Parker: Republicans need less God

On the WaPo op-ed pages today, Kathleen Parker returns to a question she raised in a previous column: What's wrong with the Republican Party. She claimed then that Republicans have a religion problem. Today, she tries to reinforce that argument, or restate it:

Reacting to Ramesh Ponnuru, who wrote in National Review "that social conservatives 'could present themselves more attractively,' and 'pick their spokesmen more wisely,'" Parker replied:

"That's a start, but let's take it another step. How about social conservatives make their arguments without bringing God into it? By all means, let faith inform one's values, but let reason inform one's public arguments."

"That was and remains my point. It isn't so much God causing the GOP problems; it's his fan club."

"The broad perception among centrists, moderates, conservative Democrats, renegade Republicans, etc., is that the GOP is the party of white Christians to the exclusion of others, some of whom might also be social conservatives."

Well, she certainly cleared up that.

There's a perception that Republicans are white, either that or they're Christian or they're both white and Christian. And the perception is caused by social conservatives bringing God into their arguments, which Parker forbids. Why? It offends her. Why does it offend her? It isn't clear.

But it isn't God that offends Parker so much. As she says, "It's his fan club." They turn her off. Why? It isn't clear.

Got it?