In the political culture wars, religious conservatives say they've been electing candidates but not getting the results they want. And leaders worry that they might be about to lose Christian conservatives as a potent political force because of unmet expectations on a host of issues and stumbles by a Republican administration they helped elect.
Conservative "values voters" have been crucial to Republican success, with religious leaders driving huge voter turnout in recent elections. If they lack enthusiasm this fall, experts say, the GOP could lose control of Congress.
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"The nation isn't focused today in a way it was on such issues as abortion, marriage, the nature of the family," said the Rev. Laurence White of Houston. "For us, it's not the economy, stupid. It's the morality, stupid."
Emphasis added. It's the "for us" part that is the problem. They, in large part, do not comprehend that they are in the minority.
What impact might they have this fall?
Professor John Green of the University of Akron, an expert on religion and politics, said evangelicals accounted for 35 percent to 40 percent of President Bush's re-election vote in 2004 and are instrumental to GOP success.
"These voters are quite important to Republican control of the House and Senate," Mr. Green said. "In Ohio, probably Florida, Pennsylvania and maybe Missouri in 2006, these voters could be absolutely crucial to Republicans."
Was 2004 the apex of their influence?
The history of political activism by religious conservatives has been marked by periods of engagement and withdrawal. President Bush's appeal to evangelicals and gay-marriage initiatives in 2004 were a high-water mark, experts say, and the withdrawal may be beginning.
"A lot of Republicans use this group of people in a kind of euphoria that they've found this untapped political base," said Robin Lovin, a professor of ethics at Southern Methodist University. "But the lesson is that this is a group of people who are, by tradition, more skeptical, less likely to participate and hard to hold together for the long run."
The bottom line is this is what they are after:
Conservative Christian voters say that Republican leaders they helped put in office haven't moved quickly enough on their policy agenda. Here are some of the issues they feel haven't been addressed:
Gay-marriage ban. Although 19 states, including Texas, have amended their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage, Congress has not authorized a federal constitutional amendment. Conservatives say such a step is necessary to protect traditional marriage against court decisions requiring recognition of gay unions.
Religious expression. Conservative evangelicals want churches to be able to support political candidates without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, teacher-led prayer to be allowed in schools, and religious symbols such as the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public places.
The judiciary. President Bush gets high marks for the two Supreme Court justices confirmed this year. But courts should be prohibited from taking "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance or otherwise ruling against acknowledgements of God in public declarations, conservative evangelical leaders say.
Abortion. Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion, has not been overturned.
Property rights. Conservatives want restrictions on eminent domain, the government power to take private property for public use.
School vouchers. Parents should be permitted to send children to private schools, including those run by religious institutions, with public money, these voters argue.
They won't stop pushing their agenda, but perhaps they will awaken to the fact they are being used for the pursuit of power.