Brain Trust - Janice Shaw Crouse

Janice Shaw Crouse, columnist and senior fellow for the Beverly LaHaye Institute, joined the Brain Trust segment to share her perspective on marriage and Herman Cain. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of her interview.

You say you can pinpoint three things that harm marriage. What are they?

Well, there are three major things, and I imagine your listeners have come into contact with one or all of them.

The first is promiscuity, which is so prevalent in our culture, beginning at very young ages.

That cultural trend is very harmful to marriage, because our kids are with so many people before marriage that they don't know how to establish a lasting relationship.

The second is cohabitation. So many of our young people think that little slip of paper doesn't matter.

What they don't understand is that cohabiting relationships don't work very well at all. Cohabitation is also a recipe for divorce.

And then we all know of the threat that same-sex marriage is. A very small portion of our population is trying to dilute the tradition of marriage.

A stable mom and dad, married for life, is the best way for a couple to thrive together and for their kids to become productive citizens.

Are you encouraged or discouraged about the progress of these issues?

I think we're making headway.

The only places that same-sex marriage is legal are where judges have forced it through. All 31 states where this has come up, the people have voted to keep marriage between one man and one woman.

What's your perspective on the allegations against Herman Cain?

I hope it's not true. I suspect it's probably a "high-tech lynching", and I also suspect Herman Cain has not seen the end of these attacks. For some reason, the liberals cannot stand the thought of a black conservative.

This is something in our culture that I find very reprehensible and disgusting. I hope that these allegations are untrue.

Will the liberals who defended Bill Clinton defend Cain?

Oh, heavens, no. In your dreams. That is so laughable. It's so ironic and so disappointing that you can laugh at a question like that, because everybody knows they will not.

Are you encouraged about the Republican prospects?

I think we have some fabulous candidates in the GOP lineup. I find it very encouraging to see the opposition to the liberal agenda.

We do need a change in November, and I think there are some great options out there to choose from.