I think that what you're saying is exactly the result of allowing the right to control the debate. When only evangelical Christians get to define what is or is not religion, there's a problem; they still aren't the majority in this country and as yet aren't the majority of Christians (that honor falls to the Catholics) or even Protestants. And in fact with the rising Hispanic immigration, that Catholic majority should stay pretty stable. As Crystal is saying, the left probably won't win over those hardliners. But the big amorphous middle is what American politics is all about.

Also, note that there are plenty of people on the right who actually aren't evangelical Christians and are facing a possible need to reconstuct their party. There are legions of fiscally and militarily conservative Republicans out there who are more libertarian than anything else, don't want to make all of these family values the center of the dogma. And these are still the people who give the most money as large donors: business people and the like. These are not only northeastern Republicans like NY Gov Pataki or ME senator Snowe but western Republicans like McCain or even Arnold. They're unhappy, and they're powerful, and it will be interesting to see what they do next.