Notes from last night's "values voter" debate:

“HUCKABEE WINS VALUES VOTER STRAW POLL!”

Delegates from America’s Largest Voting Block United

For Immediate Release - September 18, 2007

The First Ever Values Voter Presidential Debate Straw Poll, held last night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, declared Governor Mike Huckabee as the pro-family winner.

“While many very good candidates attended the event, Governor Mike Huckabee was the clear winner,” said Janet Folger, President of Faith2Action and member of the Values Voter Debate committee. Huckabee received nearly five times the votes of the other candidates.

“The big losers last night were the no-show candidates Fred Thompson who placed at 4 percent, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who each received 1 percent and Mitt Romney who was the only candidate to receive zero votes at the end of the night.

“How can we expect these no-show candidates to take on Osama Bin Laden and other world leaders when they’re afraid to show up and answer questions from Phyllis Schlafly?” asked Rabbi Aryeh Spero of the Jewish Action Alliance, and Values Voter debate panelist. Rick Scarborough, President of Vision America, and Values Voter Debate Committee member added, “If you care about our votes, you need to care about our values enough to show up.”

“Unlike other straw polls where candidates have bussed in supporters or paid for their tickets, forty national leaders chose hundreds of delegates who accurately represent America’s largest voting block,” said Mat Staver, Chairman of Liberty Counsel, and Values Voter Debate committee member. “This is the most important straw poll yet.”

Host Committee members include Phyllis Schlafly, Paul Weyrich, Don Wildmon, Mat Staver, Rick Scarborough, and Janet Folger.

On the dating poll, sometimes it's easy being green.

'Ya know...

...Due to the war, healthcare, and the failure of Republicans to promote a conservative social agenda, quite a few Republicans are voting differently next year.
You might have asked how many registered Republicans vote for a Democrat, or vote with their feet and STAY HOME as "none of the above" isn't offered as an option.

Cheers, Doug. I don't even have to click to find my flag.

I would and have dated someone who was pro-life. And it was never really an issue, to be honest...

Interesting note about your poll.

Huckabee, who won last night's "values debate" has no votes.

Thompson, who didn't even show up for last night's "values debate," lobbied for the abortion industry, and claims he "doesn't know" how he feels about the Terri Schiavo case, is leading in votes. This a a PRO-LIFE poll?

I was torn between Huckabee, Hunter and Brownback... But I gave my vote to Duncan Hunter.

Hunter:
I would amend the U.S. Constitution and provide blanket protection to all unborn children from the moment of conception by prohibiting any state or federal law that denies the personhood of the unborn. Likewise, I have also introduced the Right to Life Act, which would legally define 'personhood' as the moment of conception and, therefore, guarantee all constitutional rights and protections, including life, to the unborn without utilizing a constitutional amendment.

*sigh* Gotta love single-issue voters.

I would vote for a PL candidate as long as they were dead-on on all the important issues. I'm not really worried about any serious threat to reproductive rights in the immediate future.

Hurray for Alan Keyes!

Leah: Cheers, Doug. I don't even have to click to find my flag.

I would and have dated someone who was pro-life. And it was never really an issue, to be honest...

Me too, Leah - dated somebody who was pro-life. She understood my feelings and I knew she was not likely at all ever to have an abortion.

I think one's situation matters, too. If it's two 70 year olds dating, for example, then it's much less likely to cause problems than if it's two much younger (both fertile) people dating with an eye toward marriage and possibly having kids.

From the poll - respect goes a long, long way in a relationship, and right here on this board we have people who disagree on abortion but agree on most things.

The "long-term commitment" does very possibly raise a red flag, IMO, especially if pregnancy is a possibility and one or both people don't want kids at the time.

Doug

Lots of pretty blues in there :)

I dated a pro-choicer.

He's now my husband.

Needless to say he is pro-life now.

