Freedom Writer - February 1995 [ref001] Newt set strategy for Religious Right— 10 years ag

Freedom Writer - February 1995

[ref001]

Newt set strategy for Religious Right— 10 years ago!

"For us, AIDS is a great rallying cry."    — Newt Gingrich

House Speaker Newt Gingrich set the agenda for the Religious Right 
ten years ago at a politically important conference in the nation's 
capital. On October 15-17, 1985, the Rev. Tim LaHaye's American Coalition 
for Traditional Values (ACTV) held a "How to Win An Election" conference 
in Washington, DC. 

Under the banner of "Serve the Lord by running for public office," 
the conference focused on the Christian's "Biblical mandate" to run 
for political office. During the conference, LaHaye referred to Newt 
Gingrich, a fellow Southern Baptist, as "a minister of God."

"We need to challenge God's people to run for office," LaHaye said. 
"If every Bible-believing, Christ-loving church would trust God to 
raise up an average of just one person over the next 10 years who 
would get elected, we would have more Christian candidates than there 
are offices."

Gingrich, the keynote speaker on the final night, said, "I think what 
you're doing is very, very important." He said those "on the left 
forgot just how freedom is delivered. From their standpoint, the Declaration 
of Independence did not have a phrase that said, 'We're endowed by 
our creator,' but rather said something like, 'being gathered together 
as random protoplasm.'" Gingrich continued, "I think they misunderstood 
the whole underlying spiritual drive which was key to the American 
Revolution."

_The_Freedom_Writer_ first reported on the "How to Win An Election" 
conference in its December 1985 issue. Speaking to over 300 Religious 
Right leaders and activists, the future Speaker of the House laid 
out a formula for religious conservatives to take over the country. 
Calling it a recipe for winning, Gingrich said there are four layers, 
one on top of the other. The first, he said, is vision. "What is your 
vision of the world? One who is familiar with the Bible can appreciate 
that," he added.

Strategy is second. "What is it you're going to try to do?" Operations 
or projects is the third step. Gingrich explained that this is determining 
the assignable tasks. "What are you going to do; how; and who's in 
charge of doing it?"

Finally, he listed tactics. Tactics are "what you do every single 
day."  It is about how you carry out your strategy and projects. "Populist 
conservative Republicans need to be very people-oriented," Gingrich 
said. "My strategy is using bumper stickers instead of billboards." 
Money can buy billboards, he noted, but people have to like you to 
put your name on their car or truck. "That's particularly true if 
you have a name as unusual as Newt Gingrich!" he said.

Newt Gingrich is an insightful opportunist. At the 1985 "How to Win 
an Election" conference, Gingrich declared, "AIDS is a real crisis. 
It is worth paying attention to, to study. It's something you ought 
to be looking at."

"AIDS will do more," Gingrich predicted, "to direct America back to 
the cost of violating traditional values, and to make America aware 
of the danger of certain behavior than anything we've seen." He concluded, 
"For us, it's a great rallying cry."

Newt Gingrich was probably the first to see AIDS as a political tool 
for the far right. The thought wasn't lost on ACTV members such as 
Pat Robertson, D. James Kennedy, Donald Wildmon, Jerry Falwell, Robert 
Dornan, and Jesse Helms.

The ACTV "How to Win an Election" conference, though little-known, 
is a political landmark. Under the direction of political strategist 
Paul Weyrich, workshops offered specific guidance for candidates, 
staff personnel, and "those praying about the possibility of running 
for office." The sessions covered organizing effective campaigns, 
raising money, framing the issues, and using the media. 

ACTV has since dissolved, but the organization set the stage for the 
advancement of other groups. Today, many former ACTV members are politically 
active. Some, such as Gingrich and Robert Dornan, are still in Congress. 
Others are active in the Christian Coalition, American Family Association, 
Traditional Values Coalition, and Concerned Women for America (CWA). 
In 1985, CWA, headed by LaHaye's wife Beverly, was considered ACTV's 
sister organization. CWA is the largest women's activist group in 
the country. 

Constitutionally, Gingrich, as Speaker of the House, is next in line 
for the presidency if something should happen to President Clinton 
and Vice-President Gore.


Quotable Newt

"Pat Robertson is an extraordinary institution builder and visionary. 
I believe when the history of the 20th century is written, there are 
two preachers who, in fact, shaped much of the domestic/political 
debate of post-World War II America. One was black. One was white. 
One was Martin Luther King, Jr., and the other Pat Robertson. They 
had an enormous, profound effect."  — Newt Gingrich

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