Accepting support from Kirkers doesn’t make me a Christian nationalist | Opinion
Bryan Clark’s Nov. 11 column entitled “Christian nationalism can’t win democratically, Moscow election shows” is a journalistic hit-piece that exemplifies the type of smears I faced throughout my campaign for Moscow City Council, so much so that I am compelled to respond — not only to highlight the poor journalism performed by Clark but to address the attacks on my reputation, merely for running on a conservative platform that received broad support from a wide range of voters.
First, a little about me. I’m a husband to London and father to Teddy, with a daughter on the way. With a bachelor’s in environmental science and an MBA, I’ve built my career in environmental sustainability consulting. I am a Christian, a former two-time Bernie Sanders voter, a descendant of immigrants, fruit-pickers, military servicemen and incredibly strong women. I am a product of the American Dream.
My campaign’s platform centered on the slogan “A Moscow for All:” small government, big liberty, equal representation, fiscal responsibility and affordable housing. These priorities uplift every resident, regardless of background, faith or politics.
However, from the very beginning, my campaign was faced with pervasive and deceitful smears that, like Clark’s, attached baseless and damaging labels to my reputation and campaign, such as “sexist,” “authoritarian” and “draconian.” Why? Because the broad appeal of my message also resonated with many independents and conservatives, and because members of Doug Wilson’s Christ Church tend towards conservatism, I was labeled as a “Kirker” and accused of all sorts of imaginary offenses.
Each assertion is patently false. But it doesn’t matter that I’ve never attended any church affiliated with Wilson. That I proudly accepted support from some churchgoers — my neighbors, citizens of Moscow — was enough to damn me. Clark, and others like him, intentionally blur the barrier between church and state, while accusing others of what they themselves are doing.
Extremist supporters of my opposition demanded that I “disavow” and “condemn” Christ Church. No. I refuse to bend the knee and be intimidated by demands to discriminate against a group of people and the faith they practice.
Clark, like these extremists, found me guilty by association without even bothering to talk to me. His article is littered with easily fact-checked misinformation, offering no quotes from me and twisting my platform into a caricature while ignoring my actual policies. Clark peddles sensationalism, attaching labels that suit the narrative he’s spinning, not facts.
This is not the first time a conservative candidate has been attacked in this manner. In 2019, a conservative Mormon ran for City Council. But he was supported by members of Christ Church, so he was branded a Kirker too, and he couldn’t win an election in Moscow (though he is now a state representative).
This is a sorry state for Idaho politics. My platform was suppressed, while voters were told instead that my bid was part of some shadowy takeover by a cult. If it were, then you’d think Christ Church’s thousands of Moscow members would have driven a victory, not come up short.
I value frugal, limited government and individual freedom. There’s nothing new about my platform’s mainstream policies, and everyone suffers if we abandon common-sense reforms just because a disfavored group happens to have common sense too.
People can disagree on important questions and still band together to promote shared values. That’s a political strength, not a weakness. But the way Clark tells it, pursuing economic development and affordable housing is now a telltale sign of Christian nationalism. If that’s true, then I guess we’re all Kirkers now.
People of good sense and good will, we must ally to fight for a better future in these challenging times. I’ll continue to stand for that, and anyone in Moscow who is welcome to stand with me.
John Slagboom was a candidate for Moscow City Council in the November election.