David Barton, a leading Christian nationalist, is barnstorming Ohio seeking to turn-out Christian Rightists of all sorts in the upcoming mid-term elections. For the past several election cycles, he has been paid by the Republican National Committee to help energize and mobilize conservative evangelicals, and this year is no exception.

The tour is sponsored by the Cincinatti-based Christian right group, Citizens for Community Values Action, headed by Phil Burress. All of the events are free and open to the public. Russell Johnson, who heads the Ohio Restoration Project, announced the tour to his statewide e-mail list.

The religious right has been a rising force in Ohio politics for many years. But an anti-gay marriage ballot initiative called Issue One in 2004 became the catalyst for a new and renewed religious right movement in the state. Rev. Rod Parsley's organization Reformation Ohio, and Rev. Russell Johnson's Ohio Restoration Project are both dedicated to mobilizing voters this year, and for the foreseeable future. They are particularly focused on electing Ken Blackwell, the current GOP candidate for governor.

While polls currently show Blackwell well-behind in the governor's race, three months is an eternity in politics. But even if Blackwell loses (after all, it does appear to be a strong Democratic year), the religious right can win, even in losing. Barry Goldwater's losing campaign for president in 1964 is credited with galvanizing the modern conservative movement. And Pat Robertson's earlier organization, the Freedom Council provided a base for his unsuccessful effort to get the 1988 GOP nomination for president, which in turn, provided the foundation for what became the Christian Coalition. In order to be viable, a movement's fortunes must not depend on the fortunes of one candidate for office. But there is a strong relationship between movements and electoral politics, and whether or not Blackwell wins,the religious right in Ohio will be stronger in the wake of 2006.

It's time to get to know the leaders of the religious right in Ohio.