After massive public backlash, Democrats have put God back in their platform, but it took three votes on the floor of the Democratic convention to do so. Delegates booed and shouted down the idea as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles is seen clearly confused about how to handle the vote when so many Democrats refused to support the idea.
VILLARAIGOSA: I…I guess…
WOMAN: You gotta [unclear] and then let them do what they’re gonna do.
VILLARAIGOSA: I’ll do that one more time. All those delegates in favor say ‘aye.’ All those delegates opposed say ‘no.’ In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds have voted in the affirmative, the motion is adopted, and the platform has been amended as shown on the screen.
The change was proposed by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland immediately after the convention was gaveled into order on Wednesday.
“I am here to attest and affirm that our faith and belief in God is central to the American story and informs the values we’ve expressed in our party’s platform,” Strickland, who chaired the party’s platform committee, read. “In addition, President Obama recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and our party’s platform should as well.”
Following the vote, Debbie Wasserman Schultz tweeted and claimed, “The platform is being amended to maintain consistency with the personal views expressed by the prez…”
Schultz said the platform was changed to “maintain consistency with the personal views expressed by the president and in the Democratic Party platform in 2008. Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.”
AP indicates President Barack Obama personally intervened to change the Democrat platform language on including God.
But, according to Politico, “Obama had seen the language prior to the convention, a campaign source said, but did not seek to change it until after Republicans jumped on the omissions of God and Jerusalem late Wednesday.”
And less than 24 hours ago, White House spokesman Ben LaBolt, according to reporter David Freddoso, said, “The platform represents the inclusiveness of the party…and represents the president’s positions and vision.”
Before the debacle, Mitt Romney said the removal of any reference to God in the initial 2012 version of the platform “suggests a party which is increasingly out of touch with the mainstream of American people. I think this party is veering further and further away to an extreme wing that Americans don’t recognize it.”
Yesterday, Democrats approved a platform removing any mention of God from their party platform, dropping language from the 2008 version that at least had a passing reference to the Creator whom the founders of the nation explained grants the rights we enjoy.
Eagle-eyed reporter David Brody of CBN News discovered the omission.
“Guess what? God’s name has been removed from the Democratic National Committee platform,” he wrote. “The Brody File has calls into DNC to explain why God’s name has been dropped from the platform. Some critics will suggest that when you have planks in your platform that support abortion rights and gay marriage then it’s no wonder that God’s name would be dropped as well.”
This is the paragraph that was in the 2008 platform:
“We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”
Now the words “God-given” have been removed. The paragraph has been restructured to say this:
“We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth – the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us.”
Thomas Peters of CatholicVote also noticed Brody’s report on the change and responded:
“Yet another step in the secularizing evolution of modern progressivism,” he said. “You can see the draft of the 2012 DNC platform here and, sure enough, there is no mention of “God” anywhere in it. The 2012 GOP platform, meanwhile, mentions “God” 12 times, including in this Preamble (penned by Catholic Chairman Gov. Bob McDonnell):
“…Reaffirm that our rights come from God, are protected by government, and that the only just government is one that truly governs with the consent of the governed…”
“…May God continue to shed his grace on the United States of America.”
May God have mercy on America, a land sick and in need of healing!
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