The GOP—Grand Old Pulpit

Divided Iowa Democrats favored Edwards, fiery tribune of the proletariat, and Obama, whose political persona is anodyne.

By George F. Will | NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Jan 14, 2008

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  • Posted By: ®Mariearose @ 01/11/2008 5:12:10 PM

    oops i meant CATHOLIC CHAT ROOM YEARS AGO

  • Posted By: John Galt @ 01/10/2008 12:37:08 AM

    My blog on MSN spaces is titled " Political Reality". As you can see, I am a rookie!

    • Posted By: ®Mariearose @ 01/11/2008 5:10:48 PM

      john galt. im just curious did you used to chat in old m sn Catholi chat room

  • Posted By: bakeswife @ 01/07/2008 11:31:16 PM

    I know that there are those who really would like to see religion and politics separated but that can never happen. Whether you believe it or not, rulers are under the submission of the LORD Jesus and the Scriptures states that He holds the government on his shoulders. We are encouraged to pray for our leaders so if my leaders don't care about my religious convictions why would they desire for me to pray for them. Our leaders whether democrats or republican are always encouraging us to pray for each other when the country runs into hard times. Praying is a religious act so no matter how much one does not like the idea of our leaders placing religion at their core, that is the way it will be. Proverbs 1:20-33 has a message to those of you who continue to desire to push God out of government and nation.

    , Proverbs 1:20-33, Wisdom calls aloud outside;
    She raises her voice in the open squares.
    21 She cries out in the chief concourses,[b]
    At the openings of the gates in the city
    She speaks her words:
    22 ??? How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
    For scorners delight in their scorning,
    And fools hate knowledge.
    23 Turn at my rebuke;
    Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
    I will make my words known to you.
    24 Because I have called and you refused,
    I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
    25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
    And would have none of my rebuke,
    26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when your terror comes,
    27 When your terror comes like a storm,
    And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
    When distress and anguish come upon you.
    28 ??? Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
    They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
    29 Because they hated knowledge
    And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
    30 They would have none of my counsel
    And despised my every rebuke.
    31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
    And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
    32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
    And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
    33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
    And will be secure, without fear of evil.???

    I would think by now the Tsunami, hurricane Katrina, the fires in LA, and many other disasters would have caused man to stop refuting God, but I guess He will just have to do more to open so many blinde eyes.

    • Posted By: William.Demuth @ 01/10/2008 2:39:49 PM

      Hey, Dipshit - If all the worlds leaders are under your lord Jesus, then ask Jesus to tell Osama to stop blowing things up. Then have him tell his preaches to stop raping children and screwing little old ladies out of their life savings.

  • Posted By: ®Mariearose @ 01/08/2008 1:46:25 PM

    i agree with john galt??Mariearose

    • Posted By: John Galt @ 01/09/2008 11:07:57 PM

      Thanks Mariearose.You can check out my first blog at MSN spaces- John Galt (of course!)

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 01/09/2008 12:35:14 AM

    Congratulations to Hillary Clinton you proved you are a fighter. She cried, and I think that changed eveything. I think the older women especially those with kids came out for Hillary and showed us that they are in charge of the Household in New Hampshire . I think Hillary Clinton really has been humbled and seems to appreciate her second chance. Obama needs to stress that winning is the easy part and getting things done once you get into power is the challenge. Obama was the underdog and he needs to keep that persona. He still has the nomination. I think Hillary has found herself. How Hillary got her grove back.

    My girlfriend told me that I would be wrong and she was right.

