John McCain Courts the Radical Right Religious Vote

© 2007

Yes, yes, I know. The airwaves have positively been sizzling over Barack Obama's "close association" with "racists" (in the form of a church which seeks to support "black culture"). What I've heard repeatedly is that, if the subject of John McCain and his courtship of racists even comes up, it isn't "relevant." Frankly, I fail to see how it is anything other than relevant. If we should at all be concerned by the beliefs of those the candidates praise or rely upon for guidance, whether spiritual, tactical, or what-have-you, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. To that end, let's take a look at John McCain and the beliefs of those he has actively courted support from, publicly praised, and identified as holding beliefs similar to his own.

John McCain actively sought and openly embraced the endorsement of John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel and the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. McCain has stated that although he doesn't believe everything that Hagee espouses, Hagee "has supported and endorsed my candidacy, supports what I stand for and believe in." McCain has said several times that he is "honored" and "pleased" by Hagee's support. When asked directly about Hagee's twisted views, John McCain responded, "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support."

Very proud. Honored. Pleased. Thinks Hagee, believes in what McCain stands for.

What does Hagee stand for? It's quite a litany. Hagee believes

• That the Catholic Church is the Great Whore of Babylon-- "A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years"

  • Claims Hitler was a Catholic
  • Claims Catholicism is a "false cult system"

• Despite his support of the state of Israel (as a necessary precursor to the Second Coming of Christ), Hagee is anti-Semitic. He believes the Jews have brought their persecution upon themselves

  • It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of anti-Semitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people.

• That gays caused Hurricane Katrina to destroy the city of New Orleans

  • there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. ...All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are—were recipients of the judgment of God for that.

• Another reason for God's wrath, Hagee claims, was the Bush administration's pressure on Israel to abandon settlements and the land associated with them. Therefore, God took American land in a tit for tat exchange during Hurricane Katrina.

• Believes that the United States is at war with all Muslims, not just the "radical" Muslims

  • Islam, in general, those who live by the Koran, have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews.

• Also believes that Israel must be defeated by a Russian-Arab military alliance, perhaps preceded by a U.S. invasion of Iran, in order to usher in Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus.

Of course, given the incessant pressure on Barack Obama to repudiate racism and anti-Semitism, this is the story that will not go away for McCain. The more pressure that is placed on Obama, the more likely pointed questions will be asked of McCain, by citizens, if not by the mainstream media. To the extent that they already have been asked, McCain's tepid excuse is that Hagee claims his statements have been "taken out of context." I'm sure that I am not alone in wondering what possible context could justify Hagee's intolerant and bigoted statements.

But this alone is not the extent of McCain's seeking for spiritual guidance (as well as electoral support). On February 26, 2008, McCain appeared onstage with and seeking the support of Rod Parsley. No shrinking violet himself, Parsley is as equally bat@!$%# crazy and intolerant as Hagee, and just as influential amongst the bigoted and intolerant Christian Dominionists who seek to destroy America's secular government.

I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed... what some call "extremists" are instead mainstream believers who are drawing from the well at the very heart of Islam.

Get that? Not only are we in conflict with Wahhabists, the Islamic radicals who fuel Al Qaeda and are responsible for the most intolerant aspects of Islamic culture, we're in a battle to destroy Islam itself.

Of course, that particular bit of support isn't going to come back and bite a potential McCain presidency directly on the @ss.

And that isn't the full extent of Parsley's particular brand of intolerance. He also blasts the usual suspects

• Gays
• Immigrants
• Civil libertarians
• The Separation of Church and State
• He also calls for making adultery a crime prosecutable by law
• and believes that Planned Parenthood is comparable to the Nazis

In response to Parsley's endorsement, McCain called Parsley a "great spiritual advisor."

Why would McCain court the endorsements of such bigots and racists? One answer is that without the Religious Right (who actively seek the destruction of America's soul) McCain can't possibly win the general election. A republican party split along religious lines might be unable to withstand either a Clinton or Obama campaign. On the other hand, it may be a simple case that McCain isn't particularly sensitive to the politics of racism:

On his campaign bus recently, Sen. John McCain told reporters, "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." Although McCain said he was referring only to his prison guards, there are many reasons why his use of the word "gook" is offensive and alarming.

It is offensive because by using a racial epithet that has historically been used to demean all Asians to describe his captors, McCain failed to make a distinction between his torturers and an entire racial group.

It is alarming because a major candidate for president publicly used a racial epithet, refused to apologize for doing so and remains a legitimate contender.

Published on Thursday, March 2, 2000 in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

McCain's "gook" statement didn't really catch fire back in 2000. It certainly wasn't taken as a firm indication that McCain is racially insensitive, especially after McCain went after televangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as "agents of intolerance."

But since then, McCain has made his peace with Falwell. That flip-flopping is far from the only changeabout which McCain has done in his desperate bid for the Presidency. He used to be against overturning Roe v Wade, now he's for it. He used to be against Bush's tax cuts, now he's for them. He used to be against a gay marriage ban, now he's for it. He used to be against racism, now he seeks the endorsement of bigots, and himself endorses speakers such as George Wallace Jr (at his 2005 address of a White Supremacist meeting). He's opted out of campaign finance restrictions, although he used to be for them.

Gone are those days when McCain viewed the Religious Right as dangerously intolerant. In 2005 and 2006, Jerry Falwell was one evangelical whom McCain consulted about a possible 2008 run for President. The same man who eight years ago condemned George Bush for speaking at Bob Jones University claimed in 2006

I met with Reverend Falwell... We agreed to disagree on certain issues, and we agreed to move forward. I believe that speaking at Liberty University is no different from speaking at the New College or Ohio State University

Which of Falwell's beliefs did he agree with Falwell to disagree on? The evils of desegregation? The unacceptability of interracial marriage? The desire to overturn Brown v Board of Education? Falwell's contention that feminists and gays were responsible for the attacks of September 11th, 2001? Falwell's dismissal of other religions, including other versions of Christianity, as false?

The disturbing picture that emerges is that McCain, if one were to approach the question of inherent racism and the willingness to brush racism under the rug, is far more dangerous by all possible measures than Barack Obama.

Let's be clear, no matter what else may be said about either man, when attention was turned to the beliefs of those who support them, Barack Obama disavowed Louis Farrakhan in particular and racism and anti-Semitism in general. John McCain, on the other hand, is proud to be supported by bigots, and honored that they would support his candidacy-- because they are "great spiritual leaders."

And that says it all.

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