Obama’s perceived move toward the center and his statements about continuing and perhaps expanding Bush’s faith-based social service programs have been all the news this week.

I talked with my longtime ex Ian about it today. He’s my go-to for all discussions about politics. We’ve been self-righteously contentious since the democratic primaries — the first time we’ve actually fought in 20 years.

He’s been a fervent Obama supporter since the beginning and was smug when Obama took the candidacy; so I’m still enjoying antagonizing him every time we talk about the election. I called him today and said, “Your boyfriend Obama sure does like God a lot.” Ian dismissed me by saying, “Oh that’s just a political move. He needs to prove to the crazy rednecks that he’s not a Muslim.”

It’s true that most analysts are saying the same thing, that this election will be won by the candidate who can attract the swing voters. Perhaps, but I sure as hell am not excited about voting for a Democratic candidate who says things like “While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work."

In 2000, McCain quite famously referred to Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance.” His lack of enthusiasm for the Christian right has alienated him from some of the extreme right wing in this campaign, as well. He’s recently started pandering to them, probably in a panic about his party’s ambivalence toward him. But, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, McCain’s dismissal of the right and subsequent pandering seems more harmless. He knows his party wants him to do that. But Obama is the Democratic nominee. He’s the nominee of my party. And his utter disregard for the accepted tenet of secularism in the Democratic party is unsettling.

Obama is trying to woo those miffed Christians over to his side. It’s a bad move. Pander to them for votes and you’re indebted to them in office. I don’t care if it is merely a political move. I don’t want a Commander in Chief who’d stoop to that level. Why won’t someone pander to me for a change? I believe my voting bloc is much larger than anyone realizes and he is risking alienating me and my entire world.