I'm not exactly sure what is going on with Pat Robertson's surprise support for Giuliani, but the media's coverage of evangelicals in politics continues to focus on the disagreements between the same old guys from the '90s. David Sessions article at Slate.com is nice breath of fresh air. I'm not so sure this change in the young evangelical vote is as widespread as he thinks, but I appreciate the nuanced perspective.
"The evangelical conversation about 2008 actually is producing some interesting debates, but, unfortunately, the truly interesting stuff has yet to be fully addressed. Kirkpatrick senses a 'philosophical rift' in the younger generation of evangelicals, and he's got that much right. Young Christians indeed have a more redemptive view of society, rejecting the notion that America is slouching toward Gomorrah and must be warned regularly and loudly. They are interested in making society a better place in the here and now, as opposed to simply converting the lost....
This is a highly significant trend within evangelicalism—arguably the evangelical story of the moment. But it doesn't quite have the political implications that the media suggest, namely new stirrings of affection for the Democratic Party....
If there is a political trend to be reported here, it's the fact that increasingly progressive young Christians will almost certainly balance the Republican Party, insisting on a broader focus than clichéd morality battles."
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