The Evangelical Republican Senator of Oregon Who Defied Conservatives
Our season has spent a lot of time looking at how some evangelicals tied themselves to the GOP as the party became more conservative. But not every evangelical Republican was taken in by the conservative swing. In this episode, we’re taking a look at Senator Mark Hatfield, an evangelical Republican who didn’t follow the pack.
The remarkable career of Mark O Hatfield
Senator Mark Hatfield had a long and influential career in public service spanning nearly five decades. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earning degrees from Willamette University and Stanford University, Hatfield began his political journey in the Oregon Legislature, winning election to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1950 and then to the Oregon State Senate in 1954. He went on to become Oregon’s youngest Secretary of State at age 34 and was elected Governor of Oregon in 1958, where he served two terms and oversaw the expansion of the state’s infrastructure and environmental programs. In 1966, Hatfield was elected to the U.S. Senate, beginning a 30-year tenure that made him the longest-serving senator in Oregon’s history at the time.
Mark Hatfield’s battle against the Vietnam War
In the Senate, Hatfield was known as a moderate Republican who often put conscience ahead of party, particularly on issues of war and defense spending. Deeply shaped by his wartime experiences and Christian faith, he consistently opposed military authorization bills, including votes against the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War, and co-sponsored efforts like a nuclear freeze resolution. Hatfield twice chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, using that position to direct federal funds to Oregon for health, transportation, and research projects, and to support biomedical research at institutions like the National Institutes of Health. His independent approach earned him respect across party lines, and although the GOP shifted rightward over time, he remained a distinctive figure in national politics until his retirement in 1997.
Sources:
IMDB and Amazon reviews of the movie Bringing up Bobby
Stand Alone or Go Home by Lon Fendall
Transcript of the Keynote Address by Gov. Hatfield at G.O.P. Convention,
NY Times, July 14, 1964 “CONVENTION ENDS; Extremism in Defense of Liberty ‘No Vice,’ Arizonan Asserts” New York Times, July 17, 1964
A bunch of evangelicals like Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell pushed many in the evangelical movement to support Ronald Reagan for president. The New Right tied them to the Republican Party. But… what did they get for their efforts?
In this mini-episode, Chris lays out some of the few things they got. And some of the things that Reagan did that upset these evangelicals with large followings.
Evangelical opposition to Sandra Day O’Connor
One thing they didn’t like was the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Supreme Court judge. But Reagan did dedicate a day of prayer and offered an amendment to protect prayer in schools (though it was never going to pass).
It’s possible that what Reagan really left these evangelicals with large followings was not legislation, but permission to use deeply flawed individuals to achieve their goals.
Sources:
God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
The Invisible Bridge, Nixonland, and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
Ronald Reagan was an odd choice for evangelicals. For one, he and his wife regularly consulted a medium. He was a Hollywood actor, which should have put him at odds with fundamentalists. Also, Christians have a long history of charity and compassion, while Reagan’s policies cut aid to poor people. But in 1980, a lot of evangelicals turned to the Republican Party to vote for him over the evangelical Jimmy Carter. What happened?
Reagan’s endorsement of evangelicals at the Religious Roundtable
Jimmy Carter gave audience to evangelical audiences, though not in the same way as Reagan. Carter told people to conserve, while Reagan’s optimistic consumerism played to the rising prosperity gospel. Reagan delivered his famous endorsement of evangelicals at the Religious Roundtable, while Carter was suspiciously absent. Also, evangelicals have built up a strong craving for leaders. They love a strongman leader. So when Reagan showed up and promised to be tough, they went for him.
Today, we’re examining some of the reasons that Reagan became a favorite of evangelicals. And why… maybe that doesn’t make sense. Our guest for this episode is author and historian Rick Perlstein.
How the New Right chose Jerry Falwell for The Moral Majority
The New Right had a plan–to bring evangelical Christians together as a voting bloc. But how to do that? They chose a few targets, people with big followings, and courted them. Jerry Falwell was an obvious choice. He was a fundamentalist preacher, televangelist, and the founder of Liberty University. He also had a propensity for the dramatic, seeing the end of days around every corner.
Falwell and The New Right turned evangelicals against Jimmy Carter
The New Right did not like President Jimmy Carter and did their best to turn evangelicals against him. A big job considering that Carter was an evangelical and often talked about his faith. Still, they wanted Ronald Reagan (a divorced actor with a reputation with the ladies) to be their man.
In this episode, Chris is joined by author and historian Rick Perlstein.
Ralph Nader and the Chevy Corvair Spark the Consumer Protection Movement
In November of 1965, a young lawyer published a book called Unsafe at Any Speed about the dangers of driving a Chevy Corvair. The car could become unstable and possibly flip if driven in poor conditions or without proper training. The lawyer? Ralph Nader.
It took a while for the book to find its audience, but soon it was on bookshelves across the US and made a celebrity our of Nader. Soon he and his “Nader’s Raiders” were on a spree, advocating for consumer safety.
Big Business Kills the Liberal Consensus
This movement was met with skepticism and fear in the industrial community. Who did this guy think he was? Americans didn’t need “big government” looking over their shoulders! Well, that’s what big corporate leaders thought. They set out to dismantle the consumer safety movement and to convince conservative religious people that safety was actually creeping government interference.
My special guest for this episode is Rick Perlstein, author of The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland.
