Speculation has been that the opportunist who made a name for himself by
Ousted Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore is focused on trying to get his job back but will not rule out a third-party run for the presidency that could threaten President Bush's re-election chances.
At a recent speaking engagement, the man who became famous for his defense of a Ten Commandments monument was asked during a question-and-answer session whether he would run for president, reported Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund.
"Not right now," Moore said, according to Fund, who noted Moore's friends say he is undecided about whether to run for president or to wait two years and seek Alabama's governorship.
Moore most recently claimed the spotlight at a gathering of influential supporters of the religious Right in Atlanta.
About 700 conservative Christians gathered at an Atlanta church yesterday for a rally that included Governor [Sonny] Perdue, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore and three Georgia Republicans vying for a U-S Senate seat.
The Christian Coalition's 2004 Family and Freedom Kickoff was held at Mount Vernon Baptist Church.
Members of the coalition — considered some of the G-O-P's most loyal and active voters — listened to speeches supporting the war on terrorism, advocating a ban on gay marriage and pushing the public display of the Ten Commandments.
If Moore can sway enough supporters of the Republicans toward a third-party candidacy, he will have achieved a feat not accomplished since some Christian conservatives defected to multimillionaire Ross Perot's ill-fated campaign in 1992.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - David Flanagan
but will not rule out a third-party run for the presidency that could threaten President Bush's re-election chances.
Bad idea. I wouldn't support the guy for Prez to save my life. He took a stand for religious freedom, but then he went too far in ignoring the law. Running for President would destroy both his credibility as well as the credibility of the Christian Coalition.
David Flanagan
2 - Mac Diva
But, Roy Moore wants to stay in the spotlight. A quixotic run for the Presidency would achieve that.
3 - jadester
"Moore's friends say he is undecided about whether to run for president or to wait two years and seek Alabama's governorship"
This is probably a stupid question, but if he were to run for president first, and didn't get in, could he not later go for the governorship as well?
4 - Mac Diva
Yes, he can run for both at different times. But, he could lose momentum for a run for governor in a state where the other potential candidates are just as conservative as he is if he runs for president. This is partly about a feud within the American far Right. Some of them oppose Bush as not conservative enough, particularly in regard to the invasion of Iraq. Like Clyde Wilson, they also consider his 'Christian values' inadequate. Bush can win some brownie points with them by backing federal legislation to ban gay marriage, among other hot button issues. If he doesn't staunch the outflow, the chances of people like Moore sniping at his candidacy increases.
5 - Shark
I'd vote for ex-judge Roy Moore in a heartbeat. I think it would be GREAT to have a President who interprets every word of the Bible literally.
Let me explain: Thanks to the Bush economy, I'm out of work and have no health care coverage. I'm in desperate need of quick cash, and thanks to Exodus 21:7:
"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do."
...I can simply put my daughter on a streetcorner or Ebay and be within Biblical rights.
And I'd be especially interested in PRESIDENT MOORE enforcing Matthew 6:5-6:
Mat 6:5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
WHICH SHOULD QUICKLY PUT AN END TO THE BLASPHEMOUS, ANTI-BIBLICAL "PRAYER IN SCHOOLS" CRAP.
6 - David Flanagan
But, Roy Moore wants to stay in the spotlight. A quixotic run for the Presidency would achieve that.
If Judge Moore ran for the Presidency, it might actually hurt him more than it helped him. He hurt his credibility when he went too far after the courts ruled the monument removed.
As Christians, we are to follow the law, even if the law is not exactly what we would like it to be. As you know, I believe deeply in freedom of religion. I believe that the government, under the First Amendment, has no power to restrict us from building religious monuments in public or private places.
At the same time, Judge Moore did spend state funds for the monument and the Fourteenth Amendment, unfortunately, makes the federal government the watch dog of what the federal government can or cannot do in regards to our religious freedoms.
The fox watching the hen house. But Judge Moore lost his case in court and he swore an oath to uphold the law. He should have stepped down first before pursuing this.
And all that to say that there are many Christians who would actively oppose Judge Moore if he chose to run for President, myself included.
David Flanagan
7 - Shark
Dave, I noticed you didn't address the issue of just WHICH literally interpreted BIBLICAL pronouncements your folks would care to enforce? Do you accept SOME of the bible as literal and valid, while figuring other verses are figurative and/or invalid?
Can't have it both ways, my friend.
Davy: "...the government has no power to restrict us from building religious monuments in public or private places."
Good grief. Private, no.
Public, government sponsored: Yes.
(See Bill of Rights/First Amendment, unless, of course, you'd like to overturn that one too)
BTW: Davy, Serious Question:
Would you consider the Taliban a decent model of your ideal nation and it's relationship to religion?
*Cause that's where it always ends up.
*see history of the world for more
8 - David Flanagan
Shark:
Talk about taking something out of context... Let me give you the full verse and the meaning:
And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights. And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.
This law was established to curb some very barbaric practices concerning the treatment of women. Wealthy men would purchase a woman from her parents, usually to take as a wife or to betroth to their son.
At times, after men grew tired of the woman, they would buy and betroth another and then deprive the first wife, OR, wait until the seven-year redemption period and then either kick her out or, far worse, sell her to someone else or to people of other nations.
Male slaves had to be released without paying any kind of redemption fee every seven years in Israel. That way, at least, if someone was in debt, they would not be banished to prison until they died there but rather had an option to work off their debt, then go free.
