Karl Rove doesn’t seem to make many mistakes, but he may regret admitting over the weekend that the Bush White House is “indebted” to evangelicals for their support on Election Day. First, it’s not clear just how big a role the religious right had in Bush’s success. Second, as the White House will soon begin to understand, the religious right is a “high maintenance” political movement that is fickle, demanding, inclined to reject compromise, and impossible to please.
Christian evangelicals provided much of the passion and manpower for President Bush’s reelection. But even as they celebrate his victory, many of the movement’s leaders are experiencing post-election anxiety, worried that their strong support for the president might not translate into the instant influence they expected.
Notice the use of the word “instant.” The religious right was demanding throughout Bush’s first term and was usually pleased with progress on the movement’s agenda. But now they’re not looking for progress; they want full-blown success. They were willing to tolerate incremental steps forward in Bush’s first term because they knew he’d be seeking a second. Now, they won’t accept excuses.
This is a movement with high expectations, easily-bruised sensitivities, and a very long wish-list. Arlen Specter is a high priority now, but it’s the tip of the iceberg. Threats are already being shot across the Republicans’ bow.
In recent days, some evangelical leaders have warned in interviews that the Republican Party would pay a price in future elections if its leaders did not take up the issues that brought evangelicals to the polls.
“Business as usual isn’t going to cut it, where the GOP rides to victory by espousing traditional family values and then turns around and rewards the liberals in its ranks,” said Robert Knight, who heads an affiliate of Concerned Women for America, a Christian conservative advocacy group. “If the GOP wants to expand and govern effectively, it can’t play both sides of the fence anymore.”
Rove & Co. invited the religious right to take over. “Be careful what you wish for” keeps coming to mind…