Monday, May 19, 2014
From: Gary L. Bauer
The Fight For Our Values
The Fight For Our Values
In Friday’s report I expressed my frustration with the political establishment’s unwillingness to defend the traditional values of millions of Americans. This morning Politico released the results of polling in some of the most competitive House and Senate races. Consider these results on values issues:
- In spite of the non-stop drumbeat that America is “all in” on same-sex marriage, this poll found that voters split 48% for it and 52% against it.
- On abortion, 35% of voters said they favor restrictions such as parental notification and bans on late-term abortions; 34% said they support a near-total ban except for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother, and 11% support a ban on all abortions. Only 19% of voters said they support “the right to an abortion with no restrictions.”
But the establishment would rather not talk about those “divisive” 80% issues.
Looking To 2016
Karl Rove got Washington buzzing last week when he questioned Hillary Clinton’s health. Some reporters ran stories saying Rove suggested Hillary had “brain damage” as a result of her fall and concussion in 2012. The left pounded “Dr. Rove” for the insinuation. Even Newt Gingrich piled on in a Facebook post, writing that he was “deeply offended” by Rove’s remarks.
But the real news came when Bill Clinton understandably jumped to defend his wife and, in the process, made matters worse. After he finished belittling Rove, Bill said that Hillary suffered a “terrible concussion that required six months of very serious work to get over.”
Until that point, the “official story” was that Hillary only needed a month to recover from her fall. Bill Clinton’s response has likely guaranteed that Hillary’s health will be an issue in 2016.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is clearly trying to resuscitate his image in the wake of the “Bridgegate” scandal. In a speech this weekend before a Jewish audience, Christie called for America to play a larger role in world affairs.
America has an “indispensable place in the world,” Christie said, adding that the United States is “the strongest moral power for what is good and what is right in the world.” Christie’s comments were largely seen as a rebuttal to Senator Rand Paul’s perceived isolationism.
The 2016 GOP race could be very interesting. In 2008 and 2012, the primary vote was split between one establishment candidate (John McCain and Mitt Romney respectively) and several conservatives. Given the way delegates are awarded, that division favored the establishment candidate. If both Jeb Bush and Chris Christie run, it may be the establishment vote that gets split in 2016.
SunTrust Reverses Course
We told you Friday that SunTrust Bank had revoked the “preferred broker” status from the Benham brothers, and we and other pro-family organizations urged folks to contact the bank. Here’s the good news: Less than 24 hours later, SunTrust reversed course.
Now, here’s the bad news. There is a “default” position that people and institutions in society automatically take on various issues. That position is a reflection of their core values.
Not many years ago, the default position of an American corporation would have been to avoid sponsorship of “gay pride” parades. Now, as the SunTrust example demonstrates, the default position of major corporations is to distance themselves from, and even punish, worldviews and positions that have been the norm in this country.
Another example was when Cracker Barrel distanced itself from the Duck Dynasty controversy. Look at what has happened to the Boy Scouts. Major corporations used to be proud sponsors of the Boy Scouts. Not anymore.
If a couple of brothers support normal marriage and get pummeled for it, it would be nice if corporations would just stay out of the fight. Instead, the instinct of many corporate elites is to join the pummeling.
I talked to the Benham brothers at length last week. Their support for normal marriage and their commitment to their families would make them role models if our society was healthy.
The NFL’s Default Position
Remember in 2009 when Rush Limbaugh expressed interest in buying the St. Louis Rams? The cultural and political left went into overdrive to block Limbaugh. It was bad enough that they had to tolerate him on the radio. They couldn’t risk allowing him to break out into the mainstream by becoming a co-owner of a major sports franchise.
The jihad against Limbaugh was a sign of things to come.
Think about the mindset that prevails in the NFL today. The league is struggling with a moral deficit among its players — drugs, violence against women, out-of-wedlock children, even murders. Yet Tim Tebow was mercilessly mocked for his faith. Look at the reaction to Robert Griffin, III, a married Christian and rumored to be a conservative. One columnist felt comfortable mocking Griffin as a “cornball brother” who wasn’t black enough.
In a normal country, the NFL would be welcoming and praising players like Tebow and Griffin. Instead, the NFL is celebrating St. Louis Rams player Michael Sam, not for his abilities, but for making out with his boyfriend.
We have been warning for years that the cultural left not only wants to redefine marriage and elevate homosexuality in our culture, it also wants to forbid the expression of ideas that spring from our Judeo-Christian values.
In less than one decade, the left has gone from arguing that people of faith should not be allowed to pass laws that reflect Judeo-Christian values to demanding that those values cannot be spoken without severe ramifications. The religious liberty, parental rights and even the livelihoods of men and women of faith are increasingly at risk from the left’s growing intolerance.
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