It's funny, isn't it, how much abuse I receive for writing a book and a blog that essentially argue that the base of the GOP is a sectarian and religious movement rather than a political one - and that this is a problem. In that sense - in the sense that it believes that political power should be assigned primarily on the basis of religious purity - it is a theocratic force. And now who comes along and agrees with me, with respect to the new front-runner in Iowa? Freddy The Beetle Barnes:

Maybe my memory betrays me, but I don't recall a major presidential candidate who made such an unabashed, unambiguous appeal for support on the basis of religious faith... The Huckabee ad, entitled "Believe," begins with Huckabee's emphasis on the importance of his faith. "Faith doesn't just influence me," he says. "It really defines me." A few seconds later, the words "Christian Leader" are emblazoned on the screen... I don't think it's a stretch to say that, at least in this ad, Huckabee has made his political views secondary to his religious beliefs. Perhaps this is what Christian conservatives in Iowa want to hear.

You think? You can buy the book here. Denial is a powerful thing, isn't it?