  • Posted By: drober11 @ 01/07/2008 9:41:42 PM

    I am tired of religion playing a significant role in politics. There are political issues that require the excercise of conscience, ethics, and morals (e.g., the pro choice vs. anti-abortion debate) since science cannot tell search the depths of these most fundamental questions. But these are not necessarily religious questions - just moral/ethical questions of conscience. Huckabee has successfully mobilized evangelical congregations for his benefit in this race. Romney has been attacked becasue of his religion, and thus felt the need to give a big speech on the topic of religion, though his church does not endorse any politician or party. I think we need less talk about religion, since it is not a good reason to vote for any candidate. Even if you share the same religious beliefs with a candidate, your political views may not be the same. I personally am registered with no party, and though I have leaned strongly toward the Republican party in the past, I have found the Republican options to be unpleasant this time around. What I fear from the Republicans is the so called "FairTax." Ron Paul, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee are all in favor of this ridiculous ruse. The "FairTax" plan calls for the elimination of the IRS and the federal income tax. The income tax would be replace with a 23% federal sales tax on almost all goods and services, including health care. This will tax the poor and the middle class cruelly. My family recently had to take out a loan to pay medical bills. If those health care costs had been taxed at 23%, our debt would be 23% greater. Advocates of the "FairTax" tout is as a tax on wealth, but it is just as much a tax on credit-worhtiness and honesty. I find it depressing that the GOP has become the new Non-Denominational Christian Church of America. After the Bush years (and his courting of the evangelical vote) I think we should be ashamed and would be internationally humiliated if we elect Mike Huckabee or any other former preacher. My greatest fear, however, relates to the economy and how it will be affected by policies endorsed by the avaiable Republican contenders. We need change, but not the kind that will tax the living expenses of the poor and middle class to the point that our meager luxuries will erode away. This time around I am leaning strongly toward the Democratic Party. I share many of my religious views with the Republican contenders, especially Romney, but I find all their politics in poor taste. I think I can ignore our religious similarities in favor of doing what I think is best for the nation.

    • Posted By: John Galt @ 01/07/2008 11:59:19 PM

      First, how do you eliminate religion from this or any other election? Does going to church every Sunday make you a better person? Maybe, maybe not. But, isn't secularism just as bad? I will not use either as alithmus test when placing my vote. You are absolutely wrong about the fair tax. It will only tax consumption on he sale of goods. You will receive a check for the entire amount of your earnings, without the ridiculous deductions. Eliminating the evil IRS would in itself be worth a vote for the fair tax. Who takes advantage of the current travesty we call a tax code? Whoever can afford the best accountant- that's who. Go ahead and vote for any of the 3 Democratic acolytes if you really want to feel the pain of unfair taxation. They will immediately roll back whatever benefits you have gained in the last few years. Furthermore, they'll tax all of those evil companies who provide jobs for us.Two more things to consider:
      1. "Internationally humiliated?" Every other viable nation on earth worries about their own good first. You have been watching too much mainstream " blame us first " network news. We are the most charitable nation on the planet. If you feel guilty, look in the mirror first.
      2. The single and only difference I have seen between a religious myrmidon and a leftist liberal is abortion. If you remove that from the mix, both of these helpless subsets are nearly identical in their guilty, self-righteous and falsely idealistic notions.

      Our only hope is to reduce the size of government (and therby it's insatiable appetite for our money) and return control to the states. Are any of the current candidates suited to accomplish this? Certainly none of the democrats- and just as likely- none of the republicans either.

  • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/07/2008 11:47:35 PM

    What does religion have to do with War, economics,jobs,self suffiencent, energy,schools real education in real world classes, or world politics, ect, ect, ect?? NOTHING

  • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/07/2008 11:44:34 PM

    no religious test hu?? I guess it is only for the GOP, as for the Dems they are all godless, or so they say, and there is not one, not one, in history a president who did not break at least 5 of the seven deadly sins, and this admins has busted all 7 with gusto, and a body count, for oil!! So go get rightious but keep it in your own church, and not my government or we will have a koolaid distribution like no man has seen before and bleed for the strongest country in the middle-east on top of it becomming LEGAL for a CHURCH to interfere with a furneral of Veterans, like before-right?? where will it stop, when we all have the same faith, or get out, is that it??? Our Forefathers are rolling in there graves! Bet on it!

