Daniel
09-25-2006, 09:33 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/us/politics/25conserve.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Two things stand out in this article. The first is the dishonest means used to get out the vote along with the usual anti-gay rhetoric. No surprise there perhaps, but Dobson and company are now playing on the fears of the country by introducing terrorism into the mix.
This strikes me as a rather desperate attempt.
There is something else to consider here. And that is the 'new' argument about religious liberty, which is about 'them' rather than 'us'. This stikes me as a subtle but powerful shift in tone. More 'what about us' and less 'see how bad they are'.
It is getting harder for them to say that gay people are bad and sinful. And increasingly, it is becoming apparent to everyone that the religious liberty they enjoy has nothing to do with our right to marry.
Christian Conservatives Look to Re-energize Base
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: September 25, 2006
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 — Openly anxious about grass-roots disaffection from the Republican Party, conservative Christian organizers are reaching for ways to turn out voters this November, including arguing that recognizing same-sex marriage could also limit religious freedom.
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Even in this crowd of nearly 2,000 Christian conservative activists, some balked at one tactic recommended to turn out church voters. In a workshop, Connie Marshner, a veteran organizer, distributed a step-by-step guide that recommended obtaining church directories and posing as a nonpartisan pollster to ask people how they planned to vote.
“Hello, I am with ABC polls,” a suggested script began.
Some attendees complained that the script seemed deceptive, Ms. Marshner said in an interview afterward. She said that such disguised calls were a common campaign tactic, that it was just a suggested script and that she never recommended answering a direct question with a lie.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who played host to the conference, said he was “upset” to learn of her instructions and condemned any deception.
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To revive some of the emotions around the issue, several organizers said they were taking up the argument that legal recognition of same-sex marriages would cramp the free expression of religious groups who consider such unions a sin — an idea much discussed at the conference.
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“Get involved as the Lord leads before religious liberty is lost forever,” Mr. Perkins warned in the trailer.
Others looked abroad. In a pre-election letter to 2.5 million supporters, Dr. Dobson is breaking away from his traditional field of child psychology to argue that foreign terrorists are a threat to families.
Two things stand out in this article. The first is the dishonest means used to get out the vote along with the usual anti-gay rhetoric. No surprise there perhaps, but Dobson and company are now playing on the fears of the country by introducing terrorism into the mix.
This strikes me as a rather desperate attempt.
There is something else to consider here. And that is the 'new' argument about religious liberty, which is about 'them' rather than 'us'. This stikes me as a subtle but powerful shift in tone. More 'what about us' and less 'see how bad they are'.
It is getting harder for them to say that gay people are bad and sinful. And increasingly, it is becoming apparent to everyone that the religious liberty they enjoy has nothing to do with our right to marry.
Christian Conservatives Look to Re-energize Base
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: September 25, 2006
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 — Openly anxious about grass-roots disaffection from the Republican Party, conservative Christian organizers are reaching for ways to turn out voters this November, including arguing that recognizing same-sex marriage could also limit religious freedom.
-----
Even in this crowd of nearly 2,000 Christian conservative activists, some balked at one tactic recommended to turn out church voters. In a workshop, Connie Marshner, a veteran organizer, distributed a step-by-step guide that recommended obtaining church directories and posing as a nonpartisan pollster to ask people how they planned to vote.
“Hello, I am with ABC polls,” a suggested script began.
Some attendees complained that the script seemed deceptive, Ms. Marshner said in an interview afterward. She said that such disguised calls were a common campaign tactic, that it was just a suggested script and that she never recommended answering a direct question with a lie.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who played host to the conference, said he was “upset” to learn of her instructions and condemned any deception.
---
To revive some of the emotions around the issue, several organizers said they were taking up the argument that legal recognition of same-sex marriages would cramp the free expression of religious groups who consider such unions a sin — an idea much discussed at the conference.
---
“Get involved as the Lord leads before religious liberty is lost forever,” Mr. Perkins warned in the trailer.
Others looked abroad. In a pre-election letter to 2.5 million supporters, Dr. Dobson is breaking away from his traditional field of child psychology to argue that foreign terrorists are a threat to families.