Conservative Christian power-broker Gary Bauer (that one-time presidential hopeful?) turned his attention to a new threat, one social conservative leaders hope will shake their constituents from their apathy about the 2008 presidential race. "The war against Islamofascism is in many respects a 'values issue,'" Bauer wrote. "That may seem like an odd statement at first glance, but, as I have often said, losing Western Civilization to this vicious enemy would be immoral."
From one perspective, branding "radical Islam" as a family values issue is yet another example of the broadening of the evangelical agenda. But next November, it also could energize one of the Republican Party's key voting blocs, much like anti-gay marriage measures did in 2004.
The use of "Islamofascism" is the buzzword de jour among the faithful. Proponents of the term argue that Islamic radicals who embrace totalitarian methods magically evokes some sort of European fascist movements of the early 20th century. You're kidding, right? Some critics call it manufactured propaganda, a 21st-century scare tactic that fails to capture the complex causes of terrorism. You say tomato, I say effing tomato...
A quick review of Evangelicals railing against militant Islam recently:
• Televangelist Pat Robertson, explaining his endorsement this week of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said "the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the bloodlust of Islamic terrorists."
• Perhaps the nation's most influential evangelical leader, James Dobson, has spotlighted the issue a dozen times over the past year on his Focus on the Family radio show. Dobson has warned that both Republicans and Democrats need to "wake up" to the dangers of militant Islam.
• At the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in June, evangelical thinker Charles Colson spoke of a "long war" against Islamofascists.
Tensions between evangelical Christianity and Islam are long-standing, too. You know, with the Crusades and the Battle of Tours and such. Oh, and that oil and Israel thing too...
They're also trying to 'grow the business' and you just can't have a Subway and a Quiznos in the same parking lot, for some reason.
U.S. Muslim leaders are critical of the pitched rhetoric and warn of the consequences if evangelical leaders fail to separate militants from the vast majority of Muslims. Or what? Or else they'll bomb them? Uh, what's up with that, guys? You MAY want to consider firing your PR firm. Just some free advice there for ya.
"If you look at the global picture, what these groups are doing is reinforcing the idea that America is in a crusade against Islam, and that this not a war against a group of extremists, but a war between religions," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council. "In the long run, it's to the detriment of America's interests and it's pandering to a bloc of voters in a very shortsighted way." Yeah, say what you will Salami, it's a free country, after all, but those people do vote! And they do have a history of voting on the fear ticket.
In meetings with Republican presidential candidates, Christian conservatives are most interested in hearing an acknowledgment of the Islamic threat.
The GOP hopefuls are obliging. Here's your scorecard:
Giuliani — whose preferred term is "Islamic terrorists" — has denounced Democrats for failing to use the phrase. Christian conservative leaders acknowledge their elevation of the issue has contributed to an ironic twist at the top of the polls: Giuliani, the candidate most associated with the war on terrorism, not only won Robertson's endorsement but is polling well among evangelicals despite his two divorces and support for abortion rights and gay rights.
Mitt Romney, who is aggressively courting evangelicals, produced a TV ad in Iowa titled "Jihad," in which he says, "It's this century's nightmare, jihadism — violent, radical Islamic fundamentalism." He's also Mormon, so it's likely that the evangelical support would offset.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council accused former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a favorite of many Christian conservatives, for failing to grasp the threat of radical Islam.
Mike Huckabee has since tried to make amends. In a Republican debate in Orlando, the former Southern Baptist minister labeled Islamofascism "the greatest threat this country's ever faced."
Green, of the Pew Forum, said if radical Islam does become a major campaign issue, it will help the GOP nominee because voters tend to view Republicans as stronger on national security. But he isn't sure it will motivate conservative Christian activists. To be whipped up into some kind of religious fury; a kind of jihad, if you will?
"If you get off into issues of taxes or foreign policy, their eyes glaze over," Green said. "If politics is going to be about those things, they'd rather be back at their churches saving souls."
Another influential conservative activist, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, said it's unclear whether conservative Christian voters understand the threat of radical Islam well enough for it to become a factor in the election.
"We've got a year to make sure they know what's going on," said Weyrich, a Romney supporter. "If they do, probably this will be the motivating issue. If they don't, you can forget it. I think the election goes to Hillary (Clinton)."
I would have thought that Hillary alone would be enough to get the Conservatives into the polling places? Eh, I guess Rove figures he oughta' whip 'em up good, just to make sure.
Original story By ERIC GORSKI, AP Religion Writer. Edited and editorialized by The Cap'n.
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