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October 12, 2005
Miers and Evangelicals
Hugh Hewitt predicts doom for the GOP if Miers is not confirmed, because Miers has been identified as an evangelical and evangelicals might just stay home if the GOP offends them.
Some posters at ConfirmThem and other places are outraged by this observation, which seems to be to be completely beyond debate. The effect will happen. It is not a response to say it shouldn't occur, or that these Evangelicals are wrong or that they should know better. It will happen, and it will harm the GOP's position going into 2006.Completely beyond debate? Um, not entirely. John Podhoretz:
The presumption, therefore, that the defeat or withdrawal of her nomination will cause millions upon millions of Evangelicals to stay home more than a year from now in a snit over the loss of their "identity politics" candidate -- as opposed to participating in the political process, as good citizens of this country do -- strikes me as tantamount to saying that a large number of Evangelical voters are looking for ways to cut off their noses to spite their face.I agree with Podhoretz's take on this one. Evangelicals are becoming more and more politically savvy and realize that in order to maintain a voice in the party, they have to participate in the process instead of bolting every time they don't get their way.After all, whom will they be punishing? Bush? National Review? Charles Krauthammer? Rush Limbaugh? No, by acting in ways that may ensure a Democratic majority in the Senate, they will be punishing themselves, and they are sophisticated enough to understand that.
I think a lot of evangelicals recognize that Harriet Miers is a poor choice for the Supreme Court. I'm not saying she's a bad person, but it's a missed opportunity to put a more qualified person on the bench. Miers has little to no judicial experience, something that may be seen as a plus by some, but the person sitting in that seat should not only know what they believe, but how the law should guide their decisions.
Again, a missed opportunity.
Posted by slublog at October 12, 2005 10:32 AM
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