Friday, February 05, 2010

Why the Conservative Right is in Trouble

I saw a bumper sticker today for Sarah Palin for president in 2012. My heart sank. Sarah Palin is a good person, and was a good Governor, but I don't think she is cut out to be president. I keep hearing rumors that she is the pick for the Republican choice to run for president, and I just think it's a mistake. I don't believe she can win.

When I was studying American government, I was taught that in order to get the vote, the candidate can't be too far right or too far left. I think Sarah Palin is too far right to win the majority of votes. I'm not saying that her politics are bad, I'm just saying that they are too conservative for the majority of citizens. And after all is said and done, the majority approval is what she wants.

So why did McCain pick her as a running mate? I believe he was trying to get the Christian vote. Sarah Palin is a Christian, and has a political agenda that caters to Christian beliefs. In my book, that is a good thing. But she was so black and white in her speeches that it turned off many non-Christians. In addition, her public presence was too casual, not professional enough.

In my opinion, and not just because he is Mormon, Mitt Romney would have been a much stronger running mate. I think his public presentation is better, and he doesn't sound as extreme. So why didn't McCain pick him as running mate? I believe that the main reason is that in the eyes of most Christians, Mormons aren't Christian. They believe we are some kind of cult. They don't believe that we believe in Jesus Christ, even though His name is in the official name of our church, and we tell them that we believe in Him. I've actually had bloggers say to me, "You don't believe in Jesus Christ, you just think you do." Huh? So the Christian right refuses to accept a political candidate that is Mormon, simply because they are predjudiced against him for his beliefs, even though he may in fact be the best chance of winning. I really think he would have done very well in a debate against Joe Biden. But McCain wanted to win the Christian vote, so he picked Palin instead.....and they lost. Now, I do think part of the reason they lost was that McCain didn't present himself well in public. He cowered too much in the public eye. He wasn't a strong candidate. But Romney would have made up for McCain's weakness.

So now I'm seeing Palin bumper stickers, and I'm frightened. I'm scared that because of the predjudices of the Christian right, we once again won't choose the best candidate, simply because he believes a little different than them. Because they chose Palin, we instead wound up with a socialist from a Muslim background who supports abortion, including funding for overseas abortion, and also allowing a baby that survives an abortion to be ignored and allowed to die. I think the Christian right needs to decide what they want because if we don't pick a candidate that can be elected by some of the left, we will wind up with more socialism, more abortion rights, more gay rights, and less democracy.

5 comments:

Nene said...

I think the reason McCain chose her as a running mate was because Hillary Clinton was such a strong candidate. They thought they could sway the Democrat women over to vote for McCain/Palin. I agree with you though, she should not be considered for the 2012 candidacy. I think she is too opinionated and doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. I also think she is not very dignified. She's too loud. Hopefully the Republican party will wake up. I think right now they are trying to "match" the supposed glamour of the Democratic party. And I put the emphasis on "supposed".

Inklings said...

A lot can happen before 2012. I wouldn't panic yet.

Lindsay Logic said...

I'm with Nene. He needed a running mate that he thought could compete. He didn't choose carefully enough, and wound up losing.

Palin will never make it past the Primarys. She doesn't stand a chance. She seems like a nice enough person, but she's not worldly enough and well spoken enough to win the polls.

Looney said...

Given that the left-wing super state was going to collapse regardless of which party got the presidency, it is probably best that Obama won to show that the Democrats don't have any answers. I haven't been a Palin fan either, but want someone who is both socially and economically conservative. The Republicans are having a hard time getting someone who can be both.

Mr. Giggles said...

Ya, whatever. I don't trust ANY of 'em! Just wait--the right will go SO far right, and the left SO far left that they'll end up meeting on the backside. Which is after-all where most politicians keep their heads....