The New York Times has found that (duh) the Foley scandal does not appear to be suppressing the evangelical vote.
As word of Representative Mark Foley's sexually explicit e-mail messages to former pages spread last week, Republican strategists worried -- and Democrats hoped -- that the sordid nature of the scandal would discourage conservative Christians from going to the polls.If Democrats keep trying to take advantage of the scandal I think it will result in energizing voters -- for the GOP. Actually, I believe it already has to some extent, but whether those fired up by the way the scandal has been treated will stay energized until election day is something we won't know until then.But in dozens of interviews here in southeastern Virginia, a conservative Christian stronghold that is a battleground in races for the House and Senate, many said the episode only reinforced their reasons to vote for their two Republican incumbents in neck-and-neck re-election fights, Representative Thelma Drake and Senator George Allen.
"This is Foley's lifestyle," said Ron Gwaltney, a home builder, as he waited with his family outside a Christian rock concert last Thursday in Norfolk. "He tried to keep it quiet from his family and his voters. He is responsible for what he did. He is paying a price for what he did. I am not sure how much farther it needs to go."
The Democratic Party is "the party that is tolerant of, maybe more so than Republicans, that lifestyle," Mr. Gwaltney said, referring to homosexuality.
Most of the evangelical Christians interviewed said that so far they saw Mr. Foley's behavior as a matter of personal morality, not institutional dysfunction.
All said the question of broader responsibility had quickly devolved into a storm of partisan charges and countercharges. And all insisted the episode would have little impact on their intentions to vote.
Update: For those not yet sick of Foley, here are a few additional stories:
Journalist Kurt Wolfe says he gave Foley the opportunity to come out a decade ago.
Rep. Kolbe knew of some page communications with Foley back in 2000.
Newsweek reports that Foley's chief of staff knew about his "inappropriate" behavior for a while and alerted the speaker's chief of staff.
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Comments (5)
Evangelical Christians beli... (Below threshold)1. Posted by adriandrews | October 9, 2006 5:32 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Evangelical Christians believe in personal accountability and responsibility before God. No one can stand before God and blame someone else for their decisions.
Liberals attempt to find blame for evil on society. Congress, specifically congressional republicans, were Foley's society. Ergo, they are collectively culpable.
1. Posted by adriandrews | October 9, 2006 5:32 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 05:32
2. Posted by kirktoe | October 9, 2006 7:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"If Democrats keep trying to take advantage of the scandal I think it will result in energizing voters -- for the GOP. Actually, I believe it already has to some extent, but whether those fired up by the way the scandal has been treated will stay energized until election day is something we won't know until then."
I can tell you as an evangelical myself, I was already motivated to go and vote, now even more so. It's amusing to watch the media attempt to analyze us Christians and talk about how we'll stay home because of all this.
They are in for a shock.
If they had assigned some reporters to cover the "religious" vote like they talked about after the 2004 election they might have known this.
2. Posted by kirktoe | October 9, 2006 7:02 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 07:02
3. Posted by Scrapiron | October 9, 2006 11:42 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The democrats ass u me that everyone is too stupid to remember that 99 44/100 % of sexual scandals in the federal government have been from their side of the aisle. We know and we laugh at their puny attempts to con everyone.
Democrats who commit rape and incest-good
Republican that has sex (any type)---Bad
3. Posted by Scrapiron | October 9, 2006 11:42 AM |
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Posted on October 9, 2006 11:42
4. Posted by Steve_in_Corona | October 9, 2006 3:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Count myself (and my wife) as two more of the card-carrying "religious right" evangelical voter who would crawl over broken glass if needed to make sure and vote for our Congressman (a Republican) - any all the Foley scandal did to us is motivate us to give a little deeper to Santorum and others.
4. Posted by Steve_in_Corona | October 9, 2006 3:12 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 15:12
5. Posted by YoursinChrist | October 10, 2006 6:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
99.44% of the sex scandals are committed by Democrats? really?
Y'all do know about Giordano up in Connecticut, who tried to procure 8 and 10 year old girls across state lines, right?
How about Bob Livingstone and his numerous mistresses?
Henry Hyde?
Dan Burton?
Bob Packwood?
Sherwood, who tried to strangle his mistress?
Jos Scarborough and the female intern who died in his office of mysterious causes?
Or how about the DHS's Brian Doyle, arrested for trying to solicit a 14-year-old girl...who turned out to be an undercover cop?
Newt Gingrich having adulterous sex with an intern while he was lambasting Clinton for the same?
Oh, the list goes on and on, but some folks let Satan blind them to any truth they find inconvenient.
God help all of you, for you do not know how to remove the log in your own eye for pointing out the mote in others.
5. Posted by YoursinChrist | October 10, 2006 6:00 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 10, 2006 18:00