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The Giuliani Choice

Conservative leaders doubt his support among evangelicals will last.

Despite a strong showing of evangelical support for Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, evangelical leaders predict that the former New York mayor's liberal social views and rocky personal life will cost him a major part of the gop's conservative base.

"I think a lot of evangelicals are just getting to know Rudy," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

"As they get to know him—not as the hero of 9/11 but as a supporter of tax-funded abortions—his support will decline precipitously."

Yet even as Land and other prominent conservatives—including Tony Perkins, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Buchanan—have taken aim at the current gop frontrunner, a plurality of evangelicals continue to favor him in polls. In a March survey, 27 percent of self-identified evangelical Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters said they favored Giuliani among the likely and announced gop presidential contenders. Senator John McCain followed in second place with 23 percent in the polling, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and analyzed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Republican candidates can scarcely afford to alienate evangelicals. According to Pew, white evangelical conservatives compose 31 percent of Republican voters in Iowa, an early caucus state. They compose 39 percent of Republicans in South Carolina, which also votes early, but only 10 percent in New Hampshire, the first state to hold a primary.

John Green, the Pew Forum's senior fellow in religion and American politics, said he believes issues like abortion and opposition to same-sex marriage "are fading a little bit" as many states have banned ...

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Comments

Displaying 1–3 of 13 comments

Larson

June 09, 2007  11:36pm

Guliani is a slimy opportunist and I honestly don't think he has a clue. America needs Ron Paul in the White House. Go to ronpaul2008.com and do your homework - he's got a flawless voting record and is a strict-constitutionalist.

Bill

June 09, 2007  12:34pm

Giuliani is our best candidate, far and away, on national defense and fiscal issues. On social matters, he raises concerns, but let us not forget that the executive branch has little control over this, and he has already promised to appoint strict constructionists. I find Giuliani's promise to appoint strict constructionists more credible than, say, Romney, because Giuliani is also intellectually honest in his disagreements with some conservatives rather than trying to pander for support. Giuliani, unlike Romney or Thompson, also defeats the socialist Democrats. I will be voting for Giuliani in the primary.

Jaxon

June 09, 2007  11:16am

There is no way to understate how foolish the evangelical fools are being fooled into being when they support Giuliani. This "Christian" support of Giuliani shows just how few people within the "church" are actually trusting the Lord God Almighty. Trust in the Lord, and stop bowing to the idols of the State, and your whimpering fears about Islamic terrorism which you have all been manipulated by for the purpose of giving all power to the State, and in the process, you foolish people, you have lost your nation to a devilish world system of AntiChrist power. You have no idea how foolish it is to endorse Rudolph Giuliani for President, because your eyes are sealed shut to truth, thanks in part to Americans worship of money and power. We're totally under God's Holy wrath. Good night, America. Thanks a lot, purpose drivel "church," for selling us all into slavery with your merchandising of the foolish American people. We're done for, so go ahead and seal it up, Vote Giuliani!!!

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