Setting my variable in one long string (code snippet below) does not make a difference and I receive the same error.
var test = "<Query><Where><Eq><FieldRef Name='Title' /><Value Type='Text'>Bob Tester</Value></Eq></Where></Query>";
I believe something else is causing this behavior, but I have no clue why or what it is. That's why I thought maybe the designer was causing this behavior.