Pat Robertson Endorses Giuliani's Presidential Bid

[dairygirl4u2c]

[quote]Pat Robertson endorses Giuliani's presidential bid
Televangelist's backing comes a day after Moral Majority founder Paul Weyrich endorses Mitt Romney.
By Joe Mathews, Los Angeles

WASHINGTON -- Televangelist Pat Robertson today endorsed Republican presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani, saying the former New York mayor's promises to appoint conservative judges and protect Americans "from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists" should trump conservatives' concerns about Giuliani's support of abortion rights.

Robertson's endorsement came one day after another prominent social conservative, Paul Weyrich, endorsed Giuliani rival Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a social conservative who ended his own GOP presidential bid earlier this fall, today endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Taken together, the endorsements suggest that abortion may not prove to be a top-tier issue in the wide-open Republican race -- and that top evangelical figures will divide their support among multiple contenders.

Social conservatives also demonstrated a willingness to eschew longtime abortion opponents such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson in favor of candidates who either support abortion rights (Giuliani) or are converts to the antiabortion side (Romney).

Robertson said national security and concerns about federal spending should be top priorities. "To me, the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists," he said. "Our second goal should be the control of massive government waste and crushing federal deficits."

Giuliani, appearing with Robertson at the National Press Club, said: "His confidence in me means a lot. His experience and advice will be a great asset to me and my campaign."

Both Giuliani and Romney had aggressively sought Robertson's backing, with phone calls and appearances at Regent University, an evangelical Christian institution founded by Robertson. Robertson had leaned in Giuliani's direction since the former mayor's Regent speech, telling his Christian Broadcasting Network that Giuliani had been "a smash."

The two men said they had become friends when they traveled together to Israel a few years ago. Aides suggested that Theodore Olson, a former solicitor general in the Bush administration who is a leading conservative legal figure, was instrumental in facilitating the endorsement. Olson is an advisor to Giuliani's campaign, and he introduced Robertson at a press conference called this morning in Washington to announce the endorsement.

In appealing to social conservatives, Giuliani has made a pledge -- one of his campaign's "12 commitments" -- to appoint "strict constructionist" judges who claim to interpret the Constitution in the manner the nation's founders intended.

Robertson indicated today that he had been won over by this pledge. Giuliani, Robertson said, "understands the need for a conservative judiciary and ... has assured the American people that his choices for judicial appointments will be men and women who share the judicial philosophy of John Roberts and Antonin Scalia."

Robertson ran for president in 1988 and remains a key figure in the conservative movement, in part through his television network. But his influence has been diminished somewhat by the rise of younger leaders, and by his exaggerated rhetoric.

In recent years, he has advocated the teaching of "intelligent design," described then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke as divine punishment for "dividing God's land," and called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He later apologized for the Chavez comment.[/quote]

[MIKolbe]

hold on, i gotta take this phone call.

[LouisvilleFan]

I wish God would do us all a favor and call Pat Robertson home.

Really, it's not bad to wish for someone to go to heaven... immediately... is it? I mean, long as you don't actually assist in the process.

At any rate, with Brownback out of the running (not that he ever had much of a chance anyway, but then tell that to the Red Sox), I'm officially rootin' for Dr. Ron Paul. Always fun to root for the underdog.

[Guest Obedient2one]

I don't think Pat Robertson reads the Bible. If he does I don't see how he how could he endorse Giuliani.

[Adrestia]

I'm not surprised by this move. They're both full time politicians. One masquerades as a preacher sometimes.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Obedient2one' post='1415866' date='Nov 7 2007, 07:55 PM']I don't think Pat Robertson reads the Bible. If he does I don't see how he how could he endorse Giuliani.[/quote]

In all fairness, Guiliani probably reads the Bible too, or at least hears it wherever he attends Mass.

Reading or hearing it is one thing. Interpreting it correctly and living it out is another ball o' wax.

[Justin86]

Never before has it been more obvious that Pat Robertson is not a Christian leader, but a political tool for the Republican party. He completely ignores his religion in order to support a man who's only agreement with him is a war. It's not even good politics for Robertson, and even worse for his soul. The heresy of American Protestantism, the belief that God is protecting America from all evils and we're "a people set apart" has led to it's logical conclusion: America comes before God Almighty.

