You have spoken UNMISTAKABLY!

I want to thank all of you who took part in WWCP's first ever poll.

When asked who you think would make the worst President, you answered overwhelmingly that Hillary Clinton would. With 32 votes (65%), she received almost double the amount of votes of all the other candidates combined!

The only person even remotely resembling a challenger for the throne was Rudy Giulani, who received 7 votes (14%).

I found it particularly interesting that almost nobody caught on to the fact that "Other" includes the likes of Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and everyone else in the world. The hodge-podge category got only 1 vote (2%).

Also, it is clear that Mrs. Clinton maintains her position as Public Enemy Number One among conservatives, as Barack Obama (4 votes: 8%) and John Edwards (3 votes: 6%) didn't stand a chance.

Mitt Romney received 2 votes (4%).

Please vote in the new poll.

Ranking Their Positions: The Sanctity of Marriage

This is the second part in a series of posts focusing on the Republican presidential candidates' positions on key issues for conservative Christian citizens. The series could be nicknamed "Straight from the Horses' Mouths," because my primary resources are the candidates' official sites.
This post is dedicated to the sanctity of marriage.

1. Mike Huckabee:

Huckabee says that he is--and always has been--a proponent of a federal constitutional marriage amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman. Huckabee proclaims that no "other candidate has supported traditional marriage more consistently and steadfastly than I have." This proclamation goes right along with his claim to be the most pro-life candidate in the field.
Huckabee fervently declares his belief that "nothing in our society matters more" than marriage, since, as he puts it, our "true strength" comes from our families. He points out that the "growing number of children born out of wedlock and the rise in no-fault divorce have been a disaster for our society."
A proud husband of 33 years, Mike had success in the area of marriage as governor of Arkansas, signing a state constitutional amendment and helping Arkansas become "only the third to adopt 'covenant marriage.'"

Key Quote: "Our true strength doesn't come from our military or our gross national product, it comes from our families. What's the point of keeping the terrorists at bay in the Middle East if we can't keep decline and decadence at bay here at home?"

2. Alan Keyes:

Keyes picks the ultimate basis for defending traditional marriage: God's decree. "Marriage is the God-ordained covenant between one woman and one man that provides the essential societal support for families." He states that "God's plan" was for marriage to induce "procreation." Keyes rightfully declares that sex is not merely pleasure "for pleasure's sake," and that marriage is not self-serving, but sacrificial according to "God's will."
Although all that Keyes says is true, he fails to point out that marriage is still sacred and can still be God-honoring without the bearing and/or rearing of children.

Key Quote: "And I think that's what's involved in our debate right now — people trying to substitute an understanding of human sexuality that is really incompatible with the moral foundations of marriage life."

3. Duncan Hunter: (*No longer running: dropped out 1/19/08; endorsed Mike Huckabee)

Like Mike Huckabee, Hunter believes that Congress should pass a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage. In fact, he cosponsored and voted for a bill which proposes such an amendment "declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist solely of the union of a man and a woman."

Key Quote: "I firmly believe that marriage is one of the most important social institutions we have and that it is central to promoting family values and raising children in a healthy environment... I firmly believe that children need the unique influence offered by both a father and a mother."

4. Fred Thompson: (*No longer running; dropped out 1/22/08)

As President, Fred Thompson promises that he would endeavor to "strengthen the institution of marriage" as a union between one man and one woman. He supported the Defense of Marriage Act while he was a senator, and he supports the passage of a constitutional amendment "to prevent activist judges from misreading the Constitution to force same-sex marriage on any state and on our society." Whether this means he just wants the amendment to keep activist judges out of the states' hair, or whether he wants the amendment to define marriage for all the states, I do not know.

Key Quote: "Fred Thompson believes marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that this institution is the foundation of society."

