Thoughts in a Haystack

In an obvious attempt to accelerate whatever trend there may be for a loosening of the Republican party's grip on evangelical Christians and other "issues of faith" voters, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean is decrying exit polls that play up Republican voters faith but mostly ignore that of Democratic voters. Dr. Dean, in a letter to the National Election Pool, a consortium formed by ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News and The Associated Press, said:

Democrats are also people of faith. As a "big tent" party we embrace and represent people from a number of faith traditions. The religious diversity of our party reflects the rich diversity of our nation-and this includes those who don't identify with a religious tradition. ...

[E]xit polls, media reports and the pundits have largely missed the story because they're using an outdated script which leaves the impression that religion and faith matter only to Republicans.

A group of evangelical leaders, under the banner of Faith in Public Life, also protested the omission in exit polls. Described as "an interfaith group interested in broadening the religious agenda beyond issues favored by conservative Christians, the evangelical leaders argued that exit polls "have ignored 'the bipartisan courtship of evangelical voters and 'perpetuated the misperception that all evangelical Christians are Republicans.'"

If you can't beat 'em ...
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