The coming Chick-fil-A voters
They came in droves seemingly out of nowhere, standing hours in line to quietly cast their vote for traditional marriage by simply buying a chicken sandwich.
These were the Chick-fil-A people, who, at the behest of Gov. Mike Huckabee, flocked to restaurants in the chain all across the country on August 1, “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” to show their support for CEO Dan Cathy, who had been maligned for expressing support for traditional marriage.
The Chick-fil-A people are who Rush Limbaugh was speaking of yesterday, the vastly underestimated bloc of believers who are quietly chomping at the bit to vote next Tuesday.
Rush further defined them as pro-lifers:
They’re trying to re-create what happened in 2008 without considering what happened in 2010…. But 2010 does matter. It really happened. And it was devastating for the Democrats, and it’s not done one thing but get worse since then. It hasn’t gotten any better….
To sweep 2010 away doesn’t mean because it wasn’t a presidential race, there weren’t any candidates…. 2010 was an uprising in this country against Obama and everything he stands for and an uprising against the Democrat Party….
And Daniel Henninger today, Wall Street Journal: “Romney’s Secret Voting Bloc.” I love this. I love this. Because I think this is true as well. He starts out this way:
“You’ve heard about Mitt Romney’s problems with the women’s vote, the black vote, the Hispanic vote, the union vote and the young Democrats vote. But there’s one major voting group that’s fallen off the map since the primaries… the evangelical vote.” The evangelical vote.
What would you call them, the religious right, the value voters, or (as they would say at Planned Parenthood), “The damn pro-lifers.” Some moderate Republicans would say “damn pro-lifers,” too, but they’re not being counted on. They’re not being polled. They’re not being factored. They’re not considered a constituency.…
But the point is, they are a large part of the Tea Party. They are a large part of the what happened in 2010. And the evangelicals, the media hates ’em, the Democrats hate ’em, and they tell themselves that they don’t matter. They’re just a bunch of really dumb, stupid, single-issue people
Have you heard any discussion of this voting bloc in this whole campaign? You haven’t, have you? They are 24 million votes. They always have been. And they are way under the radar of the Drive-Bys, at least publicly. I’m sure that Axelrod and Plouffe and these guys live in mortal fear of them. They’re never gonna acknowledge it. But, you see, the media and the Democrats are not interested or even curious to learn anything about these people. They so despise them and resent them, and conservatives in general….
They love to report on the Obama agenda, the War on Women and the gay activist vote, blacks, illegals, college students, but in the 2002 midterms, they got gobsmacked. I remember I was on election night coverage with Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert, and they had no idea what hit ’em. And in the exit polls of the midterms in 2002, the value voters, the number one issue for Republicans that voted in the midterms was values, Democrat Party values. And everybody was shocked.
Now, the evangelical vote doesn’t vote every year. They don’t vote every election. They are the kind that will sit out elections if they’re single issue or maybe their top two issues are not met. It’s spending and it’s life, and if those things are not addressed, they’ll sit out rather than vote. But if they show up and vote, they’re never accounted for. And Henninger’s piece here is all about there’s a whole bunch of them that are going to vote. In fact, Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, has just fairly recently began to mobilize his flock in this regard…
One of the things about the evangelicals: They don’t talk to pollsters. They don’t talk to them. Go back to 2008. One of the reasons that McCain chose Palin was because the evangelical vote didn’t want anything to do with McCain.
They tried to rally the evangelical vote with the selection of Palin. It didn’t quite work. They didn’t vote in 2008. A lot of people just didn’t vote. Now, this is why the selection of Paul Ryan was inspired. Ryan is… I mean, he’s clean and pure as the wind-driven snow and he means it. He’s just… He’s a good boy. He’s a good boy, and he inspires confidence. “We can do this! We can do this!” meaning, fix this problem.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
You nailed it. We.will.vote.on.Tuesday.
Casting a vote for traditional marriage and/or……..the right to freedom of expression.
Whatever one thinks of marriage, one has the right to express an opinion.
