ATLANTA — Ralph Reed was once a powerful force in Republican politics, able to marshal millions of religious conservatives to the polls while leading the Christian Coalition.
Then his political career took a tumble in 2006 when he was clobbered by a lesser-known opponent in the Republican primary for Georgia lieutenant governor, leading some to conclude Reed's days as an influential GOP figure were over.
But Reed is searching for a dose of redemption. He's launched a new venture that supporters hope will bolster a Republican Party struggling to find its footing after the 2008 election and a recent string of embarrassing scandals.
"I don't view it as a comeback," Reed said in a recent interview. "I view it as something I've always done — trying to be part of the solution and trying to build at the grass-roots (level)."
The startup, known as the Faith and Freedom Coalition, is little more than a Web site, but Reed hopes to turn it into a strident new force that uses social media to capture a broader, younger and more diverse audience.
Perhaps most telling, the man who helped cement religious conservatives into a solid GOP voting bloc said he won't focus his group on social issues, but rather the economic crisis.
"This is not the Christian Coalition redux," Reed said. "It's a much broader attempt. Our primary focus is jobs, the economy, taxes, creating economic opportunity. That's the number-one issue in the country right now."
The 48-year-old will have his work cut out for him.
He could still be dogged by ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and will need to overcome concerns that contributed to his embarrassing campaign loss. And Reed faces a new political landscape in the aftermath of President Barack Obama's historic election.
Some of his former allies doubt lightning can strike twice.
Billy McCormack, a founding member of the Christian Coalition, said Reed helped ignite a conservative base in the 1990s that was like "packed dynamite" searching for a spark.
"It's not likely the second match will produce as much power," said McCormack, a Louisiana pastor who still sits on the coalition's board. "The likelihood of him being able to repeat that is difficult."
Still, some religious conservatives appear hopeful of his return. There are still plenty of groups seeking to represent evangelicals in the political arena, but former colleagues say Reed's exodus left a void at the grass-roots level.
"There is always room for more people who want to start organizations," said Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition.
Reed said his organization is looking to be more inclusive by reaching out to Jews, Hispanics, blacks and any other group receptive to a fiscally conservative message.
"It's going to look different from the vehicles we have now. It's going to be younger, it's going to be more strident," he said. "It's going to be principled but less ideologically reflexive. And it's going to have a broader issues agenda."
How Reed will reach out to a range of new potential conservative voters is not yet known.
Reed offers few details, other than to say he hopes to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to reach voters and that his site will include detailed information on political candidates down to the precinct level.