One, two, three... two?

[solarbird]

Predictably, movement conservatism is looking for a scapegoat for the economic downturn and credit implosion. Andrew Sullivan doesn't take long to figure out who that might be. Not that the clowns at National Review aren't already on the case. Mark Ambinder at The Atlantic says that whatever the GOP reforms into after the election will have to have the theocrats along.

Severe economic downturns usually instigate religious revivals, usually conservative or fundamentalist. I have unlinkable but somewhat reliable reports of a lot of this going on already on Wall Street. But will that happen generally this time, given the downslope of the theoconservative movement? Or if it does happen, will it have a completely different form?

Comments

[emrecom.livejournal.com]

Born again theocrats literally on--or escaping from--Wall Street?

I'd put a small call option on huge enrollments in 12 Step programs after the binge drinking stops.

[solarbird]

Well, I mean prayer meetings, things like that. Traders individually being a lot more religious. Nothing firsthand, just second-hand, but people who have been reasonably right in the past.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

We're also dealing with a society which is generally growing older. With age comes thoughts of one's mortality and of religion in general.

As for Wall Street, if I worked there I'd want a few green candles on the alter myself; I'd want all the help I could get in the environment of the last year or so.

[dpawtows.livejournal.com]

One of the items in Mom's "Vote McCain!" speach was the reminder that this downturn was caused entirely by Bill Clinton.....

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Just in case we had any ideas this was over, the Asian markets are all down, the Nikkei a high 4%...and Europe is reported to be opening in a heavy downward move after a weekend of bank bailouts and the like.

The roller coaster isn't over yet.

[peakoilchaplain.livejournal.com]

Christianity basically got its start during the downslope/disintegration of the Roman Empire, so there's certainly plenty of precedent for your second paragraph. I actually think something completely different will be the ultimate result, because during social and economic troubles, establishment religions don't typically fare at all well.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Something's wrong at The Corner. I seem to be unable to get in there, from any angle.

[solarbird]

Something's wrong at The Corner.
The deuce you say!

[avram]

Funny thing about American Christianity is that it can be establishment and anti-establishment at the same time. I mean, something like 80% of the country identifies as Christian, and yet there's no shortage of evangelicals, born-agains, and various groups claiming that Christians are a persecuted minority in a secular nation.

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

I think it's interesting how some candidates around here are using "GOP Party" instead of "Republican Party." And yeah, most people know the GOP is the Republican Party, but there is a percentage of people that don't, and the distancing is amusing. It's almost like a mini-schism.

[solarbird]

Paul told me that the "Republican" brand is so damaged at this point that hiding behind "GOP" is enough to give them a assortment of percentage points, and that they have the polling to prove it.

[solarbird]

Here's one:

A survey by independent pollster Stuart Elway this month found Gregoire had a 10 point advantage over a "Republican" Rossi but a 4 point advantage when Rossi was listed as "prefers GOP party," a difference that was not statistically significant given the survey's margin of error. In June, another Elway poll found that 7 percent of all respondents thought GOP referred to the Democratic Party, and 18 percent of Republicans polled didn't know "GOP" meant "Republican."

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

How come whenever we say that voters are stupid, we get accused of being elitist?

Cathy

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

That's what my mom told her brother (who is one of the people who thinks Bush is one of the best presidents ever), and he asked if she knew any Republican folks in WA that he could ask about this, because he didn't believe it.

Then again, he also thinks Fox News has no bias at all. Sigh.

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I will send that along.

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know of the guy brought the lawsuit. He's apparently been difficult to work with lately.

[solarbird]

Because they're stupid?

[solarbird]

Since losing?

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Since his wife died earlier this year, which honestly is understandable.

He used to be chair of the 41st district dems before R got involved; they occasionally butt heads.

[solarbird]

Oh jeez. Yeah. Ouch.

[wrog]

actually, you're conflating a couple of people. He only moved to the 41st in the last few years (though I think he was chair of the 48th for a while...)

[epawtows.livejournal.com]

I thought it was just Rossi? Are others doing it too?

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Here in the 41st legislative district, both Steve Litzow (http://www.stevelitzow.com/) and Bob Baker (http://www.voteforbaker.com/) have GOP on their signs and webpages, though only Litzow has "prefers G.O.P. party" in the voter guide.

Poking further at the online voter guide for the state legislature races I found about 75 candidates with "Prefers Republican Party" and about 25 with "prefers G.O.P. Party" (including "Cut Taxes GOP party" and "Grand Old Party") plus one "R party." There are a handful of no party people, a few Greens, Libertarians and an Independent or two. And one "Progressive Dem. party." But egad, about one out of four.

Rossi's the only one in a statewide race, but the first congressional district challenger (good luck against Jay Inslee there, buddy) also has G.O.P. listed.