No, the religious right is not dead. They were just resting.
by digby
Remember when everyone told you (again) that the religious right was dead and buried? Yeah, it was yesterday. Anyway, the fact that Jeb Bush and the others all felt they had to immediately come to Mike Pence's defense should show you that the GOP, at least, still feels its power, even if corporate America is exerting its influence because it's bad for business.
But here's a fine example of how the religious right is actually making a comeback. Media Matters caught up with the allegedly "independent" Megyn Kelly on Fox this week:
Megyn Kelly has been one of the principal defenders of the law on Fox , regularly dismissing concerns that the law could be used to discriminate against LGBT Hoosiers. She called the measure "not that controversial," accusing LGBT activists of "exploiting" national concern about the law in order to "prove their bona fides on gay and lesbian rights issues." She's repeatedly hosted the leader of an anti-gay hate group to defend the measure and misleadingly suggested that the measure wouldn't threaten LGBT non-discrimination protections. She also ignored the broad scope of Indiana's RFRA to falsely compare the measure to "religious freedom" laws in other states.
During a segment on the April 1 edition of The Kelly File, Kelly invited Hume to discuss an anti-gay business that was targeted by activists after publicly stating that it would refuse to serve same-sex weddings. Rather than raise concerns about the law's discriminatory intent -- as she had done the last time she discussed a potentially discriminatory RFRA bill with Hume - Kelly asked "do you think there is room in today's day and age for someone who does not believe in gay marriage to maintain that belief?"
And here's that same Megyn Kelly in February of last year:
In February of 2014, one state was embroiled in a debate over a "religious freedom" law that had earned national attention. LGBT groups, the business community, and even sports organizations had spoken out against the law, warning that it could be used to discriminate against LGBT customers.
That state was Arizona, which had passed SB 1062, a measure that gave individuals and business owners a legal defense for refusing to serve LGBT customers if doing so violated their religious beliefs.
At the time, even Fox's Megyn Kelly seemed uncomfortable with the measure, which was passed with the explicit purpose of allowing business to refuse to serve same-sex weddings. During the February 25 edition of The Kelly File, Kelly invited Fox senior political analyst Brit Hume on to her show to discuss the "controversial" law, which she called "an overreaction" and "potentially dangerous," warning that it could be used to deny medical service to LGBT people
Why would she change her mind in such a short time? Well, it's a sign that they are circling the wagons. Now, this does not mean they are winning the argument? Not at all. It means they are losing. But they are not going away. They will be a factor in the GOP primaries though, clearly. And they'll continue to be a huge factor in the states and in the Supreme Court. They aren't going to abandon their beliefs or their sense of mission in inflicting them on everyone else. Say what you will about them but unlike Megyn Kelly and the other Fox News All-Stars, they have principles.
Update: I'm watching MSNBC right now where a couple of the young kiddies are talking about this article and observing that we've never talked much about religion in politics before but it's becoming important for politicians to talk about their faith and their "values."
Yeah, that's new.
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