Five Points About Rick Perry's Prayer Rally Not Yet in Mainstream Press
Rachel Tabachnick printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Aug 08, 2011 at 11:48:44 AM EST
Texas Governor Rick Perry closed his prayer rally on Saturday stating, "This is a day that people are going to discuss for years to come."   Perry may have been talking about his own political aspirations, but I think his words may be prophetic in this case.  We may have just seen the national debut of a new phase of political activism by the Religious Right that is the culmination of decades of planning.  Following are five significant points about the rally that have not yet made it into mainstream press.
1. Significance of the 50-State "Prayer Warrior" Communication Networks

An analysis in the Washington Post read, "... organizing a prayer gathering in your home state isn't the same thing as winning votes in places like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina."  This article does not take into account the NAR's 50-state network of "prayer warriors." (NAR stands for New Apostolic Reformation.)  At the moment there are three different national networks under the authority of Dutch Sheets, Cindy Jacobs, and John Benefiel.  Both of the last two endorsed Perry's event.  

There are well developed networks in Iowa and South Carolina, headed by Katherine Watsey and