Proposition 2:  A Democratic candidate's association with a socially conservative religious faith is generally of marginal or negative electoral utility.

Comment:  Nominating candidates who are members of a socially conservative religious faith entirely negates the ticket's ability to make intuitive appeals to liberal positions on social issues (e.g., "They want to ban all abortion!" "Get the government out of your business!").

Efforts to square the candidate's personally conservative religious views with his liberal stance (e.g., the Cuomo position on abortion) can only partially ameliorate the significant loss the ticket suffers as a result of losing the ability to make those arguments.

This is not to say that Democrats should not nominate members of conservative religious faiths; indeed, many such candidates will be very appealing.  However, as a matter of crude political strategy, it should not be assumed that such a candidate's religious affiliation will be an electoral plus.  It will almost certainly be a wash or a minus.

Proposition 1:  American "moderate" or "independent" voters are basically apolitical, and they vote because they feel it is their civic obligation, and not because they have any particular attachment to a political position.  They make judgments intuitively, responding positively to strong and straightforward statements of political position and negatively to verbose, carefully-crafted wonkery that "splits the difference" between two more extreme positions.

Example 1A:  Here are three positions on gay marriage:

1) Marriage is between a man and woman!

2) Blah blah blah equal respect blah blah blah special status of marriage in our society blah blah blah "civil union."

3) It's none of the government's business!  Let them get married!

The independent voter doesn't really want to think a lot about this issue, and will be attracted to positions 1 or 3, and will likely prefer either to 2.

Example 1B:  Here are three positions on health care:

1) Government can't do everything!

2) Blah blah many uninsured blah blah power of the market blah blah carefully considered this issue blah blah blah tax credits blah blah fully refundable.

3) Every other modern country has national health care!

Again, independent voters will be attracted to positions 1 or 3, and will likely prefer either to 2.