A prominent conservative pundit issued a report card Tuesday on how the various contenders for the Republican presidential nomination responded to the Indiana Religious Freedom and Restoration Act in recent weeks and gave candidates from Florida high marks.
Maggie Gallagher, the editor-in-chief of ThePulse2016.com and a social conservative who has supported keeping religious values in the public square, insisted on Tuesday that the Indiana law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence, but then amended after criticism across the nation from the left, was a bellwether in American history.
For the first time, a vanilla religious liberty bill similar to those passed in 19 other states was deemed anti-gay per se, and powerful corporations rushed in to punish the people of Indiana economically for their moral views on liberty, Gallagher wrote on Tuesday. The report card below is not designed to grade the candidates on their overall positions on the issues, nor to suggest an endorsement. It is designed to clarify who, in this moment of crisis, rushed towards the corporate lions to defend a cherished American principle of religious liberty under attack.
Two previous Republican presidential candidates earned "A+" grades from Gallagher: former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. After his bid for the presidency in 2008, Huckabee moved to Florida.
Huckabee has been one of religious libertys fiercest advocates," Gallagher insisted. He has been strong, eloquent, and unafraid
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., earned "A" grades from Gallagher.
Rubio has spoken intelligently, knowledgeably, and at length about the need to protect the rights of Christians to follow their religious convictions and not take part in facilitating a gay wedding, sharply distinguishing that from the idea of not serving gay customers at all, Gallagher noted.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, garnered "A-" grades from Gallagher.
Bush surprised many with his powerful initial statements in which he specifically and strongly supported Pence, noting Indianas RFRA is like the one he passed in Florida, and that it did not license discrimination, Gallagher wrote. He also specifically supported the right of the bakers, the florists, and the wedding photographers to make a living. In a private meeting, Gov. Bush did sound a more cautionary note pointing to the need to find a consensus building alternative, like Utah. Traditional believers may want a leader willing to defend their right to make a living, whether or not it builds consensus.
Gallagher gave Dr. Ben Carson, who moved to Florida after ending his celebrated medical career in Maryland, a "B."
Carson specifically defended Indianas law ... but without the kind of specific knowledge of state RFRAs that, say, Jeb Bush shows, Gallagher wrote. His pivot where he changed the conversation from the attacks on Indiana to attacks on Christians abroad displayed a certain discomfort with dealing with the domestic issue.
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina took home a "C+" while Gov. Chris Christie, D-N.J., got a "D" from Gallagher. Four candidates -- Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis.; U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who will launch his presidential bid on Tuesday; former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. -- received "F" grades from Gallagher.
Walker refused to defend the Indiana law, or state RFRAs in general, Gallagher insisted.
She ripped Perry, who had been a prominent social conservative during his time in Texas and highlighted that record in his 2012 presidential bid as completely silent on the Indiana bill.
He declined to defend Indiana or state or federal RFRAs, Gallagher noted. His spokesman said Perry supports religious liberty generally and people in states get to decide whatever they want.
Rand Paul was unavailable for comment when the Indiana brouhaha broke, Gallagher noted of the newest official candidate. Many touted his interview with 'The Brody File' and his Capitol Hill meeting with pastors, where he essentially told them it was up to them to cause a great awakening since he would have no help for them in Washington. God talk, as Russell Moore said, is not going to be a substitute for leadership in protecting religious belief in 2016. As Paul launches his campaign, we hope his public profile changes.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