;-)

That being said, I married him before he changed sides. The issue is very important to me, but my heart didn't want to listen to reason at that time. He respected my views - that's what counts in the long run. IMO

valerie, same here.

That extremely significant beliefs about God and human life are being ignored by so many (especially Catholics who seem to prefer marrying non-Catholics with very different beliefs) is a real crisis for our nation.

That these beliefs are shoved beneath whatever other beliefs go into marrying or dating a person must be condemned and corrected if faith is to survive.

I traded some e-mail with a girl from the Chicago area yesterday whose parents are Catholic and Muslim. She had responded to a 10 question survey that had some questions about the Christian faith. She got the ones about the content of the gospel message and who Jesus Christ claimed to be completely wrong or she did not know what answer to give.

Anyways, I really like Alan Keyes. So, of those at the Values Voter debate I would pick him.

No one who claims that the states have a right to legalize murder will ever get my vote, and Huskabee and the other Republican candidates who participate in the national debates hold that belief (last I checked).

If anyone wants to see the survey I am referring to you can check it out here.

http://nicsurvivors.blogspot.com

“HUCKABEE WINS VALUES VOTER STRAW POLL!”

Huckabee proposes a national ban on smoking, so that nanny-stater will never get my vote as long as there is one other pro life candidate to vote for.

Val and Heather-

I couldn't do it. I would have no respect for someone that thinks it perfectly acceptable to dismember babies. Even if we agreed on everything else, anytime he'd make a value statement about something being right or wrong, I'd want to scream at him that apparently, he doesn't know the difference.

Besides, I'm a new Catholic. If he was a Catholic and pro-abort, he'd be pretty durn apostate. He'd be hard to worship with if he defies Christ and His Church. I'd be incensed at his taking of communion. And how would he raise our children?

And finally, pro-aborts are the most unsexy people. I couldn't kiss someone that would create a child with me and support the legal shredding that child. I couldn't be intimate with someone whom a child isn't a gift, fruit of our union- but an unwanted side effect. I'd feel a little bit used by him, a little bit like he hates my femininity and ability to carry life. Whether or not he would support an abortion himself, just his belief that it should be legal implies all of the above. It implies that he has no value for human life, be it our child's or other children.

I couldn't do it.

P.S. I'm a pro-life activist/sidewalk counselor/lobbyist, too. I'd like someone supportive of that.

Jacqueline, First of all, good morning. Allow me to clarify. The man I met had a step sister who had 2 abortions d/t health related issues. Frankly, I would have gotten a second opinion, had I been her. He believed in a woman's right to choose. Like myself, he was not educated on abortion. I showed him abortion photos, and BAM! That was it for him. His brother has 7 children, and he is extremely pro life. He and the step sister would argue almost non stop. She's still your typical pro choicer. She will argue till the cows come home about a woman's right to choose.

I'm not impugning yall, Heather and Val- I'm just saying that I couldn't do it.

Jacque, fair enough.

Huckabee proposes a national ban on smoking, so that nanny-stater will never get my vote as long as there is one other pro life candidate to vote for.

Tony, I think that name alone condemns him to losing. Maybe this doesn't matter, but seems to me that Americans are pretty conservative with the last name of Presidents.

Doug

I'm a Brownbacker, but I heart Huckabee.

Jacqueline -

"I would have no respect for someone that thinks it perfectly acceptable to dismember babies. Even if we agreed on everything else, anytime he'd make a value statement about something being right or wrong, I'd want to scream at him that apparently, he doesn't know the difference. "

First of all, I understand where you are coming from. But that is not a very Christian way to think. (not trying to bash) Our job as Christians is to minister to people and live our lives as an example. I know that your post was based on emotion - however, it isn't very wise to say never in our mind and heart, because that comes out in our actions as well. That is where we always get into trouble! We know the right way, but sometimes our actions don't show that.

My husband was Pro-Choice in the "I don't personally believe in it...." yadda, yadda.... If I had turn my back on him because I didn't agree, then he would not have gotten educated on the issue.

