Re: "Yeah, I’m perfectly aware that a bunch of crazy ragheads want to fly airliners into our office buildings, but they don’t live here, and they are not the spiritual heart of the Tea Party."
Maybe not all conservatives are bible-bangers, but not too many bible-bangers are liberals.
Fundamentalist Christianity and political conservativism are highly correlated. The occasional conservative atheist or radical reverend may be exceptions to the rule, but they don't invalidate it.
You can draw the same conclusions for gays, gun owners, and a host of other politico-cultural markers. How many Republicans follow Ron Paul's non-interventionist military policies, and how many Rightists automatically conflate a "Liberal" foreign policy with appeasement, cowardice, and weakness?
And yes, you can say the same about racism.