No, not a teabagger yellow-flag rally in some small no-account city -- the "May Day 2010: A Cry To God For A Nation In Distress" held at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. (h/t PFAW's Right Wing Watch) which evidently attracted just a few hundred friends, family and employees of various far-right Christianist groups.
The event was primarily organized by Janet Porter, a D-list Florida Christianist radio host who nonetheless attracted A-list (in wingnut bizarro world) sponsors and/or speakers like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Alan Keyes, David Barton, Mat Staver, Jerry Boykin, Jerome Corsi, and five members of Congress (usual suspects -- Steve King, Louis Gohmert, Trent Franks, Randy Forbes, and Cliff Stearns).
Details and video, below
This event was designed to showcase the ability of Christianist prayers to affect political change.
From the official website:
Join with Christian leaders of all denominations who love God to humble ourselves, pray, seek the face of God, and turn from our wicked ways -- individually and as a nation. Jesus will be front and center at May Day. Prayers will be offered in Jesus' Name!
This event is not to impress the media or those in Washington, but to reach the heart of God. Publicly repenting and crying out to God for His mercy instead of the judgment our many sins deserve.
Well, that's the only "success" they can claim -- the event did not get any media coverage.
For good reason -- the turnout was embarrassingly small, fewer people than show up in most D.C.-area churches for any Sunday service:
That video was taken more than halfway (10 to 11 a.m.) through the sunrise to 2 p.m. event. There were presumably fewer people at sunrise, and fewer people at 2 p.m.
Here's gay rights activist Wayne Besen's first-person take, from Truth Wins Out:
Early this morning, I went to the heavily promoted, "May Day 2010: A Cry To God For A Nation In Distress." It was organized by Janet Porter, who is best known for running the failed "ex-gay" Truth in Love ad campaign in 1998.
The event was a bust. Less than 300 (not official count, but my own estimate) people turned out in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington today to hear a star-studded line-up of evangelists and right wing political leaders.
Organizers claimed from the stage that the event cost $70,000, so they had clearly expected an impressive turnout. The big names included the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, Generals International’s Cindy Jacobs, Porno Pete Labarbera, Bob Knight and Alan Keyes.
The Facebook page for this event has enlightening comments from supporters like these (each graf from a different person, verbatim):
Someone on this post said it was a flop...and that tourists were laughing at us...wrong on both counts...the small number of people who showed up were a very real picture of where the Church is today and why sin is so rampant in our nation.
Have the organizers provided an estimate of attendance? It appeared to be in the hundreds.
The fact of the matter is: Jesus is King, what may look like a flop to the natural eyes of man, much was done @ accomplished.
The FAIL of this event, held on a weekend in good weather at an iconic site within easy commuting distance of tens of millions, underscores the waning influence/power of the Christianist right.
The teabaggers, who are generally more interested in hating government and taxes and less interested in Christianist social and dominion issues, have taken over as the pre-eminent far-right event producers and source of Republican campaign volunteers/domors.
So there is certain to be some circular-firing-squad action between the teabaggers and the FAILing Christianists.
For which I will be popping corn.