Only on Brody File: Email to Pastors Praises GOP Chairman's Pro-Life Stand
The Brody File has learned that the influential evangelical-based American Renewal Project will be sending out an email Monday morning to more than 10,000 pastors in a show of support for Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.
The GOP Chairman has decided to delay the start of the GOP’s Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., so members can attend the big March for Life Rally on the National Mall this Wednesday (Priebus will attend as well).
You can read excerpts from the email below. It’s titled (in all CAPS), “AN UNPRECEDENTED SHOW OF OPPOSITION TO ABORTION.” David Lane, the group’s main organizer, writes it.
“Reince Priebus is making a stand this coming Wednesday in Washington, DC...but let's see this for what it is -- Reince Preibus is moving the ball down the field.”
“30 years ago Ronald Reagan branded the Republican Party as the leader of limited government, lower taxes, deregulation of business, the attitude of "the-one-thing-government-can-do-for-me-is-leave-me-alone" -- which brought in the Reagan Democrats and Independents; Reagan then won reelection in 1984 with 49 States.
He then handed the ball to Bush 41', who quickly lost, and then Bush 43' needed the Supreme Court in 2000, and OH in 2004 to win the presidency.”
“The Evangelical/Pro-Life Catholic constituency didn't show in 2008 or 2012.”
“We need someone with principle, the masses will follow.”
“Will you -- right now -- stop and whisper a prayer for Reince Priebus please. He's making a stand, which is what we are all commanded to do…”
“Reince Priebus -- Salute.”
In addition to Reince Priebus’s positive nod to pro-lifers, The Brody File has learned that Priebus will also attend a closed-door prayer breakfast event this Friday in which all 168 RNC Committee members are invited. David Lane’s group has arranged these events during the last couple of RNC Meetings. Attendance has grown in each successive one.
All of this news should be encouraging to evangelical voters who may have started to lose confidence in GOP leaders. Priebus is a Bible-believing Christian who has made concerted efforts to make sure people of faith are not pushed to the sideline.
The reason he’s doing all of this is two-fold: first of all, his faith is very important to him but secondly, he’s no dummy. He knows he needs to galvanize evangelicals in order for the GOP to stay relevant. One of his important moves was to hire Southern Baptist Chad Connelly, the former head of the South Carolina Republican Party. He’s charged with being the key point person between evangelical outreach and the GOP.
Look, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that being a strong pro-life party has distinct political advantages (not to mention it’s the morally correct position). Ronald Reagan understood that. He was strongly pro-life but he didn’t demonize women for their choice. Morally he knew being pro-life was the right position and politically he attracted not just plenty of Republican votes but Democrat votes too (Reagan Democrats).
Polls show that being a strong pro-life candidate would be a winning formula today for any GOP candidate running for president because there are lots of Independents and moderate Democrats who call themselves pro-life. These encouraging pro-life moves by Reince Priebus moves feel like a page from the Ronald Reagan playbook.
The question going forward is will the GOP Establishment types follow his lead. If they do, it has all the makings of a GOP resurgence.