.... Gore’s mouth tightened. A Southern Baptist, he, too, had declared himself born again, but he clearly had disdain for Bush’s public kind of faith.
“It’s a particular kind of religiosity,” he said. “It’s the American version of the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia, in Kashmir, in religions around the world: Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim. They all have certain features in common. In a world of disconcerting change, when large and complex forces threaten familiar and comfortable guideposts, the natural impulse is to grab hold of the tree trunk that seems to have the deepest roots and hold on for dear life and never question the possibility that it’s not going to be the source of your salvation. And the deepest roots are in philosophical and religious traditions that go way back. You don’t hear very much from them about the Sermon on the Mount, you don’t hear very much about the teachings of Jesus on giving to the poor, or the beatitudes. It’s the vengeance, the brimstone.” ...
We passed the Southern Baptist Convention building. Earlier in the day, Gore had made a point of telling me that he and Clinton used to pray together in the White House. I asked him which church in Nashville he and Tipper attended now.
There was a pause in the front seat.
“We’re ecumenical now,” Gore said, finally.
Tipper said with a laugh, “I think I follow Baba Ram Dass.”
“The influx of fundamentalist preachers have pretty much chased us out with their right-wing politics,” Gore added.
The writer said, "I asked him which church in Nashville he and Tipper attended now." I interpreted their answer as an embarrassed pause because they no longer go to church (now that it doesn't serve their political image.) Did you take it that way?
I loved all the references to the servant. Every time they went back to the house, the servant was putting food in front of Big Al.
Pictures from Kristen Gore's book party...
Kristen and dad
New York Social Diary also tries to portray our favorite whackjob as svelte! Oy vey!
There were also several members of the author’s family including her mom and dad, known to the world as Tipper and Al Gore, and Ashley Schiff, whose brother Drew is married to Kristen’s sister Karenna. Mrs. Gore, looking svelter than the world saw four years ago, also now looks young enough to be her daughter’s contemporary. The former Vice President too was looking like he’d shed years from his brow.
Editor Lieve introduced the author by telling us how she’d read the book in manuscript form one night standing up in her kitchen (Glamour ended up serializing it), and that it was what her grandmother used to call “a Bronx book” – you “started reading it on the train in the Manhattan and the next time you looked up you were in the Bronx.” Ms. Gore, taking the mike explained that she took up writing as a vocation because she thought it meant she’d never have to “give a speech,” all so not true now that she’s begun hawking her novel.
There were a lot of people in the room who’d already read the book, all thumbs up. the project was the brainchild of producer/impresario Harvey Weinstein who set it up simultaneously for Miramax Books and Miramax Films. Ms. Gore is writing the screenplay also. [Oh goodie!] Congrats and kudos for Kristen Gore and Miramax.
Just thinking about that meaty mitt of al's touching me makes my skin crawl.
When you have time, go back to my post 195 and watch the new Evan Coyle Maloney video.
My next stop! :-)
