DATE: Monday, June 16, 1997                 TAG: 9706160039

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Q & A 

                                            LENGTH:   91 lines

HODEL SAYS GRASS-ROOTS POLITICS WAS BIGGEST LURE

The Chesapeake-based Christian Coalition announced last week that Donald P. Hodel, 62, would be the new president. He and Randy Tate, 31, the new executive director, will share the duties performed by the outgoing director, Ralph Reed. Hodel is a former secretary of the interior and of energy under President Reagan. Religion reporter Tony Wharton interviewed Hodel by phone last week:

Q. What attracted you to this job?

A. I'm kind of surprised by this myself, actually. Since leaving Washington I have been living happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado. I'm an avid skier. I'm on the board of various Christian causes.

I've had several opportunities to join other organizations, but none attracted me enough to drag me out of those mountains. I thought I was there for good.

But what attracted me was the grass-roots aspect. I am a firm believer that people working together and getting engaged in the political process is the only way we're going to bring some common sense back to this government.

And, I've got to say, another plus was coming to the Chesapeake-Virginia Beach area. Going back to the Washington area, the Beltway, would have been a harder call.

Q. What direction do you think the Christian Coalition should take?

A. In a way, Pat Robertson, Randy Tate and I have charted a very challenging course. I keep trying to lower people's expectations, because we're not going to be Ralph Reed. Pat's projection, which I certainly agree with, is that we're going to try to double our membership, double our impact at the grass roots by 2000. That's a tall order, and I don't know how we're going to do it yet.

Q. When did you become more public about your faith?

A. Actually, Barbara and I began speaking very openly about our faith while I was still in the Cabinet. We were born-again Christians before we went to Washington.

The real precipitating event was when we lost our son to suicide on his 17th birthday. It really made us stop and reflect.

We had been cultural Christians before. We went to church, but we didn't let it affect our lives. When we lost our son, webecame aware of the role that God and Jesus played in our lives.

Then I was James Watt's undersecretary when he was attacked for believing in the Second Coming. I can assure you that at that point I became a closet Christian. Why would I want to expose myself to that kind of attack?

But since we left Washington we have felt we had to tithe of our time as well as our treasure. We try to spend about 10 percent of our time every year speaking and ministering. We attend a community church, solidly Bible-based, one step below charismatic.

Q. Particularly toward the end of his tenure, Ralph Reed had to deal with the tension between backing winning moderate candidates who might compromise on the coalition's ideals, and supporting conservatives who were true to the coalition's goals but might not win. How will you deal with that tension?

A. I think that is a dynamic tension that will always be with us. This organization is largely, though not entirely, populated with people motivated by key issues. By the same token, if we can make progress on an issue we care about, Ralph's argument is that the major movements in American politics have not occurred overnight. Abolition of slavery, for instance. It took a growing momentum of people.

Similarly, society is increasingly aware there is something wrong with abortion. The issue we face is, do we try to move the yardstick at all, or try to hold out for perfection?

These are not things over which people feel casually.

Q. How do you see your partnership with Randy working?

A. All through my career, I have always worked in tandem with somebody. I am very comfortable with that. I find it expands your reach enormously.

I have had a lot of executive management experience, but Randy has a lot of legislative experience I do not.

Of course, many times we will be at opposite ends of the country, answering questions about the same thing. We will need to speak with the same voice, and we will need to figure out a way to regularize that.

I expect both of us to do both jobs to some extent.

Q. You have been on the board of Focus on the Family. Are you giving up that post, and how did that help prepare you for this job?

A. I have resigned that job. It would not have been fair to either organization to stay there. James Dobson was very kind about that.

Being at Focus on the Family, near to the public policy arena, was one of ways I prepared for this opportunity. I think it opened my eyes to some of the things people of faith were doing in the public arena. It helped prepare my heart. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Donald Hodel

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