This is a mistake and not necessary!

Democratic candidates trying to reach religious voters

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Tired of being seen by religious voters as too secular or even hostile toward religion, the Democrat party and its presidential candidates have launched an all-out effort to win their votes.

The mainstream Christian community has no problem keeping their religion out of their government. The Christian extremists of the Religious Right will always want religion guiding the government. As I said yesterday the influence of the anti-democratic Christian extremists has peaked and is in decline.

I predicted in 2004 that the influence of the cultural warriors of the religious right had peaked. Much too late unfortunately with Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court. I based that on the observation that Calvinistic religious movements have historically never lasted more than a generation or two in the west. The decline of the cultural warriors may have been hastened by the Terri Schiavo debacle which was spawned by the lunatic fringe of the Religious right and the scandals involving Bible thumping politicians and religious leaders.

Mitt Romney has attempted to do a 180 on all his core beliefs to pander to the Religious Right and they don't trust him. The same fate will befall the Democrats. The declining population of the Religious Right will simply stay home on election day like they used to which means they won't vote Republican. Evangelical Christianity and Democracy are as incompatible as the Taliban and Democracy. Any attempt to "reach" them will result in compromising Democratic and progressive issues. Religion should be a part of ones private life and not apart of the secular government tradition of the United States.

When you're out stumpin don't do no thumpin! Leave the Bible at home.

Joe Gandelman also has some excellent commentary.