Remaining shreds of Christian Coalition power fade away

August 24, 2006

At the national level, the Christian Coalition, a one-time political powerhouse created by TV preacher Pat Robertson, has been a bit of a joke for a while now. The group may have, at one time, been synonymous with the religious right political movement, but now, instead of scaring lawmakers, it’s dodging debt collectors.

At the state level, however, the Christian Coalition name has continued to have at least some meaning, in at least in some states. Now, however, that’s gone too.

Three disgruntled state affiliates have severed ties with the Christian Coalition of America, one of the nation’s most powerful conservative groups during the 1990s but now buffeted by complaints over finances, leadership and its plans to veer into nontraditional policy areas.

“It’s a very sad day for our people, but a liberating day,” said John Giles, president of the coalition’s Alabama chapter, which announced Wednesday that it was renaming itself and splitting from the national organization. The Iowa and Ohio chapters took similar steps this year.

Jim Backlin, the Christian Coalition vice president for legislative affairs, responded that the group remains influential on Capitol Hill. “Many of the congressional offices always look for Christian Coalition support right away when trying to get their bosses’ legislation passed,” he said.

Please. The group has no staff, no membership, and no money. What, exactly, would lawmakers expect the group to do to help pass legislation?

Shortly before the 2004 election, the Christian Coalition claimed, rather ridiculously, that it was making a comeback. It was going to distribute 30 million voter guides to help Republicans garner support from evangelical voters. The group was going to spend $4.2 million in election-year efforts. It was going to train an army of volunteers at the Republican National Convention.

None of those things happened. Despite its one-time roll as a dominant political force, the Christian Coalition has become irrelevant and may very well stand on the brink of bankruptcy.

Pat Robertson is gone, so is Ralph Reed, and so is the once-vibrant network of state affiliates. As new religious right groups gained influence (Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Traditional Values Coalition, American Family Association, and others), the Coalition found itself unable to compete in a crowded landscape. Complicating matters, the CC was forced to endure multiple investigations by the IRS and FEC for abusing its tax-exempt status and illegally participating in partisan campaign activities.

It’s worth noting that, in some ways, the Coalition’s demise is too late. Robertson sought to create a political machine that would elect like-minded Republicans to positions of power. To an extent, that has happened — GOP leaders take religious-right groups and activists for granted, but the Coalition did play a role in helping the Republicans get to the point where they are today.

But unlike Dobson’s Focus, the Coalition didn’t know what to do once its friends took power, the group’s careless disregard for the law undermined any effort to regain its footing; and Pat Robertson’s tendency to say insane things alienated allies. Now, it’s left with nothing.

So long, Christian Coalition. You won’t be missed.

Now that’s “good news”. They sort of paralleled the decline of the Republicans they helped elect, into law-breaking, debt-making and posturing.

  • Of course you’re not suggesting that the movement is substantially weakened. The names of the actors may have changed but the Christian conservatives are still quite influential.

    Its nice to say goodbye to Pat Roberts and Jerry Falwell, but Tony Perkins is no prize.

    The religious right overreached in some areas and will continue to do so since they are ideologically fed. But religious fanaticsm will be a dominant theme for many years to come.

  • To quote a character from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol:”

    I’ll come to the funeral, but only if they provide lunch.”

    I think a good portion of the CC’s demise is due—at least in part—to those many Citizens who sttod firm, and refused to buy into the freakazoid message. They countered the CC dogma. They challenged the CC doctrine. And, now that the ship of CC slips beneath the waves, one’s attention can be bent toward the other absolutist groups in the “Theofascist” fold. Robertson’s been pretty much isolated in his little corner; Falwell’s “War-on-Everything” has stalled, and seems to be in a tailspin of its own making. Phelps is just [plain lucky that a bunch of grey-haired, Harley-riding, ex-Nam vets haven’t “molotov’d” his little compound—yet. Should we start planning the for the seige of Dobsonistan?

  • The mixing of religion and politics has ever been the bane of the human race. It fills me with a vast sense of fullfillment and releif to see it so demonstrated the power of god where true justice is concerned. Those that would twist the minds and hearts of the faithful for the gain of power always find their power finite in the face of a single nod from God. People like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell always eventually fall, because those who truly adhere to the religions of the world understand that it is not what you believe that but that you believe at all. The people who follow men like these are always looking for god, and always, eventually realize they’ve taken a wrong turn some where. This is a danger inherent in the practice of basing your faith upon the words and actions of another human being as opposed to what is in your own heart. Good luck to all, no matter your god, and I hope that we are all able to find enlightenment.

  • The movement is weakened. I think the FDAs decision on Plan B, following Bush’s comment at the end of his publick tongue-tying, er, I mean “press conference” on Monday, demonstrates that the whole bunch of them are now riding a raft that’s on an ebbing tide.

    Good riddance to ignorant rubbish – back to the tents and roll in the sawdust, you idiots. The rattlesnakes are in their cages in back.

  • The Christian Coalition may be dead, but so is Barry Goldater. Both founded movements and sired a group of wayward children that have taken this nation into dangerous country. While no one on the left will shed any tears, we’re forced to contest with its even more radical progeny. One down, plenty more to go.

  • “The names of the actors may have changed but the Christian conservatives are still quite influential… religious fanaticsm will be a dominant theme for many years to come.” — NeilS

    Indeed. Evangelicals are on a mission, and while they may lose a battle now and then, they’re not giving up. It’s going to take a mighty force to marginalize their radical visions, and the only ones capable may be more tolerant, more rational Christians.

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