... But this time religion does

[question everything]

JAMES O. GOLDSBOROUGH THE UNION-TRIBUNE
... But this time religion does

November 4, 2004

(snip)

Bush won by deliberately dividing the nation as an electoral strategy. It worked, but just barely. As an incumbent Republican, his margin of victory, 3.4 percent, was tiny compared with the crushing margins of victory of the past three re-elected Republican incumbents, Eisenhower in 1956 (15 percent), Nixon in 1972 (23 percent) and Reagan in 1984 (18 percent).

Unlike Bush, each of those three sought to unite the nation in their first term. That makes this election especially disappointing for the more than 55 million Americans who voted for Kerry, more disappointing even than 2000, when the two candidates, Bush and Al Gore, both ran as moderates.

However he ran in 2000, Bush's presidency has been anything but moderate. He is perhaps the most radical president in the history of this nation, and while his radicalism, both personal and political, clearly inspires half the nation, the other half is just as clearly repelled by it... This nation has not been so polarized since the Civil War. Polls showed higher percentages of Republicans supporting their candidate and higher percentages of Democrats opposing him than in any previous modern election. Independents went slightly for Kerry, according to exit polls, meaning the election turned on which party could better mobilize its base and bring out new voters.

(snip)

Bush supporters clearly like the man better than his policies. Exit poll majorities said they did not like the Iraq war and did not like Bush's policies for the economy. Pre-election polls showed a majority of Americans believing the nation heading in the wrong direction.

(snip)

Bush's trump card was religion. His sweep of the 13 states of the Old Confederacy plus Oklahoma and Kentucky, where his born-again Christian evangelism has broad appeal, gave him a base of support that not even Democratic strength in the urban areas of the Northeast, Great Lakes and West Coast could overcome... In most elections religion remains in the background, but this time it could be felt in a host of values-related issues such as gay marriage, abortion rights and stem cell research injected into the campaign and even onto some state ballots. Bush's undistinguished personal past – his poor academic and business records, his maneuvering out of the Vietnam War, his admitted past dissoluteness – all were washed away in the forgiveness of fellow evangelical Christians.

More..

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041104/news_lz1e4golds.html


Goldsborough can be reached via e-mail at [e-mail].

[Gloria]

1. Potent stuff. My friend and I have been talking about this all afternoon..

the "religious"

[thecrow]

2. I *AM* a Christian

And I DO NOT FORGIVE him.
I think Jesus would back me up with this...OH! he did!!!


A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
Lk. 6.43, 44
15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Mt. 3.10 · Lk. 3.9

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mt. 12.33


John Kerry based his speech on this passage at Shiloh Baptist Church in Ohio just a few days ago.