Bolt of Lightening

Regarding my previous post on the evangelical movement and progressivism, two great articles are in the latest edition of the Washington Monthly. Amy Sullivan has a piece entitled "When Would Jesus Bolt," and it should provide a hopeful note to the pessimistic tone my post set. She claims that the new leaders of the evangelical movement is getting increasingly pissed at the old guard's complete state of servitude to the Republican party, and is more and more willing to look toward the Democratic party as an alternative. That's a signal of the institutional shift I said wouldn't happen. But my analysis was predicated on the partisan loyalties of the current evangelical leadership--if we're approaching a changing of the guard there, the whole situation changes. Kevin Drum is a bit more cautious, but thinks its an avenue worth pursuing. I concur, and think this is a superb place to wedge the GOP. We won't rollup the whole religious votes, but I think we can make an impact, and in many places that's all that matters. We'll probably always disagree on abortion, on gay marriage, on contraception, and issues of that sort. But that shouldn't stop us from making common cause on AIDS research, on humanitarian intervention, and on human rights.

The second article is on the Prince of the Christian Right, Ralph Reed. It's not anything too new, but it does buttress the point made in the first. Reed has completely sold out his evangelical supporters (if he ever truly supported them in the first place). An out-and-out Abramoff clone, Reed shares both the lobby mafiaso's vices and lack of virtues. When the last temptation of Reed is revealed, it's going to be a backbreaker for that wing of the Christian Right.

Maybe I wouldn't give you all this, but Rachel Sullivan said she liked the post. And I'm happy to follow up on posts people like. That's the customer service you expect from The Debate Link!