The attempt to pull in "swing Evangelicals" has never been one of my favorites. Obviously, it seems like a pretty low-percentage shot to me.

But I have always liked the Vanderslice/Common Good Strategies tactic of having Democratic candidates more or less invade hostile territory. Ted Strickland advertised on Evangelical radio stations, and Bob Casey appeared at some conservative Evangelical or Catholic events. In both cases, it worked.

What the tactic does is keep a Democratic candidate's negatives down. The conservative voters won't necessarily vote for him or her, but they'll give some grudging recognition to a liberal brave enough to take them seriously. That can make a significant difference when the Republicans have nothing to run on and have to pin their hopes on tearing down their opponent.

It's not a universally applicable strategy, but it is one that would work well for somebody like Obama, whose charisma forms a major asset, and who's demonstrated some skill in telling audiences things they don't particularly want to hear.

I predict that before the convention, he'll appear at a conservative Catholic function somewhere in Ohio, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. Progressives will freak out and want to know why their candidate is pandering to the Religious Right, the sky will fall, and then we'll all get over it and get on with the campaign, Obama's "centrist maverick" credentials well established for the fall.