Ralph Reed—the evangelical activist and politician with ties to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal—has been enlisted by the Romney campaign to court evangelical voters.
Reed, who Romney once celebrated as a "real champion in fighting for the fundamental values that has made this country what it is," sent out mailers to evangelicals, suggesting President Obama's policies are as much of a "threat to freedom" as Nazi Germany or the Civil War.
As MSNBC's Al Sharpton reported on Tuesday's PoliticsNation, evangelicals make up 26 percent of the electorate. 73 percent of them voted for McCain in 2008, but evangelical and author Frank Schaeffer told Sharpton he doubts evangelicals will respond well to Reed's tactics.
"I don't think a lot of them will go for this. They know Ralph," he said, adding it's a last-ditch effort by the increasingly desperate Romney campaign. "Do they release Bernie Maddoff next to help raise money?"
Reed's attempts are quite similar to the rest of the GOP's get out the vote efforts, MSNBC commentator Richard Wolffe said.
"What he's trying to do—if this mailer is any indication of his tactics—is to drive up not a reason to vote for Mitt Romney, but a reason to vote against President Obama," Wolffe said. "That's an interesting dynamic that I think the whole Republican get out the vote operation really hinges on."
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Frank Schaeffer is a FORMER evangelical Christian. The liberal left uses scare tactics just like the radical right.
"Frank Schaeffer is a FORMER evangelical Christian"
ahhh? So he was hired for his good looks and after-dinner conversation?
Maybe he's good with an etch-a-sketch?
Or he might be the one tasked with removing the mobile phones at the door?
Or prompting the candidate with a signal to let him know that it is a 'joke'?
Or he might be tasked with translating 'southern'?
(The scrapbook? Stacking the piles of bills in the petty cash? Stocking the bedrooms with water, fruit, and hair shirts? Common person alert?.....)
Laying out underwear (special gloves training)?
Explaining the silly ideas that Christians have?
Ordering at fast food restaurants?
Fixing heavy duty roofracks?
He's not only good with sheep but he's also a mechanic?
While he mightn't know his history he certainly knows how to do a mail-out?
He knows how to use a quill?
He knows how to swear in Chinese?
"'Practicing Christian Fundamentalist and evangelical activist' was just a phase"?
Mormonism seems to provide a lot of scope for a misogynist? (Though it is a toss-up?)
Romney just has such pretty eyes?
[[Sorry: once a comedy writer always a comedy writer... But such brill material! I am happy to travel across the world for a chance to take a shot. It's a wonder there aren't a dozen exasperated overseas comedy hacks scribbling on your page every day. I mean, here in Australia politicians are, in the main, forced to use actual FACTS!!! And there are no magic underpants or dogs atop vehicles! Nor billionaires with barrels of cash or car lifts or Cable Channels that double as campaign green rooms. In fact it is downright boring in comparison. Chris you are soooo right about the remarkable brilliance and vivacity of your social discourse, however to an outsider it does look at times just a tad like a cross between a Disney musical and 1984.]]
Ralph Reed and the “Christian” Vote…
Over 2000 years ago a man the Son of God walked this Earth with a message. It was to be the New and Everlasting Covenant, for Christians around the world. The New Testament came with many blessings and many warnings. This man Jesus Christ summed up his message to the world and to all Christians in the Sermon on the Mount. To most believers in Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship. To Catholics the Beatitudes are the central message of the Sermon. For those of you that are not Christian or that are Christian but have not or do not read the Bible the Beatitudes are a great summary to refer too and they go like this:
The eight beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12 during the Sermon on the Mount are stated as Blessed/Happy/Fortunate are:
In Luke the Beatitudes are followed by the FOUR WOES, Woe unto to you:
The danger of “NOT” reading the Bible is that men like Ralph Reed can manipulate your Faith in God; these are the false prophets you were warned about. Ralph Reeds past behaviors betray his so called Faith. He has put himself out there as the voice of a Christians, yet has deceived and corrupted the message of Christ. Before you give your support to this morally bankrupt man with the corrupt message let me remind you of what he has done to you in the past:
(Olasky, Marvin, World Today News Christian Views, February 17, 2006) March 20, 2001 - Jack Abramoff (JA) and Ralph Reed (RR) are manipulating evangelicals for the benefit of their casino clients, and Mr. Reed wants his pay: JA writes to an associate that RR "is out of money. He has asked us to get another $250K asap." Here come the checks: "Pay to the order of Century Strategies [RR's company] Two Hundred Thousand Dollars…. Pay to the order of Century Strategies One Hundred Ninety-Eight Thousand Dollars."
Reed was named in the scandal arising from lobbying work performed by Jack Abramoff on behalf of Indian gambling tribes. E-mails released by federal investigators in June 2005 revealed that Reed secretly accepted payments from Abramoff to lobby against Indian casino gambling and oppose an Alabama education lottery.
You can look up the scandal yourself, but the point is he manipulated the Faithful. Ralph Reed now wants another go at it. Sending out a flyer that goes against everything that we are taught in the New Testament; it is deceptive, it bears false witness and again tries to manipulate the Faithful.
The Republican Party espouses that they are the “Christian Values” party, but they speak for the rich, they suppress the vote, they call democrats “Bleeding Hearts” as if that were bad, they say that caring for the poor, the sick and the disenfranchised is a bad thing, but making money and avarice are good things now. The GOP sows dissention among the races and the World Religions in the Name of God. Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
As a Catholic I try my best to be the best person I can be, Christ-like is what the Gospels ask. Ralph Reed has been everything but. Do not be fooled my fellow Christians, beware there are many out there that say they are Christians but are not following the message of Christ…Matthew 7:16 “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles?” If the message sounds NEGATIVE it is NOT “CHRISTIAN”…
Follow your heart you know what is right and what is wrong…Republicans have strayed…Listen to their words, are they Christ-like? Jesus Christ never turned his back on the poor, the sick or the disenfranchised… May God Bless you…
ralph reed is a snake oil sales man. he got caught with jack abramoff. he is looking for 31 million dollars. he will spend 12 million. so where does the rest of the money go? in hi pocket. he will fleece his own people. as far as being a christioan..........not so much. if he was he would not be saying all these thigs about the president or anybody. he is satan incarnate. again the christain right being lead to the slauter. he is satan incarnate.