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DEL.ICIO.USRalph Reed on the artist as a young man, and the voting habits of evangelicals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Turns out that Ralph Reed got the idea for his new novel when he was a high schooler in Toccoa, Ga.
The Republican strategist and former head of the Christian Coalition was on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show Show with Jon Stewart” last night, plugging away on his book tour.
“I outlined this book 30 years ago. I was inspired by Gene McCarthy running against Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter,” Reed said. “Gene McCarthy, had he gotten on the ballot in New York state, Gerald Ford would have carried New York and would have had the presidency. He was kept off the ballot.”
Reed weathered a good many barbs from Stewart.
“So I wrote the first chapter, and then I thought, wait a minute. I’m 15 years old,” Reed said, finishing the tale of himself as an artist, interrupted.
Said Stewart: “So in the heat of this monumental historic presidential campaign, in which you have been a broker and strategist for these years, you thought, I need to get back to what I was doing when I was 15. It’s gone that wrong?”
Reed made one brief, biting pass at the former White House spokesman who has a competing, though non-fiction thriller on the bookshelves: “I’m either too young or too loyal to write a memoir. I couldn’t do what Scott McClellan did.”
Otherwise, the most substantive portion of his appearance was an exchange on evangelical voters. Stewart picked up on a statement by Mark DeMoss last week that up to 40 percent of evangelicals might consider voting for Obama.
DeMoss is the former conservative Christian advisor to Republican Mitt Romney. What makes this interesting is that DeMoss and Reed operate out of the same building in suburban Gwinnett County.
Reed: First of all, I don’t think that’s supported by the polling data. I think if you look at most of the general election polls, McCain’s getting about 60 to 65 percent of the evangelical vote, and Obama —
Stewart: They don’t trust him, though. They don’t think he speaks the language.
Reed: He’s got some more work to do. But there is a myth in American politics, and I attempt to shatter it in “Dark Horse,” my book, which is that voters of faith vote for somebody because they go to the same church as they do. They don’t.
They voted for the first divorced man ever to sit in the Oval Office, Ronald Reagan, against one of the most evangelical figures to sit in the Oval Office. They vote on issues.
Stewart: They will give up their core religious values as long as there can’t be gay marriage.
Reed: That’s not fair. No, that’s not fair.
Stewart: Believe me, I know that’s not fair.
Reed: It’s the same reason why the African-American community will vote for a liberal who shares their views on issues like affirmative action and government programs against, say, a conservative African-American.
And if he can connect with them on the issues, John McCain does not have to become George W. Bush in terms of —
Stewart: No, he does not have to try.
Comments
By Churchill
June 11, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this
Reed is the alpha and omega of the conservative movement my flag stands at full mast for a man of honor good day sir
By Churchill
June 11, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this
I have been name Hijacked again. I did not post the text above. I guess I have made the libs mad, again. Peace.
By Righty McGoo
June 12, 2008 12:58 AM | Link to this
Do not fear your feelings for Reed.
By Churchill
June 12, 2008 11:39 PM | Link to this
when a man stares into the abyss and nothing is looking back thats when he realizes his flag is at 3/4 mast