I'll get straight to your main question: Do these kids understand that Jesus did not say, "Go forth and find me a decent Supreme Court justice who will support the Republican agenda"? As you well know, you are not the first Christian ex-politico to agonize over the question of how politics corrupts the faithful. In Blinded by Might, Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson wrote about how Christian leaders' heads swelled when they started getting invited to the Reagan White House. (When Thomas said something not vicious about Hillary Clinton to a reporter in the '90s, Jerry Falwell sent him a note saying: "Unforgivable compromise. Don't ever call me again.")Now remind me again, which is the true conservative in that discussion???
In my book, I wrote about some of the Patrick Henry kids campaigning for Jerry Kilgore, who ran against Tim Kaine for Virginia governor. Kaine is a Democrat, but he has a very convincing Christian testimony. On the campaign trail, he told the story of how a mission trip changed his life and made it impossible for him to support the death penalty. In a very pro-death-penalty state, this was a brave thing to do. I showed some of the kids interviews with Kaine in which he spoke in moving, sincere ways about his faith.
[ cf Debating God's Harvard ]
Ah yes... but do these people support the One True And ONLY Holy Trilogy, of War President, War Czar, and Praetor Petreaus!!! Clearly if they are not the right type of true believers, then, they are in league with satan.
Hum... I wonder which of them are the evil doing evil doers.... you know, not on the right side of the Most Holyiest of Holy Crusades....