How Young, Southern Christians Think

Excerpted from an interview between American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and the two finalists, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, from CNN's Larry King Live:

SEACREST: It's no secret that you're a man of faith, that you referred to the "Christian thing," as it were. You didn't rely on the Christian vote. Do you think that played a part in your win, though?

ALLEN: I hope it didn't. Because I guess me and Adam were doing an interview before the show: "Kris, do you think you're going to get the Christian vote now that Danny's gone?" And that was rough, that was kind of upsetting, because the show's not about religion. We're not running for president. We are there to do music and there to sing, and hopefully people vote on that.

One cannot separate politics and religion, whether it be Kennedy's Catholicism, Reagan's or Carter's born-again Christianity, GWB's Christianism, Romney's Mormonism, or Palin's scary-ass, trailer-park thing.

And to respond to Kris's comment about the show: yes, Kris, in the end, it certainly is about religion. It's why no one from California or New York has ever won on the show. Those types don't play in the Bible Belt.