The announcement that Pat Roberston had decided to throw his God-fearing weight behind Rudy Giuliani should come as no surprise to anyone who's followed the trajectory of America's Mayor since he abandoned his Churchillian stature in order to run for president. Giuliani learned the hard way that his social liberalism doesn't wash with the Christian right — he recently came in second to last at the Values Voter Summit straw poll of Republican candidates (Mitt Romney was the favorite).
What better way, then, for the hero of 9/11 to split this difference than by snuggling up to the man who blamed secularism and abortion for that horrific day?
“I believe in God, I pray to God, pray to Jesus for guidance and for help,” Mr. Giuliani said. “I have very, very strong views on religion that come about from having wanted to be a priest when I was younger and having studied theology for four years in college, it’s an area that I know really, really well academically. I understand the history of religion. Man and women’s relationship to God is one of the strongest, if not the strongest motivating thing in human history.”
And Mr. Giuliani had appealed directly to Mr. Robertson for support, and gave a speech at the university he founded, Regent University, over the summer.
Yes, Virginia, endorsements do matter, particularly when they're sought after and when the endorser stands for everything the candidate knows to be abominable. Compare Giuliani's reticence on Robertson's 9/11 views to his outspokenness on Ron Paul's tepid but dim remarks. If only he had Pat to debate!