John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin has scrambled the religious dynamics of the presidential race, possibly taking some groups out of play but putting some new ones in play. THE OLD RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Before the Palin pick, the basic religious fault-lines were: -A dispirited evangelical base combined with Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s strong personal faith…

I’d like to take a brief break from politics to talk about an actual issue of concern to many religious voters. Both Republicans and Democrats this year devote extensive portions of their platforms toward helping to alleviate poverty in Africa. The new emphasis in the Republican Platform reflects both George W. Bush’s significant work in…

I had thought it was a virtual certainty that this was going to be a huge success. And it was for the people in this hall, who are deliriously happy, but looking at this dispassionately, the evening failed in a few key ways. First, the speakers leading up to Palin were supposed to show how…

She’s creating an entirely new voting bloc: parents of special needs kids. So far, seems she seems totally engaging and down to earth. Very appealing. Trying to make a virtue of small-town living, I guess in contrast to Michelle Obama: “They love their country, in good times and bad, and they’re always proud of America.”…

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