God Endorses Guiliani

James Joyner | Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Josh Marshall, somewhat obliquely, makes an excellent point about today’s endorsement of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid by televangelist Pat Robertson.

Giuliani’s claim to the presidency is based on his service as mayor during and immediately after 9/11. What stops him from being a shoo-in for the nomination is his track record supporting abortion rights and gay rights. But, Robertson is on record saying that 9/11 was America’s punishment for its sinful gay-loving, abortion permitting culture.

Upon reflection, this makes perfect sense:

God ordered the 9/11 attacks.
The 9/11 attacks helped revive Rudy Guilani’s stalled political career.
_________________________________________________________

∴ God wants Rudy Guiliani to be president.

QED.

UPDATE: Mark Ambinder presents a complementary explanation:

Both Giuliani and Robertson share an apocalyptic worldview about the clash with [radical] Islam; for Robertson, it is religious and based in biblical prophecy. For Giuliani, it is secular — but given his 9/11 experiences, just as personal.

Evangelical Christians cite the war on terror as their chief policy concern, and it is not that surprising that Giuliani, who is more identified with an aggressive prosecution of that war than any other candidate, is doing well among evangelicals. It’s not that they ignore his views on social issues; it’s that they see the war on terror like he does: black-and-white, good-versus-evil, a struggle for the soul of civilization.

Makes sense.

UPDATE: Blake Hounshell agrees.

What I think many political analysts are missing about Rudy’s enduring popularity among conservatives is that the war on terror is a religious issue to them, and it trumps all the others for many. Many religious conservatives view Islam as an existential threat to their faith and their way of life. Rudy speaks to their fears.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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Tags | James Joyner Abortion, conservatives, gay, Pat Robertson, Rudy Giuliani, The Clash, The Presidency

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