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When students at conservative Christian Patrick Henry College entered the real world of Republican campaigns in a swing state, they found that God's plan did not always include victory.
DEREK ARCHER'S TALL FRAME WAS SQUEEZED into the backseat with another freshman, his online Bible out on his lap. The pastor's son with the freshly combed blonde hair was heading down to Virginia Beach to campaign for Jerry Kilgore, the 2005 Republican candidate for governor. As they saw it, Kilgore needed their prayers and hard work: Virginia Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine had caught up to Kilgore over the summer, and now polls showed them even.
A child of missionaries who'd settled in Akron, Ohio, Derek, like many of the students at Patrick Henry College (PHC), had been homeschooled all the way through high school. Although the college was only six years old, Derek had chosen Patrick Henry because he knew about its reputation as a feeder to White House internships and as the perfect place to pursue "the ministry of political activism," as he called it.
Patrick Henry College is located in Purcellville, Virginia, an hour outside of Washington, D.C. As the students drove away from campus the roads were clear, so it was not the traffic that was annoying the driver, junior Shant Boyajian, the former head of Patrick Henry's College Republicans.
"I read that President Bush is coming to speak for Kilgore," Derek said.
"Yes, well, that can be a sign that the campaign is in trouble," Shant pointed out. "And last time Bush came, Kilgore did not even want to be seen with him."
This did not compute with the freshmen. Not want to be seen with Bush? Who would not want to be seen with Bush?
"The Lord will provide," Derek said. "The Lord will provide."
Shant answered with a resigned, "yes." Later, when he was out of the car where the others couldn't hear him, he seethed. "I wish they would stop with that crap: They're all like, 'God is on our side, God is on our side. We can do everything.' I mean, I know it's terrible, but I'm just trying to be more realistic. I mean, maybe I'm being cynical or something, but I don't want to lie."