Frank Rich on Dobson, Perkins & Giuliani

Frank Rich’s searing indictment of Tony Perkins, James Dobson and other “mullahs” of the religious right (his words, not mine) is well worth a read, even if you disagree with either his premise or his conclusion. Rich asks a logical question about the “Values Vote” crowd heading into the 2008 elections: If they really believed […]

Frank Rich’s searing indictment of Tony Perkins, James Dobson and other “mullahs” of the religious right (his words, not mine) is well worth a read, even if you disagree with either his premise or his conclusion.

Rich asks a logical question about the “Values Vote” crowd heading into the 2008 elections:

If they really believed uncompromisingly in their issues and principles, they would have long since endorsed either Sam Brownback, the zealous Kansas senator fond of using fetus photos as political props, or Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who spent 15 years as a Baptist preacher, calls abortion a “holocaust” and believes in intelligent design rather than evolution.


But they gave Senator Brownback so little moral and financial support that he folded his candidacy a week ago. And they continue to stop well short of embracing Mr. Huckabee, no matter how many rave reviews his affable personality receives on the campaign trail. They shun him because they know he’ll lose, and they would rather compromise principle than back a loser.

Ouch.

Here’s the money quote:

These self-promoting values hacks don’t speak for the American mainstream. They don’t speak for the Republican Party. They no longer speak for many evangelical ministers and their flocks. The emperors of morality have in fact had no clothes for some time. Should Rudy Giuliani end up doing a victory dance at the Republican convention, it will be on their graves.

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