GodVoter.org Says that Jesus Has no Presidential Candidate Left to Vote For. Of Course, No One Asked Jesus.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

Perhaps the fashionable young Christian will be wearing a new slogan on their wrist this election season. WWJVF: Whom would Jesus vote for?

While the presumptive presidential nominees of both main parties have been attacked on religious grounds recently, one group's actions show it doesn't pay to ignore religiosity in American politics.

Godvoter.org sent surveys to presidential candidates last year with 30 questions divided into three parts: personal, beliefs and platform. They then rated candidates on an "A" through "F" scale.

Some questions are telling, with obvious answers. The "correct" answer to "Which books do you believe to have been inspired by God and without error?" is likely to be the Bible.

The "platform" questions include issues such as gun control and embryonic stem cell research, but economic policy and the poverty problem are conspicuously absent.

The question "Whom do you think Jesus wants as our next President, and why?" is an easy one for any ambitious candidate to answer. But it begs another question: Since when does Jesus pick a secular country's leader?

The only candidate to receive an "A" rating is also the only person who responded to the questionnaire without reservations: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA).

In addition to Godvoter.org's belief in his ability to be a "war-time president" and his grassroots campaign style, the site insists that "Hunter is the most dependable person to protect the Judeo-Christian foundation of America."

About that Judeo-Christian foundation, Godvoter.org writes:

"Four centuries ago, God saw a boatload of people leave the comforts of Europe to worship Him unhindered in an uncharted land, and blessed their descendents into a mighty nation. At the peak of our prosperity, however, we turned away from God, who is withdrawing the economic, social and military victories that are and always were His."

They add that "what America needs today isn't some superhero president, but God."

However, less than a month after accepting Godvoter.org's endorsement, Hunter dropped out of the race. So, whither goes the God voter now?

Though most candidates did not respond to the questionnaires, the group nonetheless rated candidates based on their personal contacts and public comments on religion and social issues. No candidate, other than Hunter, received a rating higher than a "C+" (for former governor, presidential candidate and Evangelical pastor Mike Huckabee).

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) association with his controversial former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright has stuck with him almost as rigorously as the wacky, false accusations of him being a Muslim and terrorist sympathizer.

The site contributes to this view of Obama:

"The Muslim culture is an integral part of his parentage and upbringing, and honored by his spiritual mentor. While we do not think Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim, we cannot unequivocally exclude the possibility that the Muslim influences on his life will affect him to be weak or slow to confront the rising threat emanating from the Muslim world."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)'s membership to the party associated with "family values" has protected him some, but he also had to dismiss the support of a religious leader. McCain denounced Rev. John Hagee after controversial remarks by the televangelist pastor were widely reported. And then there's McCain's Rev. Parsley bigotry endorsement problem. Due to this and his reticence about his personal beliefs, McCain has had trouble courting the Evangelical vote. Godvoter.org gave McCain a "C" rating, citing his lack of support for a constitutional ban on gay marriage and his advocacy for the continued legality of abortion in cases of incest and rape.

Though the site does not question his personal religious beliefs (except to hint that he hasn't been vocal enough about them), it does object to McCain's advocacy for other peoples' right to religious freedom, saying he "called Islam, which denies the deity of Christ, an ‘honorable religion' and stated that Mitt Romney's Mormonism should ‘absolutely not' be an issue to his candidacy for the presidency."

Last December, presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) issued a press release denouncing Godvoter.org as "bigoted." He retracted his survey answers, saying he didn't want to be associated with a group he considered "prejudiced" for its views on Mormonism. Tancredo has since dropped out of the presidential race.

Godvoter.org calls the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a "cult" that believes Jesus is the brother of Satan. Simply clicking on the "Mormonism" link on their web site brings you to www.exmormon.org, a site devoted to curing people of belief in the Book of Mormon. This Monday, Godvoter.org strongly cautioned McCain against choosing Romney as a running mate.

Godvoter.org did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. However, their site acknowledged the end of their endorsed candidate's campaign without expressing support for any other candidate. While the importance and cohesion of the Evangelical vote has been a hot debate since President George W. Bush's success with the bloc, there's no consensus on who will get them out to the polls this November.

We couldn't find out how many people are behind the web site Godvoter.org, but we're sure of one thing: They have no direct connection to God, unless God is a bigot.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

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