Delirium: How the Sexual Counterrevolution is Polarizing America
In an election year when so many Americans are out of work and worried about finances, the next congressional and presidential election will be driven disproportionately by issues having to do with sex, specifically gay marriage, birth control, and abortion. Historian Cohen analyzes the huge influence of sexual counterrevolutionaries on politics over the past 40 years. Revolting against the changes that ushered in greater sexual freedom, feminism, and gay rights, the Christian Right has taken up the counterrevolution. Passionate but polarizing, they help form a strong and reliable base but alienate most other voters, even among Republicans. The movement has affected Democrats as well, making them timid about standing up for progressive causes of cultural and sexual tolerance, advancing the right-wing position by avoidance of controversial issues. Cohen draws heavily on statistics and public-opinion surveys showing attitudes on issues from gay marriage to birth control to abortion that indicate a more moderate perspective on sexual freedom than that taken by the Christian Right. This is an insightful look at the history of sexual mores and politics and how we got to such a contentious place. --Vanessa Bush