There's been a gradation of the infiltration.
In Nixon's time the 'religious right' wasn't organized and Tricky Dickie didn't feel the need to pander to them. He didn't seem much influenced by his own Quaker roots, either, BTW.
We had an actual believer when we got Carter, but he incited disdain and loathing from the nascent religious right of the time and scored few votes from them, particularly in his re-election bid.
Then we get to Reagan. He understood the power at the ballot box (or his advisors did) of the religious folks, particularly in their hatred of Carter. Ronald Reagan wasn't above pandering to the religious folks (while steadfastly declining to embrace any such religious crapola personally) and the religious folks LOVED to be pandered too, and if Ronald couldn't pass much of a test of religious fealty, they cared not a whit. Nancy Reagan was diligent to ameliorate any off putting her family might exude offensively to the religious folks (Ron wasn't much of a church goer, Patty was promiscuous, Ron Jr, well, I'll let that go, and it was evident to all but the most obdurate human being Nancy was potential bride material for Satan himself) and the religious right folks loved to ignore the incongruities even as they galled your younger vorlon's developing sensibilities.
And then we start seeing some 'true believers' elected to congress. Uh oh. Yeah, bad enough to have politicians just pandering to that group, but then that group decided to put some real deals in the halls of power.
And the rest of you young whippersnappers have seen what's happened over the last 20 years or so. More litmus tests, Newt Gingrich brazenly becomes the pander king, and the religious right folks literally kneel in worship of him. Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz, the horrors just keep lurching out of the laboratories these days.
In Nixon's time the 'religious right' wasn't organized and Tricky Dickie didn't feel the need to pander to them. He didn't seem much influenced by his own Quaker roots, either, BTW.
We had an actual believer when we got Carter, but he incited disdain and loathing from the nascent religious right of the time and scored few votes from them, particularly in his re-election bid.
Then we get to Reagan. He understood the power at the ballot box (or his advisors did) of the religious folks, particularly in their hatred of Carter. Ronald Reagan wasn't above pandering to the religious folks (while steadfastly declining to embrace any such religious crapola personally) and the religious folks LOVED to be pandered too, and if Ronald couldn't pass much of a test of religious fealty, they cared not a whit. Nancy Reagan was diligent to ameliorate any off putting her family might exude offensively to the religious folks (Ron wasn't much of a church goer, Patty was promiscuous, Ron Jr, well, I'll let that go, and it was evident to all but the most obdurate human being Nancy was potential bride material for Satan himself) and the religious right folks loved to ignore the incongruities even as they galled your younger vorlon's developing sensibilities.
And then we start seeing some 'true believers' elected to congress. Uh oh. Yeah, bad enough to have politicians just pandering to that group, but then that group decided to put some real deals in the halls of power.
And the rest of you young whippersnappers have seen what's happened over the last 20 years or so. More litmus tests, Newt Gingrich brazenly becomes the pander king, and the religious right folks literally kneel in worship of him. Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz, the horrors just keep lurching out of the laboratories these days.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
