A flat income tax -- say, 15 percent for all Americans -- is a brilliant idea. Right?

No way. The flat tax proposal, in the economy as we know it, evades two very, very important facts. No proposal which evades relevant facts can -- or should -- win.

Mitt Romney's defeat in the South Carolina primary shows how he's not such a strong candidate after all, not generally or not against Barack Obama.

Newt Gingrich was simply hurling the same insults at Romney as Barack Obama will do in greater force. "You're a selfish capitalist. You're greedy! You won't release your tax returns!" Gingrich, whose motive was his own candidacy, of course, was in effect preparing Romney for what's to come, if Romney ends up running against Obama.

Romney's response? Essentially, "Um, um, um...."

Dear Dr. Hurd: I understand you're against social conservatives for wanting to use the force of government to restrain personal and private behavior. However, I cannot envision myself supporting any Republican, for any reason at any time. I don't care what you say about Obama. He got rid of "don't ask, don't tell" in the military, and he's keeping abortion safe and legal. I really don't care about health insurance, taxes, and all the rest. Human dignity comes first; economics is a distant second.

Dr. Hurd replies: Wow -- that's a short statement with so many errors, I hardly know where to begin! 

In a recent debate, candidate for President Ron Paul claimed we should practice the "Golden Rule" in the Middle East. If we treat people like we want to be treated, Paul claims, then we'll be treated the same way in return.

How can a man as intelligent as Ron Paul appears to be, when it comes to economics, be so profoundly wrong -- so absurd, in his position, that one is almost brought to laughter?

My answer: religion. Religion is the toxic element of conservatism.