A Republican is concerned about the intersection of religion and politics? That's.....interesting.
What do you mean how so? Religion is politics over there. Are you trying to make a comparison to over here with the religious right? There is no comparison but I'm sure a political point could be scored by blurting that out. When we have car bombings in the name of Jesus taking place on the streets of our country then we'll talk. If that's not what you were trying to get at please explain.
The one's doing the car bombings aren't the "Islamists" getting elected to high office though. The Tunisian "Islamist" party in particular seems quite harmless- not meaningfully more theocratic then the Republican party in states like Utah.
They're actually pretty progressive.
It's important to remember that the ruling party in Turkey is Islamist. Islamism doesn't necessarily have a worse connotation than Christian Democracy (like Merkel's party).
Ok and what's your point? I don't think anyone ever suggest the U.S. was an imperialist nation for looking out for our own interests. Are you saying we are? If not then what is your point?
What that fellow was saying was that democracy doesn't deserve to be defended unless it promotes things that America likes.