I like reading Frank Rich, even though the guy really is a Team Liberal liberal. There's much to enjoy in this morning's column, as Rich considers the implosion of McCain's campaign.

Rich says it's not the economy that's exposed weaknesses in the Republican party -- he said that's just an "excuse." Rather, Rich argues it's John McCain's weak candidacy that's the source of the GOP's woes. Well, Rich is wrong. McCain is just an excuse too. A weakened economy brings special public scrutiny to whichever party is in power, and it's true, McCain's campaign has been ridiculously incompetent since he began his pro forma presidential run.

But these are phenomena that have simply weakened the GOP in such a way that shows us what the ACTUAL problem is: that the GOP is actually two parties.

In yesterday's Weekend Journal column, Peggy Noonan actually referred to "conservatives and Republicans" as if the two were distinguishable entities.

I do not know whether this is an omen, but I do know one thing. The ideological conservatives I respect have been hamstrung from keeping us liberals in check by the religious nuts they inherited, ironically, from the Democratic Party.

Fundamentalist Christians used to be Democrats, but as the civil rights era approached, northern Democrats pushed them out. The GOP nibbled them up (it was a long process), and now something like 90% of evangelical, fundamentalist Christians identify themselves as Republicans.

The problem (well, one of the problems) with religious conservatives is that they are not ideologically conservative on a wide range of social issues. They shouldn't be very conservative on some economic issues; Jesus Christ admonished his followers always to pay their taxes, for one thing.

Why should the GOP's duality cause problems now? Well, as far as the ideological conservatives are concerned, the party should nominate the best ideological conservative for president every four years. But look at the GOP's last two presidential nominees: George W. Bush, a religious conservative who is ending his reign by socializing the American financial industry; and John McCain, a privately religious non-ideologue.

The departure of Chris Buckley from the National Review -- a magazine his father founded -- is evidence that American conservatism is ill. The "you're with us or you're against us" approach to religious conservatism has tainted the right, which used to tolerate a difference of opinion. A difference of opinion at the National Review is what led to Buckley's ostracizing. Rather than enrich or enliven the debate, Buckley's support for Obama ended the conversation.

Liberals seem to take delight in the in-fighting. I abhor such near-sighted childishness.

A vibrant democracy needs two or more sides to argue vigorously with each other. America needs ideological liberals as much as it needs ideological conservatives. When the GOP or Democratic Party ails, our country ails also.