The Myth of the Theocrats
Glenn has this on a column by Howard Fineman about the impact of religious voters on the GOP. Fineman's piece is as silly as one would expect. It reads like it was written by someone at the DNC. We could fisk it, but who has that kind of time? The Instapundit, however, is a disappointment because we expect better. He writes:
Let's start with the fact that Republican voters who base their support on their religious views don't make up anywhere near half the party. Remember that it was only a few years ago that the GOP was fretting that Evangelicals weren't voting. They basically agreed with GOP positions on most issues, but weren't active in the political process and generally didn't vote. For anyone to say that they now represent almost half the party is just silly.
Second, more than anything else, Evangelicals are part of what Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich used to describe as the "leave us alone coalition". That is why Glenn's assertion that they want to recast society on religious lines is so far off base. They are active in politics today because they are under assault. They don't want to recast anything. They simply want the assaults to stop.
Third, if there is some group representing tens of millions of GOP voters wanting to recast society on religious lines, what lines does Glenn mean? What are these great social changes that drive these religious voters? How will our lives and society be changed?
Fineman says that voters turned away from big government liberalism a generation ago and suggests that there may now be a backlash against the bible. I think we can all agree that big government liberalism did, in fact, dominate Beltway politics for many decades. Can anyone provide any evidence that the Bible has dominated federal policies for even a moment? What great political victories have been won by these bible-thumping theocrats? Can anyone name even one?
There's a relatively small group -- under 20% of the electorate, I'd guess -- that would really like to recast American society under far more religiously determined lines.I agree that it is a small group. It his estimate that is ridiculous. Glenn is basically saying that close to half the GOP voters want to "recast American society under far more religiously determined lines." That is complete BS. And Glenn knows better.
Let's start with the fact that Republican voters who base their support on their religious views don't make up anywhere near half the party. Remember that it was only a few years ago that the GOP was fretting that Evangelicals weren't voting. They basically agreed with GOP positions on most issues, but weren't active in the political process and generally didn't vote. For anyone to say that they now represent almost half the party is just silly.
Second, more than anything else, Evangelicals are part of what Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich used to describe as the "leave us alone coalition". That is why Glenn's assertion that they want to recast society on religious lines is so far off base. They are active in politics today because they are under assault. They don't want to recast anything. They simply want the assaults to stop.
Third, if there is some group representing tens of millions of GOP voters wanting to recast society on religious lines, what lines does Glenn mean? What are these great social changes that drive these religious voters? How will our lives and society be changed?
Fineman says that voters turned away from big government liberalism a generation ago and suggests that there may now be a backlash against the bible. I think we can all agree that big government liberalism did, in fact, dominate Beltway politics for many decades. Can anyone provide any evidence that the Bible has dominated federal policies for even a moment? What great political victories have been won by these bible-thumping theocrats? Can anyone name even one?
posted by Stan at 10:48 AM
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