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Religious Right, Frustrated Despite Having Friends in High Office, Rethinks Strategy
Newhouse News ^ | 07-14-03

Posted on 07/14/2003 6:41:27 PM PDT by Brian S

WASHINGTON -- With such fellow believers as President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft in office, religious conservatives have never had more friends in high places.

But a growing sense of frustration is enveloping the leadership of the political movement that began nearly 25 years ago when the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority burst onto the national scene. A generation later, most Americans don't stand with the Christian Right. Its big agenda items have fizzled.

And as the impact of last month's sweeping Supreme Court ruling on gay rights sinks in, the movement is at a soul-searching crossroads.

"Obviously, in some ways Christians are losing the culture war, certainly on this issue (gay rights)," said the Rev. D. James Kennedy, head of Coral Ridge Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a religious broadcaster with a national following. "The time has come for us to re-examine the situation we're in."

Some see opportunity in a new battle arising from the June ruling -- gay marriage. Handled correctly, strategists say, it could re-energize religious conservatives, putting them in a posture of defending heterosexual marriage instead of attacking the rights of gays.

There appears to be a growing consensus that the movement must find a way out of its current predicament: being dissatisfied with the status quo, but reluctant to criticize it because allies control the White House and Congress.

"They're at a moment where they have to reinvigorate themselves or reinvent themselves or they'll just slowly fade away," said John Green, a professor at the University of Akron and co-editor of a new book, "The Christian Right in American Politics."

Most social movements do better rallying against enemies than helping allies govern, Green said. Many Christian Right organizations thrived when Bill Clinton was in the White House.

With gay rights marching on, abortion an established right, no return to teacher-led school prayer in sight and public vouchers for private schools a messy proposition at best, the Christian Right has learned over time that it's easier to fulminate than to legislate. Even when laws are passed, the courts can and do overturn them.

Some see history repeating itself, as when President Reagan spoke the language of religious conservatives but wasn't able or willing to deliver on key policy goals.

A handful of national leaders, such as outgoing Family Research Council President Ken Connor, advocate a more demanding tone, even if it means criticizing Bush for not doing enough.

That appears unlikely, however, because Bush remains immensely popular among the white evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics that make up the movement. It's a constituency that makes up as much as 18 percent of the entire electorate, according to surveys, but it has no realistic place to go outside the GOP.

(In a dozen Gallup surveys over the last five years, the share of Americans identifying themselves as "born-again" or "evangelical" ranged between 41 and 49 percent. That grouping is much larger than the Christian Right because it includes blacks, who vote strongly Democratic, as well as some Catholics, mainline Protestants and non-voters who may identify with those spiritual terms.)

Connor, who leaves the Family Research Council Monday for unspecified "professional and personal reasons," says fellow leaders of the Christian Right have been used, accepting rhetoric instead of results and confusing access with influence.

"They go to an East Room ceremony or a Rose Garden signing or to the White House Christmas party and say, `Look at all the influence I have,"' he said. "In reality, they've been bought off cheap."

Paul Weyrich -- head of the Washington-based Free Congress Foundation, co-founder of the Moral Majority and a man some call the father of the Christian Right -- shares some of Connor's frustration, without criticizing Bush.

"The president is a religious conservative. The senate majority leader is a religious conservative. The speaker of the house and the house majority leader and the majority whip are all religious conservatives," Weyrich said. "Yet we make only marginal, incremental progress. We really have to rethink our strategy."

Weyrich recently received a "Patriot's Award" for his service to the cause. The scene -- an annual summer gathering in suburban Washington sponsored by more than 20 conservative organizations -- was festive, with red, white and blue banners and balloons. Activists carried paper plates piled with fried chicken, pork sandwiches and baked beans under a large banner saying "Government is not God."

Interviews revealed that leaders of the Christian Right are downright pessimistic, even at a time when some Democrats accuse Bush of pushing a religious conservative agenda and foreign critics say the administration imposes a moralistic vision on the world.

"In politics and public policy, we're losing ground," said Walt Barbee, a veteran political activist in Virginia, the state where the Christian Right has arguably been most successful. "I don't see how anyone can say otherwise in light of the prima facie evidence of this recent Supreme Court decision."

