ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603040025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: COLUMBIA, S.C.
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER NOTE: Below
A DEEP DEBATE among Christian conservatives about whether they should vote pragmatically or ideologically could determine the outcome of today's South Carolina GOP primary.
Bette Cox and Al Padgett plan to do everything possible to help defeat Bill Clinton. But the two members of the Christian Coalition are going about their work in sharply different ways.
Cox, who runs a small mass-mailing company in Florence, is strongly backing conservative commentator Pat Buchanan today in this state's Republican presidential primary. Abortion is the key issue for her, and she applauds Buchanan's pledge to outlaw it, even for pregnancies caused by rape.
``All the other candidates are fudging on abortion, and that makes me leery,'' she said. ``I consider an unborn baby's right to life to be the most fundamental human rights issue facing us. When a candidate starts fudging on it, he just falls apart in my mind.''
Padgett, a trucking salesman from Greenville, supports Bob Dole. He said Dole is dependably conservative on social issues such as abortion and he likes the senator's mainstream Republican economic stands. Although Padgett admires Buchanan, he believes the commentator may be too strident for most people's tastes.
``I want to back a winner,'' he said. ``I feel Dole is the only candidate who can unite the Republican Party and take back the White House.''
The pragmatic Padgett and the idealistic Cox reflect a deep political debate taking place among South Carolina's sizable evangelical community over ``voting heart or voting smart.'' The outcome will have a direct bearing on the results of today's primary in a state where about 40 percent of the electorate defines itself as Christian conservative.
In a larger sense, Cox and Padgett also may reflect the tough decision facing evangelical voters across the country at a time when no candidate has been able to establish himself as the clear front-runner for the presidential nomination.
``No single candidate is dominating the issues,'' said James Guth, a political scientist at Furman University who specializes in the Christian right. ``That's causing more dispersion then we've seen in some time.''
Many leaders of the Christian conservative movement are welcoming the early confusion. ``It's a nice problem to have,'' said Henry Lord Jr., executive director of South Carolina's 40,000-member chapter of the American Family Association. ``It means that there are plenty of opportunities to influence events.''
That sway was obvious Thursday night when the four leading Republican candidates all juggled their campaign schedules to speak at a Columbia rally arranged at the last minute by the Christian Coalition - a 1.7 million-member national organization based in Chesapeake and founded by religious broadcaster M.G. ``Pat'' RobertsonPat Robertson.
Mike Russell, a spokesman for the Coalition, has characterized the contest for Christian conservative votes as a ``two-way race'' between Buchanan and Dole.
Those sentiments were expressed by the 500 or so Coalition members from South Carolina who attended the rally. Buchanan seemed to be the slight favorite of the crowd, with Dole running a strong second. Almost no enthusiasm was expressed for either Lamar Alexander or Steve Forbes.
Abortion is the strongest wedge. While there are subtle differences on the issue between Dole and Buchanan, most Coalition members say they accept both candidates' anti-abortion credentials. Neither Alexander nor Forbes, they add, passes muster.
Alexander says he would not try to restrict abortions from Washington, arguing that the matter should be left to state legislatures. Forbes says he would try to achieve a national consensus on abortion before proposing sweeping reforms.
Buchanan has staked out a tougher stand on abortion than Dole. He is pledging to lead efforts to outlaw all abortions except when a mother's life is endangered by continuing a pregnancy, and push for laws defining life as beginning at conception.
Unlike Buchanan, Dole favors abortion in cases of rape and incest. And unlike Buchanan, Dole has refused to sign a pro-life pledge of support being circulated by national anti-abortion groups.
``That bothers me a lot,'' said Julia Roland, a Coalition member and retired nurse from Florence who is backing Buchanan. ``You've got to wonder why Dole insists he's pro-life, but won't go all out to defend life. It makes me think he's just another politician.''
Dole has tried to counter the criticism by telling evangelical voters he has received a 100 percent voting rating from the Christian Coalition for three straight years. And he has relied heavily on the endorsement of South Carolina Gov. David M. Beasley, an evangelical who belongs to the Coalition.
``I have sat with Bob Dole and searched his soul,'' Beasley said in a speech introducing Dole at the rally. ``Yes, he is pro-life. Yes, he does support voluntary prayer in school. And yes, he is a man who loves God.''
Cindy Costa, a Coalition member from Charleston who is vice chairwoman of the state Republican party, said she believes Dole and Buchanan are essentially equal on social issues. On economic matters, she said she prefers Dole's support of open trade to Buchanan's insistence on high tariffs and protectionism. ``I can support Buchanan, but all told I just think Dole is a stronger candidate,'' she said.
Of course, not all Christian conservatives have decided how to vote. The competition for their support has been keen. Buchanan has made several visits to churches this week and has called Christian radio stations at almost every stop. Dole has targeted evangelical voters through phone banks and direct mail.
Norma Dill, a retired nurse from Columbia, isn't sure what to do. ``I see something I like in each of the candidates, and a lot of things I don't like,'' she said. ``If I could put all the good points together, then I'd feel pretty confident about beating Clinton this fall.''
Of all the candidates, perhaps longshot Alan Keyes is most in sync with the sentiments of Christian conservatives. The former United Nations ambassador argues that the collapse of religious values is causing most of the nation's problems. He is urging South Carolina evangelicals to give his candidacy a boost.
``If Christ is in your heart and you have a choice between following your heart or going for a winner, what are you going to do?'' Keyes demanded at the rally.
But even for an idealist such as Cox, Keyes is a bit of a stretch. ``Listen, I love Alan Keyes,'' she said. ``I'd support him in a heartbeat if I thought there was the slightest chance he could win.''
LENGTH: Long : 119 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: March to the nomination. KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENTby CNB