Conservapedia - Question for atheist/evolutionists

[DeistPaladin]

How long has conservatism been synonymous with religion?

Since the reign of King George the Pious, aka W Bush. The Republican Party not only obnoxiously wraps itself in the flag and poses with the armed forces as political props at every opportunity, they also have stamped a copyright on Jesus' forehead (fuck all that stuff he taught about pacifism and charity for the poor).

OK, sarcastic humor aside, the marriage between conservatives and the evangelical (aka dominionist) movement got started in the 80s. Reagan rarely darkened the doorway of a church but he was happy to use the fundy vote and throw a few bones to them occasionally. Then in 1988, W Bush went to work for his father's bid for the presidency. He taught his dear old dad that appealing to the fundy vote as a serious base meant a large and zealous voting block, easily led and mobilized. The results of the 88 election showed Republicans the way to glory and by the sign of the cross, they shall conquer.

The Republican Party has since then been split between the Buckley fringe of pro-business-fuck-everything-else conservatives and the wackjob crusaders (currently represented by Romney vs. Perry primary). Increasingly, the relatively rational business faction began to take a back seat. W Bush was the first openly evangelical president and began chipping away at the wall with his faith-based initiatives.

Of course, liberals and other Democrats also try to dip into the faith well, seeing just how powerful Jesus Inc is here in America. The marriage between their faith and their politics just isn't as pronounced.