Clearly, it’s time for a third party.
With Tim Pawlenty out of the presidential race, it is now fairly clear that the GOP candidate will either be Mitt Romney or someone who makes George W. Bush look like Tom Paine. Of the three most plausible candidates for the Republican nomination, two are deeply associated with a theocratic strain of Christian fundamentalism known as Dominionism. If you want to understand Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, understanding Dominionism isn’t optional.
Put simply, Dominionism means that Christians have a God-given right to rule all earthly institutions. Originating among some of America’s most radical theocrats, it’s long had an influence on religious-right education and political organizing. But because it seems so outré, getting ordinary people to take it seriously can be difficult.
[…]
And a recent Texas Observer cover story on Rick Perry examined his relationship with the New Apostolic Reformation, a Dominionist variant of Pentecostalism that coalesced about a decade ago. “[W]hat makes the New Apostolic Reformation movement so potent is its growing fascination with infiltrating politics and government,” wrote Forrest Wilder. Its members “believe Christians—certain Christians—are destined to not just take ‘dominion’ over government, but stealthily climb to the commanding heights of what they term the ‘Seven Mountains’ of society, including the media and the arts and entertainment world.”
[…]
Dominionism derives from a small fringe sect called Christian Reconstructionism, founded by a Calvinist theologian named R. J. Rushdoony in the 1960s. Christian Reconstructionism openly advocates replacing American law with the strictures of the Old Testament, replete with the death penalty for homosexuality, abortion, and even apostasy. The appeal of Christian Reconstructionism is, obviously, limited, and mainstream Christian right figures like Ralph Reed have denounced it.
What about the media conspiracy to ignore Ron Paul????
He tied Bachmann in Iowa, but got no press God damn it!
Because it works so well in the middle east. No shortage of nutjobs in the GOP.
There is a third party, it’s called no party. Don’t be some frackwad Heavens Gate member. Cult members should be shunned, hospitalized or exiled.
Even though he has denied it in the past, Uncle Dave’s recurring desire for another term for Obama comes through loud and clear with his wish for a 3rd party.
“Clearly, it’s time for a third party”
Jesus talked to me last night. He said not to vote for Perry.
Clearly, Americans prefer God over debt.
If Obama gets a pass on his religion (“Mustn’t question his beliefs!”) so should everybody else.
I’m sure, if she were still alive, Tammy Faye Bakker would be the media’s first choice for going all the way.
Politics has become a media circus, and the more outrageous the personality, the more attention the media slathers on the candidate. It is like those damn idiots the Kardashians.
Someone rational, with good old boring ideas, will be shunned as a ratings downer.
Lincoln would have been shunned by today’s media.
This is the age of the Commercial Presidency (R), from stem to stern.
We need less parties not more. We need Politicians who can think on their own and what the people who voted for them want. Not follow a agenda or take party lines even if you feel they are wrong. We need people to be react before a crisis and not band aid a impending failure. A dictatorship could be more effective then what we have now.
7 lotsof luck
When did Obama get any pass? Peoplehave done nothing but question both his religion and his assumed religeon for 3 years.
A Dictatorship is the lazy man’s government.
You want Big Brother to tell you what to do, how to think, what constitutes your choices and liberties?
Government should be a battle of ideas, policies, actions, with the most rational thoughts winning over halfassed thinking, through vigorous debate.
What we have now is not a contest of ideas, but a big show of battling egos and pandering interests. No one destroys the others’ ideas, they just spout new garbage, while ignoring the issues, in the hope that the larger public doesn’t care or notice.
Only Ron Paul seems to have anything rational to say, and by normal standards, he’s a kook.
#1, Tell me about. This is really ticking me off. Now if I could just figure out a way to solve the problem . . .
I see the issue more as we need to get rid of religion from our society rather than a call for new/different political parties.
No reason not to recognize both statements are true?
It’s very simple, look at politician X. Ask if there are more SUVs on the road and more urban sprawl now than when they took office. If not, vote for someone else. Priorites, people.
#9, That is part of the problem we have now!
We have 2/3 of our government elected via popular election, saying whatever the mob wants to hear to better their chances on election day.
If we could go back to just 1/4, things might get a little better.
Sorry dude I’ve never heard of the movement it’s so big. Since I do run in the circles that should know if such a movement is big I’m pretty sure this is mostly regressive propaganda.
Since you brought it up I looked it up at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominionism I must say I’m mighty impressed. There actually is a body of people who discuss the idea and support different views relating to it. Most likely not as many as playing old maids but it at least it isn’t a total fabrication.
Uncle Dave is just out rooting for Obama.
Here’s you problem. When it comes to Obama I don’t need to walk by faith or by things unproven. I know what the man has done and what the man has said. If I forget I can look it up on YouTube.
I believe a Chicago Minister summed Obama up about the time he was elected by using Obama to define the phrase long legged Mac daddy.
Obama doesn’t know how to solve our nations problems. Obama has taken a national economic crises and converted it into a much larger crisis that may make the great depression look like the good old days.
