Andrew Sullivan, in a conversation with Reagan Republican Bruce Bartlett (who was fired from his conservative Think-Tank job after writing a book highly critical of Bush) sheds light into why Bush's poll numbers will get no lower and why Bush's greatest loyalty is from Conservative Christians. This is highly insightful
From The Myth of Bush's Loyalty;
The key element that binds Christianism with Bush
Republicanism is fealty to patriarchal leadership. That's the institutional structure of the churches that are now the Republican base; and it's only natural that the fundamentalist psyche, which is rooted in obedience and
reverence for the inerrant pastor, should be transferred to the presidency. That's why I think Bush's ratings won't go much below 25 percent; because 25 percent is about the proportion of the electorate that is fundamentalist and
supports Bush for religious rather than political reasons. They are immune to empirical argument, because their thought-structure is not empirical; it is dogmatic. If the facts overwhelm them, they will simply argue that the "liberal media" is lying. Bruce poignantly thinks the GOP is still the secular, empirical, skeptical party it once was. It's not: it's a fundamentalist church with some huge bribes for business interests on the side, leveraged by massive
debts. So all criticism is disloyalty; and disloyalty is heresy. The facts don't matter. Obey the pastor. Or be damned.
4 comments:
i dono dude, you know i am no bush fan but i think the whole thing about the inerent pastor and all that - a bit of a streatch. i think it is much simpler.
christians are convinced that a) bush is a christian and/or b) that bush will reverse roe and stop gay marriage and/or c) the democrats have failed to put up a candidate/platform as overtly targeted at christians as that of the republicans.
but that is just m.h.o. as a former brainwashed right winger.
Intesting stuff man. I've come into conversation with several folks who fit what you're quoting here. There is definitely a link I think.
Hope you're well friend.
I don't buy that the religious right people only buy into what their pastor preaches.
It is true that most of them aren't really into politics and tend to vote with some pretty simplistic shortcuts, but there is news elsewhere that they are going to cause trouble because they don't think that the Repub party is doing enough on their behalf and that is bound to cause troubles...
dlw
I would never say that this is a complete idea. But, there is some interesting truth that he is on to.
I would deifinitely think this is a simplistic assessment. Like you I think that pastoral and presidential authority is complex.
I would say this, as long as the pastor keeps the major things a fundamentalist cares about in line (Bible as Word of God, Abortion, Gays, etc.) he can have as much authority as he wants. With the Christian Right I would say the same thing. As long as the President takes care of the majors (abortion, Activist Judges, Guns and Gays), then he has as much authroity as he wants and will not get questioned.
If either one messes up on the Left though, all bets are off and there will be Hell to pay.
Post a Comment