5. Tom Tancredo: (*No longer running: Ended candidacy on 12/20/07, supporting Mitt Romney)

"Gay marriage" is the second-to-last thing listed on Tancredo's page of "Stands," listed after such things as Social Security and Agriculture and only before a short blurb about "Political Correctness." This apparently demonstrates the lack of priority status which Tancredo denotes to the sanctity of marriage.
However, Tancredo is solidly against gay marriage. He says that a federal constitutional amendment should be the last choice, but adds that, because of activist judges--and even mayors--we've reached that point.
Tom takes a different approach in his argument against gay marriage. Rather than pointing to the importance of strong, traditional, healthy family structure, Tancredo argues that the state's interest in marriage is procreation, and that is why it should support heterosexual marriage.

Key Quote: "Population is power. Society needs a young generation to defend the country in battle, to support its programs with taxes and to carry on its culture and traditions. The mere fact that two people are in a loving relationship does not matter to the state. Society supports traditional marriage because it is the only union which, in the ordinary course, leads to children, without the intervention of a third party."

6. Mitt Romney:

Romney follows in the footsteps of Tancredo, listing "American Culture and Values" as the next-to-last issue of his platform. He does, however, support a Federal Marriage Amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Reportedly, he has fought hard for marriage, saying, "I enforced the law that banned out-of-state same-sex couples from coming to Massachusetts to get married. I went to the court again and again. I testified here before Congress for the Federal Marriage Amendment. And I championed our successful petition drive that collected a record 170,000 signatures for a citizen ballot initiative to protect marriage."
However, Romney used to be softer and more moderate on the issue of gay "rights." In a 1994 interview, he said that the "gay and lesbian community needs more support from the Republican party." He criticized "extremists" and said that "People of integrity don't force their beliefs on others, they make sure that others can live by different beliefs they may have..." He was still against gay marriage back then, but he said, on gay rights, he was considered a "centrist and a moderate." Not good.
Furthermore, some claim that Romney actually helped to implement gay marriage when judicial activism forced it upon the people of Massachusetts just recently.
Of course, I'm not denying that a politician can change or strengthen his positions. But, again, we're faced with the fact that he is not only a politician (trying to garner the conservative Christian voting block), but also a Mormon. I cannot put any trust in his steadfastness.

Key Quote(s): "Last year the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck a blow against the family, as I'm sure you know. The court forgot that [traditional] marriage is first and foremost about nurturing and developing children. Its ruling meant that our society is supposed to be indifferent about whether children have a mother and a father...
"America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home."

7. Ron Paul:

I sort of chastised Tom Tancredo and Mitt Romney for putting the gay marriage issue, essentially, at the bottom of their lists of priorities. Then I checked out Ron Paul's website. He does not have anything about marriage on his list of issues. So I googled the topic. I came across an article written by him entitled "The Federal Marriage Amendment is a Very Bad Idea." Although he uses some good logic and makes some good points in the article, he comes to a bad, illogical conclusion--that we should not pass a federal constitutional marriage amendment.
Paul opposes gay marriage, of course, but, as in most cases, he is against the increased power of the federal government. I can't disagree with him there, but if the federal government wasn't supposed to have some power, then why does it exist? In my opinion, the power to enforce God's, tradition's, and nature's definition of marriage is legitimate and necessary.
Paul does support the Defense of Marriage Act, which keeps one state from having to recognize the marriage license of another state. Also, he supports the Marriage Protection Act, which serves to strengthen the DMA by protecting it from federal court challenges.
Paul says he is "sympathetic" to those who desire a constitutional amendment protecting marriage, but he says that he "respectully" disagrees with such people. Rightfully expressing that marriage is not defined by government (though that is beside the point), Paul fears that a federal marriage amendment would come back to haunt conservatives, saying, "Ironically, liberal social engineers who wish to use federal government power to redefine marriage will be able to point to the constitutional marriage amendment as proof that the definition of marriage is indeed a federal matter!"

Key Quote: "Because of the dangers to liberty and traditional values posed by the unexpected consequences of amending the Constitution to strip power from the states and the people and further empower Washington, I cannot in good conscience support the marriage amendment to the United States Constitution. Instead, I plan to continue working to enact the Marriage Protection Act and protect each state’s right not to be forced to recognize a same sex marriage."

