Taking Over The Republican Party, Part III - Angels on A Pinhead
Joan Bokaer printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Dec 07, 2005 at 03:49:51 PM EST
 ... parliamentary manipulations [would] begin, and after two or three hours of discussion about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, the more reasonable people with other things to do leave, and in the wee hours of the morning, things are decided. That's how they achieve their objectives. more
[ Editor: This is the 3rd part of "Taking Over The Republican Party"  Part I  Part II ]
This is the third installment on how the Christian Coalition took working control of the Republican Party between the years 1991 to 1994. The first two installments are:

Part I - The Woman in A Mink Coat

Part II - While We Were Sleeping

Part III - Angels on A Pinhead


"We think the Lord is going to give us this nation back one precinct at a time, one neighborhood at a time, and one state at a time." Ralph Reed Christianity Today, April 3, 1990

Five years later:

By mobilizing eager volunteers down to the precinct (and local church) level and handing out 33 million voter guides -- often in church pews -- prior to last November's election, the Coalition is credited with providing the winning margin for perhaps half the Republicans' 52-seat gain in the House of Representatives and a sizable portion of their nine-seat pickup in the Senate."  (Time May 15, 1995)

How did the Christian Coalition provide "the winning margin" described in Timemagazine?"   We are going to look at a multli-pronged approach that included:
*    taking over the leadership at the precinct level by focusing on obscure party posts, obstructing meetings, and aggressively intimidating local leaders
*    using stealth;
*    working through sympathetic churches;
*    relying on voter apathy.

This entry will deal with #1 - Tactics for taking over the leadership at the precinct level. Future entries will discuss the other strategies.

Talking about the 1992 elections, Marc Wolin, a moderate Republican who lost the election in San Francisco, told journalist Greg Goldin:

What the Christian right spends a lot of time doing is going after obscure party posts. They try to control the party apparatus in each county. We have a lot to fear from these people. They want to set up a theocracy in America.

In 1993 Craig Berkman, former chairman of the Republican Party in Oregon, explained to Goldin:
They have acquired a very detailed and accurate understanding of how political parties are organized. Parties are very susceptible to being taken over by ideologues because lower party offices have no appeal to the vast majority of our citizenry. Many precincts are represented by no one. If you decide all of a sudden because it's your Christian duty to become a precinct representative, you only need a few votes to get elected.
Increasingly, they have the key say-so on who will be a delegate at the national convention, and who will write the party platform and nominate the presidential candidate. In a state like Oregon, with 600,000 registered Republicans, it is possible for 2000 or 3000 people to control the state party apparatus. more

What happened when members of the Christian Coalition were losing the vote? Again from Berckman:
 ... parliamentary manipulations [would] begin, and after two or three hours of discussion about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, the more reasonable people with other things to do leave, and in the wee hours of the morning, things are decided. That's how they achieve their objectives. more

Once the Christian Right had taken control of the Congressional leadership,  the "wee hours of the morning" tactic was to become a favorite tactic.
From Congressman Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio (12/11/03):

 House Republicans bend rules, press for votes during wee hours to escape the light of accountability. Never before has the House of Representatives operated in such secrecy:
At 2:54 a.m. on a Friday in March, the House cut veterans benefits by three votes.
At 2:39 a.m. on a Friday in April, the House slashed education and health care by five votes.
At 1:56 a.m. on a Friday in May, the House passed the Leave No Millionaire Behind tax-cut bill by a handful of votes.
At 2:33 a.m. on a Friday in June, the House passed the Medicare privatization and prescription drug bill by one vote.
At 12:57 a.m. on a Friday in July, the House eviscerated Head Start by one vote.
And then, after returning from summer recess, at 12:12 a.m. on a Friday in October, the House voted $87 billion for Iraq. Always in the middle of the night. Always after the press had passed their deadlines. Always after the American people had turned off the news and gone to bed.
The most sweeping changes to medicare in its 38 year history were forced through the House at 5:55 on a Saturday morning.
 
