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That's a nice article, and I agree with you that it illustrates what is (at least perceived to be) one of the biggest problems with the Republican Party. Many "liberals", and I think this applies to some who post on this board, are not so much against what Danforth is describing, i.e. small government. Sure, they might not agree with that political philosophy entirely and think it's the government's or society's obligation to step in at various points, e.g. education or poverty. But I think the vast majority of moderates, and those who consider themselves somewhat left-wing, feel give-and-take on these issues as they come up and are wholly open to debate.
What I reckon is the most insulting and agitating to "leftists" is the clear giving-in of that same party to Christian interests. That process sets bells ringing off in a lot of people’s heads & is what, I think, causes the most heated backlash against the "right". If the Republican Party magically removed its "morality-segment" overnight, I would put money on the vast animosity that those against Republican agendas have would dissipate.
After that, the only ultra-divisive issue would be the war, which I think if one looks closely, isn't so much a Left vs. Right issue at all. It seems to me that a lot of conservatives aren't happy because this war is driving up costs and spits in the face of small government/little deficit. Conversely, some on the Left, while realizing war is never a good thing, do have hope that Iraq may somehow pull through with a representative, or at the very least less-oppressive, government.
Anyway, I don't mean to digress and turn this into a thread about the war, but I was just trying to illustrate that if there's on aspect of the Republican Party that really drives a wedge and alienates people, it's their trend towards being a political extension of the Christian movement, which I think is how Danforth put it.
For the record to illustrate my own bias in my interpretation, I am pretty vehemently opposed to the integration of religion (in our case, Christianity) into politics. This aspect of the Republican Party just really ticks me off. And while many people would instinctively consider me a "liberal" because of this, I tend to prefer limited, unobtrusive government (which the Republican Party bills itself as, but in my opinion has been the antithesis of this ideal lately). While I don't agree with everything the Republicans say outside of the religious thing, it is that aspect that turns me away the most from them. And before anyone tries to jump down my back: No I don't love Democrats either, or Libertarians, or Communists. Don't try to fit me into a nice political category because I don't fit in one.
In conclusion, for those of you who can't tolerate my longwinded rambling, I think this is a good article that just about every fair-thinking American without a theocratic agenda will agree upon.
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