Although there have always been contingents of Americans intent on imposing religion on the population, members of the government and politicians were aware that doing so is contrary to the wishes of the Founding Fathers and patently unconstitutional. In 1980s when Americans elected a B-actor as president in large part with assistance of evangelical fanatics, he instantly gave religious fundamentalists an opening in government that Republicans have perpetuated leading to the current danger of theocracy to the nation.
Since most Americans and the preponderance of politicians and judges are terrified of openly opposing evangelical fanaticism threatening America’s fragile secular democracy, it appeared that it would be no time at all before the voting population flocked to the polls to elect an evangelical freak as president. Although George W. Bush did not win the election in 2000, the conservative Supreme Court appointed him as president and Americans got a glimpse of what happens when a religious fanatic is in the White House. Now, according to a new survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, it appears that Americans learned their lesson and are very uncomfortable at the prospect of another evangelical president.
There has not been any good news over the past few years when a new survey’s results are released, but the latest survey revealed some good news about the American people. Their opposition to an evangelical president was just one aspect of the good news, and it is very good news indeed. It turns out that not only are Americans not the least bit enamored at the prospect of an evangelical fanatic as president, they are, by a large majority (61%), much more supportive of a gay or lesbian occupying the White House than a religious Republican seeking to rule according to Christianity. The survey’s results were not only bad news for the likes of perennial presidential candidate, former Arkansas governor, and Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee, it does not bode well for any of the Republicans throwing their hats in the ring.
Republicans should be concerned about the survey’s results not because there are any gays or lesbians seeking the Democratic nomination, but because every Republican who has declared their intent to seek the nomination, as well as those expected to announce they are running, are anti-gay rights and evangelical fundamentalists with varying levels of religious fanaticism dictating their politics. In fact, it is part and parcel of the Republican Party brand to be closely aligned with the religious right and opposed to not only LGBT equal rights, but women’s rights as well because they are biblical candidates even though they are loathe admitting it.
For example, nearly every Republican who has announced they are running, and those who are yet to enter the fray, are openly opposed to marriage equality and support a Constitutional amendment prohibiting gays from marrying the person they love. They are all also, like all Republicans in Congress and state legislatures, religiously opposed to women’s reproductive rights going so far as to support absurd ‘personhood’ laws to criminalize abortion and contraception regardless that both positions are extremely unpopular with mainstream America; including the majority of voters in extremely religious Republican states. Personhood and anti-contraception laws, like bans on same-sex marriage, are, however, very popular with most Republican politicians, the religious right, conservative Supreme Court, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The good news is those groups are in the minority as the survey’s results clearly reveal.
Obviously, the new survey reveals that overall there has been steady growth in support for LGBT Americans’ equal rights and it is truly astonishing that over 6 out-of-ten Americans are more comfortable with a gay president than a religious fanatic. However, and this is sad, their support is likely not solely predicated on the belief that gay rights are a civil rights issue, or embrace the idea that the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equality before the law extends to all Americans. It is anecdotally more likely that more Americans discovered they have someone in their immediate or extended family, close circle of friends, or workplace acquaintances that are members of the LGBT community. However, why Americans support equal rights for gays, or that they are comfortable with a gay or lesbian president, is not as important as finally acknowledging that no American warrants being singled out for discrimination or denied their constitutional rights. What is important is that more Americans find it difficult to demonize, or support politicians and the religious who demean, a member of any demographic whether or not there is a personal connection or familial relationship.
It is also likely that the survey’s results reflect the premise that a majority of Americans are just sick to death of hearing daily that evangelical fanatics and their Republican facilitators are seeking various judicial and legislative means to impose religious tyranny on certain members of the population and realize it is just a matter of time before they or a family member becomes the target of Christian fanaticism. That too is a good sign that more Americans understand that historically any religious fundamentalists are a danger to everyone.
Maybe Americans are not as stupid or as full of hate for other Americans as evangelical fanatics including every Republican running for president. It is also evident that they recognize the clear and present danger of any evangelical in a position of power; including the current crop of Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for president because their politics inform they are all evangelical fanatics. One generally despairs at the results of recent surveys and polls, but that is not the case this time and the best news is that it appears that Americans have turned a corner and are supportive of an LGBT person running for the nation’s highest office against Republicans who are all evangelical fanatics.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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If a pollster called me and asked me that question, I would laugh....! And then I would hang up.
Why
Because we need more from a president than this. We need to stop with the "first black, first woman, first LGBT, first snake-handling Pentecostal president garbage. Here's a thought: How about the first president that can balance the damn budget?
OK Homework when has the budget ever been balance? No cheating
WOW! Just WOW!! Then you want Bill Clinton back in the White House!
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/02/the-budget-and-deficit-under-clinton/
Sorry, but I think there's something in the Constitution that now prevents Bill Clinton from a third term ... so you'll just have to settle for HILLARY!
