The Real Agenda of the Religious Right, and Why It Matters So Much Today

The draft opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling has led to a torrent of analysis about how this moment culminates a five decade-long quest for the religious and ideological right wing in this country to accomplish their most cherished goal. But that history is wrong. Dr. Randall Balmer of Dartmouth College has written extensively about the religious right and he says that under closer examination, the real driver of the story over the last five decades was not really abortion at all. It was segregation. In fact, his Politico Magazine article about it from 2014 that set the record straight became one of the most-read articles on their website again last week.  Dr. Balmer joins us to explain what actually happened, and why it matters so much today.