When the "angels on a pinhead" tactic didn't work, shouting took over. Writing about Harris County, TX, Fred Clarkson reports:
  Recently, the Christian Right shouted down and ousted the elected party chair Betsy Lake, and installed a theocratic activist, Steven Hotze. more
 
If you want to learn more about Dr. Steven Hotze, see Bruce Prescott's entry On Restoring America  about a video he received from Dr. Hotze in 1990.
 The video was a guide on how to 1) take over a Republican Party precinct meeting, 2) elect "Christian" delegates to the GOP District meeting, and 3) put planks supporting the theocratic agenda of Christian Reconstructionism into the party platform.
 
From Joan Lowey of Scripps-Howard News Service, reporting on the 1992 elections:
 More than a dozen county meetings to elect party officers in Washington State erupted into shouting matches in recent weeks as mainstream Republicans and religious activists battled for control. Last summer, the GOP state convention under the control of religious activists passed a party platform denouncing witchcraft and yoga, among other subjects.
 
Lowey goes on to report:

  Working at the grassroots, fundamentalist activists have either gained control or made sizable inroads into state party organization in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Virginia.
A loosely affiliated network of Religious Right organizations led by televangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition has also mobilized millions of evangelical voters across the country. While they failed to re-elect President Bush, those voters helped to elect hundreds of religious activists and Republicans sympathetic to their conservative social agenda to school boards, city councils, state legislatures and Congress.
Now Christian Right activists are laying plans to expand their influence within the party and to target off-year election contests, particularly gubernatorial and state legislative races in New Jersey and Virginia this year. more
 
Lowey reports that in "Minnesota [Evangelicals] had been pressuring the Republicans attending precinct caucuses to state if and when they had been born again."

These news reports from 1993 create a mosaic. When read together a picture emerges of a very aggressive, well organized, and determined movement taking working control of the Republican Party from the bottom up, going precinct by precinct across various states, tying up meetings for hours with irrelevant questions until moderates left, and, when that didn't work, shouting the leaders out of office.

Yet to come - more on strategies: how the Christian Coalition ran stealth campaigns, capitalized on voter apathy, and worked through sympathetic churches to achieve their goals.

These articles can all be found at TheocracyWatch


***

[ed: Joan Bokaer's four part series is:
The Woman in A Mink Coat,
While We Were Sleeping,
Angels on A Pinhead
Under Cover Of Night]



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Taking Over The Republican Party, Part III - Angels on A Pinhead | 26 comments (26 topical, 0 hidden)
Thanks for your research (none / 0)
Most people think that GOP takeovers by Dominionists were isolated to a few localities.

You make it appear that takeovers were so widespread and implemented with such simultaneity as to suggest some higher level of organization and coordination.


by Mainstream Baptist on Wed Dec 07, 2005 at 05:08:35 PM EST

Regarding hijacking of the GOP (none / 0)
There's evidence that the hijacking not only occured earlier than most people realise, but on a more widespread basis.

The earliest group I have seen that would be involved in the "modern dominionist" movement is probably the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (and by extension the AoG in general, via its radio and television preachers that have existed quite literally since the invention of radio and television broadcasting).  Much of the face of dominionism in pente and charismatic churches is directly due to influence from FGBMFI, and the FGBMFI has always been at the heart of dominionist movements as far back as one cares to remember in the post-WW II era.  (Of note--the FGBMFI is also the first of approximately forty-odd front groups the AoG operates on a national and international level.  This should give an idea on just how long "dirty tricks" have been acceptable among dominionists in that group.)

