Trying to Get Christian Music Fans to Tune To the Left

Amy Sullivan, a journalist who recently wrote "The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap," said yesterday at a convention of religion reporters that her book title may have been overly hopeful. "The playing field isn't terribly different than it was 2004," she said.

Some industry insiders say performers should keep their yaps shut about politics or risk alienating customers. No one has forgotten the Dixie Chicks, who temporarily lost a large swath of their audience -- and got death threats that the FBI took seriously -- after criticizing President Bush in 2003.

Hubbard, the promoter from EMI, contends that Christian artists have loftier things on their minds, anyway. "The majority of our artists look at what they are trying to accomplish as much bigger than who will be the next president," he says.

"I want to tell a story that transcends politics," says Sara Groves, a singer who performed before the Republican convention. "A lot of [Christian musicians] I'm talking to are talking about what's wrong with both parties, and we're dreaming about, wouldn't it be great if there was this common human goal?"

Meanwhile, Tom Tradup, who oversees national syndicated talk shows for Salem Radio Network, says Democrats' absence on Christian radio is their own fault. "Senator [John] McCain has appeared on virtually every show on my network at least a half-dozen times since primary season began. We have a red carpet out on every Salem show since Obama announced, and so far we've seen neither hide nor hair of him," he says. At the Denver convention, he says, he repeatedly tried to nab Obama or his religious outreach staffers to go on air, to no avail.

A spokesman for the Obama campaign said yesterday that the focus has been on local radio, including some Salem stations.

But the Democratic machine's drive toward Nashville (and California, home of Salem, and Colorado, home of the massive Focus on the Family organization) seems likely to eventually reach Tradup.

Hendrix and Strider have formed a consulting group and are building a massive mailing list of Christian media consumers that can be used by Democratic candidates and those promoting liberal issues, such as global warming. And Hendrix might want to use that list himself: He recently announced his plans to run for the U.S. House from North Carolina in 2010.