And there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Who Isn't A 'Values Voter'?
By George F. Will
Thursday, May 18, 2006; A23

An aggressively annoying new phrase in America's political lexicon is "values voters." It is used proudly by social conservatives, and carelessly by the media to denote such conservatives.

This phrase diminishes our understanding of politics. It also is arrogant on the part of social conservatives and insulting to everyone else because it implies that only social conservatives vote to advance their values and everyone else votes to . . . well, it is unclear what they supposedly think they are doing with their ballots.

Ya think?

Like most Conservatives that have tripped into the truth Mr. Will is sounding a lot like progressives did during the 2004 elections. However, Mr. Will is not so much concerned with truth as defending himself.

Conservatives should be wary of the idea that when they talk about, say, tax cuts and limited government -- about things other than abortion, gay marriage, religion in the public square and similar issues -- they are engaging in values-free discourse. And by ratifying the social conservatives' monopoly of the label "values voters," the media are furthering the fiction that these voters are somehow more morally awake than others.

He's concerned that he is now in the crosshairs of...

Okay, let's get real. Values voter = Dominionists.

He's concerned that he is now in the crosshairs of the Dominionists. This concern has him a bit confused, I think. He's not used to having to consider it.

Freedom and happiness are valuable. Arguably, governmental actions that did much to increase freedom and happiness in the past half-century were state laws liberalizing divorce. These made important contributions to the emancipation of men and especially women from mistaken marriages. Perhaps the most important of these laws -- it was among the most liberal and was in the most populous state -- was signed by a divorced governor, Ronald Reagan. What do socially conservative values voters make of that?

Don't ask, George...force them to choose between canonizing Reagan and The Ressurection and Eternal Life, guess which one they'll choose? You may well be making the kind of point that causes them to reinterpret the past.

This is an interesting attempt to address the divide within Republican ranks by undefining the differences. It will not work because Dominionists operate on faith...the evidence of things unseen (like, for instance, Bush's competence...). Their analysis is simple and direct: if you don't live like I do, ipso facto, you don't share my values.

Another reason the division can't be undefined is it's not just a matter of definitions. It's real. Dominionists call themselves "values voters" to set themselves over apart from you. They know what they think sets them apart from you. You know it too. Call them values voters, Dominionists...or you can call them Ray, or you can call them Jay...

And they will call you sinner. 

Interesting. So, so interesting.