Exit polls of Republican voters reveal that most cast their vote based on their perception of "moral values." What are these moral values? The killing of more that 10 thousand Iraqi civilians? The destruction of a country that was never a military threat to the United States? Flouting the Constitution by secret arrests and holding prisoners indefinitely without charging and without public trial? Our Constitution states that there shall be no government support of religion. In the first sentence it validates government support of public welfare. Real patriots honor the Constitution. The "moral values" block of Republican voters do not.

Why would voters who consider themselves moralists support this egregious abuse of the Constitution? There are a number of reasons, but religious right broadcasting has to be a major factor. A large block of voters are followers of, or are at least influenced by, television evangelists and other right wing talk TV shows. Night after, all evening long, viewers are subjected to a plethora of religious right propaganda dished out by Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, Jay Sekulo, James Robison, Bill O'Reilly, Jack Van Impe, and many others. There is NO regularly scheduled TV program presenting an opposing viewpoint.

The Democratic Party has allowed itself to be out maneuvered by Republican extremists. Fallwell, Dobson, O'Reilly, et al provide continuous effective campaigning at no cost to the Republican Party, while Democrats struggle to raise money for ineffective mailings, spot announcements, and yard signs. The television viewing public has been conditioned to accept murder as morality, religious dogma as science, war as peace and armed aggression as protection against terrorism. Television evangelists preach that evil results from "rejecting God," and more and more voters are believing this nonsense. For many years, viewers have been carefully taught the big lie that the Constitution does not require the separation of church and state, and this has paid off big time for the extremists who now control the Republican party.

If it is going to survive, the Democratic Party leaders must begin talks with television producers to achieve the goal of regularly scheduled television talk show programming to reveal to the public how Republicans have manipulated the facts. Bill O'Reilly is not an employee of the Republican Party, yet he provides yeoman service. A Democratic counterpart is badly needed!

A show to reveal the truth must never underestimate the stupidity of the American public. It should not assume that the public understands the national debt or the Constitution. It does not. It should deal with the public on a third grade level. Focus on specifics, like the January 2003 press conference when Bush stated there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attack. Repeatedly report on specific examples of violations of the Constitution, like government grants to Rev Moon and Jerry Fallwell, and violations of Constitutional civil rights. At the same time, it should repeatedly hammer home the fact the government welfare is cheaper and more effective than religious charities. It should hammer home the idea that patriotism is secular humanism, and liberals are patriots.

The ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State can provide abundant material for TV programming. There are talented persons who could host a nationally syndicated talk show, Dave Ross of Seattle's Station KIRO for example. Far right broadcasters are basically mentally incompetent demagogues whose ideology would collapse like a house of cards when called upon to respond to critical issues and questions.