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January 20th, 2012
01:13 PM ET
Why Gingrich 'open marriage' allegation may not scare off evangelicalsBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor Not so fast, say some evangelical leaders and experts. Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s second ex-wife, Marianne, made the “open marriage” allegation in an interview that aired Thursday night on ABC News. But because of political circumstances and the way Gingrich parried a question about the accusation during Thursday’s CNN debate, the episode may cause relatively little fallout among evangelical voters, who are expected to make up about 60% of the vote in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. Some say the drama may even help Gingrich among such voters. “To a degree, it will give [evangelical voters] pause, but there’s a much more insatiable appetite to defeat President Obama,” said David Brody, chief political correspondent at CBN News at the Christian Broadcasting Network. “Gingrich has never claimed to be a patron saint,” Brody said. “People have known for years about Gingrich’s marriage issues. In a way, his well-known history of troubled marriage works for him here.” CNN moderator John King opened Thursday’s debate in Charleston, South Carolina, by asking Gingrich about whether he would like to respond to the allegation. “No,” Gingrich responded to mounting applause, “but I will.” "To take an ex-wife and make it, two days before the primary, a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine," Gingrich went on, calling the allegation “false” and provoking a standing ovation from the debate audience. It’s a safe bet that evangelical Republicans were among those clapping. “The press is so unpopular with Republican voters that his answer helps him in the short term - it was a tactically brilliant answer,” said Richard Land, the public policy chief for the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest evangelical denomination. “Whether it will work strategically is another question,” Land said. The Christian Broadcasting Network’s Brody said that Gingrich’s response to the “open marriage” question “took a weakness and turned it into a strength.” “Evangelicals have been bashed by the media for decades, so this is a common bond he’s able to play up with them,” he said. “He was able to develop a kinship with evangelicals over this last night.” Brody said that Gingrich has spent lots of time on the campaign trail discussing stances that matter to evangelicals, like opposition to abortion and confronting radical Islam. Land said the allegation from Gingrich’s ex-wife may hurt the candidate in the long run because it reminds voters that he was seeing his current wife, Callista, while married to his second wife. Gingrich has admitted to his affair with Callista, whom he married in 2000. “This reminds people that Callista is the other woman,” Land said, “and that the other woman could become the first lady.” Gingrich’s evangelical backers have not shied away from discussing his past marital problems. In a conference call with evangelicals last week, Gingrich spoke extensively about his failed marriages. “We're all quite aware that there was a season in Speaker Gingrich’s life in which his lifestyle was unacceptable,” Jim Garlow, a prominent evangelical pastor who was on last week’s call, said in an e-mail message. “He does not defend it. Nor would any evangelical. Nor do I.” “He is as flawed as King David in the Old Testament,” wrote Garlow, who helped lead the campaign to ban gay marriage in California in 2008. “However, that did not keep God from restoring King David and using him after his moral failures, for the benefit of the entire nation.” Still, even before this week’s allegation from his ex-wife, Gingrich’s personal baggage had given many evangelicals pause. “Forgiveness is not the issue here, trust is the issue,” Land said. “Redemption is something that’s in our code as evangelicals, but trusting someone with the presidency is something entirely different.” |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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@facelessdrone thats funny,i think the same thing of obama.
Don't beat yourself up over it...there are droves like you keeping both evangelicals and GOPers milking this country for all it is worth. Funny/sad part is that you'll be convinced it was the "other guys" the whole time.
The issue isn't about marital affairs and open marriages, these are all issues between Newt and his ex-wife(s). The issue is hypocrisy; Newt was part of the Republican hooligans that pursued President Clinton during his exposed extra-marital trist. He and his gang went as far as impeaching him because the former President tried to hide his personal issues from public judgment (and he had that right). Newt tried to use the legal authority of Congress to morally judge the President, but now he cries about receiving the same treatment. The issue is about his integrity as one who comdemned others for his same fault; that is the defninition of hypocrisy.
Clinton's impeachment was actually about lying under oath. Remember Clinton's lame "definition of 'is'" cop-out?
In the GOP world, the oath to the US for "is" is more important than the oath to God and "I do"
For "small government" people, they sure are interested in my bedroom activities. Also, quick to point fingers at others for doing the exact same thing. Reminds me of the playground bully who always cries "He hit me first!"
oh and no one does that shaw everyone else is pure of heart.
Finally, someone who understands the bottom line here. Newt has no integrity! BDM only scratched the surface of this man's flawed character. We are in real trouble if he makes it to the White House.
@c. shaw: And what was he lying about under oath, dummy? Something that his philandering, hypocritical Republican persecutors had no business asking him about. And Newt, of all people, was leading the charge! It was one of the most revolting and sleazy episodes in our nation's recent history and Newt Gingrich was largely responsible for it.
@ Lewd Swingrich
and yet you Demonize the only actual Family Values man in your own President. Why are ALL you GOPers such hypocrites?
Bill Clinton is Disbarred and convicted of Perjury, no hypocracy in opposing him at all.
You cannot simultaneously be a Republican and be a Christian.
