A few days ago, I did a little post on here in regards to Round 3 of an attempt by dominionists to force an acceptable GOP candidate--or they're going to take their ball and run to the Constitution Party.
In the post, I had noted how--either way--it is good news for the Democratic Party; especially in the case of a Constitution Party split, there is a likelihood that the situation that got Bill Clinton handily elected in 1992 could repeat itself (with the Constitution Party and GOP splitting the vote and giving Hillary Clinton a win against Giuliani--this is, of course, a "worst case" scenario).
Apparently, I'm not the only one concerned. Surprisingly, it seems, OPeration Save America is thinking the same thing--and trying to prepare their troops for likely defeat, even as the dominionist "in-church" GOTV engine ramps up to promote the Constitution Party as a "real contender".
By now, a lot of posts have appeared here on DailyKos in regards to the Dominionist Bloc of the GOP essentially throwing their ultimate trump card--having the CNP members, including both dominionist-friendly neocons and dominionist groups, instruct their members to vote for a "third party" (most likely the Constitution Party) due to practically no candidates that are electable being suitable to dominionists.
This has been threatened in 1996 and 1998, but both times a suitable mollification was found--however, as noted in yesterday's post, there is an increasing unwillingness to compromise by the "old guard" and by the dominionists, and a near absolute drought of candidates who are ideologically acceptable to dominionists at all (much less who are electable by non-dominionist "old guard" folk in the GOP).
Apparently, I'm not the only one seeing this. One of the most damning bits of dominionists recognising they haven't got a prayer short of a coup (no pun intended) is from one of the groups that has had some of the closest historical links to the Constitution Party--Operation Save America.
For those unfamiliar with OSA, they are essentially a group founded from the remains of Operation Rescue to "expand their focus beyond abortion"; they are among the more extreme of dominionist groups (including having documented links to the infamous "Army of God" domestic terror network linked to clinic bombings, assassinations of clinic workers, and Eric Rudolph's bloody reign of terror bombings throughout the Southeast US including at a gay bar and Olympic Park), including being particularly infamous for having disrupted Congress when a Hindu priest delivered invocation. They also have very close connections to "Joel's Army" groups, as well as "Christian Patriot" militias.
Of note, Operation Save America has also been historically very active in promoting the Constitution Party--though it's started to claim even they aren't being "Christian Enough" by not being so hardline against abortion (the Nevada Constitution Party affiliate isn't emphasizing so much the whole "let's make abortion and even providing the birth control pill a capital crime" aspect, which makes OSA cranky).
So, to put it mildly, it is rather surprising to hear explicitly defeativist stuff from OSA--essentially telling their followers "We're screwed--don't even try to fight it".
The first missive is actually from 2004, and was reprinted in 2007--showing even then, the real internal power struggle going on in the GOP with people promoting electability of candidates versus dominionists who wanted the party to toe the line:
HILLARY CLINTON – GOD'S MAN TO BRING US TO OUR KNEES
(Originally written in 2004 by Flip entitled WE ARE BEING SET UP IN 2008)
Mark these words... The Republican Party has been, ever so carefully and stealthily, preparing the way for the nomination of its first "pro-abortion" candidate to run for the Presidency. If you doubt it, just look at the prime-time speakers during the Republican National Convention - Arnold, Rudi, Pataki, ad nauseam. They are all pro-abortion
We are praying that all the laborers in Christ will continue to fight the good fight and plead the case of the fatherless to win it. The lives of unborn children are depending on us. Be encouraged in your lonely battle - you are building a platform from which to launch future generations into the fray.
Most Christians voted this year for President George W. Bush. Dr.'s Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, the American Family Association, David Barton, Ralph Reed, and a host of other Christian luminaries gave their strong support for George W. Bush. However, there was a prophetic little cadre of people who truly believed, "our vote is the currency of our virtue," and voted for the man who stood for Christ, no matter the cost. The Constitution Party! (It should be noted that as of 2007, in many states, the Constitution Party has now left its strong pro-life platform.)
It is this small group of Constitutionalists that is preparing us for the election in 2008. For all who have eyes to see there is really no one in the Republican Party coming behind President Bush who will be able to carry the torch. No one that is, who is even nominally pro-life.
Just listen to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly. All are patting these pro-abortion Republicans on the back. These great "conservative" television and radio talk-show hosts are preparing the way for a pro-abortion Republican candidate. Conservatism is no friend of Christianity. It always compromises principle for it has never found a cause for which it is willing to die. It is pretend salt.
We are being set up by God Himself.
Even then, though, the Constitution Party was still being pimped (even as it was criticised for some of its affiliates not being hardline enough--and that should tell you something on OSA right there--if the Constitution Party isn't hardline enough for them...) even as they were calling Hillary a Jezebel:
The Republican Party, seeking to do all that it can to stop Hillary, will deliver us a pro-abortion candidate. "It's the only way we can defeat her!" will be its whine, "Anybody, but another Clinton !"
What will you do then my fellow Christian? Will you stand with a treacherous Republican Party against Clinton and cast your vote for death? Or will you finally vote for the One you call Lord! Yes, will you finally stand with Him, against all odds, and proclaim with your vote that Jesus is Lord and there is none other?
Mind you the decision will be hard. It will fracture the Republican Party thus paving the way for the election of an avowed enemy of the cross. Many of your Christian friends will tell you that if you vote for a third party candidate (Constitution Party) you will either be throwing your vote away, or worse, you will be responsible for bringing "Queen Hillary" to the Presidency. But it doesn't matter what your Christian friends say - it only matters what Jesus says.