Justice Antonin Scalia, in his blistering dissent, said the court's majority had decreed "the end of all morals legislation" and made gay marriage the logical next step. Meantime, an appeals court in Canada ruled in June that a gay marriage ban was unconstitutional. Pending court decisions in Massachusetts and New Jersey could sanction gay marriage in this country as well.

"I don't think the bomb has gone off yet. It will go off and go off soon. It's the marriage bomb," said Matt Daniels, president of the Alliance for Marriage, a Washington-based group promoting a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely a union between a man and a woman.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has endorsed the effort, saying "Western values" and the "sacrament" of marriage must be protected.

In Michigan, legislators are working to rewrite the state constitution in a similar manner. Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, predicts gay marriage will become the ultimate wedge issue, with every 2004 candidate forced to answer where he or she stands.

"Some folks on the right see the marriage issue as the winning move for them," said Michael Adams, a spokesman for Lambda Legal, a New York City organization fighting for gay rights nationally. "I think they're going to see that they're mistaken, just as they thought gay adoption was the issue for them and child custody for gays and lesbians was the issue for them. They're finding that society is moving toward more equality and they're being left behind.

"But we don't expect the Christian Right to go away. They certainly have shown with their virulent reaction the last couple of weeks that they're not going away."

(Mark O'Keefe can be contacted at mark.okeefe@newhouse.com)


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: christianright; culturewars; evangelicals; marriageamendment; profamily; sostayhomeagain; waltbarbee; winwithoutyou
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To: Brian S
Coming soon to an SAT near you:

Blacks are to the Democratic Party as Christian Conservatives are to:

A) Church
B) Bake Sales
C) The Republican Pary
D) Synagogue
21 posted on 07/14/2003 8:25:23 PM PDT by AD from SpringBay (I've replied this before and may do so again.)
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To: TheAngryClam
I heard President Bush and the Republicans are going to make a huge issue out of Gonzales in the coming months.
22 posted on 07/14/2003 8:28:00 PM PDT by Wait4Truth (God Bless our President!)
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To: George W. Bush; All
I am fed up with this talk by so-called members of the religious right on here. I asked some people at the Baptist Church what they thought of the President (unless you don't consider Baptist religious right) and to a person they firmly support the President and want to elect more Republican Senators.

Some of you on here that keep going around saying you will stay home and it doesn't make any difference Pres Bush and the RATs are alike are not thinking or are disruptors -- not sure which. Can you say Partial Birth Abortion BAN? Or did some of you forget that? It would have never passed with a RAT in the White House but as you all say there is no difference.

Either the religious right gets out and votes this time or IMHO they have forfeited their right to a place at the Republican table.

I will never forgive them and anyone on here if a DemocRAT gets in the White House because of their petty grievances and their lack of understanding that you don't get things overnight.

The liberal media is playing members of the religious right for suckers and you all are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker! BTW, I am religious and conservative but consider myself a Republican.
23 posted on 07/14/2003 8:34:50 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Bush Cheney '04 - VICTORY IN '04 -- $4 for '04 - www.GeorgeWBush.com/donate/)
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To: Wait4Truth
President Bush had nothing to do with these rulings. These are not people he appointed. If you check out this nominees, you will see that his choices would never have backed this crap. But you don't want to see the truth, do you? You are divisive and you are wrong.

-----------------------------

As of this moment Bush is in Africa calebrating the fact that he has obligated myself and this nation to pay the cost of the consequences of African lunatic sex lives and the irrationality of that culture in general. This is typical Bush. He is a one-world globalist/socialist obligating America down the drain.

You are divisive and you are wrong.

24 posted on 07/14/2003 8:38:11 PM PDT by RLK
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To: Wait4Truth
Gonzales isn't nominated for anything yet.

