For political junkies

this lengthy panel discussion about religion, values, and the 2004 election, sponsored by the the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, is worth reading in full. The panel consisted of Andrew Kohut (president of Pew Research Center), Michael Barone, and E.J. Dionne.
Kohut argues that the values vote wasn’t as significant as it generally was made out to be. Kohut thinks that Bush won because he was perceived as a better leader than Kerry. Neither Barone nor Dionne disagrees these conclusions.
Barone emphasizes the diminished role of the MSM in the election, and the rise of the blogosphere. Barone does not mince his words when it comes to the MSM, particularly CBS and the New York Times, which he describes as “professional hit men for the Democratic Party.” Says Barone, “I have not seen such biased and unfair and hortatory coverage in the press in my 32 years in Washington. . . .I think it’s genuinely shocking.”
As for Dionne, he thinks the Democrats will be all right if people will just redefine values to include the economic and foreign policy preferences of liberals.
Via No Left Turns.