Christian and American » Conservatism

Election 2008 – Either way we dodged a bullet

David Stotts — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:35:42 +0000

The disappointment many of us felt on Election Night 2008 really began ten months prior – when John McCain made his unlikely comeback in New Hampshire on January 8th. He was never the best candidate to defeat Barack Obama, nor was he the best standard bearer for the conservative voice in America. Not by a long shot. He may be an American hero and an honorable man, but his inability to fully grasp (let alone articulate) the fundamentals of true conservatism weakened him with his base, and with the general electorate. Just ask yourself how many times, during the three Presidential debates, you found yourself screaming at the television incredulous at McCain’s refusal to stand up to Obama’s sophistry. Anyone who lets his wealth-spreading opponent get away with co-opting Republican “tax cutting” rhetoric doesn’t deserve to win. Now the President-Elect is “ready to rule on day one” and many of us (especially those of us who care about the Life issue) are deeply troubled. But I like silver linings. I need them. WIth McCain no longer in the position of being the de facto representative for conservatism, we now have a tremendous opportunity. It’s time for us to purge our ranks, relearn what it means to be a consistent social and economic conservative and look for new and persuasive ways to not just articulate, but implement conservative principles on the ground. When those ideals are actually applied, not just touted, you get real results. But enough about Bobby Jindal.

The point is this: we dodged a bullet either way. To be sure, the bullet of Barack hurts far more than would have that of McCain and we’ll suffer longer because of it. But let’s not forget, from the ashes of Jimmy Carter rose Ronald Reagan. We mustn’t squander this opportunity to refine.

Poverty and Christian Responsibility (Video)

David Stotts — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:52:42 +0000

Christian and American Contributor David Stotts recently put together a video on ministry to the poor with the Acton Institute. Here’s David’s intro to the video. If you scroll down you can watch the embedded video:

We all fall for slick packaging. I do it on a regular basis. And as the father of 3 kids, I routinely find myself throwing boatloads of fancy boxes away after a birthday party – the contents of which looked far better (and way more fun) inside the box.

It reminds me of Barack Obama. His packaging is slick. His rhetoric is beguiling. And thousands of my fellow Christians are buying it.

For months now I’ve marveled at how Obama’s ad execs in the mainstream news media have lost all shame in their relentless effort to find fresh new ways to make him appear moderate. But it’s not just the MSM. Obama himself is supremely skilled at packaging himself, especially on economic issues, only rarely letting down his guard like he did recently in Ohio with Joe the Plumber. Subsequently, he has doubled down on his “spread the wealth” comment almost as if he knows now is the time America might finally be willing to swallow the bitter pill of socialist economic policies. Hey, we let Congress do it, why not our President?

Americans are a compassionate people and by far the most generous in the world measured by charitable giving as a percentage of our GDP. Our giving, 1.67% of the country’s GDP, is twice that of the next most charitable country, the UK. Along comes Obama and the Democrats who know their audience and are far more skilled than anyone on the Republican side at convincing voters that theirs are the most compassionate, most generous economic policies. And thousands of Christians, be they mushy Emergent types or even traditional Christians who simply want to vote for the guy most like Jesus, are being seduced – even to the extent they’re willing to wink at the most radical abortion policies any American Presidential candidate has ever espoused.

It’s time conservatives learn how to reframe the debate on economic policy. We need to learn the right way to expose the contents of the Left’s “economic policy” packaging as simply band-aids at best…and at worst, destructive policies that actually destroy families.

This video is a starting point in learning how to do that. It is intended to challenge the assumptions of good, honest Christian voters who are intending to vote for Obama on the basis that his economic policies are more compassionate. Shouldn’t our goal be not simply to feel compassionate, but instead actually be more effective in assisting the poor?

Press play to watch video:

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Notable News Links: October 15, 2008

Taylor Marshall — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:47:04 +0000

Is the Reagan era over? Is conservativism dead? Harold Meyerson of the Washington Post tell us The Reagan-Thatcher Era is Over.

Surprise: ABC denies pro-life ad.

What is the “bailout” and is it working? Andy Kessler of the Wall Street Journal explains, What Paulson Is Trying to Do.

Obama supports abortion, late-term abortion, partial-birth abortion, and infanticide for infants who survive birth. Robert George, a man that I highly respect wrote an excellent article on: Obama’s Abortion Extremism.

In case you’re still wondering, George Weigel explains why there are Pro-life Catholics for Obama (Newsweek).