On Evangelicals and Harriet Miers

Will evangelicals view lack of support for Miers as non-evangelical conservatives giving them the back of their hand? Perhaps.

That's another reason why this nomination was politically stupid---this is why you don't want to split your base.

Evangelicals have not been very happy with the GOP's lack of gratitude for the huge turnout since 1994. Moreover, limousine liberals like Arlen Specter and Lincoln Chaffee routinely make it a point to rub their noses in it. When Dubya supported Spector in his primary bid last year, it sent yet another message to evangelicals that they were not viewed as inexpendable by the top party leaders.

On issue after issue, Bush, Hastert, and Frist have not stood steadfastly behind policies they care deeply about. When Bush finally does throw them a bone, he does so in such a hamhanded fashion that the non-evangelicals can't even support the nominee.

I am not an evangelical, but I certainly sympathize with their desire to finally get some proper respect from the GOP. I only wish that the President had rewarded them with a meaningful effort to gut Roe v. Wade, or to turn back the creeping atheism infecting our schools, or to do something to encourage more family-friendly aspects of our culture. Instead we get Harriet Miers, a wonderful woman, I'm sure, but not somebody I'd bet money on being a Scalia or Thomas.

That is no reflection of the merits of evangelicals, many of whom are top professionals in their fields.

It is a reflection of a White House uncomfortable with a core constituent group of the Republican majority.