So the inauguration was only a few hours old and Lincoln’s bible was still warm from Obama’s touch, when I received this email in my inbox. It’s the same stale issues in the same strident tone: abortion, gays in the military, same-sex marriage, activist judges, eroding values. Don’t get me wrong. These are all important issues worthy of discussion. But for Focus on the Family, they are also hot-buttons, guaranteed to provoke a response from the faithful.

Obama delivered a stirring speech. He called for Americans to put aside “petty grievances” and work together to solve huge, intractable problems. He called for sacrifice and hard work and unity of purpose. It’s hard to imagine better values for building a nation or a family. Of course, none of that matters because he favors the right to abortion, rights for gays, and is relentlessly liberal.

I admit I’m skeptical. I didn’t vote for Obama. It’s possible his smooth talk and high-sounding phrases will be nothing more. It’s possible he’s just another politician who knows how to work the crowd. I think, at least for the time being, Obama means what he says. I think that’s a hopeful sign, even though he is a liberal Democrat.

I’ve never seen so many people get so excited about anything before. The spirit was infectious. I very nearly got excited myself.

So why the blues? Because the Christian right is so predicatably Christian and so predictably right.