c. 1998 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ Religious conservatives across the nation are hailing Alabama Gov. Fob James’ runoff victory against a Republican moderate last week as a sign that a dogged defense of their social issues agenda _ school prayer, public display of the Ten Commandments, opposition to abortion _ can win at the ballot box.

“Pro-family candidates around America took heart”from the June 30 returns from Alabama”because they suggest that if you take a courageous stand on behalf of religious freedom and school prayer, you can not only survive but triumph,” said Ralph Reed, the former director of the Christian Coalition.

Reed was an adviser to James during his GOP gubernatorial runoff campaign against Winton Blount, which culminated with James’ decisive victory.

“Gov. James has been a spokesman for people to be able to express their religious views, and I think that would have been lost had he been defeated,” said Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum in St. Louis.

When James positioned himself as defender of the Ten Commandments and prayer in public schools, several Christian organizations took note. They wrote letters supporting him and encouraged their followers in Alabama to re-elect him.

Other James backers included Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell, and Don Wildmon of the American Family Association.

National Christian radio personality Marlin Maddoux said news of James’ win was part of his show, broadcast on 360 stations around the country with 3 million listeners a week.

“A lot of religious and moral people have had their values shoved back in their face for so long that they realize now that the only way their values will survive is if they in fact begin to fight back. The governor was perceived as a fighter,” said Maddoux, host of “Point of View” on the USA Radio Network, based in Dallas. “Our audience overwhelmingly supports him.”

Immediately after the June 2 primary, the GOP runoff between James and Blount was painted as a struggle for the heart and soul of the party. Blount was seen as representing the business community and its economically conservative Republicans; James’ platform was first socially conservative, with a secondary emphasis on economic development.

Merle Black, a professor of politics at Emory University in Atlanta, said James has not governed as a practical Republican in the mold of Govs. Carroll Campbell of South Carolina or George W. Bush of Texas.

“James took the social agenda many Republicans have and did more than give it lip service,” Black said. “He made that the main priority of his administration _ that and no new taxes.”

Reed said James’ unblinking defense of those issues set him apart from Blount and other Republicans.

“I don’t think that any of the political capital that accrued to the governor as a result of his courageous stand would have remained had he retreated once he came under attack,” Reed said. “What the people really liked was this was a guy who planted his feet and didn’t move.

“If Fob James … had lost his own party’s primary, it would have been a devastating blow to the pro-family movement nationally,”he said.

Hank Erwin, host of a show on WDJC, a Christian radio station in Homewood, Ala., said James is considered a folk hero in Christian circles outside Alabama.

“Everybody was watching this one to see if Alabamians supported him like they did,” Erwin said.

DEA END ORNDORFF