From an opinion piece by Aly Colon of The Poynter Institute:

The “moral values” voter has become a popular way of identifying a segment of the population that played a key role in the re-election of President Bush. But who are these people? What “moral values” do they hold? How do their values play out in their lives? The term usually gets pinned on people who oppose same-sex marriage, abortion, and stem cell research. Reporters use such terms as evangelical, religious, Christian, and conservative to describe them. And often, journalists use these terms interchangeably. But what do they know about the topic? And what do they need to know?

Mike and Cindy live down the street. They have two daughters, and they also homeschool. (Hey, I know a lot of homeschoolers.) Mike is a quiet guy who likes to cook and work in his yard in his spare time. Cindy likes to shop and play and drink tea with friends when she’s not homeschooling. Mike and Cindy both are “values voters,” but one or both of them may have slipped a couple of Libertarian votes in with the Republican votes because they’re concerned about the war in Iraq. They’re pro-life, pro-marriage, and generally supportive of GWB. However, they’re not sure we need to be in Iraq at all, and they want us out as soon as possible. They felt “safe” voting Libertarian to send a message since this is Bush country, Texas. Mike and Cindy are active in their Southern Baptist church; Cindy teaches first graders in Sunday School. They don’t own any guns, but they believe you have a right to do so if you want. Cindy likes to watch Oprah..

Are these scary people?