Mega-church pastor: Evangelicals warming to Romney for 3 big reasons
I had no reason to think that evangelicals would be any more enthused about Mitt Romney than they were about John McCain. But over the last 11 months three developments have changed my mind about Romney’s appeal to evangelical voters.
First, many evangelical Christians are incensed by the Obama administration’s relentless assaults on religious freedom….
A second milestone development this past year was President Obama’s public approval of homosexual marriage in May of 2012 which has both energized efforts of evangelical Republicans and at the same time diminished his support among evangelical Democrats (primarily Hispanics and African-Americans)….
These evangelical Christian minorities are not going to suddenly transform into Republican supporters of Mitt Romney. They will simply sit out this election which in a close election could be enough to deny President Obama a second term.
Finally, Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate sent a strong signal to evangelicals that they would have someone in the White House who represents their values…. Paul Ryan’s strong pro-life record and unapologetic support for traditional marriage have assured evangelicals that when it comes time to nominate the next Supreme Court justice there will be someone at the table who represents their values.
… I am certain that President Obama’s hard turn to the left and Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan have made Mitt Romney much more palatable to evangelical Christians — like me.
~ Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, Fox News, September 19
[Photo via csmonitor.com]
Jeffress has spent the last few years running around and talking about how the country is going to implode because of gay people.
He’s said that satan is behind Roman Catholicism.
He’s said that our country will fall under judgment if we elect somebody from the cult of Mormonism.
He seems like a real swell guy to roll out on a quote of the day.
5 likes
So, in other words, you’d have preferred a quote from Snooki instead?
7 likes
Oh, P.S. – I would say that many, MANY evangelicals hold his same positions against gay marriage and Christian cults. So I guess all those evangelicals are “real swell guys” too, in your opinion.
2 likes
Ex, you must have missed the dozens of quotes by swell abortion advocates that Jill has included in Quotes of the Day.
7 likes
Ex doesn’t usually comment on those. He just likes to nitpick on the things Christians and pro-lifers have said. Which is interesting, since he claims to be both Christian and pro-life. Though from reading his comments on this blog, you’d never know it.
Oh, and that’s another thing!! I bet this pastor is pro-life, too! Oh, the horror…
9 likes
Ex-GOP it appears Mr. Jeffress has had a change of mind about supporting a Mormon.
Mr. Jeffress also supports the Catholics defense of religious liberty.
Most importantly Mr. Jeffress supports the prolife position, so even if he thinks that Satan is behind the Roman Catholic Church at least he acknowledges the fundamental morality that human life is sacred. At least he sees that Satan is behind those who support the Democratic party which supports the slaughter of the innocent. This respect for human life is something he shares with Catholics, which is more than any Obama/Dems supporter can say.
8 likes
Ex, time to get off that fence. All that teetering and tottering must be exhausting and painful.
9 likes
“So, in other words, you’d have preferred a quote from Snooki instead?”
If there’s one thing we don’t see enough of around here, it’s Snooki. :)
2 likes
Am I the only one who likes the Snooki quotes? Sure, she’s nauseating, but…she’s the pro-abort stereotype of someone who “should” abort, and whose life would be “ruined” by motherhood. Instead, she’s a proud, happy mother who seems to (maybe) be getting her life on track.
Seems like a pro-life story to me. :)
9 likes
“Am I the only one who likes the Snooki quotes?”
Honestly, I don’t mind them all that much, I just like to tease. :)
”Sure, she’s nauseating, but…she’s the pro-abort stereotype of someone who “should” abort, and whose life would be “ruined” by motherhood. Instead, she’s a proud, happy mother who seems to (maybe) be getting her life on track.
Seems like a pro-life story to me. ”
Honestly, I’m really happy for her, and hope her life is getting on track. Any story that shows abortion isn’t always the answer is good.
5 likes
Ex-GOP,
After Romney has been president for a year, I hope you too will change your mind. Once grown-ups are in charge of the economy, you will see a difference.
9 likes
In other election news (can’t wait for Sunday), Senator Brown has opened up a 50 – 44 lead over Fauxcahontos. The supposedly conservative Boston Herald calls it a “slight lead”.
