Values Voter Summit Appeals to Baser Instincts of Christian Right Base
Chip Berlet printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sat Sep 15, 2012 at 05:01:06 PM EST
As the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC draws to a close, it is clear that the strategy of the Christian Right for the upcoming Presidential election is to appeal to the baser bigoted instincts of their sizable base. Usually the most inflammatory rhetoric is highlighted the year before an election campaign, while the year of the campaign the nastiest rhetoric is somewhat muted.

To be sure, in past election year Values Voter Summits it was common to hear the vivid and vilifying references to liberals, godless secularists, Muslims, gay people, and "baby-killing" feminists. The speakers, however, were usually people of color who the overwhelmingly White audience expected to be uncivilized, at least in the rhetorical sense.

Here are some Tweets from the "VVS12 Featured Tweeters" posted on the official conference website:


->> JeromeEHudson Barack is going to get his little Marxist clock cleaned!!!
->> StevenErtelt ICYMI: Medical Examiner Hid Info Showing Planned Parenthood Killed Patient bit.ly/U7FAzi
->> roxyswindoll "RoeVWade 2unilaterally legalize abortion on demand is a legal embarrassment & an indescribably horrible moral tragedy" #VVS12 @alanswindoll

The rhetoric from the stage was equally awful. Rather than repeat it here, just go to Twitter and search the following tweet streams: #VVS12 | #VVS2012 | #VVSrx

Then step one degree away and check out some of the tweet streams at #ForAmerica | #ReligiousLiberty | #HHSmandate | #Freedom.

This is in addition to really crass and ugly rhetoric that can be found on streams such as #IStandWithBachmann | #Teaparty | #p2 | #tcot | #mob | #sgp |  #cspj #hhrs | #twisters |  #ocra  | #lnyhbt  | #cspj |  #haction.

It is on these tweet streams and other social networking and blogging sites that there is a submerged propaganda campaign vilifying liberals and demonizing Obama. These types of informal sources of information carry vivid right-wing conspiracy theories that make Glenn Beck look sane.

At this year's Values Voter Summit the rhetorical flames flicked at the feet of attendees who will now march back to their home states and get out the vote.  That's important because voter turnout is key to the outcome of the election pitting two Christians against each other.  
According to ABC News: The Evangelical Vote - ABC News


Evangelicals aren't remotely a swing group, but a core Republican one. In 2006, as the GOP lost Congress in a broad anti-Republican surge, 70 percent of white evangelicals bucked the tide and voted Republican, vs. 28 percent for Democrats. In 2004, 78 percent supported George W. Bush, vs. 21 percent for John Kerry.

Ralph Reed and other Republican strategists are aware of this. Reed explained their strategy in this article:
Ralph Reed: 17 Million Evangelical Votes Can Lead to Obama's Defeat (NewsMax)

Conservative Christians and Evangelical conservatives will play a big role in the upcoming election, Reed said, and they support Romney by about 60 percent, compared to previous support for John McCain (73 percent) and George W. Bush (78 percent).

Reed said Romney needs to get into the 70 percent range. "We're not really telling Evangelicals how to vote. We're leaving that to the campaigns to do. But what we are doing is making sure they're educated on all these issues we're talking about so that they know where Obama stands and where Romney stands so they can make an educated and informed decision.

The other thing we're going to do is we're going to work double overtime to make sure that the Evangelical vote, which has historically been between 20 and 23 percent of the electorate, turns out in the largest numbers ever seen in a presidential election."


Last year, VVS attendees clearly were troubled by the fact of Mitt Romney's faith. Was he really a Christian? Mormons--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints--have long been viewed with suspicion and some hostility by evangelical Christians. This year, all is forgiven. Romney may be a Mormon, but at least he is not a socialist Muslim posing as a real Christian.

Meanwhile, Democrats fail to support union members who go on strike, public school teachers who beg for more resources for their classrooms, and those of us who call for an end to needless wars. Too many Democrats who support President Obama mock people of faith in a nasty way that will further diminish voter turnout for the Democratic Party.  We will reap what the Democrats sow in the next few weeks.




Display:
I had to laugh when Rick Santorum said this in his speech:

I'm excited, because I think we have a nominee who understands that.  I read - I didn't see it, but I read the transcript of what Governor Romney said here.  I could have given that speech.  I feel good.  I feel good.  (Laughter, applause.)  We have to do our part.

You could tell he wasn't comfortable about what he was saying.

by tacitus on Sat Sep 15, 2012 at 09:05:38 PM EST



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