digby writes what I’ve often claimed around here–‘people of faith’ who criticize Democrats for not embracing ‘faith‘ really want Democrats to embrace theopolitical conservatism:
The religious folk who vote GOP on the basis of religion are never going to vote for Democrats unless they become social conservatives. That’s the formula and that’s what the liberal religious lobby is really pushing. I just wish they’d be honest about it.
Amen, sister digby.
(now go read the whole thing).
I don’t think this was made anymore self-evident than when Zell Miller wrote his book (can’t remember the title, but the subtitle was “Conscience of a Conservative Democrat”). Given that the man was a dyed-in-the-polyester Dixiecrat (though perhaps without the racism, I really don’t know), I can’t imagine that anyone was fooled into thinking that it wasn’t a transparent call to move the Democratic party to the right and leave anyone from the center or left voiceless. Honestly, I can’t imagine the majority of conservatives really dislike the idea of free speech to that extent, but the ones who are the mouthpieces of the current conservative movement definitely do.