Pat Robertson to endorse Giuliani, Brownback to Endorse McCain
Posted on November 7, 2007
Rudy Giuliani has received Pat Robertson’s endorsement, which in and of itself is huge for Giuliani.
Pat Robertson, one of the most influential figures in the social conservative movement, announced his support for Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid this morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Robertson’s support was coveted by several of the leading Republican candidates and provides Giuliani with a major boost as the former New York City mayor seeks to convince social conservatives that, despite his positions on abortion and gay rights, he is an acceptable choice as the GOP nominee.
[...]
The other major effect of Robertson’s support for Giuliani is that it will quiet talk in social conservative circles that nominating Giuliani would lead “values voters” to abandon the Republican Party. The stamp of approval from Robertson should assuage the doubts of many (although certainly not all) of the rank-and-file social conservatives.
I will be the first to admit that Robertson can certainly be “over the top” on issues, but he isn’t running, he is just endorsing Giuliani which will bring quite a few of his followers along.
A Giuliani campaign aide said the Giuliani has known Robertson for a long time, and their relationship was cemented on a flight back from Israel shortly after Saddam Hussein was captured, where they discussed views on Israel and domestic policies.
The Giuliani aide said that the two have shared goals despite some minor differences.
H/T to Hot Air for the video.
Reports from ABC show that McCain has gotten Sam Brownback’s endorsement which could mean a much needed boost for McCain, especially in Iowa.
Brownback is a favorite of religious conservatives which can only help McCain with the religious right who has had a problem with some of his stances in the past.
A few reactions:
My Pet Jawa: Proof of the End Times?
I think the media and politicians over value these types of endorsements but this can only help Rudy in his quest to at least not be openly at war with social conservatives. And Mitt has been racking up a lot of notable social-con endorsements lately (most recently Paul Weyrich), so anything Rudy can do to stall that type of momentum is a plus for him.
Still, if anyone had told me 2 or 3 years ago that Pat Robertson would endorse Rudy Giuliani I’d have asked for a sip of whatever it is they were drinking, yet here we are.
The negative effect on Rudy’s standing will be negligible. The better question will be whether Robertson’s followers revolt over his endorsement of a pro-choice candidate and finally abandon him to the proverbial crazy-uncle attic.
Since the Bush right insists that Robertson is completely irrelevant to the current GOP, I have no idea why they are fixated by his endorsement of Giuliani. For me, however, it seals the deal. Robertson blamed Americans for causing 9/11. He is a charlatan and a religious phony. He has enriched himself at the expense of millions of gullible Christians who did not understand that this man’s sole principle is his own power and wealth. It doesn’t surprise me that he sees eye to eye with Giuliani. They are very similar characters.
If anything, I’d rather see him out of politics than at the side of a perspective Republican nominee. And while I realize Rudy needed the help with the Christian Right, Robertson abandoned his principles to support Rudy. That’s a fact and not surprising to me. The surprise could be that this hurts Rudy more with Independents than he might think.
Endorsements don’t mean much to the Anchoress. Me either.
» Filed Under News, Politics As Usual, Video
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5 Responses to “Pat Robertson to endorse Giuliani, Brownback to Endorse McCain”
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First of all Pat Robertson has little or no influence among sane Evangelicals. He has a small following who
obviously do not think for themselves or they would not be listening to him in the first place.
He is a snake oil preacher who lost any credibility he ever had years ago.
The MSM loves to drag out Pat and Jerry Falwell when Jerry was alive to embarrass Christianity and portray it as a bastion of nuttiness.
Pat Robertson is an embarrassment to all true rational Evangelicals.
To answer Captain Ed; Robertson will lose more than the ‘thirty pieces of silver’ he gets out of this endorsement. So yes, Robertson will lose millions in cash and tens of thousands of supporters.
Brad Warbiany wrote some interesting thoughts on the Guiliani paradox today.
And then he goes on to explore that question.
Robertson is clearly unhinged. After years of “preaching” pro-life, he drops defense of the unborn like a hot rock and embraces someone who supports killing the unborn because, “To me, the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists.”
Doug Wilson (of Blog and Mablog and Credenda Agenda) adds this perspective on Robertson’s “demented and twaddlesome” endorsement:
“Let’s keep this straight in our increasingly darkened minds and damned hearts. Pro-choicers, like Giuliani, have collectively killed more Americans every day for over thirty years running than the Islamic rage-boys have killed in the last five years total.”
And keep in mind, always, “pro-choicers” like Giuliani are liars: if they were truly pro-choice, they’d at least give the babies until they reached adulthood to choose whether they wanted to be born or not…
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against Giuliani strictly because he stands foursquare for a woman’s “right” to kill her baby. He has more than enough other troubling positions to kill any chance of a vote from me. Being right on one issue and one alone is simply not good enough.
Brownback seems to be more moderate than commonly thought while Robinson showed himself to follow the God of Fortresses as opposed to the God of Abraham and Isaac.