Thanks Jill! I am so excited to see what happens this Tuesday. I’ve been thinking the same thing that CHICK-FIL-A supporters are the ones that will MAKE THE DIFFERENCE in this election!
I believe it is a sin in this nation to refuse to vote. God has given us the incredible privilege to elect our leaders and for anyone, especially Christians, to either throw away their vote, or not vote at all is an offense to God, I believe.
I live near a heavily populated amish community about 80,000 STRONG in Ohio – Wayne/Holmes County. I spoke to
an amish lady yesterday while shopping in their store. They do not vote in the national elections but do vote in local elections. Evidentaly they do not want their property taxes or any local taxes raised so they always vote against these levies. IF ONLY we had their vote in the Presidential election – Ohio would OVERWHELMINGLY choose Romney. I wish some one or some group could reach the Amish and explain how the Federal Govt DOES, IN FACT, IMPACT them – it has a trickle down effect. Whatever connections you have Jill, send them to Wayne/Holmes Counties, OHIO to help the Amish understand their responsibility and the need for their vote in this election and future ones.
Thanks and keep up the good fight!
I will vote – even though my vote won’t count due to the liberal Chicago machine. God wants me to vote and that’s enough! LL
LOL Laura! We might as well cast out vote into the void here in Chicago, but vote we will!!!!
Like Fr. Rocky chanted at the latest Stand Up rally: We are here, we are here, WE ARE HERE!!!
The new polls that show Obama winning assume record high Democrat turnout – well over 2008 numbers. That is absurd. These pollsters are clearly in Obama’s pocket. Everyone who supports life and religious freedom needs to vote for Romney. Catholics should be voting like their religious freedom depends on it, because it probably does. And if Catholics lose their freedom, other Christian denominations will be next.
This article made me sad. Because evangelicals don’t vote every election is the reason we continue down the wrong path. I wish they would vote every.single.time because YES pro-life Christians are a force to be reckoned with! And YES we can influence our culture and our elections in the RIGHT way!
Leigh, you’d think the Amish would be particularly interested in this election due to the religious freedom issue?
Hi Jill,
Good point. Who knows when The One will decree that Amish homes and businesses must be wired for electricity. After all, millions of Americans use electricity and most support its use.
Of course the Dear Leader has no constitutional authority to issue such decrees, but when has that ever stopped him?
Paul Ryan is a good boy. From my good state.
CAN’T WAIT TO VOTE!!
After the chik-fil-a deal started, and maybe a week before the Huckabee suggestion, we were getting ready to head out of town, and I said ‘let’s not fix breakfast, let’s grab a chik-fil-a breakfast sandwich on the way out of town.’
’why?’
‘cuz i am sure there are a bunch of ppl like us who are going there more often just so a blip shows up on their sales, and they realize they are supported.’
driving back from that trip, we heard the huckabee deal.
i said it would be big, like a tsunami.
my liberal friends could not accurately predict how big a deal it would be when the day came. they are out of touch withe a major portion of the electorate, of americans. they are simply out of touch.
they think there is some handful of extremists clinging to guns and Bibles.
uh, those folks – those are plain ol americans, being who we are and doing what we have done for 200 years. we are not a fringe blip on the electoral landscape.
…”you’d think the Amish would be particularly interested in this election due to the religious freedom issue?”
Jill,
The Pony Express has not yet delivered them their handprinted copy of the daily news.
I pray and hope that romney wins. Obama scares me if he wins a 2nd term. I’m afraid that the Obama will do Anything to win even if it is dishonest.
I thought that the whole Chick-Fil-A thing was that it was primarily about freedom of speech, not your actual stance on gay marriage? It seems disingenuous to portray the “movement” on one hand as being something that spans religious and even political lines and unites people who support freedom of speech and opinion, and then later to claim that it is about the specific and largely religious issue whose expression was being defended.
My husband voted early yesterday. I hope to do that today. I hope LIFE wins out. And btw the Amish got exempted from the HHS mandate. Others weren’t so lucky. But I hope the outcome of the vote will handle that. Vote life.
