Blogosphere on Robertson

Updated 25 August
It seems Robertson has struck a cord across the blogosphere, especially in the religious realm. Blogging for Liberty reflects my opinion: "Any minister who condones the murder of a person is not reading the same bible I am." He then calls for a boycott of the 700 club.

serotoninrain writes: "You're giving those of us who actually love Jesus a bad headache." And Alex says: "The world needs Pat Robertson’s Christianity as much as it needs Osama bin Laden’s Islam."

The Purple Pew also looks at Robertson's comments from a religious perspective:

... Pat’s latest statement testifies even further that he is no Christian. It’s not because he has sinned. We all sin. But when confronted with his sin instead of repent, he lied, committing another sin against God.

Not all took issue with the morality or religious overtones of Robertson's remarks, however.

Wizbang notes that the 700 Club runs on ABC's Family Channel. (tip). In Search of Utopia provides background with prior Robertson quotables.

On the far right, Michelle Malkin describes this as a "tempest in a teapot" and asks "what in the world is the fuss about?" since Robertson is not a member of the administration. She notes Human Rights Watch abuses and closes by suggesting that those who are appalled at what Robertson said must love Chavez: "Hugo Chavez = never heard of him until criticized by conservative, now my hero."

Right-wing ConservaGlobe disagrees from a point of pragmatism, not ethics or religion, asserting that "[a]ssassinating Chavez would only make the situation worse." Instead, he calls for the US to help overthrow Chavez:

U.S. intelligence agents should work closely with the Venezuelan opposition, which has been suppressed under Chavez, in order to foment anti-Chavez opinion among the people. Chavez is becoming a dictator, and I believe that the Venezuelan people will rise up and overthrow him once they realize it.

Question? Define "becoming a dictator" when you've been elected, 71 percent of the population supports you (far more than Bush) and new elections are scheduled for December.

Update #1:
Given the two above "conservative" responses, evangelical blogger Mark Miller assumes a new level of importance for his ability to answer Michelle's question and puncture Conservaglobe's assumptions (line breaks added):

At the risk of assuming too much, I take it for granted that Christians generally understand the theological and moral difficulties of Pat Robertson’s call for a hit on Hugo Chavez. The bigger problem, at least for Protestant Christianity in America, lies in his thorough failure of both leadership and responsibility expressed by his “suggestion”.

As the chairman of the Christian Broadcast Network, host of The 700 Club, a former presidential candidate, and long-time face-man of the Republican-supporting Christian right, Robertson has significant access and powerful influence, both on the street and in Washington DC. Such access and influence coupled with espoused Christian belief gives Robertson implied moral authority. He has, in effect, given the idea of state-sponsored assassination Christian and moral sanction that many may actually accept because of his position.

Distancing themselves from Robertson, the Bush Administration has stated that Robertson’s views are that of a private citizen and do not represent those of the US government. While this is true as far as US policy is concerned, it belies the influence he holds in his upper-echelon position in the conservative religious right.

Given the base of support that President Bush has in the religious right, Pat Robertson is in a position to say things that others might be very inclined to believe are amenable to the President and his administration.

Update #2
Over at The Blue State, Josh perpetuates conservative reframing: shift the emphasis from Robertson's words to the "bad" "communist" Venezualean president:

You’d think that Chavez was a wonderful man and not the thug he actually is, a thug who does all he can to destroy Democracy in his country, and whose best buddy is communist Cuban dictator (responsible for countless deaths), Fidel Castro.

Lakoff is right. Conservatives are from Mars and progressives are from Venus. (Apologies to John Grey.)

Who is going to say "enough!" to the politics of defamation? We have no statesmen.

Tags:
Pat Robertson, Politics, Robertson