Howard Dean seems to be trying a new tactic to win the "hearts and minds" of Americans.  Having completely failed so far in his quest to convince Southerners that he's the right person to represent them, he's decided to pose as a deeply religious man to appeal to churchgoers as his campaign makes its upcoming Southern stops.

Have you ever heard anything more deeply cynical?  This is the man who left his church because he had a dispute with them over a bike path, of all the insignificant things.  Suddenly, he's the religious candidate? Watch out, Reverend Al!

After alienating the entire voting population of the South when he chastised them for basing their votes on "race, guns, God and gays," Dean still apparently thinks he has a chance to get a single Southern vote by pretending to be a religious man himself.  "Keep your religion out of the vote -- but vote for me because I'm religious," seems to be Dean's message. More than any of his others so far, this latest lie shows Dean's deeply-rooted elitism, his belief that people are just ignorant sheep to be led around by the nose.  Stupid rednecks, what do they know about running the country?

Polls report that President Bush enjoys an even higher percentage of support from regular churchgoers (by 38%) than from the population in general. Is that because they see him as a genuine person of faith? Because they see him as someone with a moral compass? Because they see him as someone who tries to do what's right (though not always what's Right -- many Conservatives are deeply disgruntled by his Medicare package, for instance)? 

Not if you're someone like Howard Dean.  To elitists like him, people who spend their lives striking a pose, there's no such thing as a genuine person who actually believes in what he or she says.  Every speech is a sham, every position, a posture.  It would never occur to them that Bush actually does what he thinks best for the country instead of what's best for his poll results.  For instance, the elite media gleefully reported that President Bush's surprise Thanksgiving visit to the troops in Baghdad didn't significantly raise his approval ratings (although they actually DID rise immediately afterwards; I guess it just wasn't "significant").  Frankly, I don't think Bush gave a damn.  Rather than understand why he appeals to so many people, the elitists just think they can emulate him and "steal" his votes.  To them, people are too stupid to tell the difference.

So get ready for the newly-religious Howard Dean, Man of Faith, coming soon to a stump near you.