Alexandra, I think the point being made about Chikfila is that there’s a groundswell of values voters–pro-marriage, prolife, constitutionalists–that the left just doesn’t see coming….provided they turn out in drives as they did on August 1. It’s not the issue per se–although many who came out in Aug are also prolife–but the hidden or silent majority effect that’s being pointed out here.
“The new polls that show Obama winning assume record high Democrat turnout – well over 2008 numbers. That is absurd. These pollsters are clearly in Obama’s pocket. Everyone who supports life and religious freedom needs to vote for Romney. Catholics should be voting like their religious freedom depends on it, because it probably does. And if Catholics lose their freedom, other Christian denominations will be next.”–John
Excellent Point John! I wish all Catholics would vote like this…but many are still sleeping. We want religious freedom, and we want it now! I pray those that are still voting for the big O wake up!!
I am so sick of all the Obama worshippers at my workplace, school, and in my family that I am tempted to vote for the Mittster!
Oh yeah Jamie, I get that. I just remember during the Chick Fil A thing people kept saying that even if you’re for gay marriage you should still be supporting Chick Fil A because of the encroachment on free speech etc, so I don’t really think it’s fair to turn around and claim that everyone was quietly casting a vote in favor of traditional marriage, or that they were all evangelicals, etc.
Alexandra, the encroachment of free speech only came into play when the left-wing nut job mayor Rahm Emmanuel said he would ban Chick-Fila from opening a shop in Chicago because they don’t represent Chicago values. btw…I enjoyed a spicy Chick-Fil-A sandwich just yesterday :)
I know that, truthseeker. That was before the so-called Chick Fil A day.
That is why it was a part of the discussion from that point forward.
PHILLYMISS–
Please consider strongly for voting for Mr. Romney. I will meet you in the National Mall in January for the March for Life 2013, we can celebrate, and you can show me pics of your grandchildren.
Yes truthseeker – I don’t think you understand my point. I remember lots of people explicitly reaching out to those who criticized Chick Fil A and saying that once politicians got involved this was about free speech and expression rather than just a single-issue opinion. (Which I agree with, for the record.) So I think it’s incorrect to say that anyone who went to Chick Fil A was casting a vote against gay marriage by their actions.
@Courtnay– I certainly will. The girl’s grandmother refuses to speak to her because she will not have an abortion. Unbelievable.
I work in a very partisan office, Almost everyone here is an Obama supporter. Some of the women here were making fun of Mrs. Romney, saying she “never worked a day in her life.” I know that she probably had help, but having five sons and raising them to adulthood is not work?
Ah, yes, the “Chik-fil-A voters”, almost all of whom are concentrated in deep red states anyway. I’m sure they will have a mighty impact on the outcome of the race in Ohio, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
I just wouldn’t with your statement that it is disingenuous of the ‘movement’ to say the Chick-Fil-A day wasn’t a show of support for traditional marriage.
@truthseeker: I don’t think so. I didn’t go because of my opinions on gay marriage (a subject I will not get into here). I went because no politician should ever think it’s okay to try and quash a private-sector business due to the personal opinions of its owner. The Chick-fil-A boycott has been ongoing for years. Everybody knew that. Chick-fil-A appreciation day only happened when the politicians started trying to weigh in using the government rather than their personal opinions.
There were too many people and too many factors influencing their decisions to go to say that all of them were absolutely there to show support for the traditional family unit. I wasn’t and I was hardly a unique Chick-fil-A appreciator.
Well truthseeker I guess there’s no official spokesperson but I do think that a lot of people who were convinced otherwise would want to know that their support for Chick Fil A’s free speech is being promoted as an agreement with the owner’s opinions, as they initially believed this situation was about in the first place. You should talk to Bethany about it – she is pretty articulate on the subject.
Alice, I am not disputing that you went to Chick-Fil-A day as a way to show support for free speech. I am thankful to you for supporting our right to free speech. I just don’t think anybody was being disingenuos in saying that Chick-Fil-A day was a show of support for traditional marriage. In the end though, wether you went to support traditional marriage or to support free speech, either of those reasons would lead you to vote Romney/Ryan.
