), it will show massive hypocrisy and phoniness. If he wins this primary, major fail for the ranks and leaders of this wayward faction of our society.
Heh, Captcha has the perfect last say as it so often does:
easedog! grandeur
2Manchu on January 21, 2012 10:45 AM:
"I think all public servants to be faithful to their vows of marriage. I can't imagine why voters would think politicians would be faithful to them if they're not faithful to their spouse."
Tony Perkins on the Ed Show, 2009.
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/god-and-country/2009/06/18/tony-perkins-on-ensign-affair-sense-of-hypocrisy-around-gop
I know politicians/pundits/public figures will say one thing, then make a comment later on that contradicts what they said previously, but it's still kind of fun to point these things out.
SKM on January 21, 2012 10:47 AM:
danp,
I'm not sure if you are trying to use reverse psychology or if you really believe that. First off, there are more Catholics than there are Mormons, and in some cases Christians. I say this because most people here are of European descent and from the Catholic church.
Now with that, you keep trying to excuse LDS, in case you haven't forgotten, not only did an offshoot - FLDS, Warren Jeffs was recently arrested for child brides (caught in Nevada), but do you remember Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by one of these people. And with the regular LDS, yes, they have their scandals too. There's a case right now happening in Utah were Bishop Moon ordered a 16-year-old girl to not report to authorities her accusations of sexual abuse. Heck, a County Supervisor in Arizona, Fulton Brock, his wife and daughter was sentenced/convicted for allegely molesting the same teenage boy. Are you kidding? Really! And Romney is a high priest/prophet in his church, some say Bishop, but, I think his position is higher.
SKM on January 21, 2012 10:57 AM:
Oop! I wasn't saying that Fulton Brock was involved, I was trying to say his wife Susan and Daughter Stephanie.
But, yes, Elizabeth Smart that's on television - she was kidnapped by one of the FLDS (at least that's what the LDS church says, so, truly, not sure if it was LDS or FLDS). The LDS likes to keep secrets just like any other big regligious organization.
dj spellchacka on January 21, 2012 11:10 AM:
in other "twig" news: mitt gave mormon church big bain bucks
abc:
As part of just one Bain transaction in 2008, involving its investment in Burger King Holdings, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission reveal that an unnamed Bain partner donated 65,326 shares of Burger King stock to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holdings then worth nearly $1.9 million.
And there were numerous others, giving the church a stake in other Bain properties, such as Domino's Pizza, the electronics manufacturer DDi, the phosphates company Innophos Holdings, and Marquee Holdings, the parent to AMC Theaters.
The Republican presidential candidate's campaign staff confirmed that some of the stock transactions were at Romney's direction, but they would not say which ones
source
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mitt-romney-millions-mormon-church/story?id=15380149#.Txb4m1awV7e
dj spellchecka on January 21, 2012 11:14 AM:
fascinating article discussing how the catholic church in mexico is caught in the cross-hairs of the drug war...
"While it is now increasingly condemning drug-gang violence and more vocally supporting Mr. Calderón's military-led strategy, the church's stance remains less clear when it comes to innocent victims of the drug-war crackdown by the military. The ambiguity is driving a wedge between priests and human rights activists within the church and the Catholic hierarchy – a divide likely to grow leading up to Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit in March."
http://news.yahoo.com/growing-catholic-divide-over-mexico-drug-war-191004032.html
dj spellchecka on January 21, 2012 11:23 AM:
and on thursday a newly installed roman catholic priest has been removed from his suburban new york parish after church officials said he secretly fathered a child while attending seminary.
http://news.yahoo.com/priest-fathered-child-removed-york-church-170202021.html
MDM on January 21, 2012 1:17 PM:
Something you don't notice and I have here in Kansas (Gov Sam Brownback (God help us) is that he is not only evangelical AND catholic AND teaparty (Koch), he is also a graduate of C street. I am shocked that Rachel Maddow & Steve Brennen haven't picked up on this - Brownback and the other Repub governors are not doing Repub evangelical teaparty politics they are doing C Street politics which is meaner, harsher, and crazier than most. I understand why the media is noticing Brownback because there would never be a recall here, but Kansans are starting to take notice as we are taking notice of Kobach and Pompeo and Huselkamp and O'Neal. Crazy, stupid, mafia types all. But this is C street religious politics. Do you hear me Rachel and Steve?
