[steve-b]

You have it backwards -- the religious right is demanding too much and thereby driving away the mass of anti-Big-Government voters on which the GOP depends.

[JamesP81]

You have it backwards -- the religious right is demanding too much and thereby driving away the mass of anti-Big-Government voters on which the GOP depends.

It ain't even nearly that simple. About half the religious right is of the small government stripe, but the other half isn't and, unfortunately, their voice is the one being heard. However, it's Libertarians, not conservative Christians, that I see voting third party. So no, I don't have it backwards.

[LadyNavyVet]

What is the religious right demanding that's going to cost anybody a cent? I'm a social conservative, but I'm for small government, too. There's no dichotomy there. Getting rid of partial birth abortion, supporting school choice, supporting traditional marriage, etc. are free to the taxpayers. Traditional Judeo-Christian values save the government money. Fewer out of wedlock births, one man and one woman in a traditional marriage, schools that aren't liberal cesspool money pits, people who believe they are accountable to God for the way they live their lives--all of that lessens the burden on government and eliminates the need for the Nanny state. A win-win.