The Daily Digest

White House staff and presidential aides disembarking from Air Force One in New York City

Bill Richardson describes himself a "market-oriented Democrat." Certainly, he's the most conservative D running for president. By contrast, his party's front-runner, Hillary Clinton, in 1996, said she agreed that "[t]he unfettered free market has been the most radically disruptive force in American life in the last generation."

Before he decided run for president, Tommy Thompson boasted an impressive resume and reputation. But each time he appears in a debate, he diminishes himself.

Approximately one-third of Americans describe themselves as evangelicals. But I often wonder to what extent these people share the views of their alleged political leaders in the religious right? In short, is the influence of the Robertson-Dobson-Falwell axis overstated? Fortunately, Right Wing Watch, a blog from People for the American Way, dug up the evidence for me. Its conclusion: at least with respect to Robertson, these guys are still very much a force to be reckoned with.

Interesting footnote: Falwell disapproved of Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil-rights activism because “preachers are not called to be politicians, but soul-winners.” The “secular” excesses of the 1960s, however, were much too much for him, prompting him to found Moral Majority Inc.

Update (6/4): The Post reports that "[i]n the view of many social conservatives, their organizational structures—from megachurches to Christian colleges, broadcasting networks and public interest law firms—have never been stronger."