Women who were purchased for the purpose of marriage were then bound to their husbands for life. That law being to protect women from being cast out by their husbands at the seven year mark, unless they displeased the husband, at which point, they were to allow their wives to leave without paying a fee.
So, why did God mandate such a thing? Jesus tells us why in Matthew 19:3-9:
Some Pharisees came to him [Jesus] to test him. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?' 'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.' 'Why then,' they asked, 'did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?' Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.'
My apologies, Mac, for straying so far from the main topic of the thread.
David Flanagan
9 - Shark
Dave, your answer is just too funny.
"And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.
Look, I don't care how you spin it, it says it's okay to sell one's daugher as a slave.
Jeez, it's basically an advice column for slave traders! Dr. Laura does Amistad.
I mean, how do ya get around it?
BTW: I see it's okay for you to go into elaborate interpretations of scripture that deviate from the literal?
I thought that was verboten?!
And would that be okay for agnostics like ol' Shark?
Anyway, thanks for the continuing laffs.
10 - Mac Diva
Your failure to object to slavery is kind of noticeable, Flanagan. Isn't that one of the Old Testament practices you inerrancy people have smiled on for centuries? Most of your Christian Right heroes, including Falwell, Robertson and, of course, Bob Jones, were defenders of segregation long after most of the world decided it revealed a person's immorality. (In the absence of the 'more pleasing to God' slavery, they are willing to compromise with segregation.) Some, of course, are still that way, including your neo-Confederate pals at Free Republic. I am always pleased to see you reveal your true colors.
And, hey, don't even bother with the defense that you are in favor of female slaves continuing to be exploited their entire lives instead of for seven years or whatever. That isn't even in the ball park of a moral response to slavery.
(I swear. Sometimes these 'more moral than thou' far Right Christian sorts appear to be sitting in their own feces without realizing it.)
11 - Bartikus
The word "SLAVE" did not carry the same meaning as what you perceive to be a slave today!
I guess you would have to research a little history to know that!
Good luck in your endeavor for greater understanding Shark!
12 - Ms. Tek
So, did they ever reseach that this guy might possibly be a closet crackhead? And if anyone supports him, they are probably closet-rush limbaugh drug junkies too?
I mean, that is the only way to explain this insanity.
13 - Mac Diva
Thanks for your input, Bartikus. It is always, reve--, oops, great to see defences of slavery. Feel free to pat yourself on the back.
Vic, Moore may be high on drugs, but he is even higher on himself. Guy is such an egotist he makes Donald Trump look humble. I posit Moore actually believes he should be president of the U.S., if not ruler of the whole effing world.
14 - bartholomew
You also Mac....your in the same pile of feces as anyone! Christians know they are in error and are not greater than anyone....the only thing great is that they believe in Jesus Christ (which is not his last name)!
Incidentally, the 16th president who led the civil war to end slavery in the U.S.....was a Christian!
15 - Mac Diva
(Shrugging.) More 'deep thoughts' and bad grammar.
16 - bartikus
If I speak against slavery as a Christian...I am told I do not adhere to the teachings of the Bible...and therefore a wrongdoer....
If I defend slavery as a Christian...I am said to be faithful to the Bible(by those who neither believe in it nor understand it) and a wrongdoer still!
Sound familiar to you Dave Flanagan?
How bout you Shark and Diva?
17 - bartikus
Even my grammer offends you!
It is obvious what you really find offensive!
18 - Dwaine AKA Scooter AKA D.J.
BALLS!!!!!
(Just to lighten up the tone. Hope you find this funny.)
19 - Ms. Tek
There are some really amusing, yet strange people who post here.
20 - Reverend Shark
Bartikus explains the Bible:
"The word "SLAVE" did not carry the same meaning as what you perceive to be a slave today!"
Yah, Bart, and "day" didn't carry the same meaning as today...
---as in Genesis 2:1-2:
1 - Thus the heavens and the earth were *finished, and all the host of them.
2 - And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made;
and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."
"Day" meant "around 2 billion years" back then.
heh.
*Don't try this at home---The Management
21 - Mac Diva
Dwaine. Dwaine. Dwaine. You just said 'balls' on a thread where a far Right evangelistic fundamentalist Christian is posting. What's next? A link to a picture of Janet Jackson's left breast? (For variety, ya know?)
22 - Shark
Bart goes Christian on Ms. Diva:
"You also Mac....your [sic] in the same pile of feces as anyone! Christians know they are in error and are not greater than anyone....the only thing great is that they believe in Jesus Christ..."
---and believe that calling a person 'feces' is acceptable behavior.
Jeezus.
I'll bet Davy is THRILLED he's got such a brilliant, articulate ally in Faith.
23 - Shark
Back to the subject:
All of this goes to show that it's not really a good idea to have 'bibilical' laws operating in a secular society, especially since a lot of Christians can't even agree on an interpretation of their meanings.
According to Davy, most divorces should be outlawed in this country (don't tell that to Newt Gingrich!) --- and selling one's daughter is fine as long as you don't "buy and betroth another and then deprive the first wife, OR, wait until the seven-year redemption period and...kick her out or...sell her to someone else or to people of other nations."
And don't even get me started on mandatory animal sacrifices. I kinda like animals.
24 - Eryk
"All of this goes to show that it's not really a good idea to have 'bibilical' laws operating in a secular society, especially since a lot of Christians can't even agree on an interpretation of their meanings."
That's too logical. Throw in some big words to obscure the meaning and an "Amen" towards the end and you may have something.
25 - Mac Diva
Uh oh! Eryk just peeked David Flanagan's game.