To me, this is just more evidence that American Protestantism has failed, and will eventually collapse.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Justin86

[Adrestia]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1416083' date='Nov 8 2007, 03:47 AM']Never before has it been more obvious that Pat Robertson is not a Christian leader, but a political tool for the Republican party. He completely ignores his religion in order to support a man who's only agreement with him is a war. It's not even good politics for Robertson, and even worse for his soul. The heresy of American Protestantism, the belief that God is protecting America from all evils and we're "a people set apart" has led to it's logical conclusion: America comes before God Almighty.

To me, this is just more evidence that American Protestantism has failed, and will eventually collapse.[/quote]


Question (for everyone, not specifically Justin):

Do you believe that a person who proclaims that God Almighty comes before America could be elected president?

[Justin86]

[quote name='tgoldson' post='1416096' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:51 PM']Question (for everyone, not specifically Justin):

Do you believe that a person who proclaims that God Almighty comes before America could be elected president?[/quote]
Good question! I suppose it's never been specifically asked to any of them, and if any of them did feel that way they probably wouldn't say that just in case. So, I guess that means we really don't know.

[Adrestia]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1416097' date='Nov 8 2007, 07:57 AM']Good question! I suppose it's never been specifically asked to any of them, and if any of them did feel that way they probably wouldn't say that just in case. So, I guess that means we really don't know.[/quote]
JFK was asked. I bring him up to highlight this country's fear of "religious" (specifically Catholic) politicians, not to comment on his presidency or his personal politics. It seems to me that the general populace likes "church going" politicians, not "religious" politicians.

By "religious" I mean "earnestly and conscientiously striving to apply the Gospel to every aspect his/her life, including his/her job, even if it means making unpopular decisions."

[Justin86]

[quote name='tgoldson' post='1416101' date='Nov 8 2007, 11:15 PM']JFK was asked. I bring him up to highlight this country's fear of "religious" (specifically Catholic) politicians, not to comment on his presidency or his personal politics. It seems to me that the general populace likes "church going" politicians, not "religious" politicians.[/quote]
Keep in mind that JFK was the first [i]nominal[/i](I can't stress that enough) Catholic ever to be elected President. Many were concerned back then that a Catholic president would basically mean putting the Pope in charge of America. This does put the question posed to JFK in a somewhat different context than what you are asking.

As for the general populace preferring "church going" politicians, Presidents, including faith-filled Presidents like Reagan, actually didn't really have the time to go to church once a week. The American people don't really care about "church-going" so much as they prefer someone whose willing to discuss God, and talk about him in speeches--especially applying Bible verses to the United States to make us feel good.

[quote]By "religious" I mean "earnestly and conscientiously striving to apply the Gospel to every aspect his/her life, including his/her job, even if it means making unpopular decisions."[/quote]
I would again say that we don't know as that question has really never been proposed to a Presidental canadite.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Justin86

[Adrestia]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1416103' date='Nov 8 2007, 08:27 AM']Keep in mind that JFK was the first [i]nominal[/i](I can't stress that enough) Catholic ever to be elected President. Many were concerned back then that a Catholic president would basically mean putting the Pope in charge of America. This does put the question posed to JFK in a somewhat different context than what you are asking.[/quote]
I suppose that Romney also falls into this separate category?

[quote name='Justin86' post='1416103' date='Nov 8 2007, 08:27 AM']As for the general populace preferring "church going" politicians, Presidents, including faith-filled Presidents like Reagan, actually didn't really have the time to go to church once a week. The American people don't really care about "church-going" so much as they prefer someone whose willing to discuss God, and talk about him in speeches--especially applying Bible verses to the United States to make us feel good.
I would again say that we don't know as that question has really never been proposed to a Presidental canadite.[/quote]
Ahh... so the well placed biblical reference is the key. I'd like to replace "church going" with "Bible quoting" in my earlier post.

[MIKolbe]

[url="http://www.catholicsagainstrudy.com/"]http://www.catholicsagainstrudy.com/[/url]

[Justin86]

[quote name='tgoldson' post='1416108' date='Nov 8 2007, 11:47 PM']I suppose that Romney also falls into this separate category?[/quote]
He does.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1416083' date='Nov 8 2007, 04:47 AM']To me, this is just more evidence that American Protestantism has failed, and will eventually collapse.[/quote]

Just two problems with your logic: 1) Pat Robertson represents only a shrinking minority of American Protestantism and 2) Catholic schools continue to excel at raising Protestants.