Clintons and the Christians third party gambit – UPDATED

Clintons and the Christians third party gambit – UPDATED October 1, 2007

[Jesus] then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity–greedy, dishonest, adulterous–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
– Luke 18:10-14

It is always interesting to me to reflect that Jesus always went to the sinners to get his work done, to spread his message. He didn’t go to the “pure” ones who thought they already knew everything they needed to know, and who would never dare to taint themselves by dealing with the lesser among them. He went to the guys who screwed up, made mistakes and understood that they were not worthy, who knew that they didn’t know everything. The guys who would continue to make mistakes but who would grow and would – most importantly – never give up.

Someone sent me several versions of this story about Christian conservatives meeting to consider a break with the GOP and the establishment of a third party.

“The conclusion was that if there is a pro-abortion nominee they will consider working with a third party,” said the person, who spoke to Salon on the condition of anonymity. The private meeting was not a part of the official CNP schedule, which is itself a closely held secret. “Dobson came in just for this meeting,” the person said.

Yep. Right on schedule. Writes my Li’l Bro Thom: Did they learn nothing from ’92? They may as well start engraving the “President Clinton” commemorative coins now…

Had Ross Perot not run in 1992 it is unlikely Bill Clinton would have been president. I suspect the Democrats would like nothing better than to see a third party of conservative Christians siphon just enough votes away from the GOP to do the same for Hillary.

We’re already watching the Clintons re-run all their moves from the ’92 playbook. Triangulation Kitty is again being served up to feed the masses, this time with Bill as the Hard Left Outside and Hillary as the Softer, Chewy and Yummy Center. We’re already watching the press do what it can to bury any negative perspectives on the Clintons and their team. (Notice that Hillary said she gave the Hsu money back to the donors and the press said, “oh, fine…no story here anymore!” Next that money will be re-donated to her campaign). We’ve seen the reemergence of Sandy “Pants” Berger as a trusted advisor, and Harold Ickes as himself. The Clintons have no reason not to believe that what worked before will not work again. All that is needed now, is the “third party” mindset that brought Bill Clinton his presidency on a buckled platter.

And here it comes.

I’m going to hate watching Mrs. Clinton assume the presidency with 42% of the vote, like her husband did, and I’m going to hate watching her get sworn in in January ’09, while her husband holds the big bible and bites his lip, and I’m going to really hate everything that comes after it. So will you.

The third-party pipe-dreamers will once again make the Clinton tag team victorious. And with a Supreme Court likely to need three quick replacements in ’09, the third party folks will watch as the court becomes a permanent 5-4 liberal majority activist court – for decades. Decades, folks. The America you think you’re going to “preserve” with your third party candidate may become unrecognizable in a very short time. The Roe v Wade you think you’re going to reverse with your unelectable third candidate will seem almost quaint when compared with the “compassionate” euthanasia and the “practical, community-serving, environment saving” limitations on life you’ll be watching get handed down as law by an activist court determined to see the Constitution as a “living” and flexible document.

And all of this will come about because the only person seemingly capable of beating the Clinton’s wasn’t a good enough Christian for the Christian right. I think it’s a mistake, folks. Create a third party in order to give yourselves a “good Christian” to vote for – one who doesn’t offend any of your principals – and you lose. And life loses, too.

If Jesus were here today, walking with – just say for arguments sake – Rudy Giuliani, would you be among those asking him why he was eating with those sinners over there, those tax collectors and Galileans who were not perfect in faith and observance?

Jesus didn’t give the Keys to the Kingdom to a “suitable” candidate who had long-proved his religious bona fides. He gave them to a self-admitted “sinful man,” an impetuous man with a temper and a touch of cowardice – no one’s “ideal” of a leader – who was also a rock. And let’s not forget that Jesus’ very earliest followers would have had a hard time swallowing Saul as a likely instrument for Christ. Then he became Paul. God uses whom he chooses and he doesn’t need your approval to do it.

We have already seen – twice, now – that a pro-life Christian president does not translate into pro-life policies. Even when the Congress managed to pass a ban on partial birth abortions that law was stayed within hours by the courts.

The courts are where Christians need to keep their focus. And even a “sinful man,” can serve the cause for life, in the courts, if he is the sort of man who has displayed in his career, a respect for the constitution and the rule of law.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Christians forget that God can do anything. That means He can use anything or anyone to achieve His aims, even someone His own church might turn up their noses about. To assume that only certain people can be used by God to work His will is to make God awfully small…and human ideas and perceptions much too large.

If the Christians lose sight of the fact that they too are sinners, and go about looking for that unelectable pure candidate to vote for (“at least I will be able to vote my principals!”) then they will effectively be voting for the pro-abortion Democrat candidate, and endorsing all those new SCOTUS judges, too. Think about that while we watch the right begin to assemble its circular firing squad.

No wonder Hillary is laughing.

Meanwhile Rudy Giuliani is said to be pushing back. I think he should at some point admit that he’s a “sinful man.” That would go a lot further with Christians than trying to convince them that he could ever be good enough for them. After all, he’s (gasp!) divorced and has gay friends. Gee whiz, we’d be better off with a Newt, or some reasonable facsimile thereof, I guess. Oh, wait…

UPDATE: This piece by Rod Dreher (H/T Greg) actually illustrates my point very well.

I am glad it is not given to me to judge him. By one standard, Father Benedict deserves a millstone lashed to his neck for eternity. That’s what I’d have given the old buzzard, but God’s a better Christian than I am. And yet, I’m forced to admit that from Sam Greene’s wicked deeds, my beloved family sprung. I can’t help wondering: no fake icon, no visit to Austin, no meeting my true love.

Even if the vehicle by which your prayers are answered ends up being less-than-holy, or even downright corrupt…God can use anything and anyone to accomplish what he chooses. Believe it.

Deacon Greg links to this story from the National Catholic Register and writes:

Given a choice between Rudy and Hillary, I can’t believe these voters would invite a replay of ’92, and back a candidate who would further split the electorate and assure that Hillary wins with just 42% of the vote.

I can’t believe it, either, but there it is.

Excellent commentary from Ed Morrissey here, and by Eric here. Ace spells out the ages of the Supreme Court Justices and links to some of Giuliani’s Judiciary Advisors – an impressive list.

Evangelical Outpost takes the counterview.

Comments on this post are lively and – as ever because I have great readers – mannerly as ever. Please join in.

WELCOME: Instapundit readers, and thanks Glenn, for the link! While you’re here, please look around. Today we’re also discussing non-phony soldiers and these distorted narratives that are becoming so commonplace. We’re also taking some fun tests, and I’m begging please, not another 8 years of polarization and hate.


Browse Our Archives