Christian Conservatives and American Politics: The Next Twenty Years

Here is Character Position Number Two: Rid ourselves of the "oppo" mentality.

“Oppo” is shorthand for opposition research. It’s what consultants do in preparation for a campaign. It used to mean honest, basic information about a candidate’s record, like their voting history. But over time, it included every sordid detail about their lives. For some, it includes coming up with ways to spread innuendo and exaggerations about a person’s life.

When I was on the Hill, I witnessed how some of the RNC’s toughest operatives did this against a private citizen, Michael Schiavo, the estranged husband in the sad case of Terri Schiavo. Since there was no Democrat on the other side of that issue, my fellow Republicans went after him! To do this was second nature to them.

I have been troubled by a little too much eagerness on behalf of my fellow Christians, from Dallas to Washington, to launch into smear-type tactics on fellow Republicans. Of course, this has always been a part of politics, but why are so many of us who are motivated by faith participating in it?