Theologies that directly influence dominionism in pentecostal and charismatic circles also saw their birth in the late 40's and early 50's, including the "manifest sons of God" movement and "latter rain" movements (which, along with the "word-faith" movement, are the basis of "spiritual warfare" dominionism and premillenarian dispensationalism).  In fact, the term "dominion theology" originally showed up in extensions of "latter rain" theology, and this in turn would evolve very quickly into what is now known as the "third wave" movement (or the Brownsville movement, though the "movement" is close to 60 years old, originated in a large AoG church in South Korea, and largely has spread via the FGBMFI and the "traveling pastor" circuits to other churches in that denomination)

The next earliest group that I am aware of--and the earliest group that most folks fighting dominionism may be familiar with--is Phyllis Shlafly's Eagle Forum.  Shlafly was involved as early as 1964 in dominionist efforts to hijack the Republican Party--specifically in regards to support of Barry Goldwater's campaign (ironically, the Eagle Forum would later condemn Goldwater for not being dominionist enough).  The Eagle Forum was founded in 1973 and is one of the earliest of the dominionist groups actively involved in the Republican Party hijacking.

The next earliest mentions are from the mid-to-late seventies and the Conservative Caucus, which has a whole passel of names that are probably familiar to most folks active against dominionism: Howard Philips (head of Constitution Party), Paul Weyrich (Free Congress Foundation), Jerry Falwell, Ed McAteer (who is one of the major architects of the later hijacking of the Southern Baptist Convention by dominionists) and, again, multiple areas of support by the AOG (in this case through "Christian Voice", a magazine printed by the denomination).

Between the lot of them, the first "planning committee" for dominionists, the National Christian Action Committee, started.

Dominionist support eventually led to the election of Reagan in 1980, and (after a failed presidential bid in 1988) the Christian Coalition was formed with the express goal of further infiltration of the Republican Party state conventions.

In other words, aspects of the dominionist takeover of America have been going on for fully forty and fifty years, and the infiltration of the Republican party has been going on for at least thirty and probably closer to forty years running.  

by dogemperor on Wed Dec 07, 2005 at 07:07:00 PM EST
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Thanks for the info (none / 0)
You've given me a lot to read and digest.

I get indigestion every time I have to deal with the pentecostal/charismatic aspects of Dominionism.  It's territory that is foreign to my experience.

by Mainstream Baptist on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 05:12:51 AM EST
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No problem (none / 0)
I kind of grew up in "dominionist charis-mania" for 26 years of my life (and thirteen of those as a closeted walkaway).  I still am not quite sure how I managed to escape with my sanity intact other than from sheer will.

Seriously, though, as far as that goes, I'm less familiar with the details of the infiltration of the SBC (other than how the Southern Baptist Seminary was hijacked, and that mostly because I live in the same city as the Seminary) and much more familiar with the pente and charismatic flavours of dominionism (largely premillenarian-dispensationalist at that) partly because I grew up in it (and in a large AoG megachurch which was a major "dissemination point" for a lot of the spiritually abusive stuff in that denomination--hence why I say in these groups that dominionism is largely an outgrowth of existing spiritual abuse in these groups).

I do think we can learn a lot from each other, hence one of the reasons I'm glad for this place being set up :3

by dogemperor on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 08:16:43 AM EST
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I am definitely learning a lot from you (none / 0)
I too am glad to have this place to exchange notes and share experiences.

I can document spiritual abuse in SBC churches, but, except in isolated instances, it does not seem to be as extreme as what you have experienced.

Other than reading Sara Diamond's book on Spiritual Warfare, I have no knowledge of the spiritual abuse going on in AoG churches.  

You are providing valuable additional information and an update on practices that she brought to light.

by Mainstream Baptist on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 01:13:10 PM EST
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Further notes (none / 0)
Per this article, it also notes that a big change that occured in churches associated with the dominionist movement at that point is that they became much more "corporate"--developing the massive parallel economy that exists in the dominionist community (and yes, this even extends to things like "Christian Hairdressers" and the like).

This has occured in the pentecostal and charismatic groups associated with the dominionist movement earlier (with the AoG, sometime in the 40's to 50's if not beforehand--some aspects have been around quite literally since the denomination's founding; with Calvary Chapel and Vineyard and the "independent charismatic" churches, definitely since their founding), and you even see this with the Southern Baptist Convention at times.

