The Religious Right's True Colors

In recent years, when Pat Robertson has made statements like "We should assassinate Hugo Chavez" or Gays and lesbians are to blame for 9/11" or "Cities that reject intelligent design deserve to receive a hurricane", evangelicals would always claim that his influence has been lessened over the years and he is no longer relevant.

On the August 23, 2005 episode of Fox News' Special Report, Hume declared, "The televangelist Pat Robertson's political influence may have been declining since he came in second in the Iowa Republican caucuses 17 years ago. And he may have no clout with the Bush administration."

Morton Kondracke echoed Hume, exclaiming that "Pat Robertson's day has long since passed."

Therefore, I guess the least relevant evangelical leader in America just endorsed Rudy Giuliani. (Hey, how's that "We deserved 9/11" business square with that?)

I'm not sure what his import is anymore. His influence in creating the law school, Regent University, attended by the likes of Monica Goodling and dozens of other Bush Administration Justice Department officials, is considerable. My point is that this will suddenly be seen as "the most important endorsement EVAH" after years of hearing that Robertson is a crazy old coot and an afterthought. Just a window into how the media works.

Robertson is a partisan political operative, not a religious leader, and this endorsement kind of proves it, as it goes against all appearances of principle on what he's considered to be core issues like abortion and gay rights. Other social conservatives are looking in other directions, like Sam Brownback, who chose his Senate colleague John McCain.

"John McCain is the only candidate who can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, independents and conservative Democrats needed to defeat Hillary Clinton or any other Democrat in the general election next year," Brownback said in a statement.

He praised McCain for spending a lifetime "standing up for human rights around the world, including a consistent 24-year pro-life record of protecting the rights of the unborn."

I guess none of that matters to Robertson, who would rather choose the candidate most likely to eat a terrorist and spit out the bones. Ultimately I think these endorsements mean little compared to boots on the ground and organization in the early states. What they are is a window into the real concerns of the so-called "religious right."