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April 10th, 2012
04:33 PM ET
With Santorum suspending campaign, some religious conservatives wonder how to proceedBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - Evangelical activist Michael Farris was not exactly surprised that Rick Santorum suspended his campaign on Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean that Farris, a longtime political organizer, knows what he’s supposed to do now. “Right now my choice is to sit on my hands and do nothing or to actively try to find some alternative” to Mitt Romney, Farris said in an interview shortly after Santorum's announcement. “Some of us just have a hard time supporting a person who said he was going to be more liberal on gay rights than Ted Kennedy,” said Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, referring to remarks Romney made in a 1994 letter. Farris’ reaction is a stark emblem of the disappointment among religious conservatives over Santorum's announcement, and a reminder that Romney’s enthusiasm deficit among the conservative evangelicals who form the GOP’s base hasn’t gone away. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories “There are two kinds of disappointment today,” said John Green, a religion and politics expert at the University of Akron. “One is felt by people who care a great deal about social issues, especially white evangelicals, who are uncomfortable with Mitt Romney.” “And there’s another group who really liked Santorum,” Green continued, “and were quite excited about him not only because of the social issues but because they saw him as representing this positive role for faith and values in a society.” The conservative and largely evangelical Family Research Council said in an email to supporters Tuesday night that Santorum's announcement "was clearly disappointing news for those looking for a nominee who understands and articulates the connection between the social and fiscal challenges facing America." "His historical run for President achieved remarkable success because his campaign was based not on money spent, but on the pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-freedom message he carried," the Family Research Council email blast said. Religious conservatives were the key to Santorum’s unlikely rise as a serious presidential candidate. Conservative evangelicals and Catholics were drawn to Santorum as much for his personal story – he is a conservative Catholic and homeschooling dad of seven – as for his outspoken advocacy against abortion rights and same-sex marriage as a U.S. senator. While polls showed him at the back of a seven-person pack just weeks before January’s first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, Santorum won a plurality of Iowa evangelicals, who accounted for nearly 60% of the electorate. That support laid the foundation for a first place Iowa finish. After Santorum’s primary loss in New Hampshire to Mitt Romney - and days before Santorum would lose to Newt Gingrich in South Carolina - conservative religious activists convened in Texas and congealed behind the former Pennsylvania senator. With strong evangelical support, Santorum went on to win primaries and caucuses in 11 states, even as Romney racked up more than twice as many delegates. Not all conservative religious activists are as dead-set against Romney as Farris, who is also chancellor at Patrick Henry College, a school for homeschooled youth. “Barack Obama will unite conservatives and people of faith more so than any single Republican candidate can hope to do,” said Mat Staver, an evangelical Christian who leads the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel. But Staver said Romney would have to work hard to excite social conservatives. “He’s going to have to make some intentional steps to reach out to evangelicals and religious conservatives,” said Staver. “It would be a mistake to assume he has every vote from evangelicals and religious conservatives locked up.” At the moment, plenty of other conservative activists say they’re still in wait-and-see mode about the primary season. “It’s very likely that he’ll end up the nominee, but he’s not he nominee yet,” said Steve Scheffler, president or the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, about Romney. “He was never my first choice, but I’ll support him because the alternative is something we can’t live with. “But I’m not ready to throw my support to him yet,” Scheffler said. soundoff (1,591 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Next »
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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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You sound like a liberal guy on the far left of the issues. If I may ask you...What is your belief? If you do, i invite you to debate me on any issues. Also, I would like to know your academic credential...How far did you go in academic? Are you smarter than me? I take your comment as offensive and insulting and i challenge you to a tedhinical and challenging discussion. I am waiting for you reply.
I am smart GOP than you think. Yes, I am a Catholic and a conservative. It's an error people make you moron. get it.
Again, I am a black Catholic who happene to be a good citizen and republican. I am proud to be one. You liberal folks are really stupid when you potray others as iliterate ...What about you? What do you think you are? Obama has been a failed president. Just accept the fact. He is black and I am black. I don't like hhis policy. He is not going to win.
My name is Andre Mutabeli .... good citizen ...Do what is best for this country.
"Andre Mutabeli
Andre's Spelling Coach
Maybe if you spent more time at school than at church you would have learned how to spell.
Your lack of an education fits you right in with the GOP's agenda"
This just has to be Poe's Law at work. It's just too funny.
Have you considered getting a real education. It is abundantly clear you have ZERO writing skills. It also appears that English is a second language for you. In addition, it is equally obvious, you have no freaking clue.
Why does this guy keep claiming to be Black? What possible difference does it make? All he is demonstrating is that illiterates and wackos of all types belong to the religious right. So what?
It cracks me up that Andre misspelled "illiterate".
I'm with most of the posters here. I agree with whoever said "send em to Antarctica to vote".
Why pollute Antarctica? Send 'em to hell since they seem so well-acquainted with it.
The lead-in to this story was , "Where do religious conservatives go?" I have a suggestion.... to hell.
I agree. IDIOTS & FOOLS
I think the religious conservatives need to grow up and realize that the rest of us don't want their religion to make choices for us. When you eliminate choice, you eliminate freedom. Is there no room in your idealism for personal moral choices, or must you legislate them all for us? Take your ball and go home.
To be right with God, we simply place our faith in that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and came back to life the third day after His crucifixion, making Jesus our Savior and Lord.
Oh Shut up. You religious fools make me want to throw up!
Good riddance Rick...You will not be missed you idiot!
