I have to admit... this surprised me... a lot:

Televangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, endorsed Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday.

"It is my pleasure to announce my support for America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans," Robertson said during a news conference with Giuliani in Washington.

The former New York mayor backs abortion rights and gay rights, positions that put him in conflict with conservative GOP orthodoxy, and has been trying to persuade evangelical conservatives like Robertson to overlook their differences on those issues.

Jessica seems to think that it's because Robertson has decided that Giuliani is the only one who can beat Hillary, and so better to have a Republican you hate rather than a Democrat.  We haven't even gotten to our first primary, and already Conservatives are that afraid they're going to lose that they're willing to compromise their principles?

I understand that Pat Robertson is considered a "leader" by many Evangelicals... but is he enough of one that he can deliver votes?  Let's face it... Rudy stands for many things that Evangelicals do not believe in... abortion being a big one.  But Jessica seems to think (as many conservatives do), that the real rallying cry is the War on Terror.  But I wonder if this won't back fire.

There are many devout Christians who are seriously doubting the War on Terror, and specifically the Iraq War.  Many Christians fall back on the basic message of the Bible as a peaceful message, and are disturbed by how bloody we've become in the Middle East, and Rudy only promises to continue that.  Combine that with his very liberal social agenda, and I wonder whether even Pat Robertson can make Rudy palatable to that group of Conservatives.

Rick seems to think that it will all come down to judicial appointments.  Typical thinking for a lawyer... but not for the average voter... especially when the average voter has seen many judges who were supposed to be conservative turn out to be less so once they ended up on the big bench.  Of course, I'd be remiss if I were not to point out that there is a candidate out there who is not only against abortion, but also against the Iraq War, and has been from the beginning.  Could Ron Paul be a sleeper candidate for Evangelical Christians?