Political parties play politics. But I have to say that the 20-year dance that Republicans have played with the social conservative wing of the party has been about as cynical as anything in modern history. I’m fine with that, of course, since I’d just as soon see social conservatives confined to their basements churning out angry mimeographed newsletters about the horrors of secular humanism, but it really makes you wonder if they’re ever going to catch on. ~Kevin Drum

Oh, come now, Mr. Drum–we modern social conservatives are right up to date.  We sold the mimeograph machines years ago (using the proceeds to arm for the Apocalypse, of course), and all of us have blogs now.  And I live in a half-basement apartment, thank you very much, and hardly ever talk about secular humanism.  Now, the evils of the liberal tradition and the Enlightenment, okay, I have been known to say a few things about them, but attacking “secular humanism” is so ’90s. 

However, the underlying point that the GOP plays its core supporters for chumps on a regular basis–especially on those things that matter most to them–is basically right and something I have observed on a few occasions.  But it sure has been going on for longer than 20 years.