Fred Stella welcomes Diane Winston back to Common Threads to continue their conversation on her book, ‘Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical Vision,’
The marriage between conservative politics and Evangelical Christianity dates back generations. But one man brought it to the forefront of the American landscape. President Ronald Reagan used his charisma, gravitas and personal convictions to engage a previously untapped resource in both state and national politics. It is from this juncture in the late 1970s that we can measure the growth of what are now termed "the culture wars."
In her book, ‘Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical Vision,’ Diane Winston provides a precise history of how as both Governor and President, Reagan was able to use the mainstream media to acknowledge and empower this movement that still holds sway across every branch of government.