Palin Choice Lets McCain Bypass Evangelicals in Shift to Center

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aMOAN7m2Ik8I&refer=home

John McCain won't attend a gathering of religious conservatives this weekend -- and the Republican presidential nominee won't have to ask forgiveness.

The Arizona senator's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate has appeased the evangelical and social conservatives who form his party's core voters. Now, they are letting him know that he doesn't need to further demonstrate his fealty.

Last year, McCain felt compelled to appear at the Values Voter Summit in Washington to woo the religious conservatives who have long mistrusted him. That's not necessary this time: members of the movement now ``know exactly what's going on,'' said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values in Ohio and a summit attendee.

``I understand if he thinks he's got us,'' said Burress, who led Ohio's 2004 effort to ban gay marriage. ``The Palin appointment guaranteed his base.''

If one of us wrote that McCain "doesn't need to further demonstrate his fealty" to the Religious Right, it would be kind of harsh, but that is a Bloomberg article!

I have a feeling some people won't appreciate the obvious diss.

There are a helluva alot of Republicans who are atheists, but they go along with the party BS for economic reasons. Clinton won because they saw him as simpatico. Obama needs to recognize this.

McCain, unfortunately decided to cowtow to the pukey side of the party and I hope this is to his everlasting regret.

I also read somewhere that Dobson and Perkins said he still has to show them that he is serious about his faith...and embracing of Jesus...