8. John McCain:

In the same mold as Ron Paul, McCain apparently doesn't feel that the sanctity of marriage warrants a significant segment of his platform. Instead, he forced me to go googling again. With the assistance of that search engine, I discovered that McCain thinks a same-sex marriage ban is "unnecessary--and un-Republican." Again like Ron Paul, McCain feels that it is an issue which should be left up to the states and only addressed nationally in measures such as the Defense of Marriage Act. I can understand such reasoning, but I believe that marriage--like abortion--is the wrong issue on which to exert one's vehement states' rights' philosophy.
Moreover, my head is spinning from trying to figure out whether McCain is for or against civil unions. If it's difficult to figure out where a person stands, I am very wary of supporting them.

Key Quote: "What evidence do we have that states are incapable of further exercising an authority they have exercised successfully for over 200 years?"

9. Rudy Giulani

Rudy Giulani's valuation of the marriage issue is not quite as bad as Ron Paul and John McCain's, but slightly worse than Tom Tancredo and Mitt Romney's. Giulani's site lists marriage as the last of his "12 Commitments."According to his site, Giulani "has not--and never has--supported gay marriage. But he believes in equal rights under law for all Americans." In other words, he believes in devaluing marriage by giving the exclusive benefits of marriage to homosexual couples under the aliases of "domestic partnerships" and "civil unions." All I can say is, a skunk by any other name still stinks. And civil unions and domestic partnerships analogically stink. America should not be in the business of rewarding immoral and unhealthy lifestyles by providing pseudo-equal status to the honorable institution of matrimony.
Rudy has reportedly conservatized his positions somewhat recently, but , even if that type of pandering were worth anything, Giulani hasn't shifted his positions drastically enough. Besides, I'm not sure Rudy Giulani even knows what marriage is about. He's been divorced twice and married thrice, notoriously participating in an adulterous affair while still married and still mayor. Is that what we want in the White House? An unfaithful husband?

Key Quotes: "...he supports domestic partnerships that provide stability for committed partners in important legal and personal matters, while preserving the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman."

At least in appearance, the three leading Democratic candidates hold similar positions to Rudy Giulani (and even, perhaps, John McCain and maybe somewhat like Ron Paul), only more liberal. John Edwards, especially, is pandering hard to the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender community.

Average Rankings (after two issues) [***with Tancredo***]:

Huckabee: 1
Hunter: 2.5
Keyes: 2.5
Tancredo: 4.5
Thompson: 5
Paul: 6
Romney: 7
McCain: 7.5
Giulani: 9

**Notes: Keyes opposes civil unions, as do Huckabee and Hunter, although the latter two do not mention civil unions on their websites. Thompson considers civil unions "not a good idea," but would allow the states to make that decision. Tom Tancredo appears to oppose domestic partnership benefits. Ron Paul's position on civil unions is, in all likelihood, similar to his position on marriage--i.e., leave it to the states.

New Post Coming Soon...

I'm in the middle of working on my second post in my "Ranking Their Positions" series. I plan on posting it sometime tonight. So please check back tonight or tomorrow.

Huckabee Starting to Get Some "Big-Name" Christian Support

As a number of Christian leaders and conservative organizations began to pick sides (and James Dobson abstained from making an endorsement yet), I wondered, "Why are no Christians teaming up with Mike Huckabee?"

Well, finally, some are. Yesterday, Huckabee's website announced the formation of the "Faith and Values Coalition for Huckabee." This list of 30 Christian leaders includes such names as Michael Farris (Chair of Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College), Randy Alcorn (Founder and Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, best-selling author of 28 books, fiction and nonfiction), and Don Wildmon (Founder and Chairman of American Family Association).

Then, today, Huckabee announced the personal endorsement of Jerry Falwell, Jr..

This is a good start. Hopefully the momentum will continue.

