Values Voter Debate-'Still Waiting for Answers'

by Staff
September 27, 2007

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., (christiansunite.com) -- Forty pro-family groups who participated in the first ever Values Voter Presidential Debate in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Monday are still looking for answers from the four candidates who had "something more important to do" than to answer questions from America's largest voting bloc. Bar graphs charting the pre-and post-debate vote, featured at www.ValuesVoterDebate.com, show a striking decline for the four "no-show" candidates.

Electronic polling by the hundreds of Values Voter delegates at Monday's debate reveals a dramatic shift in the pre-and post-debate vote "most negative" responses: Rudy Giuliani: a 45 percent negative shift to 72 percent negative, Mitt Romney: a 54 percent shift to 72 percent negative; Fred Thompson: a 54 percent shift to 62 percent negative, and John McCain: a 52 percent shift to 65 percent negative.

"Avoiding the debate and failure to answer the issues that are of concern to Values Voters is not the way to the White House," said Mat Staver Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

Debate organizers Paul Weyrich, Phyllis Schlafly, Don Wildmon, Mat Staver, Rick Scarborough and Janet Folger along with 40 participating groups would still like answers to the following questions these candidates chose to ignore. Questioners can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zxtLccVnu0.

1. TERESA IPPOLITI, Abortion Survivor RUDY GIULIANI

My name is Teresa Ippoliti, eighteen years ago, an abortionist was hired to kill me but I survived. I was wrapped in newspaper and tossed on a shelf struggling for my life. Nuns came and rescued me, took me to a hospital where I stayed for two months. I was then adopted by my heroic mom and dad. Mayor Giuliani, your position on abortion would have left me dead. Now that you see me, Mr. Giuliani, do you honesty still believe an abortionist had a right to kill me?

2. Peter Labarbera, Americans for Truth MITT ROMNEY

Governor Romney, you are running as a pro-life, pro- marriage candidate, but you have a history of being strongly pro-abortion on demand and pro- homosexual. You supported Roe v. Wade and said abortion should be "safe and legal." In 2002, you opposed a state constitutional amendment to stop homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts. You said homosexuals should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts, and as governor, you officially celebrated "Gay Youth Pride Day." You sat on Marriot's Board for ten years while it sold pornographic, in-room videos. Why should voters trust you after you spent so much of your career aggressively promoting anti-life and anti-family positions? I understand a "change of heart" but a "change of position" on life, marriage, gun control, pornography, immigration all preceding your run for president?

3. Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel FRED THOMPSON

While you were a Senator you opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment. Recently you stated you would support a marriage amendment that would prevent judges from imposing same-sex marriage so long as it would not prohibit state legislatures from adopting same-sex marriage. This reasoning is like saying you favor a constitutional amendment that prohibits judges from imposing slavery so long as state legislatures were free to do so. Does not your position fundamentally misunderstand the universal importance of marriage in the same way my latter example about slavery indicates a misunderstanding of human dignity?

4. Janet Folger, Faith2Action JOHN MCCAIN

I was troubled by the lawsuit you and other members of Congress filed against Wisconsin Right to Life for airing radio and television ads to encourage the public to lobby their Senators to oppose the filibuster of judicial candidates. While, thankfully, they won the lawsuit, was it really your goal to gag and prevent groups from being involved in the legislative process during the "no free speech zones" 60 days before a general election and 30 days before a primary as your Campaign Finance Reform Law required?

While Democrat candidates were invited to a similar forum, all declined. Polling data and live video streaming of the debate are now available at www.ValuesVoterDebate.com and www.afa.net and audio streaming is available at www.VCYAmerica.org.