America, Religion and the Debates

So, you thought you didn't hear anything about religion at the first debate? Wrong. Check out this fascinating post by Bill Bishop over at Slate.

Among other things, this just underlies my ever-growing conviction that old divides may scar over, but they never really go away. Look at the last few electoral college maps, and then look at the Civil War.

Or, if you really want an object lesson in how long historical patterns can persist, look at the full extent of the Roman Empire:


....then look at Cold War Europe:



Historical and cultural divides, once established, really tend to persist.