Teetering Toward the Center at the RNC?

By Paul Strand
Washington Sr. Correspondent

September 1, 2004

CBN.com – NEW YORK -- Speakers like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger provide superstar wattage on-stage at the convention, but they are also creating some controversy.

Some conservatives say moderates like Giuliani and Schwarzenegger lean too far left on issues like abortion and gay rights, to be true representatives of the Grand Old Party.

And they say, not enough conservatives are being allowed to appear and speak.

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) went so far as organize a petition to get more conservatives onstage. Pence said, "We brook dissent obviously much better than the other party, [which] doesn't even allow opposing views to be discussed at their national forums. But many of us were concerned that the initial roster tilted too much to the moderate, if not even liberal elements."

One hundred and twenty-seven GOP congressmen signed Pence's petition.

"No sooner had we collected those signatures," said Pence, "than the national party announced the addition of many outstanding pro-life speakers to the roster."

Why is this important? In 2000, millions of conservative evangelicals sat out the election. If they do that again, it could well cost Bush his presidency.

Bill Greene of RightMarch.com said, "The base of the Republican Party is conservative. And if the Republican Party 'disses' the conservatives enough, the conservatives are going to sit home and not go out and vote."

Greene organized conservatives to counter liberal and leftist protestors in the Big Apple this week, but also to warn the GOP to stay true to its base.

"And we're going to be this week, confronting the Republican Party as well, about things like illegal immigration, about things like the abortion plank, about things like traditional family values and traditional marriage," Greene said.

Pence says the party must present a conservative face. "No one said it better than a young King David in the valley of Elom, when he said 'Without a vision, the people perish.' And I think our challenge this week here in New York City is to present a vision to the broad mainstream of conservative, pro-family voters across America, that says 'we want you to come to this party, we want you to support this president."

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