ASHINGTON - Steve Forbes, who once called Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson a ''toothy flake,'' and who put relatively little emphasis on abortion, embraced major elements of the coalition's agenda yesterday. He portrayed himself as the most socially conservative choice among top GOP candidates.
While the Christian Coalition membership appeared to be divided yesterday as its ''Road to Victory'' convention drew to a close here, the speech by Forbes underscored the dilemma facing religious conservatives. While many back Bush, many others remain concerned that Bush may not be conservative enough on issues such as abortion compared with the rest of the GOP field.
Forbes used his speech yesterday before the coalition to draw a series of sharp contrasts with Bush, who on Friday delivered his standard stump speech at the Washington convention with only a sentence thrown in about protecting the ''unborn.'' Forbes, by contrast, promised to appoint antiabortion judges and to select an antiabortion vice president.
''The front-runner will not promise to appoint prolife judges, but I have and I will,'' Forbes said. ''The front-runner won't promise to appoint a prolife running mate, but I have.''
Forbes, the publisher who is relying on his fortune for most of his funding, then reissued his call for Bush to participate in debates. He suggested five sessions of several hours each. ''George W. Bush, it is time to debate,'' Forbes said. ''No more ducking, no more waffling.''
Bush has agreed to only one debate, next January in Iowa. Bush has declined an invitation to participate in a town hall-style meeting this month in New Hampshire. A Bush spokeswoman said the Texas governor believes it is too early to debate, because most voters aren't paying attention to the race.
In addition to abortion, Forbes embraced the coalition's view on using tax-supported vouchers for private religious schools and said he wanted to end the role that federal government has in local education.
Forbes's position on abortion contrasted with the strategy of several other GOP candidates. Bush rarely mentions the issue in his speeches. Elizabeth Dole has played down the issue, saying she does not want to be drawn into ''dead-end debates.'' Senator John McCain of Arizona declined an invitation to address the coalition. And Patrick J. Buchanan, while strongly against abortion, canceled an appearance before the coalition. He appears likely to seek the nomination of the Reform Party, which excludes social issues from its platform.
Other GOP candidates who strongly speak against abortion are in the lower tier of the field, including former Reagan aide Gary Bauer, talk show host Alan Keyes, and Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah.
Robertson seemed close to an endorsement when he said Friday that Bush was ''worthy of support.'' Yesterday, in an interview with Evans and Novak of CNN, he said, ''I don't see how he could lose it.''
But the 3,000 or so coalition members who attended the convention at the Washington Hilton still seemed split. While a large group seemed to back Bush, an equally large number seemed divided between the rest of the field.
Such a split, however, might work to Bush's advantage. A key Bush adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Bush strategy is to pay homage to religious conservatives with a modest emphasis on abortion, while hoping that groups such as the Christian Coalition are too divided to provide a big boost to any other candidate.
Forbes's strategy has won over participants such as Aurelia C. Hood of South Carolina. ''Bush will not give a promise that he will appoint judges who are prolife,'' said Hood, of the Forbes campaign.
But Forbes also lost a supporter. David Crowe of Oregon said he backed Forbes until a few days ago, when he came to believe that the Forbes campaign was behind rumors that Bauer was having an affair with a campaign staff member.
Forbes's campaign has denied having anything to do with the story.
