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Pat Robertson Quits Christian Coalition
Pat Robertson resigned yesterday as head of the Christian Coalition, which he founded in 1989 after running for president. "We are seeing an outpouring of revival power in the United States that exceeds anything that I have known in my lifetime," he said. "With the few years left to me of active service, I must focus on those things that will bring forth the greatest spiritual benefit." Ah, those things that will bring forth the greatest spiritual benefit. Like gold mining in Liberia, oil refining in California, and who-knows-what in China.

What's fascinating about this story isn't that Pat Robertson is leaving the Christian Coalition—that's to be expected, like a rat deserting a sinking ship. What is fascinating is how much harsher the conservative press is on Robertson and the Coalition than the mainstream is.

The Associated Press has its straightforward, just-the-facts presentation: Robertson quits, the Coalition doesn't have the profile it used to, etc.

The Washington Post quotes predictable Robertson foes, who offer surprisingly bland remarks. "The Christian Coalition has diminished significantly from its high-water mark, during the 1994 midterm elections," says David Smith of the gay-rights organization Human Rights Campaign. "I don't think Pat Robertson's departure is particularly significant to us." Whoa! Watch that vicious tongue! (The Post also quotes Americans United for the Separation of Church and State's Barry Lynn, but you'll have to read his comments there yourself. The guy gets quoted way too often for Weblog to give him more attention here.)

The New York Times paraphrases unnamed "political experts and critics" who blame Robertson for the Coalition's decline. He failed, the unnamed sources said, "to make good on a promise to push through the organization's agenda, particularly on subjects like a ban on abortions and the authorization of school prayer and by failing at times to support conservative causes like President Bill Clinton's impeachment."

Then turn to the conservative press, specifically The Washington Times. There's no obvious editorializing in the story—no unattributed statements that Robertson is evil, for example—but the paper simply savages both Robertson and the Coalition, bringing up the organization's debt and lawsuits, Robertson's recent comments supporting China's one-child policy, new president Roberta Combs's poor leadership skills, and other skeletons. All this while quoting from friends and former friends of the organization itself! Particularly rough is Charles H. Cunningham, former director of voter registration and director of national operations for the Christian Coalition, who rips Combs. "She's primarily been responsible for driving off the national office staff and state leaders," he says. "There's been a 100 percent turnover in the national office staff over the past three years. She has a problem with her people skills."

"Anyone who watches the Christian Coalition knows it doesn't have a big profile these days," says Robert L. Maginnis, vice president of policy for the Family Research Council. No kidding. Just a quick tour around the organization's Web site demonstrates that. Its press release section hasn't been updated since July!

The Virginian-Pilot calls him Pat Robinson—twice—but otherwise has a fine article, quoting the National Association of Evangelicals' Richard Cizik (who says Robertson taught evangelicals how to be political) and Catholic University professor Mark Rozell (who says, "It's hard to imagine Pat Robertson not being political—I don't think it's in his character"). It also has an update on the racial discrimination lawsuit against the Christian Coalition. Jon S. Nicholas, lawyer for the employees suing the organization, tells the paper "he is finalizing an out-of-court settlement with the Coalition."

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December (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45