policy Archives

Majority Support For Same-Sex Marriage is a Myth

Political consultant Frank Luntz calls it “poll-driven language” – the tendency to phrase a question in a way that will generate a desired answer. Operatives on both sides of the aisle have been doing this for years, but it’s especially blatant when it comes to the reporting of support/opposition to same-sex marriage.

Case in point, a recent New York Times story which was headlined, “Support for Gay Marriage Outweighs Opposition in Polls.” The report was based upon an average of various polling data which supposedly revealed that 50% of Americans support same-sex marriage while 45% oppose it.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, news, policy May 10, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Will Marriage Be a Major Issue in 2012 Election?

I’m obviously very pleased with the results of yesterday’s election in North Carolina, where voters passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.I am less pleased, as you might imagine, with President Obama’s announcement today that he has changed his position and now personally supports same-sex marriage.

To help put the vote and announcement in context, I’d like to share some comments and observations, which are excerpts from my recent Washington Post editorial on the subject.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, policy May 9, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How I Will Vote in November

The following editorial was first published in The Washington Post on May 1, 2012:

A Chance to Vote Your Values — And Act On Them, Too

Jim Daly

With the withdrawal of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich from the race, the Republican Party all but has its presidential nominee. That means our country’s major issues will be faced by former governor Mitt Romney or President Obama after the ballots are counted on Nov. 6. But before the ballots are cast, voters must first address two critical challenges.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy May 3, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Super Tuesday Matters to You

Four presidential candidates will compete for 419 delegates scattered throughout ten separate states today, the greatest concentration of votes in any single day on the primary campaign’s calendar.

Historically, a big win for any one candidate is likely to propel them to their party’s nomination. A string of losses usually leads to a dropout and a one-way ticket home.

In other words, it’s a make or break kind-of-day. On the fate of Super Tuesday (potentially) rests the future of the nation’s next president.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pop culture March 6, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Would These Men Be Elected President Today?

President’s Day is an amalgamation of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. Where and how it’s celebrated is dependent upon where you live, but the occasion gives rise to a question:

Would any or even some of the past United States Presidents be elected in today’s climate – especially Presidents Washington and Lincoln?

Ironically, George Washington really didn’t even want the job. He preferred farming to politics. Yet, he felt a duty and obligation to his fledgling country.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pop culture February 20, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What I Think About the Obama Adminstration’s Announcement

As an unapologetically, unswervingly pro-life organization, we disagree strongly with the Obama administration that free access to drugs that can cause abortions makes women or society healthier or safer.

Today’s announcement seems to be an acknowledgement by the White House that it went too far in disregarding the deeply held values, and constitutionally protected conscience rights, of religious organizations and individuals. Still, we are not convinced this tweak to the proposed policy, when analyzed at a level deeper than simple sound bites, truly addresses the religious-liberty concerns that have been raised.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy February 10, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Did President Obama Do This?

Why did he do it?

Why has President Obama decided to force Catholic universities and hospitals to pay for health insurance that will cover such services and drugs as sterilization, contraceptives and possible abortifacients for its employees, despite the Catholic church’s teachings against those practices?

Did he decide to do it in order to shore up the radical liberal base in an election year? Or is he being deliberate in curtailing religious freedoms?

Either answer is very disturbing.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy February 2, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You One of the “Crazies” ?

After a relatively quiet few months on the same-sex marriage front, activists in both Washington state and New Jersey have expressed a strong desire to push for legalization via their respective legislatures.

In Washington, some leading giants in corporate America have taken sides. Regrettably, Starbucks, Microsoft and Nike have all expressed strong support for what they view as “marriage equality” even though it’s anything but. As I and others have expressed on numerous occasions, same-sex marriage activists are striving to redefine, not equalize, a multi-millennial institution.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: homosexuality, policy January 26, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Everybody Ought to Know About the Military Bible Ban

It came as a shock last week to learn that Bibles had been banned at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The official memo, issued by the hospital’s Chief of Staff, C.W. Callahan, was blunt and to the point:

“No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.”

Yet, just as soon as the stunning and disturbing news spread, the ban was rescinded.

Sandy Dean, a public affairs officer at Walter Reed, tried to explain the origin of the offensive policy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, policy, religious liberty December 7, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Should the State Be Allowed to Remove Overweight Children?

By now you’ve probably heard the story of an Ohio mother whose 8-year-old son was taken away from her because of the boy’s weight.

The Cleveland Heights youth tips the scales in excess of 200 pounds. Doctors recommend that a child of that age and height should weigh somewhere between 55 and 60 pounds.

To be fair, I’m not aware of all the facts of the case. I did read that state workers had been monitoring the child’s situation for over a year.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, policy, religious liberty November 30, 2011 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura