State Politicians Woo Christian Conservatives Christian Coalition Sure To Exercise Clout In ‘96 Legislative, Gubernatorial Races

The Christian Coalition of Washington figures to be a player in next year’s elections for governor and the Legislature, judging from a Saturday conference in Bellevue.

Seven of eight announced GOP gubernatorial candidates showed up to pitch themselves to about 200 people who skipped sunny weather to sit through a day of speeches by conservative commentators and coalition leaders.

State Sen. Dan McDonald, R-Bellevue, and Democratic Gov. Mike Lowry were the only announced candidates who didn’t attend the Washington Road to Victory conference at the Bellevue Red Lion hotel.

Even the most moderate Republican candidates for governor didn’t ignore the gathering.

“I said, ‘Why not? I want your support,”’ said Jim Waldo, a Tacoma attorney making his first run for public office. “I don’t think there’s any question it’s an important part of the Republican Party.”

Times certainly have changed.

Last fall, even soon-to-be-elected U.S. Rep. Randy Tate, R-Puyallup, whose father is a minister, had distanced himself from the Christian Coalition, founded by Pat Robertson.Tate was a Robertson delegate in 1988 but sidestepped questions about Robertson last fall, and his campaign said it knew nothing about the coalition’s activities.

Will the same “Who, me?” attitude surface in 1996 when the governor’s office and Legislature are up for grabs?

Waldo, a moderate who has campaigned for Sen. Slade Gorton, U.S. Rep. Rod Chandler and former Govs. John Spellman and Dan Evans, said it’s too early for predictions.

But Ellen Craswell, a former state senator who long has been open about her faith, said last November’s election showed an unprecedented attitude toward Christian politicians.

Tate aside, most Republicans elected to Congress last fall ran openly on conservative Christian platforms, said Craswell, the first candidate to enter the governor’s race.

“It’s like electability has taken on a new definition in our country,” Craswell said. “Praise God for bringing us back to our roots.”

The fundamental beliefs haven’t changed. Speakers on Saturday blasted abortion, homosexuality, the welfare system and a breakdown in family values - all brought on by liberals, they said.

No one blinked when Eric Nathan, who asked for donations to help organize a teen branch of the coalition, talked about his experiences in high school.

“The first thing was my teachers persecuted me because I’m a Christian,” Nathan said. “They brought in Indian drummers. They brought in Buddhists. I thought, ‘This is crazy.”’

This year’s gathering was larger than a rally last year that featured only two speakers, said David Welch, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Washington.

This time, nine speakers came from as far away as California.

The coalition contributes no money to candidates and endorses none. Instead, members put together information sheets on candidates’ views and hand them out in churches during election season.Welch said the coalition has about 40,000 members in Washington state.

And throw out the stereotypes. The biggest stars Saturday were two black women, judging by applause.

Gazing out over the nearly all-white crowd, Star Parker, a radio talk show host from California, told her listeners they should have brought black co-workers, neighbors and friends.People need to overcome the racial division that occurred in America while churches sat back and watched, Parker said.”But when I come to your house, please don’t turn on country music,” she said.The audience loved it.

Nona Brazier, former chairwoman of the King County Republican Party, also was a hit. Brazier called for an end to publicly funded abortions and allowing teens to obtain abortions without parental permission. She stopped far short of calling for a total ban.

But that made little difference to the audience, which interrupted Brazier with applause several times as she opposed affirmative action, gun control and the welfare system.

She said she’ll make it official in September or October that she’s running for governor.