E.J. Dionne, Jr. , author and syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, said at a USC Annenberg event on March 5 that evangelical Christians of the "religious right" are broadening their agenda, which could help Democrats in the 2008 presidential election.

Dionne said that while some of the older organizations of the religious right still exist, many evangelical Christians, including conservatives, are looking at social justice issues such as poverty, the environment, and worldwide AIDS suffering instead of focusing entirely on abortion and gay marriage. His talk was the third of four organized by the Knight Chair in Media and Religion about "Election 2008: Religion, Politics and Media."

He said it has been assumed that all evangelicals are Republicans -- noting that 2004 exit poll questions asked Republicans if they consider themselves "evangelical" without asking Democrats the same question.

"I do think pigeon-holing all evangelicals as right-wing could create hostility in liberals," he said. "Polling could show that as a mistake."

Dionne, a regular political analyst on National Public Radio, has a new book out titled Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right.