Politics in the New South

Youth idealism, political ideology and hard-nosed campaigning form the backdrop of the article "God's Precinct Walkers" in the October issue of The American Prospect.

Adapted from the new book God's Harvard by journalist Hanna Rosin, the article profile a group of college students from Patrick Henry College in Virginia as they campaigned for GOP gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore in 2005. Despite the students' enthusiasm, conviction and hard work, their efforts fell short as their favored candidate ultimately lost the race. That loss, in turn, triggered confusion and exposed the student activists to the realities of politics in a modern Southern state.