The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap (Hardcover)

by Amy Sullivan (Author)
Key Phrases: faith breakfast, religious voters, religious outreach, White House, Democratic Party, John Kerry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Senior Time editor Sullivan says trying to understand American politics without looking at religion would be like trying to understand the politics of the Middle East without paying attention to oil. Her fresh look at the God gap reveals the chasm's depths and offers a bridge across. Sullivan, an evangelical, discusses party process as the Catholic and white evangelical vote for Democrats declined sharply in the 1980s. The story of this shift is as fascinating as it is timely. Starting in the 1960s, she traces the Second Vatican Council's impact on Catholics and the rise of Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, and the effects of these changes upon politics. Sullivan focuses with special sharpness on John Kerry, a case study in how to mishandle religion during a political race and challenges the conventional wisdom that the right was religious and the left wanted religion scrubbed from the public square. Evangelical and political conservatives may be related, but they are not synonymous, says Sullivan; Clinton, after all, is a genuine Southern evangelical. Sullivan's account argues persuasively and optimistically that politically liberal and theologically orthodox evangelicals can be brought back to the Democratic Party. Must reading for Democrats. (Feb.)
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Review
"Amy Sullivan is an exceptional journalist who has become one of our most insightful commentators on the American religious-political landscape. The Party Faithful is filled with discerning reporting, behind-the-scenes stories, and astute analysis. Her history of the evangelical social conscience will be illuminating to many. She shows that faithful voters do not belong to only one party, but are looking to bring their moral passion to politics and are more likely now to hold both sides accountable. She understands the sea change going on in faith and politics in America." -- Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening and God's Politics

"Long before most journalists or Democratic activists were paying attention, Amy Sullivan understood that what was happening in the religious world mattered enormously to the political world -- and she saw the damage being done to the Democratic Party in the name of God. With empathy, superb reporting, a sense of history, and an ear for the good story, Sullivan describes what went wrong in the party of Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter, and the struggles and strategizing designed to level the religious playing field. The Party Faithful is a fascinating account, brimming with humanity -- and hope." -- E. J. Dionne Jr., author of Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right

"The religious vote is up for grabs in unprecedented ways in 2008, and in this thoughtful and moving book, Amy Sullivan not only explains why but suggests what liberals and Democrats can do to capture it." -- Alan Wolfe, author of Does American Democracy Still Work? and director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College

"Amy Sullivan is one of a small group of political journalists who understand that the phrase 'religious progressive' is not an oxymoron. Her book is the answer to my prayers." -- Paul Begala, CNN political analyst and former counselor to President Clinton

"Lots of people are writing good books on faith and politics these days -- Amy Sullivan has written a great one. The Party Faithful is an invaluable romp through the Democrats' often torturous (and regularly tortuous) journey of faith and is essential reading for anyone hoping to understand the presidential race." -- David Kuo, author of Tempting Faith

"The most exciting voice on the religious left. Period. She produces the most interesting, path-breaking writing on religion and politics." -- Steven Waldman, cofounder of Beliefnet

"There is far too little great reporting and sound thinking on the perennial subject of religion and politics in America, but Amy Sullivan is changing that. With intelligence, insight, and grace, she has given us a great gift in The Party Faithful, a new book that sheds light on a question that too often simply generates heat." -- Jon Meacham, author of American Gospel and Franklin and Winston

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743297865
• ISBN-13: 978-0743297868
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #142,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Look Inside the World Where Religion and Politics Meet, March 6, 2008

By	AmericanDreamer - See all my reviews

Our parents may have warned us to avoid talking about religion or politics. Fortunately, Amy Sullivan never got--or never listened to--that warning. Regardless of your political persuasion, The Party Faithful is a fascinating look deep inside a world which the mainstream media for the most part seems afraid to touch or simply does not seem to understand well.

It is no secret that Democratic party presidential candidates have been hurt by shaky support among Catholic voters and abysmal support among white evangelical Christian voters for most of the period from 1972 on. Catholics, once a solidly Democratic constituency, have preferred the Democratic presidential candidate only in 1996 and 2000 in the seven elections since 1980. And not since Jimmy Carter carried 58% of the white evangelical vote has that group favored Democrats, with no other Democratic nominee since then garnering more than 33% support among this very large demographic.

Sullivan, an evangelical Baptist and a liberal Democrat, maintains it did not and does not need to be so. National editor for Time and formerly editor of the Washington Monthly and a Capitol Hill staffer, she explains how Democrats have missed opportunities to do far better with both groups without compromising their principles--and of how the party is lately showing signs of rapid progress in working its way up that learning curve.

John Kerry, who lost the white evangelical vote 78-22, did not learn that there were evangelical Democrats until after the election. His campaign's approach: "We don't do white churches", even though 40% of evangelicals are politically moderate. Sullivan describes the recent broadening of priorities beyond abortion and gay marriage within the younger generation of politically active evengelicals to include attention to issues such as Iraq, poverty and AIDS in Africa. Many among this new generation of evangelical activists feel used and taken for granted by the Republican party and have put their support up for grabs based on which party can deliver on this expanded range of concerns.