The "Mobilisation of the Christian Right" series in general is a good historical record of dominionism and of how long it HAS been around.

Very few people realise the roots of dominionism do stretch back fully fifty or more years, and much of the early roots involve going into the history of "front groups" and parachurch groups like FGBMFI.  This apologetics site, for instance, documents the connections between the FGBMFI and the larger dominionist movement and how the "latter rain" and "word-faith" movements are intimately connected with dominionist practice in pente and charismatic communities; this site details links between the FGBMFI and Franklin Graham (in support of dominionism; Frank Graham has explicitly supported dominionist causes).     Dominionists even admit this in their own histories (this from Bob Jones University).

This link has info on the FGBMFI's activities now, and how dominionist groups do network; this site does have a decent history of links between dominionism and the "latter rain" movement (and FGBMFI), even if the site in general does tend to go into tinfoil-hat territory at times (as most of the info is confirmable in other sources).  The premillenial dispensationalists in particular tend to be friendly towards FGBMFI and, as I've noted, the term "dominion theology" actually comes from practices in dominionist pentecostal and charismatic churches into the "spiritual warfare" movement.

by dogemperor on Wed Dec 07, 2005 at 07:26:53 PM EST
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Some Interesting Facts That Point To A Fraud (none / 0)
Joan Bokaer exposes some very interesting facts that point to a "bait and switch" fraud on Christians by leaders of the Christian Coalition and other leaders of the Religious Right.

First, she says the leaders of the Christian Coalition and the Religious Right are helping Republicans win elections by mobilizing and motivating Christians. This is an obvious and well publicized fact.

Second, she says that political parties are very susceptible to being taken over by small numbers of people who game the system with premeditated tactics. This is not so obvious, but it is true and it has been true for a very long time.

Third, she says by stealth campaigns, voter apathy, and working through sympathetic churches a picture emerges of a very aggressive, well organized, and determined movement to take control of the Republican Party. This is also true, but it exposes a contradiction that reveals a fraud.

The contradiction is exposed by Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) quote about specific pieces of legislation being passed in the middle of the night by Republicans. Why would any true Christian support cuts to veterans benefits, cuts in education, cuts in health care, cuts in Head Start, cuts in Medicare, and tax cut for millionaires? The values that these pieces of legislation reflect are the opposite of Christian values.

This contradiction exposes a fraud being perpetrated on people of the Christian faith by some of the Religious Right's leaders, including the former head of the Christian Coalition, Ralph Reed (Ralph Reed now runs a political consulting and lobbying, Century Strategies, who's clients have included Enron thanks to help from Carl Rove. Reed is currently under investigation for his central role in the Jack Abramoff bribe scandal.), Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, James Dobson, Alan Keyes, and a few others.

It appears that Christians are being used and manipulated by a small number of well financed corrupt Religious leaders who have close ties to the Republican Party. I propose that these Religious leaders are really just part of a right-wing criminal conspiracy, as are the Republicans in Congress. They are only using Christianity and conservative ideals to help Republicans win elections and enrich themselves while our government is being robbed of $100 trillion dollars in assets. It is the classic bait and switch con job.

"O what a tangle web we weave when we practice to deceive."    

by Chris Fick on Wed Dec 07, 2005 at 06:43:36 PM EST

how does this happen? (none / 0)
Yes, I agree.  

But why do people follow?  In "What's the Matter With Kansas," Thomas Frank says that the religious right followers are made to believe that they are victims of the rich and liberal.

What is more worrisome to me is the lack of independent and critical thinking.  The fundamentalists teach 'the word' and people must follow. They do the same thing with their votes.  

Question is, how to interupt that trajectory.

by cyncooper on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 01:36:23 AM EST
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Answer (none / 0)
The simple answer to your first question, "Why do they follow?", is because they are morons. They spend their lives at work, on the road, watching the kids, watching reality TV, eating snacks, drinking alcohol, having sex, and sleeping. They have no time or energy for intellectual pursuits. It also has to do with how they were raised; some people are just followers. Finally, it has to do with the very effective hypnotic con the right wing has these people under. They use the media companies and media personalities very effectively to sell their spin on the issues, morals, and life itself.