Carla says:
Paul Ryan is a good boy. From my good state.
CAN’T WAIT TO VOTE!!
You will be glad to hear that the line waiting to get into today’s Romney event in West Allis, Wisconsin was in the thousands. The atmosphere was electric. The event was filled up 45 minutes before it started and at least a thousand more gathered around an outside stage and cheered the event. Bart Starr was there to endorse Romney and Tommy Thompson was in top form.
@Joan – when I passed Chick-Fil-A on that hot day in August I saw plenty of people standing in line and I wouldn’t call Pennsylvania a red state (at least not yet).
Forgot to add that I will stand on the National Mall in the cold Washington winter only if Congresswoman Mia Love is speaking!
In the end though, wether you went to support traditional marriage or to support free speech, either of those reasons would lead you to vote Romney/Ryan.
True! :)
Jamie @8:23 AM – Yes, arm in arm we shall go into the voting booth to cast our vote into the void that is our democratic state. LL
joan says:
November 2, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Ah, yes, the “Chik-fil-A voters”, almost all of whom are concentrated in deep red states anyway. I’m sure they will have a mighty impact on the outcome of the race in Ohio, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
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We don’t have any Chik-fil-A stores in Wisconsin.
We don’t have many Evangelicals in Wisconsin, either.
We do have quite a lot of Catholics, who are much more motivated than usual. There aren’t any “Obama” stickers in the church parking lot this time — and I live in Madison, which is a bright Blue dot in a deep purple state.
The polls show the candidates are closely tied in Wisconsin. We shall see how motivated the voters are to turn out.
Del,
I didn’t know you were in Wisconsin, too! We should have a get-together one of these days. :)
Jill,
i think you are right – that if the Amish new their religious liberties were at stake they may take a more active interest. I’ve been told my former amish that they actually have lobbyists in washington – that is how they do not pay social security taxes. The Amish are very smart. I don’t think it is wise to “KNOCK” them…as one commentator did on here with their “pony express comment”.
They have some very strong convictions and they adhere to them. They are not perfect, obviously, they have their own issues just like all humans. But I respect them. They are hardworking, industrious, and wise about avoiding the many pitfalls of this world. We could learn a thing or two from them.
I don’t want to contradict what I’ve said so far… however, I also see that they think that by not voting in “federal” elections they are being obedient to God. I don’t agree with that. And a small percentage of Amish do not agree with that. But it’s the large percentage that we need to educate. Someone needs to reach out to the Bishops to reasonus, and wise about avoiding the many pitfalls of this world. We could learn a thing or two from them.
I don’t want to contradict what I’ve said so far… however, I also see that they think that by not voting in “federal” elections they are being obedient to God. I don’t agree with that. And a small percentage of Amish do not agree with that. But it’s the large percentage that we need to educate. Someone needs to reach out to the Bishops to reason with them.
Jill you have so many contacts. I was hoping you might know someone or someone you know might know someone to help. I’m not sure they realize the abortion issue that is happening. I’ve not spoken specifically on this topic with them. I’d like to know how they will be exempt from paying health insurance for their employees of their shops. They own 90% of Holmes County, Oh and much of Wayne County too. They do not have health insurance for anyone – not even their own families because as a community they provide for one another’s needs when there are extreme health related expenses.
One more thing… I have been promoting to that all who support Traditional Marriage, Pro-Life and Freedom of Speech should vote on Tuesday and then Celebrate at Chick-fil-A by eating there that day. We could set 2 new world records — number of voters turn out and record of sales at CFA. Can you promote this Jill Stanek? You have the VOICE to do this. Thank you so much for all that you do to educate and inform us and others. Many hearts are changed because of your testimony and tireless effort to stay on top of the issues. God Bless YOu!
Jill, I apologize for my incoherent writing above… My computer is locking up and doing odd things… not to mention is is 1:30am here in OHIO. I tried to edit my comments but it did not change them – obviously. I hope you can make sense of what I wrote. Have a good night! I look forward to your input.