Battle Ground Ohio

The New York Times reports on an attempt by Christian conservative leaders to take control of the state government and the Republican Party. Ohio is often considered a bellwether state, and whether they succeed could be an indicator of how far religious organizations can succeed in other states.

While George Bush used the religioius right to win a narrow election in 2004, in the future this might pit the religious right against the GOP establishment, with such divisions making it harder for them to win general election campaigns. If the religious right succeeds in controlling the Republican nominees, it might make it particularly difficult to win. Republican leaders fear this may occur:

Republican officials are watching warily. The chairman of the state party, Robert T. Bennett, warned that the decade-long dominance of his party could be jeopardized if it was pushed too far to the right. "This is a party of a big tent," Mr. Bennett said. "The far right cannot elect somebody by itself, any more than somebody from the far left can."