The answer to your second question is not so simple. You could hit most of these people in the face with a 2 by 4 of the truth and they pick themselves up and keep right on going as if nothing happened. I'm sure there are some effective methods to un-brainwash people but I have not researched how that is done. Let me know if you know how that works.

by Chris Fick on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 09:51:43 AM EST
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answer to answer (none / 0)
I think it is true that people get involved in their daily lives, but I don't agree that they are incapable of thinking.

I am reminded of a quote from the late Neil Postman, media critic.  Postman discusses Aldous Huxley and Brave New World , in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death and writes:

For in the end, he was trying to tell us that what afflicted the people in Brave New World was not that they were laughing instead of thinking, but that they did not know what they were laughing about and why they had stopped thinking.

For Postman teaching people how to pierce the media was the key.  When people are encouraged to analyze and question, I think more people find independence.  

From the military to No Child Left Behind to our current administration's mantras, thinking is discouraged.

But it's essential to find ways to teach thinking itself, more than teaching ideology. (Theater, for example, does this, which is part of my personal attraction to it.)


by cyncooper on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 11:18:53 AM EST
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I Think I Understand Your Thinking (none / 0)
Life is all about making choices, and that involves constant thinking. Everyone is thinking all the time, even while we are sleeping. Everyone analyzes and questions things in life and that involves thinking.

However, I think I understand your idea. These deceived followers are allowing others to do their thinking for them. These people pick up on a few sound bites, mantras, slogans, and spin and then their thinking has already been done for them, and their decisions are easily predictable. These are the people I call "morons".

However, what your advocating takes time and energy. It requires people to seek out additional information, often from people and sources that are opposed to their preconceived ideals and beliefs. This might require these people to think that the things they have been believing and following their whole lives have been wrong. Many of these people are deeply committed to their erroneous ideas and beliefs and changing them is about as easy as turning silver into gold. I'm not saying that it's not an honorable and worth while pursuit, I'm just saying don't waste a lot of time trying to do it.

Once again, most people don't have the time and energy to seek out the knowledge that is necessary for critical analysis thinking. That is why the right-wing scorns the liberal teachers in universities. They know that knowledge is the Damocles Sword that dangles over the head of their corrupt un-democratic ideology. That is why they went to get rid of the Department of Education and they are cutting aid for college tuition. That is why they want Americans to work more hours and watch more mindless TV. That is why they debate and pass legislation in the middle of the night. And so forth and so on.

Eventually, the right-wing's sinister goals are going to hit home with these people like a ton of bricks, but if went wait until then it will be too late. When that day comes all we will be able to do is say "I told you so", and that is unacceptable to me.

I say the time to fight is now. It is time to create some real life drama and regain some actual independence. Lets go ahead and draw the battle lines where they are right now. The leaders of the right-wing and their morons on one side and the rests of us on the other. Remember, the founding fathers were blood and guts revolutionaries. They achieved our independence through the barrel of a gun. If we don't start fighting back right now the "trail of tears" will be from our own eyes and it will lead to a place we don't want to be.

Consider me your Patriot rider (writer) Paul Revere (Chris Fick) and all of you are the minutemen militia (liberals and well informed intellectuals). I saying at the top of my lungs "The fascist are coming, the fascist are coming". I realize the fascist are already here and they are already in control of our government, but they have not yet achieved their totalitarian goals. And until they do we still have a chance to take back our country from these liars, thieve, murders, and thugs (shysters).

We can start fighting back today by badgering, boycotting, and using civil disobedience. The details of how to use these tools are on my website "George W. Bush Is Shameless". Let me know if you have some additional ideas on how we can take back our government and country.

by Chris Fick on Thu Dec 08, 2005 at 02:04:53 PM EST