First, I'm the managing editor of Religion Dispatches. That said, I didn't write this excellent piece, Kathryn Joyce did. In the midst of so many piecemeal bits of information, innuendo, spin and counterspin, Joyce puts together a solid, factual narrative of the garden-variety conservative christian who has become John McCain's running mate. Few are more familiar with the territory of women in the American conservative Christian movement and she writes with a simplicity and authority that reflects it. I hope you find it informative and enjoyable.