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2007-10-01 21:59:24 UTC
Conservatives consider 3rd-party run By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion
Writer
53 minutes ago
Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative
Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential
nominee who supports abortion rights, are considering backing a third-
party candidate.
More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a meeting Saturday in
Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings
on how they should move forward, according to Richard A. Viguerie, the
direct-mail expert and longtime conservative activist.
Rudy Giuliani, who supports abortion rights and gay rights, leads in
national polls of the Republican presidential candidates. Campaigning
in New Jersey on Monday, Giuliani brushed aside talk of an upstart
effort by religious conservatives.
"I'm working on one party right now - the Republican Party," Giuliani
said. "I believe we are reaching out very, very well to Republicans.
The emphasis is on fiscal conservatism, which brings Republicans
together."
Other participants in the meeting included James Dobson, founder of
the Focus on the Family evangelical ministry in Colorado Springs,
Colo., and, according to Viguerie, Tony Perkins, head of the Family
Research Council, a conservative policy group in Washington.
Dobson attended the meeting, but is not yet participating in any
planning for a third party, said Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for
Focus on the Family Action. Dobson and others spoke out against the
idea at the meeting, even though both major parties could nominate
candidates who back abortion rights and other policies that
conservative Christians oppose, Schneeberger said.
A spokesman for Perkins did not respond to requests for comment
Monday.
Viguerie would not give specifics of the proposal or reveal additional
names of participants, but said President Bush "would not have been
elected in '04 without the people in that room."
"There is such jaundiced feelings about any promises or commitments
from any Republican leaders," he said in a phone interview. "You could
almost cut the anger and the frustration with a knife in that room
it's so strong. Because they don't know what else to do, they're
talking third party."
A spokesman for the Republican National Committee did not respond to a
request for comment.
The participants were in Salt Lake City for a separate meeting of the
secretive Council for National Policy, a group of conservative
business, religious and political leaders that was co-founded years
ago by Tim LaHaye, author of the "Left Behind" series of books. Vice
President Dick Cheney flew into the city Friday to address the group,
according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Christian conservatives, who hold considerable sway in the Republican
Party, have been deeply unhappy about the field of GOP presidential
candidates.
Dobson has said he wouldn't support Giuliani, calling the former New
York mayor an "unapologetic supporter of abortion on demand." Dobson
has also rejected former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson as wrong on
social issues, and wouldn't back John McCain because of the Arizona
senator's opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex
marriage.
Viguerie said conservatives "are still open" to former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney, but said, "we haven't seen anything that guarantees
that he will hold to the positions that he's articulating." Romney has
been questioned about his record on gay rights.
However, the proposal to consider a third-party candidate comes from
anger that the Republicans whom Christians have helped elect for
decades have failed to act on policy issues important to evangelicals
on abortion, marriage and school prayer.
"Conservatives have been treated like a mistress as long as any of us
can remember," Viguerie said. "They'll have lots of private meetings
with us, tell us how much they appreciate it and how much they value
us, but if you see me on the street please don't speak with me."
A third-party run would be a long shot, requiring millions of dollars
and challenges to ballot access. Such a bid could prove disastrous for
the GOP by splitting the vote.
Richard Land, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist
Convention, was not at the meeting. But he said no one floating the
idea of a third party thinks there's much chance the candidate would
win. He considers the proposal a reaction to "moguls of the Republican
establishment" who think conservative Christians will support the GOP
no matter what.
"A lot of them won't hold their nose and do it," Land said.
___
Associated Press Writer Angela Delli Santi in Dennis Township, N.J.,
contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_on_el_pr/conservatives_third_party&printer=1;_ylt=ArzT6J6hIos9m_rxBKZhWIxh24cA
Writer
53 minutes ago
Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative
Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential
nominee who supports abortion rights, are considering backing a third-
party candidate.
More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a meeting Saturday in
Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings
on how they should move forward, according to Richard A. Viguerie, the
direct-mail expert and longtime conservative activist.
Rudy Giuliani, who supports abortion rights and gay rights, leads in
national polls of the Republican presidential candidates. Campaigning
in New Jersey on Monday, Giuliani brushed aside talk of an upstart
effort by religious conservatives.
"I'm working on one party right now - the Republican Party," Giuliani
said. "I believe we are reaching out very, very well to Republicans.
The emphasis is on fiscal conservatism, which brings Republicans
together."
Other participants in the meeting included James Dobson, founder of
the Focus on the Family evangelical ministry in Colorado Springs,
Colo., and, according to Viguerie, Tony Perkins, head of the Family
Research Council, a conservative policy group in Washington.
Dobson attended the meeting, but is not yet participating in any
planning for a third party, said Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for
Focus on the Family Action. Dobson and others spoke out against the
idea at the meeting, even though both major parties could nominate
candidates who back abortion rights and other policies that
conservative Christians oppose, Schneeberger said.
A spokesman for Perkins did not respond to requests for comment
Monday.
Viguerie would not give specifics of the proposal or reveal additional
names of participants, but said President Bush "would not have been
elected in '04 without the people in that room."
"There is such jaundiced feelings about any promises or commitments
from any Republican leaders," he said in a phone interview. "You could
almost cut the anger and the frustration with a knife in that room
it's so strong. Because they don't know what else to do, they're
talking third party."
A spokesman for the Republican National Committee did not respond to a
request for comment.
The participants were in Salt Lake City for a separate meeting of the
secretive Council for National Policy, a group of conservative
business, religious and political leaders that was co-founded years
ago by Tim LaHaye, author of the "Left Behind" series of books. Vice
President Dick Cheney flew into the city Friday to address the group,
according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Christian conservatives, who hold considerable sway in the Republican
Party, have been deeply unhappy about the field of GOP presidential
candidates.
Dobson has said he wouldn't support Giuliani, calling the former New
York mayor an "unapologetic supporter of abortion on demand." Dobson
has also rejected former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson as wrong on
social issues, and wouldn't back John McCain because of the Arizona
senator's opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex
marriage.
Viguerie said conservatives "are still open" to former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney, but said, "we haven't seen anything that guarantees
that he will hold to the positions that he's articulating." Romney has
been questioned about his record on gay rights.
However, the proposal to consider a third-party candidate comes from
anger that the Republicans whom Christians have helped elect for
decades have failed to act on policy issues important to evangelicals
on abortion, marriage and school prayer.
"Conservatives have been treated like a mistress as long as any of us
can remember," Viguerie said. "They'll have lots of private meetings
with us, tell us how much they appreciate it and how much they value
us, but if you see me on the street please don't speak with me."
A third-party run would be a long shot, requiring millions of dollars
and challenges to ballot access. Such a bid could prove disastrous for
the GOP by splitting the vote.
Richard Land, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist
Convention, was not at the meeting. But he said no one floating the
idea of a third party thinks there's much chance the candidate would
win. He considers the proposal a reaction to "moguls of the Republican
establishment" who think conservative Christians will support the GOP
no matter what.
"A lot of them won't hold their nose and do it," Land said.
___
Associated Press Writer Angela Delli Santi in Dennis Township, N.J.,
contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_on_el_pr/conservatives_third_party&printer=1;_ylt=ArzT6J6hIos9m_rxBKZhWIxh24cA