GOP Theme Is ‘Nearer My God to Thee’

Triumphant in Iowa, this Republican candidate boasts a 100% approval rating from the Christian Voice lobbying group. He recently co-chaired the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. “Freedom is a gift from God, not government,” he wrote in his autobiography.

The devotions of Marion G. (Pat) Robertson? Not quite. Those are the heavenly words and deeds of Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas.

So who’s the GOP candidate, endorsed by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who unabashedly declared, “Jesus Christ is my personal Savior.” With evangelic fervor, he told a audience of religious broadcasters, “more important than your votes are your prayers.”

Classic Robertson rhetoric? Guess again. It’s George Bush. The vice president is no wimp when it comes publicly embracing the Lord.

While the Democrats fight over how much Chrysler K-cars cost in South Korea, Republican presidential candidates are squabbling over who among them answers to a higher authority. Trembling before the altar of the powerful Christian right, GOP candidates have gotten religion.

Establishment Republican leaders have watched the GOP elephant transformed into a political sacrificial ox gored by Robertson in the first political contests. Bush, Dole and the rest of the GOP pack have become “born-again” believers after being brutalized by Robertson’s Christian army in Iowa, Michigan, Hawaii, Minnesota and Alaska. Even after Robertson’s lackluster performance in New Hampshire, Republican competitors agonize over his favorable electoral prospects on Super Tuesday in the Bible belt.

Not only aren’t there any atheists in foxholes, there are none at GOP candidate forums. Yet it’s not Robertson who invokes Jesus’ name as a rallying call to the GOP faithful.

Instead, look at Rep. Jack Kemp of New York, who has been repeatedly sacked at the ballot box by Robertson. “One of the reasons I’m running for President is because I believe I have an obligation as a Christian to be involved in politics,” Kemp said in an interview with the Presidential Biblical Scoreboard. The former Buffalo Bills quarterback stated that, ultimately, he doesn’t call the signals.

“My personal faith in Christ Jesus as Savior is something that affects me not only as a Christian, but also affects my family and my decision-making process,” asserted Kemp. “I cannot hang up my faith on a coat peg when I enter the political arena.”

While the other candidates are preaching hellfire and brimstone, the only Christian minister in the GOP race is soft-pedaling his conversion--though he did just deliver a strong defense of Jimmy Swaggart. Robertson usually emphasizes he made his fortune as a “broadcast executive.” Before the Iowa caucus, he spent $20,000 on a two-page newspaper ad, placing his picture opposite one of John F. Kennedy. The ad claimed both men faced religious persecution. “He was a Catholic and some people thought he would be a tool of the Pope,” Robertson explained. The advertisement was as unorthodox as Robertson’s former “700 Club” ministry--and just as successful.

“I shouldn’t be disqualified because I am a devout evangelical Christian,” Robertson said, turning a liability into a plea for fairness. “People are always talking about the fact that I am going to be some kind of bigot. I think a person shouldn’t be judged on how he used to make his living.”

While other candidates are humming, “Nearer My God To Thee,” Robertson is offering a solo rendition of “It’s a Small World After All.” After his stunning second place in Iowa, Robertson pointed to his broadened secular political base. He likened himself to Ronald Reagan, not Billy Graham. “I’m the candidate of all the people,” he exulted. “I’m a man who is reaching out to blacks and Hispanics.”

Unlike other candidates, Robertson need not demonstrate his piety. Formerly America’s most popular television evangelist, Robertson worries more about film clips showing his controversial faith healing efforts or attempt at praying away hurricanes. While other GOP contenders took turns prostrating themselves to the recent National Religious Broadcasters convention, Robertson’s keynote address contained only a few mild platitudes about America’s religious heritage.

The headline on the convention newspaper centered on Robertson’s plan to combat illiteracy. In contrast, Bush’s paean to biblical faith was headlined, “George Bush Defends Traditional Values.” And while Robertson has been mocked for the intimation that his presidential campaign is the result of a call from God, Kemp told the religious broadcasters that God speaks to him daily. This spiritual revelation was headlined, “Kemp shares faith from his heart.”

Robertson’s wild-card candidacy has inspired GOP contenders to become holier than thou. Some examples:

Employing Religious Gurus. All major candidates use evangelical or religious advisers to drum up support among “born-agains.” The Bush campaign even produced a 30-minute videotape on the the vice president’s “born-again” experience that he described as “a clear-cut affirmative.” Bush varies his stump speech to indicate how he saw Leonid I. Brezhnev’s widow secretly making the sign of the cross or Mao Tse-tung talking about meeting God after his death.

Massive Vote Potential. The number of evangelical Christians registered to vote is estimated at anywhere from 22 million to 48 million. A fraction of those devout voters, strategically placed, could mean the GOP nomination. As a result, the Republican contenders all stress opposition to abortion and support for government aid to parochial school students. Biblical Dirty Tricks . Some of the scriptural combat between Kemp and Robertson could make the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini look like “Saturday Night Live’s” Church Lady. At the end of the Iowa caucuses, leaflets and rumors distributed by various Christian groups charged Kemp with supporting pornography. Meanwhile, Robertson was accused of ignoring biblical injunctions with his campaign strategy and linked to “New Age” theology, a major taboo among fundamentalists.

A Shattered Party Infrastructure. Michigan is littered with political bodies bloodied by a battle between Bush and Robertson for control of the state party. Each claimed victory in the state’s complex caucuses. The results probably won’t be clear until the GOP convention in August.

Robertson’s “Invisible Army.” Less than two weeks before Robertson’s surprise showing in Iowa, one reporter, sent to track down the candidate’s legions, lamented he thought Robertson troops were there, but he couldn’t find them. A mix of political newcomers, former Democrats and sage political activists who deliberately withhold strength, Robertson’s invisible army showed up as about half its true strength in Iowa polls. Robertson now plans some surprises in Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

Because they are frightened at offending the religious army, Republican candidates would rather invite a Miami Herald reporter to stake them out than directly criticize Robertson. Dole, for one, praises his competitor. Robertson’s success “means there are a lot of new people coming into the Republican party and I want to put out a welcome sign,” Dole said. “It shows what you can do if you have a message.”

The message is: Handle with care. On Super Tuesday, Robertson may pick up enough delegates at least to have a part in choosing the winner at a brokered Republican convention.

Thus, said GOP political consultant Eddie Mahe, “Pat Robertson probably will have more to do with what happens than either Bush or Dole.”

Without the backing of Robertson’s Christian army, Dole and Bush may find they don’t have a prayer.