I recently asked John Stackhouse, an influential scholar on faith and politics at evangelical Regent College in Vancouver, what evangelicals are thinking about Sarah Palin. John, an author of many books and frequent contributor to Christianity Today, replied:

"Some evangelicals will support Sarah Palin because they are Republican. Some will identify with her class-wise (against "intellectuals," "snobs," etc.). Some will like her persona. And some will like her because she's prolife," Stackhouse said.

"Some are racists, of course, and that'll be that. But many evangelicals will not support Obama because he is not even moderately pro-life (versus, say, the Clintons) and because he is, indeed, inexperienced versus Senator McCain. Many moderate evangelicals will prefer Obama's politics to McCain's. Some will be turned off by the racism at some GOP events - and upset by Governor Palin's refusal to denounce them. But many, many evangelicals, I expect, are appalled (as I am) that Senator McCain would put the United States and, indeed, the world in the perilous position of having the inexperienced and, it appears, morally and intellectually suspect Governor Palin one heartbeat away from the U.S. presidency. It shows a dreadful lack of judgment--precisely what he is supposed to offer instead of the callow Obama. And for many, that'll be that."

Maybe there's hope yet...