Wanted: One Good Counter-Attack

Amid the flurry of generally positive interest and coverage that accompanied the launch of this site last week, one item caught my eye. It was on the website of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and carried the headline: "Democrats Attempt Religious Makeover."

Amid the flurry of generally positive interest and coverage that
accompanied the launch of this site last week, one item caught my eye.
It was on the website of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and
carried the headline: "Democrats Attempt Religious Makeover."

It was largely a cut-and-paste charge; the article didn't even bother to substantiate the headline, using instead just five sentences to describe Faithful Democrats. But it was a useful reminder of the line of attack conservatives intend to use against anyone to the left of James Dobson who dares to profess their faith.

Nor is it a tactic that will be confined to the realm of religion. Republicans, you'll remember, have successfully painted recently Democratic presidential nominees as "flip-floppers" who waffle, govern by calculation, and generally lack any sort of moral compass.

It works for them, so they're rolling it out again. During the first six months of 2005, conservatives accused Hillary Clinton of undergoing a "makeover" for the White House on at least 100 different occasions in print and on the air.

The predictability of the attack provides an opportunity for Democrats. But I have to admit that I don't know what the best response is for them. Retorting "We are so religious," isn't very effective and sounds defensive. Letting their actions speak for themselves is the preferred course of action, but leaves the rhetorical battlefield to conservatives and their "godless liberals!" cries.

So how about it, amateur strategists? You know what's coming. How should Democrats respond?