Howard Dean has encouraged Democrats to frame issues in terms of morality. In November 2005 he said, “Most important, we will talk about Democratic values, which are America’s values. The vast majority of Americans believe it is immoral to lets kids go hungry…Americans believe it is immoral that not everyone has some kind of health insurance. We agree … Americans believe that it is immoral to leave huge debts to our children and grandchildren. We agree.”

On the other hand, when a religious or morality-based rationale is cited by Republicans when arguing an issue such as abortion, for example, most Democrats call foul.

The split personality extends even to those religious figures Democrats deem acceptable to participate in the political arena. The Reverend Jesse Jackson and the Reverend Al Sharpton are fine. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell are not. It is acceptable for Democrats like Al Gore and Bill and Hillary Clinton to give political speeches from church pulpits, but conservatives distributing voter guides at churches, or Republican politicians discussing the role their faith plays in their lives, is deemed threatening.

Until Democratic politicians decide that it is either okay for everyone to talk about how their religion relates to their politics, or that it is not okay for anyone to discuss it, many voters will remain confused.

Mort Kondracke gave some really good advice to Democrats back in 2004: “My post-election advice to Democrats is: Go to church. Don’t go to “get religion,” although it might be good for your soul. Just go, in the first instance, to “get” religion, i.e. understand what goes on in the heads and hearts of those who devoutly believe in God and how it affects their views of the world. It will help you politically.”

Hynes and Kondracke offer some simple, yet potentially valuable, advice for those leaders of the Democratic Party who want to reach religious voters. As Kondracke put it, Democrats don’t need to “get religion,” they need to “get” religion. That understanding does not come from studying “moral terms” or bumper stickers.

Lorie Byrd is a Townhall.com columnist and contributor to Wizbangblog.com