How it happened

Captain Ed has a good breakdown of how evangelicals shot themselves in the foot and ended up with McCain as nominee.

I would add only that sensible people (like me) tried and tried to make them understand that we were not voting for a PASTOR IN CHIEF.

President of the United States is a secular political office, and Mitt Romney would have made a fabulous president. As a Mormon, he'd make a lousy Southern Baptist pastor, but that wasn't on the ticket. I only know that every Mormon I've ever known (or even met) has been a model citizen, helpful and charitable and responsible and honorable beyond belief. Parts of their religion are a bit opaque to me, but I can say the same about some sects of traditional Christianity as well.

But throughout this primary season Christians in this country were completely exposed in their anti-Mormon bias and we are all paying the price of their foolishness.

And I say this AS a Christian. I was pleased to see Dubya ascend to the office, knowing of his faith. But if I am to take him at his word, his faith led him to several positions and actions for which my own faith helped me to completely opposite conclusions. Christian faith guarantees almost NOTHING in terms of concrete policy direction, and that isn't hard to understand.

Christians shot themselves in the foot this year. I hate it when that happens.