Freedom Writer - October 1995 _Texans_prepare_to_'kick_liberal_boot'_ By Liz Gore For the

Freedom Writer - October 1995

_Texans_prepare_to_'kick_liberal_boot'_

By Liz Gore

For the Christian Coalition's Texas contingency, political priorities 
reside deep in the heart of lone star hearth and home. Before strategy-talk 
could commence, attendees at the Texas State Caucus meeting asked 
God to guide them toward "what's best for our nation and, more importantly, 
best for Texas."    

With nervous charisma and the kind of fervor that has made man the 
indisputable superior to the armadillo, the scorpion, and even longhorn 
cattle, Coalition leaders pulled out all the ropes to inspire their 
geographically disparate masses toward unified action. The round-up 
take-home message went something like this: Coalition troops must 
work harder than ever to bridge the distance between heaven and the 
ballot box, Scripture and the school board. 

Jeff Fisher, a Texas Christian Coalition chief of staff, boasted that 
Texas is home to the most effective Coalition chapters in the nation. 
The secret? Organized evangelicals from the panhandle to the gulf 
have successfully energized local campaigns and remained non-partisan 
in the process. With success has come recognition of "the importance 
of knowing people in power," Fisher explained. 

Quicker than you can say "my mama" with a Phil Gramm-ian intonation, 
the podium was then seized by a man who declared himself "glad to 
be in the redemption business." (I didn't catch his surname but his 
first name was Dick). Dick got right to the point. His mission is 
to "equip Christians to have an effective voice" in matters both political 
and civic. "There are 360 days to change Texas!" he challenged, then 
revealed a reformed three-pronged Christian Coalition strategy of 
prayer, money, and volunteers. Prayer, he explained, will be held 
in coalition with Prayer Warriors, and accompanied by fasting. 

Dick elaborated. Money, $1.1 million to be exact, will be raised for 
training workshops, Operation Precinct '96 registration drives, registration 
Sundays, scorecards, and primary election voters' guides. As election 
time draws nearer, events will include a Republican rally, videotraining, 
a statewide precinct walk and a pre-election broadcast to fifty Texas 
television stations. Training materials and election guides will be 
printed in English and Spanish. The planned media blitz will feature 
family-friendly "stars" like Pat Boone and Pat Robertson urging Christians 
to vote. 

David Barton took center stage to drive home the urgency of helping 
Christians take over the Texas State Board of Education. Together 
with California, the Texas State Board determines the curriculum of 
the country, he explained. In California, "now creationism is taught 
equally with evolution," he informed us, implying that the anti-evolutionary 
brethren of the golden state have outpaced Texans in the race to Christianize 
public education. 

Scott Fisher, Texas Christian Coalition communications director, announced 
the upcoming Faith and Freedom Fiesta, a gala event to be held in 
San Antonio on November 11, 1995. The "highlight of the year for the 
Texas Pro-Family movement," the Fiesta has been organized to "build 
meaningful relationships in the Hispanic and African-American communities." 
Ralph Reed and Justice Raul Gonzales will join pro-family legislators 
and candidates in presenting "exciting workshops" in the name of "racial 
reconciliation."

Having recently become partial to uniquely Texan cliches, I was delighted 
when the meeting ended with a bang. With the prospect of 8,192 precincts 
waiting to be organized in his state alone, Jeff Fisher let go a parting 
rallying cry. "Let's get out there and kick some liberal boot!" he 
shouted.

"Amen," echoed the man behind me. "Amen." 

_Liz_Gore_is_a_research_associate_with_the_Institute_for_Study_of_
the_Religious_Right_in_Los_Angeles,_California._

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