Helen’s Hard Core Loyalists Don’t Give Up Like Those Who Backed George Hansen, Chenoweth Fans Staunchly Anti-Abortion, Religious Conservatives

George Hansen had the “Hansen Hard Core.”

The group of loyalists supported the flamboyant Republican congressman no matter what, allowing him to win the 2nd District congressional seat seven times over an 18-year span.

Even after he was convicted of falsifying federal financial disclosure statements and was awaiting a prison sentence, the Hansen Hard Core stayed on board. He lost by just 170 votes to Democrat Richard Stallings in 1984.

Republican Helen Chenoweth has her own, equally dedicated “Hard Core,” the religious right. And it appears those voters will stand by her no matter what, putting a major hurdle between Democrat Dan Williams and her congressional seat.

This past week, the Helen Hard Core turned out at the Statehouse to rally against abortion. Featured was Rep. Henry Hyde, the Illinois Republican who heads the House Judiciary Committee. About 150 people were at the midweek, afternoon rally, and they enthusiastically cheered Chenoweth every time she mentioned “personal responsibility” or other anti-abortion themes.

They are dedicated to the fight against abortion, many turning out year after year for demonstrations against the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade abortion ruling.

Many mothers carrying young children were joined by state Treasurer Lydia Justice Edwards and a handful of conservative state legislators.

Although Chenoweth is far from a single-issue candidate, those at the rally appear to be supporting her solely for her anti-abortion efforts - as well as Hyde, who long has been identified with the issue.

They also are almost certain to turn out to vote, and it won’t be for Williams, despite the questions that have been raised about Chenoweth’s campaign and personal finances.

Polls show Williams within striking range of denying Chenoweth a second term. But he’s got to be substantially ahead by election day to have a chance of beating her.

Chenoweth doesn’t like to have her Hard Core identified with Hansen, perhaps because Hansen’s career ended in disgrace when he was sent to federal prison for falsifying financial reports.

Instead, Chenoweth compares her staunch supporters to the people who turned out to help former U.S. Sen. Steve Symms. She was a volunteer for Symms when the Republican was first elected to Congress in 1972 and later became his Idaho chief of staff.

“We saw people who never had been involved in politics before come into the campaign and start working,” she said as she recalled the first Symms campaign.

Chenoweth calls it a grass-roots phenomenon that you can’t track, but those zealous followers vote.

Williams has his own view.

Part of that bloc, he says, “is a very, very hard core Christian coalition following who are virulently pro-life, don’t believe in any exceptions and believe that the modern world is a conspiracy against their fundamentalist beliefs, and she plays to that at every opportunity.”

Williams thinks abortion shouldn’t be used by politicians “like a chicken in every pot. It’s an intensely personal issue, and I dislike politicians using it as a political football.”