What's next for religious conservatives?

[finnbow]

After their recent shellacking, what's next for the Religious Right? It seems that their views on gays, abortion and other social issues are out of step with the majority of the country, and far out of step with youthful voters.

The red meat rhetoric that excites them is the very same rhetoric that has led many others (young folks, women, gays ...) to support the Democrats, even if they find themselves holding their noses at other Dem policies. Furthermore, in that such fundamentalist beliefs are strongest in the South (where nativism and racism still unfortunately exist), appealing to fundamentalists also risks alienating blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

Will the Religious Right maintain its influence in the GOP, and if they do, will it perpetuate their demographic problems?