There are plenty of people in the world who believe plenty of fables. I truly don't care, until they begin to push their fables down my throat. Believe what you want, but once you start imposing your fantasies upon me, you are no different than the Taliban.
I don't want to live under a Christian theocracy any more than I want to live under an Islamic theocracy.
I totally agree with your sentiments, and i am a christian (but not a conservative).
What would Joseph Smith do?
He would start another bank pyramid scam, like the one that got him lynched.
Ol Joe got shot...wish it had taken longer to die for him....FOOL!
Where do atheist liberals go?.....STRAIGHT TO HELL WHERE THEY BELONG!!!!
*laughing at you, hypocrite*
Where do religious conservatives?
Back to their caves where they belong.
No such place as hell, except in your deluded little mind.
The mind-numbing stupidity of your liberal, atheist retorts, show a lack of understanding of your maker. Your arrogance not to believe in a power higher than yourselves will surely come back to haunt you.
So....just to get this straight? I should go to a make believe place that was created by people thousands of years ago that were scared of where thunder came from? No thanks I will stick with Science (Read: Facts) for all my answers.
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man" – Thomas Jefferson
"In the affairs of the world, men are saved not by faith, but by the lack of it."- Ben Franklin
Rob, your inability to use commas correctly will surely come back to haunt you.
Here:
"Let's eat Grandma!"
"Let's eat, Grandma!"
Get a clue, dingus. Threats of damnation from morons like you don't scare me in the slightest.
They'lll drop to their knees, grovel before their imaginary god, and beg to be told what, oh what, to do; then their pathetic little minds will lead them down whatever path is the meanest and most destructive to freedom for anyone who doesn't share their supernatural delusions.
Outspoken? The Federal Government already has a Defense of Marriage Act as part of the US code, and most Americans are pro-life? I suppose CNN thinks social conservatives are "outnumbered" when they are a majority.
Most Americans are pro-CHOICE. Quit listening to Fox propaganda and try listening to actual news!
You dare use the term "pro-life". Pro-life is a coined phrase developed by a public relations firm to alter the perception of negativity. Pro-sounds better than anti anything. Pro-life is nothing but anti-abortion and anti-choice. Most rational people are cognizant of these facts. People claiming to be pro-life, predominately opposed the Affordable Healthcare Act which will save thousands of lives by affording "live" people the opportunity to see a doctor on a regular basis. Something that approximately 60 million people can not do at this time. Pro-life my backside. Call yourselves what you are and stop trying to give a different impression than what you are.......anti-abortion.
After listening to these ignorant inbred bigots for the last year the answer to your question "where do religious conservatives go?" Id say"straight to hell I hope"!
And good riddance.
Andre's Spelling Coach
Maybe if you spent more time at school than at church you would have learned how to spell.
Your lack of an education fits you right in with the GOP's agenda
You sound like a liberal guy on the far left of the issues. If I may ask you...What is your belief? If you do, i invite you to debate me on any issues. Also, I would like to know your academic crdential...How far did you go in academic? Are you smarter than me? I take your comment as offensive and insulting and i challenge you to a tedhinical and challenging discussion. I am waiting for you reply.
I am smart GOP than you think. Yes, I am a Catholic and a conservative. It's an error people make you moron. get it.
Herp derp. It's smarter than I. It's...oh, why bother? You've made so many idiotic mistakes I doubt you can even read.
I think Andre needs a spelling coach!
Who cares where all the religious people go now to vote? I would love to seem them all go to say Antarctica, or Western Australia, but we can only dream.
USA to religious whackos: go to Hell
Try listening to Mother Nature instead of praying to Jesus. Things in the world might get better.
I hear the Taliban is looking for narrow-minded religious zealots who want to impose their beliefs on the rest of the world and take women's rights back 100 years. Go vote for them.
Prayer changes things .
Religion is not healthy for children and other living things
Ah....how many wars have been fought, how many zillions killed in the name of god?
I pray to the Easter Bunny. My prayers are answered at the same rate as yours. Go figure!
The media are determined that it will Romney and Obama because that is the surest way to secure a second term for Obama. Santorum was right when he said that Romney would be the worst possible choice for Republicans. Romney is the poster boy for the 1 percent. He is also a Mormon. Republicans should now focus on the future rather than the past and unite behind Gingrich. He is very smart, very experienced, and seems to have matured. He could debate Obama, Romney could not.
Please remove the E7 from your screen name . You embarrass me. Gingrich is a disgrace. He is a liar. He has anything but morals or family values and you think he should be President? The only Speaker of the House ever removed from that position for ethics violations. The only Speaker of the House that ever had to pay $300,000 for an investigation in reference to his ethics violations and you think he should be President? How did you make E7? My guess would be longevity. It definitely is not because of intellect.
The religious right is so small and unnecessary that it is really irrelevant. They didn't have an impact with Santorum, who expects them to have an impact in the general election? After all, they can vote for a Christian who actually believes in their faith (Obama) or vote for a guy that believes in magic underpants (Romney). But in the final conclusion, the Christian right is irrelevant.
The alternative to Romney vote in the Republican Parry is greater than the pro-Romney vote. Evangelical Christians still matter.
The Taliban is looking for religious zealots who want to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of their country and take women's rights back 100 years. Go vote for them.
You hit the nail right on the head Krippendorf. There isn't one whits worth of difference between a christian fundamentalist and a muslim fundamentalist!
Go Obama 2012 baby!!!!.
gotta get back to my p0rn shoot. Ohh Wait i gotta snort some c0ke. this will ease the pain when im getting pounded by blackzilla