I've been thinking a lot about some of the theocracy/dominionist diaries that popped up on that sad, sad day last week. Very scary stuff. But unlikely, because that would require a lot of religious groups to get along. The Protestants and Catholics have been at it for how many centuries? Can you really imagine extremist Mormons, Pentecostals, Baptists and Anglicans all agreeing to share the US equally?
I think that these are the end times for the Christian Right extremists as the political force behind the GOP.
James Dobson is 68
Jerry Falwell is 71
Pat Robertson is 74
Phylis Schafley is 80
Gary Bauer is 58
Chuck Colson is somewhere in his 70s--at least
These are the heros of the far Christian Right as a political movement. They've completely suceeded in turning the Republican party into the extremist party--for now. Some of them worked with Nixon, some with Reagan. They've all got big egos and I would doubt that any one of them actually live anything like their average chuch attendee. James Dobson declared the Republican party to be his bitch. Check out the hubris in this article from 1998
from US News & World Report. He wants it all--anti-choice legislation, school prayer, death to gays, women in burkhas--and he wants it now, dammit.
And if Dobson maintains his style? From the article, "Commenting on Dobson's tendency to attack allies, conservative columnist Cal Thomas argues, 'You begin to marginalize yourself, saying, I am the only true believer. Soon you are left only with your wife, then you begin to look at her funny. All of a sudden, you're Ross Perot.'"
However, Dobson and his colleagues are old. Who's going to take over in terrorizing their legions of followers into voting against their best interests? What religious leaders are left who are willing to sell out their people for politics? And are charismatic enough to pull it off? Ralph Reed perhaps--except that he's probably happier raking in money as a political consultant than he was picketing against abortion. Billy Graham (who is not part of the group above--people flock to him because of love, not hate) has a son, Franklin. However, Franklin is more interested in chairity and good works than politics. (Unfortunately, he has some problems with Muslims.)
I don't believe that any one of those grand old party Christian fanatics has deemed a successor. Do you honestly think Pat Robertson would be willing to share his glory? I look forward to watching some of the right wing fanatic organizations implode in the next couple decades. Without a charismatic radio superstar advocating child torture as a form of discipline, how long will Focus on the Family last? How long before sunrise in blue Colorado?