Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?

Looks like Newt wants to lead the way...

I hope you're right, but I doubt it. If the GOP frontrunners were generally embracing their differences from the Religious Right, and doing well when they do so, then I'd believe it. But it's rather the opposite: they are all desperate to play down their 'liberal' pasts, and Giuliani's most recent attempt to at least kinda sorta take on the pro-choice label hasn't played well.

This Christopher Orr post (linked to by Ross Douthat) seems right on target here:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/theplank?pid=109365

Giuliani has been having some trouble, but it hasn't helped that he has taken "liberal" positions on many issues, including those that the average conservative opposes for reasons that have nothing to do with Christianity (like gun control and immigration), or that he has offered so few reasons for conservatives or anyone else to support him support him. He has also given the more freedom-oriented ("libertarian") conservatives reason to be uncomfortable with him.

But look at the difference between how he's tried to handle those other issues, and how he's tried to handle the abortion one -- he's basically defended his views on gun control, etc., whereas he felt compelled to try to obfuscate about his record on abortion.

You can see a similar pattern with the other candidates. Romney could have tried to face the Mormonism issue by arguing that a president's personal faith doesn't matter -- but, rather, he has basically argued that his Mormonism is really, putting aside all theological niceties, just a variant flavor of the kind of religion favored by the Religious Right. (We'll still see how persuaded those voters are by that argument, of course.) And of course he had to execute a spectacular set of flip-flops on his gay rights stance, for example.

And McCain, who had denounced the likes of Robertson and Falwell back in 2000 (when he lost), gave last year's commencement address at Liberty University; and on Falwell's death, gave a press release saying, "I join the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University and Americans of all faiths in mourning the loss of Reverend Jerry Falwell. Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country." Or consider also his recent hemming and hawing over HIV prevention and condoms.

Overall, it sure looks like the GOP frontrunners sure think that the Religious Right voters are still the most essential primary voters to woo.

I've never paid much to Robertson and Falwell. Dobson is not a political influence for me, but he is the king of parenting and family life advice.

Honestly, I don't know anyone who takes Giuliani and Romney "finding religion" seriously. They say the right things (or close to it) thinking they'll get the Religious Right behind them, and then move on to their preferred business of cracking skulls in the Middle East. And the Religious Right lets them get away with their fakery, which says to me the Religious Right has no real power.