World Affairs Brief, May 2, 2008. Commentary and Insights on a Troubled World.
Copyright Joel Skousen. Partial quotations with attribution permitted. Cite source as Joel Skousen’s World Affairs Brief.
CHUCK BALDWIN WINS CONSTITUTION PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT
I was delighted to hear that Pastor Chuck Baldwin won the Constitution Party nomination for president over the very talented Alan Keyes. Alan Keyes is a good man. He ran against Barak Obama for the Senate race in Illinois, but his being part of the black minority didn’t help him garner any endorsements from the establishment. He was TOO conservative and the media hates black conservatives. Keyes is a dynamic speaker with few peers, but (in my opinion) sometimes plays to the audience too much with catchy phrases designed mostly to drum up applause and trigger religious fervor-at the expense of more substantive discussions. These kinds of speeches play well to the conservative-Christian choir and provide political excitement, but ultimately narrows the candidates appeal by turning away those who aren’t interested in organized religion or who are suspicious of a flamboyant preacher-type style.
In the brief of April 18th, I brought up the problem of the traditional political approach of the Constitutional Party being too narrowly focused on its core supporters–all ardent evangelical Christians. If the party is going to grow it needs to more closely emulate Ron Paul’s approach by championing liberty for all without excessive religious rhetoric in speeches–which makes non religious conservatives uncomfortable about using the role of government to enforce religious values (where there is no violation of fundamental rights to life, liberty, property and family covenants).
Those who know my political writings know that I do support an elected officials’ right to make reference to and appeal to God (even in prayer) as part of his service to the nation, but he should do so judiciously and sincerely since pushing God openly is a favored political ploy of the most ungodly politicians. Bill Clinton, for example, would use the name of God (in vain, of course) just to impress naive Christians. Then there is George Bush Jr., wily enough to verbally support being “Born Again” while maintaining his furtive allegiance to with the satanic power cult/club Skull and Bones.
I’ll take an honest, straight-talking statesman like Ron Paul, who follows conscience in his daily walk with Christ, than one of the many charismatic televangelist preachers like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Billy Graham and others who compromise with the world in order to gained access to high level establishment leaders. The personal prestige that gained by such associations is illusory. The establishment despises religious leaders who seek their approval and fail to see they are being played the fool.