In Defense of the Religious Right: Why Conservative Christians Are the Lifeblood of the Republican Party and Why That Terrifies the Democrats

A detailed look at the place of the religious right in American politics, Hynes' book examines his subject across a wide range of issues. Hynes does a good job demonstrating the demographic diversity of this voting bloc as well as the diversity of their beliefs-showing how they cannot all be lumped under the banner of a single high-profile leader, such as Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson. In this, Hynes provides a much-needed corrective to the stereotype of the religious voter developed in the reactionary left's collective conscious: poor, dumb, white Southerners. The book is less effective considering issues such as the church-state debate in Revolutionary America or constitutional theory, where the level of discourse approaches low-brow telejournalism, picking apart sound-bites from left-wing politicos and pundits rather than taking on reasoned arguments. Given that Hynes is both a respected political consultant and a blogger (AnkleBitingPundits.com), this dichotomy makes a bit more sense. Unfortunately, the lion's share of the book is more like a snarky blog than a serious consideration of the religious right. Despite its title, Hynes' work is not a defense in the standard sense; Hynes is more interested in strengthening group identity among one of America's largest voting blocs than convincing opponents of that bloc to reconsider their position.