The Political Fictions Project: New York invites seven writers to submit short stories featuring contemporary political figures (and from Bookforum, Morris Dickstein writes on fiction and political fact, and more). From TNR, is John Boehner a character from Mad Men?; and the accidental politician: How Sarah Palin resembles Joe McCarthy. Beauty queens, sex tapes and the Christian Right: Lasciviousness and hypocrisy have embarrassed Carrie Prejean and her supporters, but in every problem dwells an opportunity. The disastrous politics of Rapture: An excerpt from Patience with God by Frank Schaffer. How the Religious Right stole Christmas: Sectarian grinches and persnickety pundits have turned the season of peace into a festival of carping. From Salon, an article on Glenn Beck's white nationalist fans (and more). Much like the Depression-era demagogue Father Charles Coughlin, Glenn Beck is promoting a mass movement — should his bosses be pulling the plug? Tea-party style activism has taken some nutty turns before — the Hitler references, the Holocaust pictures — but Walter Fitzpatrick III may be about to push anti-Obama activism to new heights. Doing "Right" in Vegas: Nevada's James Edward McCrink funds hate and denial groups. A major defection in the conservative blogosphere: Charles Johnson, founder of Little Green Footballs, announces a final break. Changing the tone: Most citizens want to be heard, but we can't let an angry minority speak for them. All isn't fair: E.J. Dionne Jr. on how to fight extremism with civility. Political Science: A look at the psychological differences in the U.S.'s red-blue divide.
