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RUDY: LOCKING UP THE ANTI-SEMITIC CONSPIRACY VOTE.
As several of my colleagues have noted, Rudy Giuliani has been endorsed by Pat Robertson, which according to smart conservative commentators is a "big plus." A depressing, if unsurprising, thought. Not only is Robertson an arch-reactionary who thought that with respect to 9/11 that the U.S. had it coming (especially ironic for Mr. "Noun-Verb-9/11"), Robertson is a purveyor of crank anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. As Michael Lind found:
Robertson's theories about Jewish bankers and Jewish revolutionaries are central to his conspiracy theory, which in turn is central to his vision of his own destiny, his movement, and his ambitions for the American Right and the Republican party and the United States of America. Not since Father Coughlin or Henry Ford has a prominent white American so boldly and unapologetically blamed the disasters of modern world history on the machinations of international high finance in general and on a few influential Jews in particular. And not since Huey Long, with his Share Our Wealth movement, has there been a radical populist movement as powerful in American politics as Robertson's Christian Coalition.A lunatic conspiracy theorist endorsing someone with lunatic foreign policy views; seems about right.
--Scott Lemieux
COMMENTS (4)
I don't see it. Ramesh, for all his (relative) smartness, is a Roman Catholic, and not particularly plugged in to the Evangelical world.
While obviously Giuliani will see some bounce from this, Robertson is seen sort of as the crazy uncle of the modern evangelical movement - he might even host thanksgiving dinner at his big house (700 Club), but no one really listens to the crazy things he says.
I think that Giuliani's parading of the endorsement shows the disconnect between himself and the modern Christian Right, and I expect the bounce will be quickly negated by the blowback, especially as it brings Robertson's batshit insane 9/11 comments back to the public consciousness.
Posted by: DivGuy | November 7, 2007 8:33 PM
This does help solidify Rudy's grasp on the anti-Arab, anti-Muslim evangelical right, which is not an insignificant group, but is also a group he already had in his pocket. Robertson confirms his support there, but my guess is that among the less racist evangelicals - who still make up the sizable majority of that population (yeah, yeah, not saying much there) - this endorsement will eventually hurt Rudy.
Posted by: DivGuy | November 7, 2007 8:36 PM
Actually, Rudy's only got about 15% of the Anti-Semitic conspiracy vote locked up. If memory serves, most blacks are supporting either Hillary or Obama.
Posted by: Shibboleth | November 8, 2007 2:25 AM
Rudy's working on the Mel Gibson endorsement at this very moment.
Posted by: howie | November 8, 2007 2:36 PM