Would-Be Republican Party Chairmen Quiet on Faith at Candidate's Forum

Just finished watching the RNC chairman candidates' debate (you'll be able to watch it soon here and here) and was struck by how little attention was paid to the Christian right's issues. Nothing on abortion except all the candidates answering "yes" to a question about whether they were pro-life. The whole exchange took less than a minute at an hour-and-a-half-long event. As Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest twittered, "It's nice that all the GOP candidates said 'yes' they are 'pro-life.' But there is slightly more to it than that."

Was there any mention of same-sex marriage, even after the surprise success of the gay marriage ban in California—Prop 8—last November? I didn't hear one.

It's always fascinating to juxtapose how important the role of faith and faith-based issues are in the Republican Party with how little GOPers discuss it at public events. When such matters are brought up, it's usually at forums with the secular media, always eager to draw the party out on its religious beliefs. Remember the evolution question at the first Republican presidential debate of the '08 primary season?

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