The appeal of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin to white religious fundamentalists is likely to make this election far closer than it ought to be based on the Republican party's track record with the economy, foreign policy and governance over the past year.
Having Palin on the GOP ticket will energize the voting base especially in the swing states and states that voted for Bush in 2004 that the Obama campaign believes to be in play in 2008. And while her religious denomination (Assembly of God) is not particularly large, her anti-abortion and/or her anti-sciente positions will find strong appeal to Pentacostals, Charismatics, Southern Baptists, Missouri Synod Lutherans and Roman Cahtolics, Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Free Church.
Attacks on Palin will further energize the base into closing ranks to "protect one of their own" while creating some internal dissonance for scriptural literalists who believe a woman's plance is in the home.
I sincerely hope to be proven wrong in this prognostication.