Republican Debate; Tonight, 8 p.m. EST; CNN/YouTube

Ranking Their Positions: Abortion

This is the beginning of a new, massive undertaking I am starting that will summarize, analyze, and rank all the major candidates' positions on key issues. My analyses and summaries will be based almost entirely on the content found on the candidates' official sites.

First up is the topic of abortion. Articles following this one will address the sanctity of marriage, faith, illegal immigration, and any other issues which I feel can be hashed out from a solidly biblical foundation. Candidates who do not rank well will be demoted in or even removed from the "currently supported" and "potentially supportable" link sections. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Rudy Giulani, and Mitt Romney are already excluded from those sections, but Giulani and Romney will be included in this series for confirmation of my (and others') convictions against them.

1. Mike Huckabee

Huckabee claims to be the strongest pro-life candidate in the field, saying, "No candidate has a stronger record on the sanctity of life than I do." He advocates a constitutional amendment to protect life, and vows to fight for that amendment, if elected.Believing in the sanctity of life from conception, he touts a consistently pro-life track-record. Having first gotten politically involved because of the abortion issue, the former governor pushed for and got pro-life legislation through a Democratic Congress in Arkansas. He favors the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and he opposes embryonic stem-cell research. Saying that "there is a lot more that a pro-life President can do than wait for a Supreme Court vacancy," Huckabee promises an active pro-life presidency, if the people elect him.

Key Quote: "The many pro-life laws I got through my Democrat legislature are the accomplishments that give me the most pride and personal satisfaction. I banned partial birth abortion, I required parental notification, I required that a woman give informed consent before having an abortion, I required that a woman be told her baby will experience pain and be given the option of anesthesia for her baby, I allowed a woman to have her baby and leave the child safely at a hospital, and I made it a crime for an unborn child to be injured or murdered during an attack on his mother."

2. Duncan Hunter (**No longer running: dropped out 1/19/08; endorsed Mike Huckabee)

Hunter speaks out boldly--if a little bit arrogantly. He doesn't say he'd try to pass a right-to-life amendment as President. He declares that he simply would amend the Constitution. He himself has introduced an act that would defined personhood as starting at the moment of conception. This act, if passed, would provide the same practical applications of a constitutional amendment. However, it would likely come with less pains than the ratification process.Hunter vows that he would only appoint Supreme Court Justices who have "a heart for the least of us, including the unborn."Although Hunter has a consistently pro-life voting record, including the cosponsorship of several pieces of pro-life legislation, he lacks the accomplishments of Mike Huckabee.

Key Quote: "I would amend the U.S. Constitution and provide blanket protection to all unborn children from the moment of conception by prohibiting any state or federal law that denies the personhood of the unborn."

3. Alan Keyes

Keyes is staunchly pro-life, and he is probably the most eloquent presidential candidate currently running. For that reason, I will allow him to speak for himself on the topic of abortion: "The Declaration states plainly that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with our basic human rights. But if human beings can decide who is human and who is not, the doctrine of God-given rights is utterly corrupted....Some people talk about "viability" as a test to determine which human offspring have rights that we must respect, and which do not. But "might does not make right." So the mere fact that the person in the womb is wholly in its mother's physical power and completely dependent upon her for sustenance gives her no right whatsoever with respect to its life — since the mere possession of physical power can never confer such a right. Therefore, medical procedures resulting in the death of the unborn child, except as an unintended consequence of efforts to save the mother's physical life, are impermissible." Keyes supports the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the passage of a Human Life Amendment.
Concerning embryonic stem-cell research, he is just as eloquently defiant. "No — we do not have the right to take human life merely because it is unconscious, or because it is undeveloped or damaged, or for any other reason that tempts us to deny the equal dignity of all human persons.When we start making such invidious distinctions, we destroy the principle of equal rights. We can't claim rights for ourselves if we deny those rights to babes at any stage in their development."
Keyes considers himself a pro-life leader, and he does not shy away from making abortion the central issue of his campaign. In his "Pledge for America's Revival," he states that the next President must "appreciate that the single most immoral and catastrophic policy in our nation is tax-funded, legalized abortion — a policy that utterly disqualifies us from God's protection as a people." It doesn't get much more staunch than that.

