The right wing conservative Christian movement has spent the week mingling with political heavyweights during the inaugural festivities, an acknowledgement on the part of the Bush administration of the efforts of evangelicals in getting out the vote to support the president’s re-election.
Bush's win in November is often credited to the efforts of the evangelical Christian movement, largely on the basis of an Election Day exit poll that cited “moral values” as the issue that swayed voters more than any other, though the validity of that poll is now questioned.
A number of Bush administration officials, including advisor Karl Rove, the man credited as the architect of Bush’s campaign, shared professions of faith at the Christian Inaugural Eve Gala, a gathering of the like-minded sponsored by anti-porn, anti-gay, anti-abortion activists the Traditional Values Coalition.
The host committee for the gala included many of the most prominent names in evangelical circles: Gary Bauer, Ralph Reed, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Jay Sekulow, and Rev. Lou Sheldon, the founder of the Traditional Values Coalition.
Fox News reports Rove at the gala on Wednesday promised to come through on campaign promises, but asked for patience. "Now we've got a big job ahead of us — that is to take the agenda we talked about in the campaign and make it a reality,” Rove said. “We also have to be patient because not everything is going to be done overnight.”
Other political notables attending the Christian gala included Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the Republican who defeated former Democratic Senate Leader Tom Daschle in November.
Outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft, a favorite of evangelicals, was the evening’s featured speaker.
Ever since Bush won his re-election campaign in November, prominent evangelicals have repeatedly warned the Bush administration that they expect results on issues they are actively concerned with including: a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, overturning the landmark abortion-rights case Roe vs. Wade, and establishing legal protections for breaking the long-held tradition of separation of church and state.
The host committee for the gala included many of the most prominent names in evangelical circles: Gary Bauer, Ralph Reed, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Jay Sekulow, and Rev. Lou Sheldon, the founder of Traditional Value Coalition.
Sponsorships for the gala went for $50,000, which would buy the sponsor two tables for ten guests each, a VIP dining partner, 20 photo ops with VIPS and 10 tickets to an inaugural parade watch-party on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Times reports that at the parade watch party, Sheldon declared the inauguration marked the beginning of “a good four years,” while predicting, “that fusion of religion and morality and public policy has now come about."