  • Posted By: Mastersockmonkey @ 01/07/2008 11:36:50 PM

    The reason Republicans have lost Americas devotion is they forgot what got them elected. They forgot to balance the budget. They forgot to make a plan to payoff the national debt. They forgot to shrink government. They confused returning integrity to the White House with bringing religious extremism to the Whte House. They forgot to begin privatizing Social Security. They forgot to try to protect American jobs from going overseas. We didn't want religion pushed down our throats, we wanted an agenda that fixed America.

  • Posted By: South Carolina Joe @ 01/07/2008 11:36:29 PM

    In other words, any Iowan who actually thought for THEMSELVES , instead of having a phony preacher TELL them who to vote for... (What, did the pastor tell you who to vote for when he was taking your money to "pray" for you? Was it Swaggert again? Don't you fools ever learn?)

  • Posted By: Pianissimo @ 01/07/2008 11:12:46 PM

    I'm sick and tired of the whole mess already, and have been for months; right now I don't see a single candidate I'd want at my dinner table, let alone at the head of my country'; they're all "too"-something for my taste and decidedly not enough in other areas. At this point I intend to tune out until November 1st, at which time I will collect the position papers of whoever remains standing and decide which of them would be the least embarrassing to present to the rest of the world. A hereditary monarchy looks better every 4 years.

  • Posted By: peace and love @ 01/07/2008 8:43:31 PM

    Ron Paul is anti choice.

    The next president will be pro choice (Democrat) to help remedy the problem of the Supreme Court which have moved to the right. It must be moved back to the center/left and it will.

  • Posted By: Sane in Utah @ 01/07/2008 2:24:35 PM

    I voted for Reagan twice. I will never, ever vote for another Republican as long as I live. It is the party of kooks and elitists and I've had enough. I would vote to put a chimp in office before I put another Republican in the White House.

    • Posted By: Libertylover @ 01/07/2008 6:45:12 PM

      I'm with you--except for Ron Paul, who is the very antithesis of the kooks and elitists that now represent the Republican party. The GOP has drifted so far away from its roots of supporting the ideas of limited government and fiscal conservatism that Ron Paul now looks like a revolutionary, but he's saying only what our Constitution says. FOX news thinks they can limit your choice to the kooks and elitists that they show you, but you do have a choice. Vote for Ron Paul!

  • Posted By: shortjames @ 01/07/2008 5:39:11 PM

    The reality is that ALL of the candidates from both parties are Christians. Where the GOP gets in trouble is responding to the minority of Americans that seem to think that their particular religion is the only one that counts. All human beings should be free to worship God (or not) as they choose. The problems start when one particular religious sect (for example evangelicals) seems to think that they are the only ones that count.

  • Posted By: logical and long-term @ 01/07/2008 4:28:25 PM

    Comment: First, I believe that Iowa is not in the North or the South; a man of integrity will attract followers from Christians and non-Christians alike. The Democratic front-runners does not have a person that has ever had to run a private or governmental authortity. Both Clinton and Obama are very new and inexperienced. How will they ever run the Federal Government? It may not be Huckabee but we need leaders that have demonstrated that they can handle a government of 300 million people and growing, and face powerful foreign enemies as well.

  • Posted By: paulte @ 01/07/2008 2:37:39 PM

    I'd say Hillary's popular vote ceiling is about 45%, not 51%. She is unelectable.

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 01/07/2008 3:57:13 AM

    OBAMA WON AMONG DEMOCRATS BY ONE pER CENT IN IOWA. DEFEATING BOTH EDWARDS AND HILLARY AMONG DEMOCRATS. THIS WAVE IS UNSTOppABLE AND WILL GET LARGER AFTER EACH STATE STRAIGHT TO THE pRESIDENCY.