However, more recently, it seems that even Operation Save America has outright admitted that if the GOP splits that a Democratic win is inevitable--even in a worst case scenario like a Hillary Clinton vs. Rudy Giuliani vs. Roy Moore runoff:
Hillary Rodham Clinton is God's Man
By Flip Benham
It appears that the political arm of the Christian Right is attempting to save the Republican Party from its own inevitable self-destruction. It cannot be done! The Republican Party has no intention of honoring God or His Word, and God has every intention of bringing this Party to an ignominious end.
The election of Hillary Rodham Clinton as president of the United States of America in 2008, will be the seal and the end of a failed Party that sold its birthright for a mess of pottage. It had ample opportunity to stand for God and His Word. It controlled the presidency, the Senate, and the House, yet it chose to compromise those issues (abortion, homosexuality, Islam) for which the world and the devil are steadfastly contending. It chose peace with the devil, rather than war with him.
. . .
Now, another arm of the political Christian Right has correctly assessed the mess the Republican Party is in and is trying to tip the scales in a different direction. Dr. Dobson has brought forth Newt Gingrich as a possibility to run in the 2008 presidential election. Why Newt? He is pro-life (sort of). Otherwise, we Christians will be trapped by the Republican Party into voting for a pro-choice candidate. Never mind that Newt is working on his third marriage. So what if he has been involved in several peccadillos over the years - he's pro-life isn't he?
Dr. Dobson is trying to straighten that which God has made crooked. It will not work. God has one word for the Republican Party and for those who are trying to fix it - ENOUGH!
Interestingly, the missive continues (as did the last missive) to the effect that there is not--even if all the "twenty percenters" turn out to vote straight Constitution Party tickets--enough of a "critical mass" of dominionists to take over via the ballot.
In fact, the tone seems to be preparing dominionists for Hillary Clinton to be a tribulation for dominionists of sorts--God's own punishment in the form of the Democratic Party:
Well then, Hillary will be president for sure, and just look at her character. Yes, she will be president but it will not be with the approval and blessing of the Church of Jesus Christ. She will be a sign and a judgment upon the Republican Party and, in particular upon the Church of Jesus Christ, that the salt has lost its saltiness and is good for nothing.
Hillary's election my friends, is God's doing. Yes, Hillary Rodham Clinton is God's man! She is the hammer God is using to bring His Church back to Himself. That's right! Hillary is the hammer God is going to use to bring the Church of Jesus Christ and those lost in the Republican Party morass to repentance.
Long before the Republican Party sold its birthright for a mess of pottage, the Church of Jesus Christ surrendered its birthright to enemies of the cross of Christ. We dare not mention the name of Jesus at any Republican function for fear of being viewed as politically incorrect. We dare not stand where God wants us to stand (on His Word) on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, or Islam for fear of being viewed as unelectable.
We have surrendered rather than fought hard and lost. We have chosen the path of cowardice and compromise and then expected God to honor it. It will never happen! Now we must face the horrible truth of what we have done and what we have become.
(The "mess of pottage" is a reference to the last missive, wherein the Republican Party leadership is compared to Esau in "selling its birthright" for the purpose of an electable candidate.)
The article goes on to note that apparently Dobson has liked the idea of Newt Gingrich as a candidate--but at the same time, OSA considers him unelectable due to extramarital affairs. And this, my friends, is pretty much WHY there is going to be an inevitable split in the GOP--dominionists in 2008 have pretty much applied "purity tests" to the point that practically all the candidates save for Sam Brownback are wanting, and any potentially ideologically compatible candidates are considered unelectable by the rest of the GOP (Brownback because he IS a raving dominionist, and Jeb Bush because...well, he's a Bush, and Dubya shat the bed on Bushes running for office till at least 2012 according to GOP conventional wisdom).
Needless to say...if dominionists don't think they have a prayer short of a coup...well. I think "interesting times" (in the Chinese curse sense) may be beginning for them politically.
An indication of how "interesting" the times are getting is from an Americans United press release, which indicates that the dominionist electioneering engine (which--illegally--uses churches as a major portion of campaigning for specific candidates and parties) is already gearing up to pimp a potential Constitution Party bid:
In a joint letter Oct. 1, the Alliance Defense Fund, Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America and the James Madison Center for Free Speech attacked Americans United for allegedly intimidating evangelical pastors who want to speak out on social issues.
. . .
AU’s Lynn said James Dobson, Tony Perkins and other Religious Right leaders must be worried that evangelical clergy are continuing to reject their plan to politicize churches.
Dobson and Perkins recently participated in a top-tier Religious Right meeting to discuss a possible third-party nominee for president if Republicans advance a candidate who fails the movement’s litmus tests on abortion and gay rights. Evangelical church support would be critical to make that move viable politically.
"I suspect that this joint letter is laying the groundwork for a third-party presidential gambit," said Lynn, who is an ordained minister. "I doubt if it will work. More and more pastors are catching on to the Religious Right’s con. They realize that the Religious Right wants to turn their churches into cogs in some candidate’s political machine, and they want no part of it."
. . .
Ironically, one of the signers of the Religious Right letter, Dobson’s Focus on the Family, was subjected to a year-long IRS audit over allegations of partisan politicking. Dobson, more than most, should know that the IRS takes this matter seriously.
Ah, yes, interesting times indeed.
And not a moment too soon.