Christian Coalition falls on lean days

The Christian Coalition, once one of the most powerful forces of the religious right, is running a much leaner operation these days.

The group — once based in Washington — now has its headquarters in Charleston, S.C., where it is coping with a vastly reduced budget of $1.3 million, down from the $26 million it enjoyed a decade ago.

It employs a part-time political consultant based in Columbia, S.C., and a Washington lobbyist who works from a home office in Frederick, Md.

“The Christian Coalition is — how shall I put it? — it’s moribund,” said Richard Cizik, director of public policy for the National Association of Evangelicals.

“Access doesn’t always translate to influence, but there was a day when the name ‘Christian Coalition’ connoted access,” he said. “It may still have some of that access, but it does not have the influence.”

Founded in 1989 by the Rev. Pat Robertson, the Christian Coalition is widely credited with engineering the “Republican revolution” in 1994. The group’s “Road to Victory” conferences — biennial religio-political gatherings in Washington — were considered a must for up-and-coming Christian conservatives. Four thousand people attended the conference in 1996.

While attendance at last year’s conference decreased to 1,000, it still drew such big names as House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, Colorado Republican, and Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican. Another “Road to Victory” is planned for 2006.

Former President Bill Clinton’s eight years in office caused the group to mushroom, said Drew McKissick, the group’s political director.

“But once you got past 2000, you had a much more conservative president in the White House who was not antagonistic toward Christians,” he said. “We had to refocus our agenda as we no longer had a liberal bogeyman in the White House. Instead of being in opposition to, you’re trying to work on the positive side of the agenda.”

The group has been fighting off creditors and coping with the lack of a charismatic spokesman, such as former Executive Director Ralph Reed or Mr. Robertson. Mr. Reed departed in 1997 to start a political consulting firm and Mr. Robertson stepped down in 2001. He was replaced by Roberta Combs, director of the group’s South Carolina affiliate.

“In its heyday, the Christian Coalition was important, but not as powerful as some in the press made it out to be,” said author and Republican consultant Craig Shirley. “The demise of the Christian Coalition may be more about generating fewer press releases now than it did when Ralph was there.”

But the group — with a mailing list that includes 2 million names — can still rouse the troops, and the 30 million voter guides it distributes before national elections inform the electorate on where politicians stand on key issues.

Washington lobbyist Jim Backlin said the organization is playing key roles in legislation such as the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act and the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.

“Our people would like to see Roe vs. Wade overturned but meanwhile we will work on what they call the small bills, chipping away at abortion in this country,” Mr. Backlin said.

But the group’s financial problems may hinder it from fighting such battles.

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