America's current political climate did not happen over night.It has its origins in the 40's, 50's, and early 60's. To deal with the most recent phase I recommend you read James Davidson Hunter's "Culture Wars: the struggle to define America". For the early period I recommend Rick Perlstein's two books: "Nixonland", and "Before the Storm", and the book shown above, "From Bible Belt to Sunbelt". Darren Dochuk tells the story of the movement of the Southern Evangelicals from the Deep South to Southern California. Many came in search of jobs and a better life. What they did, on arrival, was to change the political landscape and bring the rise of the socially conservative wing of the GOP and the embracing of political activism by the conservative evangelical church. Dochuk does a wonderful job of linking names to the events. In many cases the players have long left the stage and have been forgotten. However, their actions and words became the white conservative backlash to the student movement, the civil rights movement, and the foundation of Nixon's Silent Majority. I can't not praise this book too much or recommend it too highly. ( )