I think you're confusing him with Miguel Estrada.
25 posted on 07/14/2003 8:39:15 PM PDT by TheAngryClam (NO MULLIGANS- BILL SIMON, KEEP OUT OF THE RECALL ELECTION!)
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To: PhiKapMom
Well, if hillary does run in 04, which I think she will do, it will be a true test for the Religious Right. If they don't come out to vote for President Bush, they will have nobody but themselves to blame. And I won't care to hear their moaning about another clinton in the White House. I am trusting the Lord to wake a lot of people up before it's too late. And it's not only partial-birth abortion, it's judges, it's the cutting of funding of abortion that Bush began in his first hours in office, it's his deep belief in Jesus, it's his desire to do the right thing even when he is attacked, it's his love of his country, his love of the men and women that serve under him in the military, and so much more...anyone that says he is no different than a Democrat or hillary is not truly a Christian, IMHO.
26 posted on 07/14/2003 8:42:55 PM PDT by Wait4Truth (God Bless our President!)
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Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
Your post is the most ridiculous one I have read on FR tonight. Congratulations.
28 posted on 07/14/2003 8:50:40 PM PDT by Wait4Truth (God Bless our President!)
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
You never liked President Bush to begin with so why would we expect you to like him now!

You guys amaze me and must think we are idiots. I remember who didn't support President Bush and now you all come along complaining about your agenda he didn't support and kind of stretch the truth a shade at that.

Give me a break! At least be upfront and say I didn't support President during the election and I still don't support him!


29 posted on 07/14/2003 8:53:53 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Bush Cheney '04 - VICTORY IN '04 -- $4 for '04 - www.GeorgeWBush.com/donate/)
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To: RLK
This is typical Bush. He is a one-world globalist/socialist obligating America down the drain.

Okay, your posts here and on other threads have convinced me that you don't like President Bush.

Well done.

Now you can stop fabricating things like "one-world globalist/socialist". It makes you sound foolish.

30 posted on 07/14/2003 8:56:46 PM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: Wait4Truth
Lol...I was rereading it in stunned disbelief myself.
31 posted on 07/14/2003 8:59:55 PM PDT by DPB101
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
Bush is afraid of offending anyone

LOL!!

Guess that explains why he shredded the Kyoto treaty.

Guess that explains why he pulled the plug on the ICC.

32 posted on 07/14/2003 9:02:32 PM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: PhiKapMom
Some of you on here that keep going around saying you will stay home...

What? I've never said I'll stay home. You're confused.
33 posted on 07/14/2003 9:09:51 PM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
Bush is afraid of offending anyone...

-------------------

Three and four years ago I said Bush was an overly compliant personality. He's a momma's boy. Additionally, he is ideologically and intellectually undeveloped and tends to be lazy. With the life of supported ease he has led, it worked. I suspect many of the predictions you made will come true.

34 posted on 07/14/2003 9:10:04 PM PDT by RLK
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon

36 posted on 07/14/2003 9:12:44 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
The Republicans under Mr. Bush are selling white middle class Americans down the river to expand their base with gays, blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims -- I stand by this claim.

You forgot all the money and time they wasted in 2000 in California. I know Bush is going to have a giant warchest to campaign with but I think he's going to need every penny. I agree with you that it's very unlikely he'll get any significant number of votes from the four groups you named. We can never out-lib the liberals. The most likely exception would be if Bush really works hard on the Hispanic vote. He might improve his standing there. But it's going to take a lot more than occasional shots at the Dims over the Estrada nomination.
37 posted on 07/14/2003 9:18:17 PM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: Right_in_Virginia
It makes you sound foolish.

----------------------------------

Thank you for your subjective appraisal which is little more than an encoding of the fact that we disagree. The world couldn't have lived without it.

As far as my opinion of Bush, I find him disgusting. He's another in the class of pampered superficial rich kids who use politics as a pretentious elitist playground. He's little different than the Kennedys, the Gores, and the rest of them.

38 posted on 07/14/2003 9:19:16 PM PDT by RLK
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To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
If Bush got a second term and then Jeb
got the White House next.
Much of that would come true.
(Not reparations for blacks however)

But Bush may or may not get another
term. But if he does the Republican
party will implode in his second term.
Jeb will never be President.
39 posted on 07/14/2003 9:29:38 PM PDT by Princeliberty
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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