Recently, the New York Times ran an article focused on politics in Texas. It began by describing a legislative primary battle between Republicans, and a tactic that has become prevalent nationally–the accusation that the incumbent was a “RINO,” or a Republican in name only.
The article then reported on the two men behind what has become an effective and organized effort to drive non-theocratic members out of the GOP, and to ensure that Texas is controlled by the Christian Nationalist Right.
Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks are billionaires who have made their fortunes in the oil industry. They are also Christian pastors.
Over the past decade, the pair have built the most powerful political machine in Texas — a network of think-tanks, media organizations, political-action committees and nonprofits that work in lock step to purge the Legislature of Republicans whose votes they can’t rely on. Cycle after cycle, their relentless maneuvering has pushed the Statehouse so far to the right that consultants like to joke that Karl Rove couldn’t win a local race these days. Brandon Darby, the editor of Breitbart Texas, is one of several conservatives who has compared Dunn and Wilks to Russian oligarchs. “They go into other communities and unseat people unwilling to do their bidding,” he says. “You kiss the ring or you’re out.”
These men aren’t clones of the Koch brothers and the other conservative billionaires who want to slash regulations and taxes, although they certainly want to do those things. As the article documents, their endgame is far more radical: they intend to steer government toward their version of Christian rule.
Texas, which has few limits on campaign spending, is home to a formidable army of donors. Lately Dunn has outspent them all. Since 2000, he and his wife have given more than $29 million to candidates and PACs in Texas. Wilks and his wife, who have donated to many of the same PACs as Dunn, have given $16 million. Last year, Dunn and his associated entities provided two thirds of the donations to the state Republican Party.
The duo’s ambitions extend beyond Texas. They’ve poured millions into “dark money” groups, which do not have to disclose contributors; conservative-media juggernauts (Wilks provided $4.7 million in seed capital to The Daily Wire, which hosts “The Ben Shapiro Show”); and federal races. Dunn’s $5 million gift to the Make America Great Again super PAC in December made him one of Donald Trump’s top supporters this election season, and he has quietly begun to invest in efforts to influence a possible second Trump administration, including several linked to Project 2025.
Dunn and Wilks refuse to describe themselves as Christian Nationalists, a label that Dunn rejects as a “made-up label that conflicts with biblical teaching.” But their rhetoric places them firmly within that movement.
Like most Christian Nationalists, the two men speak about protecting Judeo-Christian values and promoting a biblical worldview. These vague expressions often serve as a shorthand for the movement’s central mythology: that America, founded as a Christian nation, has lost touch with its religious heritage, which must now be reclaimed.
A scholar at Rice University who has reviewed the speeches and donations of Dunn and Wilks, believes the two men to be thoroughgoing Dominionists. The article quotes a Republican activist who knows them personally, and agrees:
“They want to get Christians in office to change the ordinances, laws, rules and regulations to fit the Bible,” he told me. According to Texas Monthly, Dunn once told Joe Straus, the first Jewish speaker of the Texas House since statehood, that only Christians should hold leadership positions. (Dunn has denied the remark.)
The two pastors differ on certain points of doctrine — Wilks doesn’t celebrate Christmas, which he considers a “pagan holiday” — but they share a vision of a radically transformed America. And thanks to their money, that vision is spreading beyond Texas.
Lawmakers they’ve funded have introduced bills linked to Project Blitz, a coalition of Rightwing groups that want to advance the role of (their version of) Christianity in public life. One bill requires educators to hang posters of the Ten Commandments in the classroom.” Another requires schools to display “In God We Trust” placards.
After Texas passed a law allowing the work of licensed mental-health counselors in public schools to be done by unlicensed chaplains — representatives of “God in government,” one of the bill’s sponsors called them — a dozen other states introduced similar bills.
The lengthy article has much more, and it’s hair-raising. Worse, recent research tells us that more than half of Republicans support Christian Nationalist beliefs.
Unless we want to inhabit a theocracy, large numbers of Americans need to vote Blue.
Amen. Vote Blue no matter who – Now more than ever
The 45% of good people of Texas are being screwed by the Republicans every day. I lived “deep-in-the-heart” for 15 years and so institutionalized backwardness, mindless bigotry and church-driven hate for anybody or anything not covered by their cherry-picked Bible. Politically, it was seeing the Inquisition and the Dark Ages fighting over press coverage.
Texas Republicans will destroy everything they touch. It’s as simple as that. Democracy means nothing to them. The U.S. Constitution means nothing to them. As Sheila’s post today suggests, ideology is their theme, their god and their power.
“Dunn and Wilks refuse to describe themselves as Christian Nationalists, a label that Dunn rejects as a ‘made-up label that conflicts with biblical teaching.’”
I wonder if they are more comfortable with the label Christian Reconstructionists”, a movement introduced by R.J. Rushdoony in 1965. Sixty years ago, Rushdoony was writing the playbook for what we call Christian Nationalism today. It wouldn’t be surprising if those who crafted Project 2025 were well-read in his works.
Kind of makes the 50s, where I remember the disapproving looks of church-goers to my absence at places of worship – downright quaint. Let’s just call it the 50s on steroids. Remind me more of the Taliban. Worship and celebrate anywhere your heart desires, but leave me alone to lead my life as my heart desires, the way our (non-Christian) founders intended, church and state separate from one another. I had never heard of these two Texan billionaires, but their outsized influence – like that of Elon Musk – is unacceptable, as always. Make all the money you can, but stay out of our political and religious lives. The examples set by Bill Gates, Warren Buffet et al, giving their ungodly sums of money back to society where it is needed most, is what I look for, not the un-Christian-like behavior these billionaires are exhibiting. Their outsized influence is producing more and more minority rule in this country and it needs to be squelched, at the only defense we have, the ballot box.
