Comments on: God and Hillary Clinton: An interview with author Paul Kengor http://www.bloggernews.net/110515 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:07:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Zach Freeman http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94481 Zach Freeman Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:15:04 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94481 I'm not at all concerned that this would be a puff piece promoting Hillary Clinton. "God and Hillary Clinton" is hardly a title that would imply such a promotion, considering the level of distaste evangelicals have for democrats in general, and especially Mrs. Clinton. After reading the description of the book on Amazon I can see that it is a bit more of a legitimate novel than the excerpts from the interview led me to believe, but only a bit. From the interview, and from seeing on Amazon that this same author wrote a "God and" book about Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, it seems like this book is just a thinly veiled right-wing attack. From a brief scan of the summaries, it appears that the Reagan and W. Bush books are praising those leaders for their faith, while this one is questioning Hillary's. Obviously that's the author's perogative, but that's also evangelical rhetoric. From a review on Amazon about the Reagan book: "Readers troubled by reports of astrology at the Reagan White House are assured that it determined scheduling, not policy, and that only Nancy was really into it." But obviously in this book we're to believe that Clinton used mysticism in a "bad" way that Christians should be afraid of. Conclusion: Using the Christian God to determine policy is good, using any other types of spirituality is bad. That's clearly not an objective viewpoint. In closing, you're right to say that biographies are legitimate books, however, propaganda is not legitimate. This book is propaganda disguised as information. I’m not at all concerned that this would be a puff piece promoting Hillary Clinton. “God and Hillary Clinton” is hardly a title that would imply such a promotion, considering the level of distaste evangelicals have for democrats in general, and especially Mrs. Clinton.

After reading the description of the book on Amazon I can see that it is a bit more of a legitimate novel than the excerpts from the interview led me to believe, but only a bit. From the interview, and from seeing on Amazon that this same author wrote a “God and” book about Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, it seems like this book is just a thinly veiled right-wing attack. From a brief scan of the summaries, it appears that the Reagan and W. Bush books are praising those leaders for their faith, while this one is questioning Hillary’s. Obviously that’s the author’s perogative, but that’s also evangelical rhetoric.

From a review on Amazon about the Reagan book: “Readers troubled by reports of astrology at the Reagan White House are assured that it determined scheduling, not policy, and that only Nancy was really into it.” But obviously in this book we’re to believe that Clinton used mysticism in a “bad” way that Christians should be afraid of. Conclusion: Using the Christian God to determine policy is good, using any other types of spirituality is bad. That’s clearly not an objective viewpoint.

In closing, you’re right to say that biographies are legitimate books, however, propaganda is not legitimate. This book is propaganda disguised as information.

]]> By: Warren Throckmorton http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94430 Warren Throckmorton Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:14:15 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94430 Zach Freeman - I am not getting your point. A book about a public figure and her faith is absurd. I suspect a book about God and Ted Haggard would be interesting too as it would explore how public persona and private reality are in conflict. Perhaps you could flesh out your reaction a bit. The book is not a puff piece promoting Mrs. Clinton. She is going to make a real bid for values voters. This book would arm them with information to avoid going down that path. Apart from that, biographies are legitimate books. Zach Freeman - I am not getting your point. A book about a public figure and her faith is absurd. I suspect a book about God and Ted Haggard would be interesting too as it would explore how public persona and private reality are in conflict. Perhaps you could flesh out your reaction a bit. The book is not a puff piece promoting Mrs. Clinton. She is going to make a real bid for values voters. This book would arm them with information to avoid going down that path. Apart from that, biographies are legitimate books.

]]> By: Zach Freeman http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94423 Zach Freeman Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:01:22 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/110515#comment-94423 The existence of this book is ridiculous. It's an absurd concept... how about writing a book about God and Ted Haggard? I'm sure THAT would be a book conservative evangelicals would love to read! The existence of this book is ridiculous. It’s an absurd concept… how about writing a book about God and Ted Haggard? I’m sure THAT would be a book conservative evangelicals would love to read!

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