They're Not Going Away

From the Times-Picayune:

The Republican Party's return to power depends on staying anchored in traditional anti-abortion and pro-family policies, while making inroads among Hispanics with enlightened immigration rules, a leading conservative figure said Tuesday in New Orleans.

And the four-year process of finding the next GOP leader starts now, as potential stars, including Govs. Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin, hit the speaking circuit to collect political IOUs and test themselves on the stump, said Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Others expected to make the rounds include former governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

"You'll note there's not a pro-choice Republican among them," Land said.

Land, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, was back at his alma mater in Gentilly on Tuesday to preach and to teach a graduate school class on the intersection of faith and politics.

A graduate of Princeton and Oxford as well, Land is the public spokesman for Southern Baptist values both to the masses via CNN and to Beltway insiders who shape campaigns and public policy.

In the weeks since Barack Obama's election, conservatives have opened a vigorous debate over their future. Some advocate a return to ideological purity; others argue that they must shift to the center to build a winning coalition with social and economic moderates.

Land's office is the public policy arm of the 16 million member Southern Baptist Convention. These folks are not going away. Through groups like Land's, they get a forum on CNN and, no doubt, access to politicians on the local and national level.

I read a bit on their website about the role of women in public life. It seems that women are permitted to serve in positions of power in public office, but in the church and in the home, they must serve under the authority of men.

Not everyone agrees that a woman's place is outside the home. I found this wonderfully contorted logic in the comments to the article on the role of women in public life:

With Palin and others who serve the public as a ‘Christian evangelical’ figure, are we going to affirm her in abandoning her family roles? I haven’t heard a single person say that they think Palin can be a biblical mother and wife while being VP (and possibly Pres.). I believe that to be the crux of Voddie’s message. We are being hypocritical as evangelicals if we affirm a woman’s role in the home, but support removing women from that role. You can’t have it both ways.

That being said, I’m voting for Palin. (not so much McCain)

But it seems that he will have it both ways. Delicious.