World famous financier Sir John Templeton has donated $1 million through his foundation to a political group that will encourage religious conservatives to vote this November.
The John Templeton Foundation, launched in 1987 by philanthropist, author and financier Sir John Mark Templeton, has earmarked the donation to kick-start an independent-expenditure group that will “counter the millions of dollars being spent to attack and discredit President Bush by leftist organizations such as those supported by billionaire George Soros, Hollywood liberals and others,” according to the group’s president, Colin A. Hanna.
The group, “Let Freedom Ring,” aims to zero-in on the conservative evangelical voter, a voting constituency that could be a major factor in the November election.
An estimated four to six million frequent churchgoers did not vote on Election Day in 2000, and getting back that lost vote could be critical for President Bush to defeat Democrat John Kerry in November.
According to Hanna, a Republican and former Chester County, Pa., commissioner, Let Freedom Ring will promote “a positive political philosophy based upon respect for Constitutional principles, economic freedom and traditional values.”
“We think that Americans are basically positive and optimistic, and want to be inspired rather than repelled by politics. That’s why Let Freedom Ring will not engage in negative personal or partisan political attacks,” added Hanna.
“We want to reach out to patriotic Americans, especially people of faith, and encourage them not to let mud-slinging by the left turn them off to our political process,” said Hanna.
Hanna’s organization is headed by a four-member board of directors that includes Templeton’s son, Dr. John Templeton, a retired pediatric surgeon.
Billionaire George Soros and others who have targeted President Bush for defeat in November have reportedly pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to relentlessly attack the incumbent.
Soros is a major backer of MoveOn.org, which has cranked out political advertising that included two TV spots that endeavored to compare Bush and Adolph Hitler.
Soros has already admitted he was attempting “regime change” in the U.S. by donating more than $16 million to so-called “527” political groups. He told the Washington Post he might even consider spending his $7 billion fortune if he thought he could defeat George Bush for sure.
Though Sir John Templeton’s $1 million donation pales compared to that of Soros, the men leading these unprecedented efforts to influence an American election share similarities.
Both are wealthy men who made their fortunes in finance and later turned to philanthropy.
Today, the 91-year-old Templeton lives in Nassau, the Bahamas.
In 1992, Templeton sold his widely respected Templeton Funds in 1992. He turned from finance to philanthropy using his own John Templeton Foundation, which had been established in 1987.
But until his $1 million donation to Let Freedom Ring, Templeton had largely avoided politics. His foundation supports to the tune of $40 million a year causes relating to spirituality and religion.
His foundation is best known for its annual Templeton Prize For Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities. Winners – who receive the largest cash award of such prizes -- have included Dr. Billy Graham and Mother Teresa.
For his part, Hanna claims that the new group’s media efforts would not mirror MoveOn.org and “will not engage in attacking Senator Kerry the way those organizations attack President Bush.”
“Instead,” pledges Hanna, “we will promote the basic values of freedom, fairness, compassion, responsibility and global leadership that distinguish America as the ‘shining city on a hill’ that President Reagan spoke of so proudly.”
The new group plans television commercials, videos, documentaries, web campaigns, voter registration drives and citizen mobilization efforts that will “inspire a new generation of Americans to participate actively in our political process by reminding them of the issues that we all care about,” said Hanna.
“We think that American voters are tired of negative campaigning and deceptive attack advertising, and that they will quickly embrace a new player on the political field committed to a positive, upbeat, optimistic presentation of political issues,” Hanna added.
"We are not anti-Kerry," said Hanna. "We are pro certain conservative things."
“Religious conservatives are a unique kind of ‘swing voter,’” Hanna opined. “They don’t swing between Bush and Kerry, but between Bush and not voting.”
Hanna says his organization will eventually raise $10 to $30 million, with most funds being used for grass roots organizing in 12 targeted states, including Pennsylvania and Ohio.
His group is already preparing a documentary about President Bush’s religious faith which he plans to release this summer on DVD.
By some estimates, as many as 6 million evangelicals who attend church regularly did not vote in 2000.
Some Republican operatives believe that religious vote will be key for Bush winning re election this year.
According to a survey last month of 1,260 registered voters by the California-based Barna Research Group, evangelical Christians make up seven percent of the population and 86 percent of them expect to vote for Bush in November.
The survey determined that 88 percent of evangelicals are likely to vote, and also represent “the population segment most supportive of the president’s performance in office -- 89 percent give him a favorable evaluation.”
Not everyone is happy with Hanna’s efforts.
The Rev. Barry Lynn who leads Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, says Let Freedom Ring is a brazen effort to mix religion and politics.
"This is one more massively funded effort to achieve (Bush strategist) Karl Rove's stated goal of getting 3 (million) to 4 million more Christian evangelical voters to the polls." Lynn reportedly said.
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