Facts ... they have such a LIBERAL bias
I always love this "cut and paste" ignorant and vile Republican talking point, Robert.
Yes, the time is for more white men to be president, like that change agent - insert any: Jeb Ted Scott Rick...
We have had too many jewish gay black women hispanics in office, time for it to be all white christian men for the next 45 administrations again.
And Hillary told it like it was when she was confronted with fears about going back to those Bill Clinton years. She said at a rally:
What part didn't you like - the peace or the prosperity?
Say the same for all recent democratic presidents in comparison to the GOP of poverty and war. You folks destroyed me during that 12 year reign of terror. Bill SAVED ME and countless others like me.
My daughter went to college and we bought a home by the time he left office. We were doing the happy dance for Bill.
Middle class people writing their kids college tuitions off their taxes made it more affordable for us little people.
And the clean air act. Thank you Bill.
William Jefferson Clinton: contrary to the Dot Com myth, Bill Clinton balanced the budget, warned the right about Al Queda and managed to reduce the jobless numbers for a while! He beat impeachment too! This happened because we voted with quickness and the Republican cheat machine was not quite in effect! 2016 will be different! The Diebold machines will be out! Armed police will be out! We will simply arm ourselves throw away the machines and have the Second American Revolution . Remember: No Taxes without Representation! Then we'll drink the tea and throw the Tea Partier in the drink!
This is great news! Maybe the GOP has pushed the hate envelope to the max...hate gays, hate women, hate immigrants...when I ask a Republican what they are FOR, all they can mumble is God, Guns and Constitution. That's it. They speak in catch phrases like Sarah Palin...no meat there, just handy little bumper sticker garbage that means nothing when you talk about governing a nation as large and diverse as ours. I do hope this poll is accurate, and that Americans are coming to the conclusion that the GOP is for nothing but their own wealth and prosperity. They obviously aren't worried about their afterlife, or they would be Democrats, caring about all people and not just male white ones.
You're not deaf... and we don't mumble.
Yes Robert the Right Wing doesn't mumble but they DO babble incoherently so six of one and a half dozen of the other.
At the very least the White House would look FABULOUS!!!!
Karma will visit. And vengence is mine sayeth the lord. The one that makes me shudder is "build a fence" or their many "catch phrases" for anyone who is not, as you said, a white male.
dj, how can I do homework without looking up the answers? But without looking I have a memory of Bill Clinton balancing the budget at least once in his term of office. But I also know he benefitted from a great economy, and he stopped almost all military spending. He comes out looking like a hero and the next guy gets the bill so the military can function again. How'd I do?
But you still toe the American Taliban line. I wonder why?
Military spending fell 11 straight years from Reagan to Clinton.
Dot Com Bubble: purely a Republican myth! After the initial crash, the budget remained balanced due to the arrival of the service and product Dot Coms. Republicans hate that part!
I simply don't understand "American Taliban line" other than just a gratuitous cheap shot. Just talk to me dj, quit scoring points.
Bill Clinton achieved his balanced budget by not paying his bills. He left them for the next (Republican) president to have to come up with the money.
But he left the republicans a surplus then what happened? I know but please enlighten us
Really. If Clinton left, leaving a debt for the "next" President to pay down, where did the huge tax break that G.W. instituted come from? Why did he claim that there was this big surplus that he needed to return to the people? And then went on to create the worst deficit spending of any president.
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-clinton-surplus-became-a-6t-deficit-2013-1
Robert, your claim that Bill Clinton balanced the budget by "not paying the bills" to be left for the next Republican POTUS to pay is pure weapons grade BULLSHIT!!! Why do you think that we never lived in those times and REMEMBER or all of the recorded media that proves you WRONG! I worked for a company that THRIVED AND GREW!!! during the Clinton years after years of DECLINE under Saint Ronnie Ray-Gun! and Bush Sr. and DIED!! during the first 4 years of the Cheney/Bush dictatorship.
I'm over my head here, but I as said before; it was a false surplus. Some of that had to go back to shore up our armed forces. Just a guess: When did the dot com bubble burst? I don't think the first Bush got the benefits of the same roaring economy Clinton did. If you know, don't make me guess.
Google is your friend.
dj told me I couldn't cheat and look it up..
So it was up to Dubya & Cheney to restore the military/
industrial beast to it's former glory with the Clinton ad-
ministration's surplus, right? Then those two geniuses
just couldn't wait to play with all their new toys and we
don't have to google "fubar" to learn how that went down.
One great Tax cut during the Bu$h regime after Clinton's Balanced Budget did damned little good for the National Debt.
Solution- stop electing Republicans.
You said that right.
Works for me!
Can you imagine how fabulous the state dinners would be?
Looks as if Robert's dumbass board Has started to smolder.