Key Quote: "I think, in open debate, I could prove it to anyone — that Roe v. Wade was the most obscenely illogical and shoddily-written Supreme Court decision perhaps in the whole history of our country."

4. Tom Tancredo (*No longer running: Ended candidacy on 12/20/07, endorsing Mitt Romney)

Tancredo can't seem to stop talking about illegal immigration long enough to talk about abortion, yet he is strongly pro-life. He states plainly that "innocent unborn enjoy a God given right to life." He plans to protect this right as President by "appointing strict constructionists as judges, reining in the power of the judiciary, and supporting constitutional amendmentsthat respect life."
Unfortunately, Tancredo points to no past accomplishments--or even attempts--in the pro-life arena. However, he did receive an "A" from both the National Right to Life Committee and the Family Research Council. His site says that he has a reputation as a "solid pro-life...Republican."

Key Quote: "As a devout Christian, father, and grandfather, I am a strong believer in the right to life for the unborn child."

5. Ron Paul

Paul defines himself as the pro-life politician of action, stating, "Many talk about being pro-life. I have taken direct action to restore protection for the unborn." As a doctor who's practiced for 40 years and delivered over 4,000 babies (without ever considering performing an abortion), Ron Paul believes he has become "an unshakable foe of abortion" from his experience. He has authored and sponsored pro-life legislation.

Key Quote: "...there cannot be liberty in a society unless the rights of all innocents are protected. Much can be understood about the civility of a society in observing its regard for the dignity of human life."

6. Fred Thompson (*No longer running: dropped out 1/22/08)

Thompson is pro-life, but he is not the pro-lifer's ideal candidate, despite what the NRLC's endorsement of him may lead you to believe. He is somewhat vague on what actions he'd take concerning abortion, stating that he would use the presidency to "promote a culture of life." He supports the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but he does not support a constitutional amendment. He believes that abortion laws should be made individually by the states. That is a belief--held by several "pro-life candidates"--I cannot reconcile with myself. Murder is not a states' rights issue. Infanticide is not a states' rights issue. Just as slavery should not be a states' rights issue, neither should abortion.
Thompson does claim a pro-life Senate record. Furthermore, he opposes embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning. However, he once lobbied for a pro-abortion group, and he recently made an insulting comment that implied that pro-lifers want to "criminalize" young women.

Key Quote: "Fred Thompson is pro-life. He believes in the sanctity of human life and that every life is worthy of respect."

7. John McCain

During this campaign season, McCain has tried to appeal to conservative voters by magnifying his pro-life status. He is for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it a "flawed decision" (not nearly as strong of language as Alan Keyes), but he is vague on what he would do after Roe v. Wade is overturned. Like Thompson, McCain is apparently not in favor of a constitutional amendment to protect life. His website states that "Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states."
He appears to be against embryonic stem-cell research, saying that "the compassion to relieve suffering and to cure deadly disease cannot erode moral and ethical principles." He voted to ban "fetal farming" and made other moves against ethically-questionable modern technology and research, but World Magazine points out that he is still for some level of embryonic stem-cell research.

Key Quote: "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy."

8. Mitt Romney

Romney takes a pragmatic view towards abortion. He wishes Americans were united enough to nationally outlaw abortion, but he knows we are not. So, he would attempt to return the lawmaking authority to the states in the meantime, by overturning Roe v. Wade.Although Romney advertises himself as staunchly pro-life, he believes that abortion can be the right choice in cases of incest and rape, and in the situation where the mother's life is at stake (an almost nonexistent scenario; take it from Ron Paul). Furthermore, he's only been pro-life for about 2 1/2 years. There's not much track-record there. In 1994, he ran to be Senator of the Massachusetts, claiming in a debate, "I do not take the position of a pro-life candidate." Since he is a Mormon, and since his transformation happened conspicuously close to this election cycle, I cannot place trust in his conversion on this issue.

