Grand Orthodox Party

Patrick Hynes of AnkleBitingPundits.com has some news for Judas Danforth and the other aspiring bluenose pogromists who dream of driving conservative evangelicals out of the Republican Party: It is they that, in historical perspective, are the interlopers and usurpers of the GOP, not the faithful:

America's two dominant political parties have undoubtedly morphed over the years, but Democrat and Republican dichotomous attitudes of religion in public life have remained remarkably close to those of their respective beginnings. Whereas 19th century Republican evangelicals would often preach against the evils of slavery, 21st century Republican evangelicals preach against the evils of abortion. Only the names have changed (in this case, literally: the Democratic Party of Jefferson's age was known as the Republican Party).

So when former U.S. Senator John Danforth claimed "that the Republican Party fairly recently has been taken over by the Christian conservatives, by the Christian right," as he did on Wednesday during a speech before sixteen students enrolled in the Bill Clinton School of Public Service [how apropo], he is demonstrably wrong. Christians have not "taken over" the Republican Party and neither is there anything "recent" about it. Christians were present at the founding.

And, starting a generation ago, we took it back, and then to the top. And Rockafellas will never get over it.

But we are not vengeful. The "big tent" has plenty of room in it, as long as the dissidents remember who's running the show, and has well earned the right to do so.

Repent, Mr. Danforth, and we'll leave your golden lampstand right where it is.

Otherwise, don't let the door hit you where the Good LORD split you.