Oh God, Day Three . Still, there is something about this raging religious battle that should give all of us pause, regardless of which rooting section we're in. This year only Bill Bradley, who appears to be paying the ultimate price for his stiff-necked, yet admirable, refusal to bow to political conventions, has refused to compete in the piety parade. For all his unquestioned sincerity, Bush can display a tone-deaf sense of how these heartfelt declarations of faith might come across to more secular voters. My heart was changed by something greater than government.
Miracles can happen in life.
But there is nothing miraculous about the nasty religious argument that divides Bush and McCain. With so much at stake, both candidates require visceral and emotional issues to cut through the clutter and motivate voters. But a large number of sensible voters of all religious persuasions devoutly wish that God were dead as an issue in this presidential race. Walter Shapiro's column appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.