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The Iowa/New Hampshire Exchange: Social Issues
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  In the second of a special three-part collaboration with Iowa Public Radio, we look at how social issues are being addressed in the presidential campaign, how the candidates are talking about them in Iowa and New Hampshire and what values voters in the two states may or may not share when it comes to these social issues. Laura co-hosts today's program with Ben Kieffer, who hosts Iowa Public Radio's talk show, also called The Exchange. Guests
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One of the developments I have seen since 2004 has been of Evangelicals who are living out their faith commitments at the grassroots level. The distance between these people who seem willing to deal with issues such as abortion at the local level on one hand, and those Evangelical leaders who seem to be seeking simply to wield national power on the other has been growing.
Rod Dreher's book "Crunchy Cons," which speaks of conservatives engaged in organic, local and sustainable agriculture and conservation are one aspect, as of this. The New Monasticism's presnce in "the forgotten places of empire" of Durham NC and Philadelphia is another. Mike Huckabee's seemingly paradoxical stances can be explained in part by this difference from corporate Republicans like Romney and Guilianni.
On the Democractic side, Obama's faith and Edwards' and Clinton's base there lends itself to some overlap with these as they make health care and poverty real social issues in their campaigns. As Democrats work to expand the realm of "moral issues," they will find more common ground with Evangelicals who are fed up with the GOP's failure to walk their talk.
Peace,
Randy