ABSTRACT
Two decades after conservative Christians charged into the political arena, bringing new voters and millions of dollars with them in the hopes of transforming the culture through political power, it must be acknowledged that we have failed. Too many times, we have actually become the caricature of ourselves that is painted by our foes: partisan, uncaring, authoritarian, and greedy. In playing the game of politics, we have squandered credibility and respect. The Democrats were appalled that a report they thought would focus on expanding government services for children instead focused on ways to strengthen families and empower parents. As Barbara Dafoe Whitehead of the Institute for American Values later explained: "The National Commission on Children's major public policy proposal does not call for new or expanded services to children.
