I was personally disappointed with today's broadcast of Coffee and Markets on this topic.  There was a jump -- that I don't think was justified by any evidence that I heard -- from noting that Santorum et al. support traditional values as a priority to the assumption that he is a "benign" statist ...with the desire to impose those values on others using the power of the state.

I'm not objecting here as a fervent supporter of Santorum or anyone else; I still fall in the category of Undecided.  I was, on the other hand, a fervent supporter of Ronald Reagan who used the pulpit of the Presidency quite effectively to advocate traditional values (without the charge of being a statist).

I've grown very tired over the years of hearing accusations from the left that every candidate who is a social conservative and faith-oriented wants to use the power of the state to impose a theocracy on America.  Today's conversation, I'm afraid, came perilously close to that type of charge.