[MD] Tim Walberg, Why I Don't Like the Religious Right, and Family Values

[Stephen Hannon]

Hello all,

A. Tim Walberg and Why I Don't like the Religious Right:

Tim Walberg won the Republican primary for US House of Representatives
in my congressional district in Michigan (7th) by defeating the
incumbent, Joe Schwarz.  Walberg is a great example of the religious
right; here is some of what his campaign was like.

1)  Misleading ads
Walberg was agressive in pointing out Schwarz' "support of a $223
million 'Bridge to Nowhere' in Alaska" in several ads.  What he didn't
say was that this bridge project was included in a much larger bill,
in fact, the bill that covers all transportation spending until 2010
(SAFETEA-LU), supported by, among other people, the religious right's
own President Bush.
Part of the problem here is also the gullibility of the uneducated voters.

2)  Insistence on pro-life as the most important issue
About 50% of all ads/calls/literature were specifcally on the abortion
issue.  While I am pro-life, I wouldn't even call that the most
important "life" issue.  My defintion of "pro-life" includes
ant-abortion, anti-gun (Walberg is pro-gun), anti-death penalty
(Walberg did not take a side), and most importantly pro-environment
(Walberg did not take a side).

3)  Campaign spending
You can buy elections in this country!  The religious right proves it
every election.


B. Family Values

This one is worth talking about.  The religious right have a
legitimate concern about the role of family in modern society.  I
don't agree with their blaming the problem on feminists and gays.  But
we as a scoiety face a question about the role of family.  It is
common today for both parents to work, work longer, or commute,
reducing time spent with their kids.  Divorce is common, sigle-parent
homes are common, which influences poverty increase.  Jackson,
Michigan, my hometown, has a lot of broken homes like these.

Now, the religious right seemed concerned about the family but
ignorant of the real problems facing it.  With this thread I wanted to
pose some questions to the MD:

Family is a social level structure, like the church.  What does that
imply about family?
Where does the family fit in the MOQ?
Does the MOQ offer solutions to the problems facing the modern family?

Just some thoughts,
Steve H