Christian Right No Longer Enthralled by Fred Thompson

[Frodo]

Christian right falls out of love with Fred

By: Jonathan Martin
Sep 26, 2007 04:26 PM EST

Fred Thompson is failing to meet expectations that he would rally widespread support from Christian conservatives, and he almost certainly will not receive a joint endorsement from the loose coalition of "pro-family" organizations, according to leaders of the movement.

Many religious conservatives, faced with a Republican primary top tier that lacked a true kindred spirit, initially looked to Thompson as a savior. But the former Tennessee senator has disappointed or just not sufficiently impressed the faith community since his formal campaign launch earlier this month.

While Christian conservatives once seemed willing to readily give Thompson the benefit of the doubt earlier this summer, when questions were raised about his lobbying for a pro-abortion-rights group, they are not willing to turn the other cheek anymore.

Even some on the religious right who remain sympathetic to Thompson are unhappy about his refusal to back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and were unpleasantly surprised by his confession that he doesn’t belong to or attend any church and won’t talk about his faith.

It was Thompson’s refusal to discuss his faith that is likely to deny him any unified backing from the organizations that comprise the Arlington Group, the umbrella coalition of almost every major social conservative group in the GOP constellation.

"It was a real possibility," said Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation and one of the founders of the Arlington coalition. (Its first meeting, in 2002, took place in the Virginia suburb.)

[Eraserhead]

If anything, this actually gives me a little respect for Thompson although I still think hes a bone head.

[WalterMitty]

his laziness is shocking.

[Rob]

were unpleasantly surprised by his confession that he doesn’t belong to or attend any church

But that makes him more like Reagan!

[Eraserhead]

Why would anyone attend Church? That is a waste of time.

In the case of F. Thompson it was probably cutting into nap time.

[WalterMitty]

were the christian righties ever enthralled by f thompson?

i thought they liked him because he had the best chance to beat rudy...the man who befriends sodomites.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

were unpleasantly surprised by his confession that he doesn’t belong to or attend any church

But that makes him more like Reagan!

At this point, the corpse of Reagan appears to be a far more appealing candidate than a live Fred Thompson.  More charismatic and energetic, too.

[WalterMitty]

mr. moderate what were you all voting on yesterday in somerville.  i kept seeing people holding up election signs.

[HardRCafé]

Why would anyone attend Church? That is a waste of time.

Communion wafers are the only thing tastier than Twinkies.

[StateBoiler]

I think this helps Huckabee.

[MODU]

Why would anyone attend Church? That is a waste of time.

Communion wafers are the only thing tastier than Twinkies.

What?  Twinkies are great!  Catholic wafers are terrible (not that they are suppose to be yummy to begin with). 

[defe07]

I'm going to make a prediction: I bet that the Christian right's supporters will rally for either one or all of the following candidates: Brownback, Huckabee, Tancredo, Hunter and Paul (if Newt gets in, he'd get a good % of them too).

[MODU]

I'm going to make a prediction: I bet that the Christian right's supporters will rally for either one or all of the following candidates: Brownback, Huckabee, Tancredo, Hunter and Paul (if Newt gets in, he'd get a good % of them too).

I think they will rally around whomever gets the nomination.  Beat that! 

[Eraserhead]

I'm going to make a prediction: I bet that the Christian right's supporters will rally for either one or all of the following candidates: Brownback, Huckabee, Tancredo, Hunter and Paul (if Newt gets in, he'd get a good % of them too).

I think they will rally around whomever gets the nomination.  Beat that! 

lol

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

mr. moderate what were you all voting on yesterday in somerville.  i kept seeing people holding up election signs.

It was the "Primary" election for Mayor and Aldermen (District and At-Large).

[Reignman]

So who is the Christian Right going to support in the primary?

[Likely Voter]

who are the evangelicals rallying behind. They got Brownback and Huckabee...why arent they throwing their weight behind either of them in a big way?

seems to me that Huckabee should be doing much better...he was a governor, he is likable, he is a true conservative but not a firebreather, he was a pastor, etc, etc..

Shouldnt he be polling in the double digits amongst GOP primary goers at least?

[Eraserhead]

So who is the Christian Right going to support in the primary?

Me.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I think they'll end up backing Romney. They don't like his Mormonism but if Thompson collapses he's the only one who can beat Giuliani.

[HardRCafé]

Catholic wafers are terrible (not that they are suppose to be yummy to begin with). 

Sure they are.  As Eraserhead asked, why [else] would anyone attend church?

[Sam Spade]

I think they'll end up backing Romney. They don't like his Mormonism but if Thompson collapses he's the only one who can beat Giuliani.

The Evangelicals would much rather support a pro-abortion Catholic, as opposed to a Mormon.  Ask StatesRights.

[Eraserhead]

I think they'll end up backing Romney. They don't like his Mormonism but if Thompson collapses he's the only one who can beat Giuliani.

The Evangelicals would much rather support a pro-abortion Catholic, as opposed to a Mormon.  Ask StatesRights.

Does StatesRights represent the evangelical wing of the party now? If so, I fear for this country (no offense States).

[MODU]

Catholic wafers are terrible (not that they are suppose to be yummy to begin with). 

Sure they are.  As Eraserhead asked, why [else] would anyone attend church?

Why would anyone want to go to a bar?

[Sam Spade]

I think they'll end up backing Romney. They don't like his Mormonism but if Thompson collapses he's the only one who can beat Giuliani.

The Evangelicals would much rather support a pro-abortion Catholic, as opposed to a Mormon.  Ask StatesRights.

Does StatesRights represent the evangelical wing of the party now? If so, I fear for this country (no offense States).

I don't think States is an evangelical.  But the reasons why we would agree are b/c we know plenty of evangelicals. 

Evangelicals prototypically view Mormons as Satanic, pro-abortion Catholics are simply viewed as wrong-minded, but not evil.

[auburntiger]

I think they'll end up backing Romney. They don't like his Mormonism but if Thompson collapses he's the only one who can beat Giuliani.

No they won't. They'll back Huckabee, and if Giuliani wins the primary anyway, he'll pick Huckabee as his VP.