3 likes
“Senator Brown has opened up a 50 – 44 lead over Fauxcahontos. The supposedly conservative Boston Herald calls it a “slight lead”.”
Yet whenever Obama is leading by like 2 or 3 points, the election is totally over and stuff.
9 likes
Right you are, JDC. Fortunately, people are noticing that lone tarnished feather in Obama’s cap is worthless. His foreign policy “accomplishments” are now down the tubes.
Oh, and to further make our heads explode, and at least give Ex-GOP some pause, here is further proof that the grown-ups are not currently in charge:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-campaign-actually-replaces-50-stars-on-american-flag-with-campaign-o-logo/
4 likes
Thanks for the link, Hans. Imagine if the Romney campaign did something like that. The media would immediately declare the blunder of the century and demand that he drop out of the race.
7 likes
THAT’s supposed to be a flag?! Ew. It looks like streaks of blood, perhaps one streak for each 10 million dead since Roe v Wade?! Ew. After the Big O loses, he can try his hand at making horror movie posters for a living.
Seriously, no one in the media flinched 4 years ago when he replaced the flag’s dark blue with his wimpy ‘robin’s egg’ hue. See you in November.
8 likes
Kel – you are correct – I personally feel Dr. Jeffress goes past the point of reasonableness on his positions towards the gay community. If you’ve looked over what he’s said and are fine with it, that’s your choice.
2 likes
Tyler – yes – Jeffress has held many positions in his life. The degree in which he’s changed positions makes me wonder how firm any of his positions are in life. Jeffress previously said we’d be judged harshly for electing a mormon, and less than a year later, has shifted. Many it is financially good for him? Not sure. Your call.
2 likes
Courtnay – Not on any fences at all – just think that Dr. Jeffress goes beyond civil conversation when it comes to the gay community.
Do you automatically support anything and everything a pro-lifer does just because they are pro-life? I don’t automatically give a free pass to people – if you do, that’s your choice. Don’t make more out of the my comments though – just saying that in my opinion, Dr. Jeffress isn’t the kind of person who is going to sway me.
3 likes
Hans -
We’ll see in just a few months – not looking good for Romney right now, but there’s still many weeks to go. Anybody declaring with completely certainty who is going to win at this point is simply a fool and doesn’t understand how elections work.
2 likes
Hans – you are looking at an old poll in Mass – four polls have been run in September – Warren has held leads of 5, 4, 2, and 6 in those polls. According to 538, she’s a 69% chance of winning right now.
Polling is picking up, so obviously things could change in a hurry. The six point poll, I’m assuming, was the Kimball Political Consulting poll, and was run a full month ago.
2 likes
JDC – I’ve never seen anybody say that – at least anybody respectable. Obama certainly has a firm lead at this point – there’s no disputing that – but for somebody to say the election is over – I’d get your news from a different place.
2 likes
“Jeffress previously said we’d be judged harshly for electing a mormon, and less than a year later, has shifted. Many it is financially good for him? Not sure. Your call.”
I have a suggestion. You could try actually reading what the man wrote. He doesn’t like Romney. At all. It’s just that Obama is so heinous that he is inclined to vote for Romney just to get rid of Obama.
“Dr. Jeffress isn’t the kind of person who is going to sway me.”
Of course not; he’s a pro-life, anti-socialist, pro-traditional marriage Christian.
7 likes
Ex-GOP,
Not quite so. The poll was done Sept. 13-17. Like I said, the supposedly right-leaning Boston Herald calls a six-point lead “slight”. I guess because it’s near the same ballpark of the margin of error.
http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20120919umassherald_poll_brown_pulling_ahead_of_warren/srvc=home%26position=0
3 likes
Hans -
Best quote I’ve had in a while when I said polling was picking up and things can change in a hurry – UMASS has Brown up by 4 – drops Warren down to a 63% chance.
The plus/minus of the Herald poll was 5.5 – just 524 voters – so that it why it is saying slight.
Given the various polls – five then within a week, probably a close race.
What I find interesting is Obama’s up comfortably in Mass, so there are a lot of Mass residents who will go Obama and Brown.
1 likes
John -
But he’s not saying “don’t vote for either” – he endorsed Romney. I don’t care if his reasoning is a lesser of two evils – he could have said neither, but he made an endorsement.