    NEW HAMpSHIRE HAS MANY YOUNG COLLEGE GRADUATES AND INDEpENDENTS. THIS IS OBAMA'S BASE, AND HE IS GOING TO WIN BY A LARGE MARGIN THERE MORE THAN FORTY IT IS NOT EVEN GOING TO BE CLOSE. HILLARY IS IN DANGER OF COMING IN THIRD. WHAT IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING IN NEW HAMpSHIRE AND "A LOT CLOSER" IS THE BATTLE BETWEEN OBAMA AND McCAIN FOR THE INDEpENENT VOTE. THIS WILL BE A GOOD INDICATOR TO SEE HOW STRONG OBAMA IS NATIONWIDE. IF HE CAN TAKE THE INDEpENDENT VOTE AWAY FROM McCAIN, IN McCain's strong hold, then he will easily defeat the republican in a national election. it is a "Regan" like phenomenon. OBAMA IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR EVEN FOR SOME REPUBLICANS AND THIS IS WHY THE OBAMA WAVE CONTINUES TO GET LARGER. HIS BASE CONTINUES TO EXPAND TO INCLUDE EVERYONE. THE OLD SCHOOL pUNDITS WHO UNDERESTIMATED THE YOUNG VOTE LEARNED THEIR FIRST LESSON IN THE NEW pOLITICS OF CHANGE. BILL AND MEMBERS OF THE HILLARY CAMp ARE BLAMING EACHOTHER FOR HILLARY'S LOSS. WHAT THEY DO NOT REALIZE IS THAT OBAMA HAS TAppED INTO A NEW BASE, WHICH THEY ARE STRANGERS TO. THEY WERE NAIVE AND IGNORED THIS pART OF THE ELECTORATE. THEY DID NOT HAVE A SCRIpT READY FOR THE OBAMA WAVE. OBAMA HAS BEEN CATERING TO THIS BASE FOR YEARS NOW, TO CATCH Up TO HIM IN THREE WEEKS, IMpOSSIBLE, ESpECIALLY WHEN HE WINS ON TUESDAY BY DOUBLE DIGITS.


    THE HILLARY CAMp IS GOING TO NEED A LOT OF pAIN KILLERS AFTER GORE ENDORSES OBAMA. OBAMA IS NOT 'NUMBING' pEOpLE'S BRAIN TO SLEEp, QUITE THE CONTRARY HE HAS AWAKEN A SLEEpING GIANT A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE. IT IS THE MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS AND EDUCATION REFORM THAT HAS EVERYONE EXCITED.

  • Posted By: GOPFan1974 @ 01/06/2008 7:57:08 PM

    Go to

    www.ronpaul2008.com - learn what the mainstream media is trying to hide

  • Posted By: GOPFan1974 @ 01/06/2008 7:52:26 PM

    "Republican candidates have learned how to "talk the language." They know that Christians are basically compassionate and trusting people, and therefore prone to being gullible and easily manipulated. They know that Christians have short memories and are desperate to be accepted at the king's table (largely a result of the church-growth movement and mega-church mentality).
    It is at this point that much blame should be cast at the feet of the leaders of the so-called Religious Right. They have proven themselves to be much more interested in enriching their "ministries" (and themselves in the process) than they are in standing uncompromisingly for the truth. The infatuation with power and success has made them weak and vulnerable.
    As a result, George W. Bush and Karl Rove have made mincemeat out of the Religious Right. They have shown everyone that once you win the support of the Christian Right with rhetoric, you can get by with just about anything. Christians are horrible at holding Republicans accountable.
    Hence, neocon Republicans such as Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, and even Rudy Giuliani are all currently receiving fractured support from the Christian Right. However, you can mark this down: the Christian Right (with few exceptions) will eventually coalesce around whoever wins the Republican nomination--no matter who it is. You see, it's all about political partisanship. Principles are only something we talk about during off-election years."

    For more : http://newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin417.htm

  • Posted By: kaneandabel @ 01/06/2008 7:05:31 AM

    " .......but the future is going to be very unlike the past."

    Which would be a very good thing!

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