| No, people do not generally vote for people they perceive as extreme. That is because they presume, quite reasonably, that with all facts available, and open debate, sound opinion is likely to have a large constituency among the knowledgeable, and therefore the outer edges of reasonable opinion can be fairly well- defined. They are suspicious of groups like the Christian Coalition, and don't want to take any chances giving them too much power. (On the other hand, most people in this country think of themselves as Christians, so I guess the Christian Coalition is not perfectly representative of mainstream Christianity.) Anyway, the Religious Right is a legitimate part of the conservative coalition, and must be treated with respect, but it is not the only part of the coalition, and it cannot be allowed to take over......... |
