GraniteGrok

It will be a sad day when Brit Hume does retire (which he announced, I believe, right after the election).  He has done a superb job of shepherding Fox's Special Report over the last few years and I love watching him skewer his panelists when warranted.

Now, that said, I'm hoping that Fred Barnes will bow out with him.  He certainly epitomizes the inside-the-beltway pundit that believes that people like me are the problem with the Republicans - socially conservative, fiscally conservative, part of what he sneeringly calls the Religious Right.  It seems that he blames all of the ills on those part of the party that seem to be willing to actually go out and get things done or are willing to donate.  He carefully ignores the excitement of the base that Sarah Palin brought to the campaign as he casually dismissed her out of hand as an unserious candidate.

Right, and lots of moderate Republicans won their races, eh Fred?

Then of course, there is that screed by Kathleen Parker:

As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit.

Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D.

I'm bathing in holy water as I type.

To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.

Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that.

So, yet another attack from the inside-the-beltway-erudite-elitist punditocracy. The problem is for both of them is that many of the Religious Right also fit into the fiscal conservatives.  They fit elsewhere is right.  And, we tend to get rather annoyed when we are told to "check your faith at the door - you can put the Bible in the hatcheck room".

For many of us, our faith HAS made us conservative in nature - a belief in something higher and more important than ourselves, that God (as the Founders enscribed) Himself gave us our Rights.  A respect for that authority morphs into respect for a lot of things, including the sanctity of life that He has given.  And it continues.

The problem for Kathleen and those of her mindset is this - to which would be our loyalty lie?  Can we be so political to deny our faith?  I think not - our faith gives us our sense of morality, of right and wrong.  So, we should submerge some of the basic tenants of our faith just to see Republicans win?

The problem with that is that a number of Republicans that have lately been in the news perhaps could have used a more healthy dose of religion in their daily lives - Duke Cunningham and Ted Stevens to name two.

But, like it or not, we are a diverse nation, no longer predominantly white and Christian. The change Barack Obama promised has already occurred, which is why he won.

Belief in God was not the reason why Obama won and Republicans lost. Looking at Prop 8 results, it seems that perhaps there are more of me....

...than perhaps of Fred and Kathleen