Religious right to lose influence no matter who Florida's next governor is
By S.V. Date - Palm Beach PostMonday, October 30, 2006 -

Democrat Jim Davis speaks about getting the government out of religion. Republican Charlie Crist calls religion a private matter.

Both candidates for governor have staked out positions on social issues contrary to the wishes of many Christian conservatives -- and to those taken by Gov. Jeb Bush, who has been a champion of their causes, from vouchers for religious schools to programs opposing abortions.Gubernatorial issues: Religion

How the candidates for governor -- Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis -- compare on religious issues:
Social service money
Crist: Supports the use of religious groups for the distribution of state services but only when there are performance measures in place to provide public accountability.
Davis: Supports the use of religious groups for the distribution of state services, but only when there are performance measures in place to provide public accountability.
Ten Commandments displays
Crist: Supports public displays of the Ten Commandments when the money involved is small and exposure is limited so as not to offend those of non-monotheistic faiths.
Davis: Supports the display of the Ten Commandments, but only as a historical document in the context of other historical documents.
Abortion
Crist: Describes himself as 'pro-life,' but says he respects those with the opposing view. He said this summer that he would sign a bill banning abortion except in the cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother, but said recently that, given the state constitution's privacy clause, such a bill would be unconstitutional in Florida and likely would not pass the legislature.
Davis: Supports a woman's right to an abortion.
Stem-cell research
Crist: Supports state money for embryonic stem-cell research.
Davis: Supports state money for embryonic stem-cell research and cites the publicly subsidized Scripps Research Institute in Palm Beach County as an example of a group that could take advantage of a position different from Gov. Jeb Bush's.
Gay marriage/Civil unions
Crist: Opposes marriage for gay couples; supports civil unions.
Davis: Opposes marriage for gay couples; supports civil unions.
Vouchers
Crist: Supports a constitutional amendment that would let public money go to private and religious schools in the form of vouchers, an idea that the Florida Supreme Court has ruled is not permitted under the state constitution.
Davis: Opposes sending public money to private and religious schools.

The next governor candidates' debateWhen: 7 p.m. MondayWhere: News Channel 8, Tampa.Moderator: Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball.Local broadcast: NBC affiliate WPTV News Channel 5, West Palm Beach.