Key Quote: "What became clear during the cloning debate is how the harsh logic of an absolute right to abortion had cheapened the value of human life to the point that rational people saw a human embryo as nothing more than mere research material to be used, andthen destroyed."

9. Rudy Giulani

Giulani "personally opposes" abortion, but he believes the decision should be left up to the individual pregnant women, and he has said that he would not sign a bill that bans abortion. Giulani's site states that "Rudy understands that this [abortion] is a deeply personal moral dilemma, and people of good conscience can disagree respectfully." Sorry, Rudy, but I can't disagree with you respectfully and vote for you, when you are so off-base on this issue. Giulani believes in "reasonable" restrictions on abortion. Again, Rudy, sorry, but the only "reasonable" restriction on abortion is a complete ban. He makes a very deceptive statement that he will "protect the quality of life for our children." He won't protect their lives in the womb, mind you--he will just protect the "quality" of their lives if their mothers are willing to have them in the first place.
Furthermore, he makes no mention of embryonic stem-cell research, cloning, or euthanasia.

Key Quote: "I will increase adoptions, decrease abortions, and protect the quality of life for our children."

"...Christian President..." Linked from Mike Huckabee's Website

Okay, so it's not all that big of a deal, since the link is found at the bottom of a list of a couple hundred blogs at least. But, still, I thought it was worthy of note as I try to increase the visibility of this site, one blog at a time. Huckabee's site may be the biggest one this blog ever gets linked from.

~Kingdom Advancer~

Uh-Oh, Fred.

In my opinion, Mike Huckabee is pulling away from Fred Thompson as the best conservative candidate.

Read this article about Fred Thompson on abortion.

A Very Harsh Indictment of Christian Leaders...

Read the article entitled "The Shame of Evangelicals" over at Pastor Dave Mason's blog.

Notice that he doesn't even mention Pat Robertson, almost as if he is implying that Robertson isn't worthy of being mentioned.

p.s. I, personally, wouldn't "name" Dobson. He may have made a poor statement on Hannity & Colmes TV show, but he's been pretty steadfast. Also, I can't verify the statement about Fred Thompson having to have his mom make him go to church.

Christian Consistency

This post is another portion of my upcoming article explaining more fully the impetus for this effort.

Christians can change their minds (in political lingo, “flip-flop”) just as easily, quickly, and drastically as your ordinary unbelieving Joe. In the circumstances of a Christian turning from error, this is an occurrence which calls for rejoicing. But this should not be the norm, especially when pertaining to fundamental precepts and basic moral principles. Paul exhorts Christians that we “are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming…” (Ephesians 4:14) In Romans 12:2, he says to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) We, “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2 Corinthians 3:18) We are not to “be conformed to this world,” (Romans 12:2) with all its varying political and philosophical views. Paul warns us, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
As Christians, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-28). When the storms come, we will stand firm. We built our beliefs, our faith, and our selves on the Rock of the Word (Jesus and the Bible). All others build on sand, so that even if they build the same structure, their edifice will not endure.
Such is the case with Mitt Romney. He has just recently become conservative on some issues, most notably abortion. Is his transformation permanent? Or will he “flip-flop” back again? Will his “house” survive when the storms of activists, arguments, and pressures of public life, political correctness, and principalities persistently lay siege?
To paraphrase little-known presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, I love Road-to-Damascus conversions. But Road-to-the-White-House conversions? Not so much. You simply can't depend upon them to be credible or permanent. It’d be one thing if Romney had converted to Christ (or should I say, a real relationship with Christ). He did not. He’s openly Mormon. His "house" is built on sand. And though he could be conservative the rest of his life, he just as easily could deteriorate into liberalism. Not that Rudy Giulani is standing on any more solid of ground. He can’t digress to pro-choice and pro-gay positions and poor familial relationships—he’s already there.

In the interest of full and honest disclosure, I must confess that I do not know with absolute certainty that any of the Christian presidential candidates are on much firmer of footing. I do not know their hearts. However, by analyzing their actions and statements, I believe that there is a much higher probability that they are.