If they use the Bible as their basis for governing, how will they handle biblical contradictions? There are enough contradictory verses to rebut almost anything you want to choose as ” Christian”. I think of these people as Deuteronomy Christians. They always know who to hate, they have no problem with slavery – just don’t enslave the next door neighbors – but feel free to sell your daughters.
I wouldnt follw a christian or any other based religious ruler,s..the idea of religion as far back as written,eh, written words,(ancient social media folks)follow a track record of control. if a democracy is bought up to believe religion is the superior hammer of control of the minions of the political boundary of a nation. who,determins these/those laws?elected people or kings and dictators,etc,etc, whose close companions/selected few decide. in a religious sect, as say India, we see today,after many thousands of years, there still is hostle actions/words between each state. we havent even grown up as far as respect for one another on the line of being a neighbor. we still have massive nations who believe that only a goverment can,and or will make the laws, devoid of public comment/actions. as those people in goverment keep the wealth and power, oh, did i say wealth? power is now the instigator of this trend. ive watched the power brokers of religion make inroads to state and national goverment by select words and so-called teaching via ones own theology. now its become a full head on collision with the people and religion. seems religion has this morbid ideal of controling a modern nation today by social uprising via social media. their tax breaks are near a knlfes edge of the law of seperation, and they believe we will just wet ourselves to be controled by modern day cowboys who tote ARs and such..where did they get the idea they are oppressed? WTF. if they dont want the liberal ideals we live by, then walk past us. were not asking you to join us, did i say ask? its your church,but its our country…
That shining city on a hill is how I believe Ronald Reagan referred to the Christian US small government would deliver.
Indiana is going to have a white christian nationalist for lt. governor. Mike Pence will be remembered as a left leaning liberal when the maga ts are done in Indiana.
People who make their existence more comfortable by following the ideas of a great philosopher, Jesus Christ, live more peaceful lives and are liberal in their actions.
That does not explain all those who would label themselves Christian, though. Many preach power and desire to take control away from Constitutional government and give it to preachers instead of the poor. They hide behind the Bible to disguise control of others, not for Faith but for the money to be made from their endeavor.
The evidence that history provides of theocratic government failures is monumental. Repeating the history will repeat the failure story here.
There is a reason to celebrate the Constitution, which is even more symbolic of our success here through the freedom to choose instead of the power to impose.
Not learning history is often the key to repeating the results learned from it.
Complacency is the danger to our democracy right now, along with MAGA and P-2025. We read, usually online with this blog, HCR, et al about how increasingly virulent the right is becoming, how increasingly unhinged TFG becomes hourly, and how not only democracy, but our way of life is truly imperiled, and hear likewise on NPR and outlets like MSNBC. But it’s mainly preaching to the choir; and when we try to communicate the dangers to others, we get shrugs and responses like, “Oh, things aren’t that bad.” And they aren’t likely to put themselves out to vote because they can’t see beyond their next break at work and whether to pick up pizza or fried chicken for dinner.
The stress from all this is starting to affect my health, which at age 76 isn’t a good thing. Regardless of the outcome, things after the election are going to be very ugly. If I wasn’t already scared shitless, I’d probably be spending all my time in the bathroom.
O-L-I-G-A-R-C-H-Y
The self-proclaimed pastor who started all this mess was Paul Weyrich:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Weyrich
Billionaires turning into pastors is quite a convenient way to shield their income from taxes. Although Texas is already an Elon Musk, he may want to consider becoming a pastor to avoid taxes, but he’s knee-deep in federal government contracts. Has anyone ever questioned how he took over NASA’s job? What about Starlink Internet, which costs $500 upfront and $120 monthly?
Texas is already billionaire-friendly because there is NO tax on personal income. Pastors can get away with even more. Do these sound like Christians to you?
These guys are con artists, all cut from the same mold, just like Trump and Vance. They want their followers to think they are Patriots and Freedom Fighters, but they are just plain old-fashioned snake oil salesmen.
These folks are wholly Un-American, but no-one can tell them that.
Paraphrasing that wonderful quote from “My Fair Lady,” “Move yer bloomin’ arse to the polling booth!”
Pence sincerely beleves in Christianity, but he is not a Theocrat. He is an American and a Constitutionalist who repected his oath when the chips were down. After all of this is over he will join Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger in the ranks of those who stood up for their country when it really counted!
If you want to quickly nip Project 25 in the bud, it needs the following (and true) narrative;
From The People That Brought You ObamaCare, They Now Bring Forth Project 2025!
Good one, Ian!
The only problem is that the MAGATs will never be able to connect with the Heritage Foundation. Sadly, most Democrats never made the connection to Obamacare and the Heritage Foundation, either. What’s ironic is Trump and his Republican ilk have spent unlimited time getting rid of Obamacare because “Obama poorly designed it.”
#HeritageFoundation
I voted today. I am an Independent, but you wouldn’t know that by the ballot I voted. I used my own mind and thought who I wanted in office. And I sure didn’t vote for tfg. I love my granddaughter too much to put her thru a live with a negative, negative person. ON second thought, is he really human??? Definitely not a Christian.