An example of this is the cost to our society of family fragmentation — divorce and unwed childbearing. A recent study released last week by the Institute for American Values stated that family fragmentation costs American taxpayers $112 billion per year — a staggering sum. That’s more than one trillion dollars over a decade.

According to the study, divorce hits communities with increased costs for antipoverty and other social welfare programs. And, it also reduces government coffers because it lowers the incomes and tax brackets of those individuals.

Divorce creates even more economic damage when you look at litigation costs, liquidating assets, child care, counseling, relocation, and all the other economic difficulties that everyone going through divorce is faced with.

So the conservative agenda of encouraging marriage and doing everything possible to help couples get through tough times is something that many swing voters welcome. While not all marriages are saved, there are countless situations where the right help at the right time can make the difference. The conservative emphasis on teaching family values, honoring your marriage, and caring for children as a precious gift, reverberates with people from all walks of life and all political stripes.

And studies like the one referenced above also unite social conservatives with economic conservatives. Helping couples succeed in marriage helps children, helps the economy, and helps the nation. As Senator McCain speaks out on issues like these, he will find the majority of Americans nodding in agreement.

So while Senators Clinton and Obama continue their slugfest, Mr. McCain can address these issues. If Mr. McCain continues to energize and mobilize the Republican base while winning over moderate voters, he just might become the 44th president of America.