On your second point, I’ve read good commentaries from smart Christians that I have admired and does hold sway. I just continue to say that Jeffress isn’t one of those people. Not a fan of the mega church concept – but more so, not a fan of the “everything that is wrong in the world is wrong because of gay people”.
0 likes
Ex-GOP,
We’ll look at the polls after the October 1st debate. If Warren comes off as the schoolmarm scold that she was in that business-demeaning video, forget about it.
By the way, those “marauding bands” she said businesses didn’t have to worry about because of the largesse of Big Brother Government - well they were ably replaced by Big Brother Government!
3 likes
That one will be an interesting race to follow, but is it a big one for you GOPers? I mean, you don’t want Warren in, but as a left leaner, I don’t mind Brown. It isn’t as if he’s going to be the one vote standing between a fillibuster majority – neither party is going to get above 52 seats (very small chance).
I think Mass (along with my state of Wisconsin) is showing how weak a lot of the candidates are these days.
0 likes
Hans Johnson: Re/ the flag thing. You missed the Drudge juxtaposition? Here, it’s making the rounds. Yes, Ninek, streaks of blood. Anyone unfamiliar with the image, do your diligence.
5 likes
Ex, I feel I should remind you that quotes of the day here are for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement either of the statement made or of the speaker.
So you’re kind of up in arms for nothin’, buddy.
We post quotes by pro-choicers all the time. You can disagree with this pastor’s stance on certain issues, but for you to get miffed that we quoted him on this site is more than a little ridiculous.
If we think a quote is interesting, informational, discussion-generating, and deals with a topic related to life issues, etc, then we post it. It’s really that simple.
4 likes
rasqual,
Whoa! I get most of my news starting at my Drudge home page, but I missed that!
3 likes
Kel -
For a long time, there has been a quote of the day.
For a long time, people have commented on it, sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, and sometimes taking issue with even who the author of the quote is.
In absolutely no way is my suggestion that you shouldn’t have posted the quote. Quotes should stimulate conversation, which this did.
I was simply saying that you comment back to me – I didn’t agree with it. I think very FEW Christians hold views as extreme as Jeffress, if you’ve read past thoughts of his.
Again though, I’m not sure where you are getting this thought that I don’t think the quote should have been posted. I’m just saying, I don’t think the populace needs to automatically get behind any single quoted posted behind any pro-lifer and give them a free pass because they are a pro-lifer.
0 likes
Darn flag altering -
I mean, look – the GOP altered the flag in an image AND put an elephant stomping on the middle of the flag!
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/logo-unveiled-2012-gop-convention-tampa
0 likes
Ex-GOP,
Point taken that there are many variations on the theme of the U.S. Flag. I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder as to which are meant as reminders or tributes to the Flag and which are meant as a new, improved version.
I don’t believe the elephant is “stomping” on the flag, he’s in front of it. And it’s explained what the three stars represent, so it’s more of a salute. I think some of the state flags are approximations, and of course there have been many versions of the U.S. flag in its history.
The Obama flag reminds you of the images of the Presidential Seal they’ve had that incorporated the Obama logo.
Anyway, I wouldn’t dwell on the “false flag” subject too much. You wouldn’t want to give rasqual any ideas. ;)
2 likes
Ex – I assumed your statement, “He seems like a real swell guy to roll out on a quote of the day” was implying that quoting him was a bad thing to do.
We get that a lot around here – plenty of armchair quarterbacks, and all – so I apologize if I misread your comment.
I personally haven’t heard of this pastor, nor have I read anything he’s written. Except for this quote, that is.
4 likes
Hans – love the last line.
1 likes
Kel – no need to apologize – you do a great job. Thanks.
1 likes
These evangelical Christian minorities are not going to suddenly transform into Republican supporters of Mitt Romney. They will simply sit out this election which in a close election could be enough to deny President Obama a second term.
How could anyone possibly know how evangelical Christian minority voters are going to vote. I’m not a minority but I do identify as an evangelical Christian and although I sat out the last election I sure plan on voting in this one. Hopefully Romney and Ryan will have the courage to want a better America for all citizens.
0 likes