For those of us who’ve been watching the [tag]religious right[/tag] for a long while, a pattern emerges. The political movement helps elects [tag]Republicans[/tag], who in turn take the theocrats for granted, which prompts the religious right to threaten GOP leaders. The party throws the base just enough bones to placate [tag]James Dobson[/tag], which eases tensions and keeps Republican coalition together a little longer. Rinse and repeat.
In May 1998, Dobson and others were so frustrated with the lack of progress, they talked openly about leaving the GOP and forming their own party. Newt Gingrich helped bring them back from the brink, but since then, every couple of years, the base lets Republican leaders know that they’re thoroughly displeased with the lack of progress on issues of importance to far-right [tag]Christian[/tag] [tag]conservatives[/tag].
By all appearances, it’s nearly as bad now as it was eight years ago.
Some of President [tag]Bush[/tag]’s most influential conservative Christian allies are becoming openly critical of the White House and Republicans in [tag]Congress[/tag], warning that they will withhold their support in the [tag]midterm[/tag] elections unless Congress does more to oppose same-sex marriage, obscenity and abortion.
“There is a growing feeling among conservatives that the only way to cure the problem is for Republicans to lose the Congressional elections this fall,” said Richard Viguerie, a conservative direct-mail pioneer.
Mr. Viguerie also cited dissatisfaction with government spending, the war in Iraq and the immigration-policy debate, which Mr. Bush is scheduled to address in a televised speech on Monday night.
“I can’t tell you how much anger there is at the Republican leadership,” Mr. Viguerie said. “I have never seen anything like it.”
Well, at least not lately. In 1998, the Taliban wing of the party wanted Gingrich & Co. to pass theocratic legislation and force Clinton vetoes. In 2006, the Dobson crowd expects it to be easier — a Republican Congress passes right-wing bills, a Republican president signs them into law, and everyone’s happy (unless you’re one of those pesky people who doesn’t like “The 700 Club”).
In other words, the expectations have gone up, but the number of successes has not. What, exactly, has the religious right won by virtue of helping elect a GOP federal government? In terms of major, high-profile policy fights, they got the Terri Schiavo effort last year … and not much else. Apparently, the movement has noticed the unchecked items on its wish-list.
In the last several weeks, Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential Christian conservatives, has publicly accused Republican leaders of betraying the social conservatives who helped elect them in 2004. He has also warned in private meetings with about a dozen of the top Republicans in Washington that he may turn critic this fall unless the party delivers on conservative goals.
And at a meeting in Northern Virginia this weekend of the Council for National Policy, an alliance of the most prominent Christian conservatives, several participants said sentiment toward the White House and Republicans in Congress had deteriorated sharply since the 2004 elections.
The religious right will get a few votes they want before the end of the year — a constitutional amendment on gay marriage will reach the Senate floor next month — they won’t get any victories. As Dobson put it, “There’s just very, very little to show for what has happened, and I think there’s going to be some trouble down the road if they don’t get on the ball.”
It could get ugly. It should also be fun for the rest of us to watch.