[George W. Bush]

The divide between asses and elephants is now social issues. Abortion is THE primary unifying plank of the Democratic Party. Although the homosexual agenda also a close second. Without the Republicans actively picking up "Christian leftovers" as they did, they would have been TOAST. Loose the Christians, and say goodbye to life as we know it.

I agree that the Religious Right is indispensable to the GOP. But I would also say that the recent Miers dustup showed us other powerful currents in the GOP. When the info about Miers and affirmative action came out, I saw at least a half-dozen who had supported her till then turn on her, citing only that. And we saw a lot of grassroots support and rumblings in the conservative media over borders and spending.

Beyond those, the encroaching globalism, the distrust of the U.N. and Europe, friendship with Europe, enmity with Castro and his allies, the War On Terror and even the War On Drugs, these are all areas which different people would put high on their list to vote GOP.

You're not wrong about the Christians by any means. It's just that there are still other blocs of thought that also march under the GOP banner. And then there are the more liberal GOP elements besides. What's more, there are many more Christians to be "mined" from the Democratic Party. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg. This strategy will sustain Republican numbers and (and a conservative agenda) for the long term.

I think we've already got most of the really sincere Christians. What's left in the Dim tent are those who are apostate from orthodox Christian belief.

When you hear Dean say things like 'guns and gays' or the other day when Biden said he was going to ram his rosary beads down the throats of the next Republican who questioned his religious views, or Hollyweird attacking religion you can see what I mean. The other side are classic hypocrites or the kind of liberals who enjoy some occasional Christian role-playing by sitting around in a circle, nude, chanting poetry.

[right-wingin_It]

About the mining of Christians out of the Democratic Party...I just have my own personal experience to offer. But I know plenty of folks who could be defined "liberal moderates," but have been long unhappy with the "new lunacy" in their Churches. They're jumpin ship...little more time and we'll see. Trust me.

Of course, a proper strong and continuous conservative dialog with these folks will facilitate this to its reality.