In short, as the Supreme Court returns to work this week, understand that a lot of the politics of today are driven by its decisions in the past and fear about its decisions in the future. This remains a deeply religious country, and many of its most ardent believers distrust the federal courts and elite opinion-makers to such a degree that they will make common cause with those who will protect their freedom of conscience. The right to "free exercise" isn't just one of many important rights to them; it is the central one by far. Figure that truth into your political analysis, and a lot more becomes clear.