In all the heaps of condemnation thrown at the evangelicals from folks here, we forget that another crucial group is probably just as responsible for Bush's victory: Catholics, esp. Latino Catholics. Catholics increased their votes for Bush by 5% from 2000. Hispanics Catholics gave 10% more of their vote to Bush than in 2000. The Bush campaign knew it would lose without the Catholic vote and worked HARD and passionately to earn their votes. Their strategies are instructive for just how far ahead the GOP strategists are than Democratic strategists on reaching religious voters, and given that the "God gap" is now more of a dividing line than race and gender gaps, i hope Dems will start getting smarter instead of being paranoid about religion.
This article lays out how the Bushies did it:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/146/story_14691_1.html
Recruiting 500 team local leaders. working directly with priests and sympathetic churches. Meanwhile, the Democrats were reduced to a noble effort by Dick Durbin to produce a document showing how Democrats are more in line with Catholic teachings (esp. on social justice). however, there was little effort to dissiminate the message and propaganda into the Catholic pews to make sure they were hearing another side of the story. there was no official outreach efforts on the part of the DNC. the kerry campaign had one rather lame "People of Faith" ecumenical effort, but it could not match the sheer intensity and pinpoint marketing message the GOP aimed directly at Catholics and speaking to their "values."
I am interested in hearing from practicing Catholics if you think the DNC and Democrats should pursue these types of outreach, or if the mixing of churches into official party politics makes you squeamish. it seems to me at this point it is an urgent necessity if we are to woo back not only Catholics, but other voters.