"If he was a Catholic and pro-abort, he'd be pretty durn apostate. He'd be hard to worship with if he defies Christ and His Church. I'd be incensed at his taking of communion. And how would he raise our children?"

We were not practicing Catholics when we met. He had been baptised but then only went to Mass on "the" holidays as a kid. I had left the Church. Last year (almost to the day) he had 1st confession and 1st communion. And we had our marriage validated in the Church. Last Easter he was Confirmed. So, that issue never really came up. I'm not really sure how I would have reacted if that was different.

He was (and is) always supportive in my participation in the Pro-Life movement. I may not have been practicing my faith, but I was still pro-life. He knew my opinions and he knew how I would raise our children. He knew if we got pregnant before we were ready, I would not abort. So, he respected my feelings and beliefs on the matter.

Val,

Cheerfully withdrawn.

Welcome your husband to the church for me. I was also just confirmed. :)

I was talking about myself. I should have made that clear. These are reasons why I could never have a romantic relationship with a pro-abort. I am (currently and forever) a practicing pro-life activist and a practicing Catholic, so these are major issues for me. I don't date anyone I wouldn't marry (I don't date at all. I'm into courtship). So in my situation, there's no downtime to see if the person grows into certain beliefs that would make him an acceptable mate. If he's not already demonstrative of mature husband and father qualities (like respecting life and defending the defenseless), courting me isn't going to change him into an acceptable partner. I found this out the hard way. I've met many a person that decided they wanted me and were going to "get their act together" by finishing school and focusing on a career. That eventually fades and it becomes evident why their act wasn't together in the first place. One admitted that he just wasn't ready to be an adult (He's 29. It's sad) and we broke up because he falsely advertised himself as one (And he was a Catholic and we met through the pro-life movement, so having those qualities isn't the end-all, be-all.) I'm speaking as a bitter, disillusioned woman though.

So, meeting a pro-abort and dating him is not something I can do (since I'm marriage-minded and marriage=children). We can be friends, and I can educate him on the issue, but unless he has grasped the basic concept that shredding babies is wrong, I can't risk letting him teach our children that sort of evil. Respecting my beleifs isn't enough for me- I wouldn't respect his. At all. There's nothing respectable to me about supporting legal child sacrifice.

Me too, Leah - dated somebody who was pro-life. She understood my feelings and I knew she was not likely at all ever to have an abortion.

I think one's situation matters, too. If it's two 70 year olds dating, for example, then it's much less likely to cause problems than if it's two much younger (both fertile) people dating with an eye toward marriage and possibly having kids.

From the poll - respect goes a long, long way in a relationship, and right here on this board we have people who disagree on abortion but agree on most things.

The "long-term commitment" does very possibly raise a red flag, IMO, especially if pregnancy is a possibility and one or both people don't want kids at the time.

I think a lot of pro-choice women may worry about dating a guy who's pro-life in case he tries to stop her from getting an abortion in case of an unwanted pregnancy. But, as a pro-choice woman myself, it wasn't even on a list of my concerns during my relationship. He was a lot more conservative than I was (although a key point may have been that he was rather apathetic about many things).

In fact, it may interest some people to know (I don't remember if I've shared this here before or not) that during this relationship, I had about a month where we thought I was pregnant. And even then, it was not an issue for us because we were able to handle our differences like mature adults.

Sorry. I didn't italicise in all the right places. Up until "...want kids at the time" is Doug. Apologies.

By the way--it's National Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Arrrrrrrgh, ye scurvy land lubbers.

Considering I don't date (no guy gives me the time of day, which is their loss I guess) I've never run into this situation. Also considering the fact I probably have such slim pickings when it comes to gentleman for future dating and whatnot, I keep my options open. Heck, I may even bite my lip and date a conservative...at least we'd have interesting conversations! :)

Scratch that, I will never date or even consider marrying an internet supporter of Ron Paul. Ever. The end. :)