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November 8, 2006

Theocracy. How timely.

Joseph Loconte and Michael Cromartie have an op-ed in Wednesday's Washington Post, saying that evangelicals don't want theocracy:

[I]it is dishonest to disparage the massive civic and democratic contribution of evangelicals by invoking the excesses of a tiny few. As we recall from the Gospels, even Jesus had a few disciples who, after encountering some critics, wanted to call down fire from heaven to dispose of them. Jesus disabused them of that impulse. The overwhelming majority of evangelicals have dispensed with it as well. Maybe it's time more of their critics did the same.

Good points. But why is this running in the Post tomorrow--er, today--the day after Election Day? I'm not sure anyone within the last week was really predicting a theocracy wave today. This was the year of the "anti-evangelical vote," not the "values voter." And I remain unconvinced that evangelicals played much of a role today. They seem to have voted the same way they have for a long time--33% Democrat, 67% Republican. (2004 seems even more now to have been what they call an "outlier.")