Sullivan likewise believes that Democrats can, and need to, engage Catholic voters on a much broader range of issues and not assume, incorrectly, that Catholic voters are only concerned with abortion and gay marriage. She explains that many Catholic voters are influenced by Church teachings in support of the concept of the Common Good and that this outlook may align better with Democratic party approaches on many economic/social justice and foreign policy issues. But, fearful (not without reason) of being disrupted by anti-abortion rights protesters and a vocal, visible minority of communion-denying far right-wing Catholic officials, many Democratic politicians have declined to engage Catholic audiences. In this regard, I was moved by the account of Rep. Rosa DeLauro's refusal to disengage from her Church, no matter how much her Church has given the back of its hand to her and other pro-choice Catholic Democratic elected officials. DeLauro has been among the leaders seeking to put in place policies which would reduce the number of abortions without overturning Roe v. Wade.

Sullivan describes some of the strategies that, so far applied on a small scale, have already borne impressive results with both groups.

At 220 pages the book is a brisk read. While the author devoted considerable, and quite fruitful, attention, to the abortion issue, I would like to have gotten a similar level of detail and insight on the inside politics of the gay marriage/civil union issue.

Sullivan's sources are impressive. She left me feeling like a fly on the wall as she recounted one vivid anecdote after another involving major players ordinary citizens like me have no, or limited, access to. Marked by a lively reportorial style, a passion for illumination in lieu of condemnation, and sensible positive suggestions for how Democrats and liberals can pick up support among religious voters without losing their souls, The Party Faithful is a winning and hopeful window into that world where politics and religion intersect. As someone who has been trying to educate myself about this subject in recent years, I learned a great deal from this book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kudos to Amy Sullivan, March 16, 2008

By	J. Jacokes (Washington DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For years, as a Democrat and progressive, I have watched the meteoric rise of the religious right. I have been struck by one question "what is it in the psyche of the American public that the Republicans are tapping into and the Democrats have missed?" I couldn't understand the exodus of fellow Catholic voters to support Republicans when so many of that party's policies were hostile to major tenants of Catholic teachings on economic and social justice. I raised this question with my Dad, a semi-retired college professor and political pollster. He too was perplexed. In an attempt to answer this question, a couple of years ago, we began a journey reading about the history of religion in America and its influence on politics and culture. It was not until we read Amy Sullivan's The Party Faithful that we finally got an answer.

One of late Democratic speaker Tip O'Neill's most famous quotes was that if you want someone's vote, "you need to ask for it." Politics 101! It appears that the Democratic Party forgot this very simple rule. They ceded a large group of voters, including historic supporters, because they incorrectly assumed all people of faith are conservatives. The party and its candidates stopped asking for their votes - or worse - pushed these voters away.

Ms. Sullivan's very timely book, describes the events and contemporary rise of the religious right as the Republican's seized a vacuum created by the Democrats. The Party Faithful is exceptionally well written, insightful and an astute social and political commentary. It is an easy read and full of entertaining and tragically true stories of how the Democratic party has bumbled its relationship with constituencies of faith voters. In the wake of the outcome of the 2004 Presidential elections, the book also highlights the actions of a growing group of progressive faith and political leaders to rediscover, build bridges, and redefine the "values voter." This book is a "must read" for all Democrats and anyone interested in the rise of religious right regardless of their religious (or non-religious) beliefs.

The actions of the Democratic party certainly were not unprovoked. The divisive rhetoric of a handful of neo-conservative evangelist leaders and outspoken Catholic bishops certainly exacerbated the situation. By narrowing the scope of issues that defined "good" faithful voters to include only abortion and anti-gay rights, they alienated members of their own faith, widened the cultural and political gaps in our nation, and pushed progressive religious voters of most faiths underground. Issues speaking to the faith values of economic and social justice - which are core to many faith traditions across the theological spectrum --were pushed off the agenda. Tragically and shamefully, over several decades, the actions of these faith leaders created a political environment that led to the de-funding of programs and weakening of laws and regulations that help the poor, safeguard the environment, and protect human rights.

The chapters on Catholics were of great personal interest. It was heartening to learn of the struggles of numerous prominent Catholic elected leaders to balance the internal dilemma of how to be a "good" Catholic and a political progressive at the same time. The chapters on white Evangelicals were also illuminating. Despite my own dislike for the too oft characterization of all Catholics as conservatives, I too had incorrectly assumed all Evangelicals were conservative. It was heartening to learn that, like Catholics, evangelicals run the political spectrum from progressive to conservative.

The impact of religion and political activism has run in cycles over the history of our nation. Ms. Sullivan's book artfully traces the beginning, middle and (hopefully) end of the most recent cycle. In a time when the American people are weary of four decades of political and cultural divisiveness that have torn at the fabric and cohesiveness of our nation, this book is a call for action.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read!, February 20, 2008

By	Dr. Michael Lindsay (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amy Sullivan is one of the smartest commentators at the intersection of religion and politics, and for readers who already appreciate her analysis and wit, this book will live up to their expectations. And for those who have not yet encountered Sullivan's talent for keen observation and lucid prose, The Party Faithful will be a treat. Filled with insider stories and compelling commentary, The Party Faithful is must reading for anyone who wants to understand why Democrats have much more than a prayer in 2008. Conservatives and liberals alike will learn a great deal from Sullivan and her impressive volume, The Party Faithful.