Republican presidential candidates take note: the clout of far-right, evangelical conservatives is growing in politically crucial Iowa. And these activists are driving the debate here toward cultural issues – and away from the economy – just as the GOP sets out to find an opponent for President Barack Obama.
“They’ve gotten more involved in the party,” said Norm Pawlewski, a lobbyist for the anti-gay Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. “I’ve seen a change in the kind of people who are volunteering – and not only volunteering but working.”
With Obama’s re-election race looming next year, this constituency – composed of evangelical Christians who are intent on outlawing abortion and reversing society’s growing tolerance of LGBT people – will play a major role in choosing the winner of next year’s Iowa GOP caucuses. They’re seeking a repeat of 2008 when they coalesced around the underfunded former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to give the Southern Baptist minister a surprise first-place finish.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Anti-Gay, Anti-Choice Christians to Dominate Iowa Caucuses