rayspace on January 21, 2012 3:13 PM:
Steve, I'm not sure how hard the Religious Right went after H.W. Bush in 1988. IIRC, Bush secured the endorsement of Jerry Falwell in 1985, and Falwell's endorsement meant something then. Also, the Religious Right was dealing with the Jim Bakker/Jessica Hahn mess, which had been exposed in 1987, and not all of them were fans of Robertson.
exlibra on January 21, 2012 3:14 PM:
But if Santorum continues to fade immediately after a high-profile, enthusiastic endorsement from the movement [...] -- Steve Benen
"Enthusiastic"? Hardly. As you yourself note, it took three rounds of votes to arrive at that compromise. And, even then, about half of the attendees came out screaming about fixed elections that they didn't feel they were bound by. May all of them carry such burning enthusiasm all the way to November :)
SadOldVet on January 21, 2012 3:18 PM:
The Funding Wing of the Repuke Party gets to select the candidate. The Theocratic Reich Wing of the Repuknican Party gets to select which demagoguery lip service they get to hear from the candidate.
At the national level, how much has the Theocratic Wing really received beyond lip service?
Ken on January 21, 2012 5:08 PM:
Pretty entertaining stuff, thanks.
to MMU @9:43 post; The Mormons changed their view on blacks when the folks at BYU figured they're pretty good athletes.
Re GOP and religious right; the RR is being played like the fools they are by the GOP. Give us your foot soldiers and your cash, but at crunch time; f*ck what you stand for, because no one can get elected on that.
bjobotts on January 21, 2012 5:25 PM:
Perkins must have forgot his enormous history of judging and condemning anyone he disagreed with huh, Hypocrisy knows no limits with Perkins.
What kind of person is it that when confronted with facts that change or disprove what they state is true will just ignore the facts and go on believing what they wish were true in spite of reality. It is not only the tea party and Michelle Bachmann but also those who ignore the movie documentary "Zeitgeist" as if it didn't exist. I miss George Carlin.
smartalek on January 21, 2012 7:45 PM:
"At the national level, how much has the Theocratic Wing really received beyond lip service?"
Well, among other things, my all-time-favorite best-EVAH oxymoron (and a few other types as well as "oxy"):
"Justice Clarence Thomas."
Captcha: wtf am I sposed to do w/ GREEK characters? If I were at my own Mac, no prob -- but on this library-owned wintel pos??
exlibra on January 21, 2012 8:05 PM:
At the national level, how much has the Theocratic Wing really received beyond lip service? -- Sad Old Vet, @3:18PM
They didn't even receive "lip service", being good Christians. Lip service doesn't contribute to procreation, which is their main object.
Smartalek, &7:45PM: when I get Greek or Cyrillic letters, I just transcribe them into "ours" and it's acceptable. When it's in some other alphabet that I'm not familiar with, I reload for another choice. But, following the advice of several commenters here, I have also sometimes typed in any odd word that popped into my mind, and Craptcha swallowed that, too. It's only the "abnormal" word (the one partially on an inkblot or seemingly crossed out with a wavy line) that seems to be the crux of the puzzle
SKM on January 22, 2012 4:04 AM:
re: a white man helped burn down a black church...I started thinking about the christian churches being burned in Egypt and how are we any different? No offense to anyone, but, that's why I strongly oppose those 'faith-based initiatives' the W. so strongly supported because this is now the result.
Krowe on January 22, 2012 5:23 AM:
So I expect the politically-motivated arsonist will be properly labelled as a terrorist and will serve his time in Gitmo?
Or is that only for Muslim terrorists?