The Christian nationalist assault on democracy goes stealth -- but the pushback is working

[applegrove]

The Christian nationalist assault on democracy goes stealth — but the pushback is working

Salon's 2018 reporting helped drive the Christian right's Project Blitz underground. Now it's back, on the down-low

By PAUL ROSENBERGPUBLISHED JULY 24, 2021 12:14PM (EDT)

https://www.salon.com/2021/07/24/the-christian-nationalist-assault-on-democracy-goes-stealth--but-the-pushback-is-working/

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In April 2018, researcher Frederick Clarkson exposed the existence of Project Blitz, a secretive Christian nationalist "bill mill" operating below the radar to shape and enact legislation in dozens of states, using a network of state "prayer caucuses," many of which had unsuspecting Democratic members. Its plan was to start with innocent-seeming bills, such as requiring public schools to display the national motto, "In God We Trust," and to culminate with laying the foundations for a "Handmaid's Tale"-style theocracy, enshrining bigotry in law under the guise of "religious freedom."  

Salon was the first to report and build on Clarkson's findings, as well as subsequent progressive organizing efforts which eventually drove Project Blitz back underground, following a high-profile USA Today exposé (Salon follow-up here.)  Now, three years later, Clarkson, a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, has unearthed the playbooks Project Blitz has used since going dark, and discussed their implications with Salon in an exclusive interview.

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The same white Christian nationalist ideology that is behind Project Blitz is also driving the backlash against a deliberate caricature of critical race theory," she continued. "Therefore, a similar strategy to the one that has hamstrung Project Blitz — recapturing the narrative about our nation's ideals, exposing the real intent of the extremists, making clear how their agenda harms freedom and equality for all of us, and bringing together a diverse coalition of people and groups to speak out against this harmful movement — should be part of the strategy to combat opponents of racial justice."

Gill sees similarities, but differences as well. "Both campaigns are similar in that they focus on redefining and manipulating language for political advantage — 'religious freedom' and 'critical race theory,' respectively," she said. "However, there are also significant differences. The anti-CRT campaigns seem at once better funded and less organized than Project Blitz. Moreover, there is a degree of moral panic associated with the anti-CRT efforts that was not as present for Project Blitz." 

Still, she offered three specific lessons learned from the resistance to Project Blitz:

Raise awareness about the anti-CRT campaign and bring to light where it came from, who is funding it and for what purposes.

1.Build collaboration between the various sectors that support diversity education in schools to push back against anti-CRT efforts.

2. Successful coalitions must include educators, experts in diversity education, political leaders, civil rights leaders, parents and students. 

3. Ensure that tools and messaging to oppose anti-CRT efforts are effective and widely available.

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[jmbar2]

1. Thanks for posting this

So many threats to democracy are originating from Dominionist groups. Their actions need to be continually exposed and publicized.