Oh boy, Frank Rich at the New York Times brings out the ruler and smacks the knuckles of the “Religious Right” more than once. I could not agree more…if Giuliani is the Republican Presidential nominee, than the long nightmare of the “do as I say, not as I do” crowd is over. As well, it will expose what most of us reasonable folks have always known; it was never about what was moral or following the Scriptures, it was always about winning elections so a few religious “leaders” could move this countries values in their image.

There are various explanations for this. One is that 9/11 and terrorism fears trump everything. Another is that the rest of the field is weak. But the most obvious explanation is the one that Washington resists because it contradicts the city’s long-running story line. Namely, that the political clout ritualistically ascribed to Mr. Perkins, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Gary Bauer of American Values and their ilk is a sham.

These self-promoting values hacks don’t speak for the American mainstream. They don’t speak for the Republican Party. They no longer speak for many evangelical ministers and their flocks. The emperors of morality have in fact had no clothes for some time. Should Rudy Giuliani end up doing a victory dance at the Republican convention, it will be on their graves.