[Mamzelle]

But Martin doesn't point out that 90% of N VA Muslims voted for Webb, to the tune of 50K votes. That doesn't worry the "creative class" of sophisticated independents (or Martin, I guess) as much as those religious Christians.

[Elpasser]

If it weren't for the evangelicals, we'd be living in a Socialist Sweden.

[concerned about politics]

Martin wants to point out that if it weren't for the icky evangelicals Muslim voters voting for Webb(D), we'd still have Allen as Senator in Va.

[LWalk18]

But Martin doesn't point out that 90% of N VA Muslims voted for Webb, to the tune of 50K votes.

Muslim are among those Allen was exactly counting on voting for him in the first place. How many Muslims voted for Allen in 2000? That's like saying Allen lost because he only got 10% of the black vote. If he won in 2000 with 10% he should have won in 2006. He must have lost part of his base or independents in order for him to lose.

[TitansAFC]

1.) Without us, the Dems would have all three Houses and permanent supermajorities.

2.) The social Libertarian/secular Republican group is waaaaaaay smaller than he wants to admit, as most of those people waffle during elections and prefer to be called Moderates and Independents. About 90% of those that actually exist write for these type of publications.

3.) Without us, 5% of this country would be in support of the Iraq war (reconstruction, that is) right now.

4.) Martin types don't work phone banks, organize 503-C groups, walk precincts in the last 72-hours, raise massive small donations, or volunteer time after work to help individual campaigns.

Come to think of it, Martin is more worthless to the actual GOP than anyone I can think of right now.

[The Blitherer]

Martin wants to point out that if it weren't for the icky evangelicals, we'd still have Allen as Senator in Va.

Well fine! I'm taking my vote and going home.

;-)

[The Old Hoosier]

They key, Davis says, is “to know how to talk to” what he called this “creative class.” To this end, it was Allen’s good-ole-boy persona that turned off many, Davis argues, not necessarily the senator’s party brand or conservative stands on issues. Davis, himself a moderate, pointed out that his wife, a Fairfax state senator, and neighboring Rep. Frank Wolf (R.), both pro-life, get elected thanks to thousands of moderate suburbanite votes.

I don't know whether we're reading the same article.

[FreedomNeocon]

Yeah I'm sure the old predictable wet-napkins will be on FOX this weekend. Bill Kristol with that stupid (I just farted) grin on his face, still glowing from Rummy getting the boot, and the other blue-blood republicans up there.

[colorado tanker]

What a math-impaired idiot.

I suppose he wants to go back to the days of permanent minority when the country-clubbers were the pubbie base?

[stop_fascism]

Martin wants to point out that if it weren't for the icky evangelicals, we'd still have Allen as Senator in Va

I didn't see that in the article. Sabato wants you to believe that, but we know, by now, that he's a demowhore.

The article is really about changing demographics in border regions. For example, fairfax county has an influx of new residents from more liberal Washington and Maryland. These residents are moving because their politics have made their former residences uninhabitable. Unfortunately, they bring their same stupid political beliefs with them. Leftists have a lot of trouble understanding cause and effect.

Richard Pombo had the same problem here in CA. New residents from the liberal Bay Area cost him his seat.

[MonroeDNA]

Perhaps evangelicals should stage a mass "talking in tongues" and "falling down on the ground in spasms" rally at the mall in DC?

That would show them.

[TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl]

Who's Jonathon Martin?

[pollyannaish]

Hmm. I just read the article and I think there is a certain distortion to your summary that seems intended to rile folks up.

Very interesting.

[x]

Does he even mention religion or evangelicals? It looks like his point is that the GOP lost because it didn't have a style that could appeal to suburbanites:

Much like Davis, Oliver says Republicans don’t need “to abandon their conservative philosophy” to win in places like St. Louis and Fairfax County, they just need to talk to these suburbanites where they are.

You may see that as just code words, but if you take it on its face value, there is some truth in it. I don't know about Missouri, but it looked to me like Allen was trying to play a "good ol' boy" card that he didn't really have and didn't have to play to win, and that cost him the election. The next winning Republican will be more able to juggle the substance rural voters want with a style that won't grate on suburbanites.

[ladyinred]

I still can't believe a Muslim was elected in this country post 911.

[steve-b]

The religious right will simply have to accept that its only legitimate goal is for the government to stop helping its enemies (i.e. not implementing or funding liberal social engineering). Any desire for religious-right social engineering (e.g. the Internet gambling ban) must be explicitly disavowed.

[NavVet]

If it weren't for those pesky Christians, Allen wouldn't have been as close as he was.