Sure you can, didn't you know Jesus only covered 70% of his healing miracles? The rest had to be paid out of pocket! He also collected co-pay for all the people he saw, then sent home saying "Take an asprin, come back tomorrow if it still hurts"
How do you define a Christian and how do you what others can or cannot do?
*know
Can a person be a Democrat and a Christian?
good question shaw why don't you google it.
If Jesus was a Republican when it came time to multiply the fish and bread to feed the masses he would have said, "I have mine, go get your own."
Yet until 1949 one was required to be a registered Democrat to be a Ku Klux Klan member and worship Ba'al.
I don't understand this statement. Are you being sarcastic?
Amazing how evangelicals can be so blind to the behavior of their leaders...they truly are a cancer in our country..I for one do not want to live in a theocracy with these nuts running it...
Then you don't have to.
Don't worry David. None of this even matters because Obama will win his 2nd Term. At best, all this shows is who will NOT be POTUS in 2016 – none of these GOP contenders are electable.
Denial is a river in Egypt for the social conservatives, why stop at Newt?
Next in the GOP playbook, tell us how bad President Obama is for being a serial monogomist! GOP the party of poligamy!
It seems that the GOP wants their best hypocrite as their nominee.
I'll see your offshore accounts and "not much money" speaking fees and raise you impeaching the President for having an affair, while having an affair!
A cloud doesn't know why it moves in just such a direction and such a speed, it feels an impulsion....this it the place to go now. But the sky knows the reason and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.
The evangelicals aren't rejecting this hypocrite because nobody is more of a hypocrite than evangelicals themselves. Their 11th commandment is "do as I say, not as I do." Gingrich fits right in.
I see you're afraid to live up to standards.
so off shaw
Shaw = boob
If Obama has cheated on 2 wives the GOP would be shouting in the streets about how unethical he was.
What does this tell you?
If your a white republican its ok
Then it is ok.
Come on, Newt . . . parade your daughters out here again so they can tell us how you didn't abandon ship, you just slipped and fell into the lifeboat.
Seriously, would you take a cruise on any ship of which Newt was the captain?
That is up to you.
"President Gingrich of the U.S." would be the equivalent of Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia.
@timz...........well played, my friend. The comment of the year so far.
Bad media, bad reporters, doing what they are supposed to.... Reporting!
Newt's extramarital affairs would be a resume-enhancer if he were a Democrat.
Yeah, because you see how we embraced John Edwards after he cheated on Elizbeth, right? Why can't you rethugnican'ts ever say anything that isn't a blatant bare-faced lie?
You guys embraced Clinton after he had 2 affairs. Remember "it's the economy, stupid?"
Ya that kind of character really helped out senator weiner shaw.
Nobody, not even evangelicals, cares if a man cheats on his wife. Everybody expects it, sadly. Those that complain are really complaining about something else.
Democrats came down hard on Edwards because he was sneaky about it. They forgave Clinton because he was powerful and a democrat. They despise Gingrich for it because, well, they despise Gingrich.
Republicans hated Clinton for lying and cheating because he was destroying their power base. They support Gingrich because, well, they think he might have a chance against Obama.
Virtually no voter ever cares about infidelity, even if they say they do.
But he's not which just makes him a hypocrite.
Many modern "Christians" beleive Jesus died for their sins, so they might as well use them while they can!
Ha ha! Good one. So true. May as well sin since they will be forgiven in the end! What a good deal!
Sin bravely, that grace may abound!
whackity schmackity doo
Does it matter that he used to be an evangelical and now he's not?
Does it matter that the butterfly was once a caterpillar? It is an illusion.
Does it matter that he is insane? Because he still is.
That is up to you Ironicus.
"'He is as flawed as King David in the Old Testament,' wrote Garlow, who helped lead the campaign to ban gay marriage in California in 2008. 'However, that did not keep God from restoring King David and using him after his moral failures, for the benefit of the entire nation.'"
This is exactly why the problem with religiously motivated voters.
What are your flaws? Are you a more perfect being than those you describe?
Reality is divinely indifferent.
True enough, but didn't Richard Bach also say:
"You teach best what you most need to learn." 😉
Why? It's simple. Evangelicals want ANYONE other that a Mormon, except of course a Muslim or a Hindu or a black or an atheist or an agnostic or a Buddhist or just about any other religion.
Newt can let his little newt go wherever it wants and do whatever it wants as long as he accepts Jesus as his savior he is forgiven.
He could murder a baby and if he repented it'd be K with God cause Jesus did a suicide for our sins.
That's why Newt would be the best president.
Lewd thats a stretch man.
It doesnt matter what politician gets elected. We'll still get F#@$$ in the @$$.
We will if that is what we want.
It's the republicans who will blast you in the @$$ or the democrat who is already blasting your @$$ either way we still get our @$$ blasted and none of us win
I was just going to mail them all asking if they wanted to buy my vote. It's what they do once they're in office anyways. I might as well get in on some of that cash
If he can't stay loyal to his wife I highly doubt he'll stay loyal with us the people.
This is only interesting in that it may partially explain a modest and probably transient uptick in support for a candidate who may not win in a single primary. Let's give it a name: "The Pity Vote". Poor Newt is being picked on by the media. Let's help that poor man.