A one eyed sow with hog lice may not be as pretty as Obama, dress as sharp as Obama, be as smart as Obama, or smell as good as Obama but it would have a hard time being a worse President than Obama. If it did nothing but stuff its face and defaecate it would still do less damage to nation than Obama has done.
Too late the Mormons have already taken over the FBI the CIA and now Romney is coming on strong. My wife thinks the Mormons might save us from the Muslims. Who’s having the most babies? Do the math.
Northern Europe is lost already. The US is next unless us white people start pro-creating. Oh, that’s right we want to “save the earth” and not have any more children. Suckers!
I jes’ luv bible-and-pud-thumping Republikins who figger they got as fur as stating Obamer is rong-eddicated and wont jine theyer golf club nohow.
Not even as waiter staff like the other Nigrows who knows their playce.
And that’s enuff fur them.
A third party is a non-starter.
The electoral college guarantees that only a repub or dem will will.
Why?
California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Washington will always vote Dem, while:
Most flyover states will always vote Repub.
And independent simply cannot win enough states because what’s left isn’t enough to gain enough votes.
So any talk of a third party is wasting breath.
You don’t have to be “for” Obama to be “against” idiot GOP theocrats.
In the case of Obama, my problem is that he isn’t ballsy enough and he doesn’t force enough confrontations with congress to get an agenda through.
He pretty much watered down his entire presidency because he insisted on trying to get Republidiots “on board”, not understanding that they didn’t give a crap about the country but only opposing anything he wanted — including their own ideas restaged.
The debt ceiling and downgrade pretty much smeared crap on everyone in office except the judiciary.
#17 and #18
I’d rather have a Mormon who knows what he’s doing than the current administration which doesn’t have a clue.
Don’t know Obama, but pretty sure he and his wife believe the Earth is more than 4000 years old.
You’re a fool if you think that the earth is only biblical in age. Those same people that don’t believe in the age of the Earth and claim scientist “don’t know,” get on Airplanes everyday.
“Let me get this straight, the scientist who can’t figure out the age of the Earth, went to the same school as the scientist that invented your airplane.”
Ignorant fools are the worst leaders. Think about it.
I don’t know if it’s possible to have a viable 3rd party but it’s not far fetched at all in my mind that an independent could win this time around.
Obama at the moment is linked to a terrible economy. That’s going to be hard to overcome. The Republicans are likely to shoot themselves in the foot and nominate someone who is going to be very unappealing to anyone on the left or in the middle.
I think the American public on the whole is fed up with both parties.
A centrist candidate who doesn’t have strong links to either party (past links might be forgiven) has a real shot.
“A centrist candidate who doesn’t have strong links to either party (past links might be forgiven) has a real shot.”
Currently, that would be Obama.
Newsweek/The Daily Beast must really be getting desperate. Look at the articles Michelle Goldberg has published and you will never find a bigger steaming pile of crap.
Just another attempt by DU to slam religion with some obscure article with the requisite goofy photos below the caption.
Please post a well written thoughtful article on a mainstream topic. Quickly, before someone uses jeebus!
Yea, verily.
#25 foobar
What about Bloomberg?
Agree and have always said the greatest threat to our personal freedoms and way of life is the Christian Taliban infiltration in government. The church’s continued tax free status, cash only business and illegal collusion and influence in government needs to stopped.
I call for immediate arrest and incarceration for Taliban leaders found to contribute money and resources to candidates while enjoying tax free status on the backs of working Americans.
There have been drunks, idiots, senile, morons, religious nuts, and all manner of people running the country – it’s survived.
Unless of course that this pisses off the dark lord cthulu – then you’re screwed
# 9 jescott418 said, “A dictatorship could be more effective then what we have now.”
You think you’re not living in a dictatorship?
# 13 bobbo, “we need to get rid of religion from our society”
That would be ideal to those of us who realize the religions have raped and pillaged the Earth since time immemorial. I’d settle for religion to be kept out of politics but that’s equally unlikely. Couldn’t we, at least. keep them out of the WH? Easter egg hunts, Iftar dinners… No, I guess not.
# 22 Ah_Yea said, “I’d rather have a Mormon”
Oh, nut please not a Mormon theocracy! I like fucking naked!
# 25 foobar said, “A centrist candidate…might be Obama” I disagree about Obama. He TRIES to be centrist but his innate leftism just keeps dragging him off center. Watch to see Perry try to portray himself as centrist. Democrat turned Republican, Algore campaigner to Algore detractor. The Left will see him as someone who is, at heart, a Dem while the Right will see him as a true convert.
# 27 Cap’nKangaroo said, “What about Bloomberg?”
A Democrat turned Republican turned Independent? I don’t know. We’ve elected a black man and have accepted the idea of woman in the WH but, are we really ready for a Jew? OTH, it might be fun just to see how al Qaeda reacts? Oh, and we have, as a nation, always preferred tall presidents. A short, Independent Jew who lives with a woman out of wedlock? Got MY vote.
“The Left will see him as someone who is, at heart, a Dem while the Right will see him as a true convert.”
Oh, you just might have nailed it.