[skaterboy]

When did my party start bowing to the bob van plaats of the world

[CowboyJay]

"When did my party start bowing to the bob van plaats of the world"

As far back as I can remember. At least since Jerry Falwell's heyday. The Republicans realized they had to carve out a southern constituency if they wanted to win national elections, so they turned to the evangelicals. They wooed blacks first by backing Civil Rights legislation, but that went down the drain after the media (as unfairly as is humanly imaginable) painted Goldwater as a racist. I'm too young to remember the Nixon days very well, but I believe Billy Graham played a big part in getting him nominated and elected.