LANCASTER, Texas (Aug. 5, 2008)--Now that a GOP campaign ad casts Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the role of anti-Christ, a Texas novelist notes that politics and piety collide again in this year's presidential elections, with potentially devastating consequences.

"The John McCain ad, 'The One,' playing on YouTube not so subtly paints Obama as the anti-Christ for adherents to an extreme interpretation of Revelations,' says C.L. Talmadge, author of the Green Stone of Healing(R) epic fantasy series.

"The McCain ad is disturbing, stoking these believers' worst fears of global conflagration in an ultimate war between God and the devil," Talmadge continues. “McCain’s spin doctors want to scare these people into voting against Obama by casting a ballot for McCain, even if they don't like the Arizona senator all that much.

"Although some have reported on the presumed death of the religious right, religious conservatives can impact this year’s election outcome," says Talmadge, also a political columnist syndicated by North Star Writers Group. "Otherwise the McCain camp would not bother to chase their votes."

According to Talmadge, U.S. politics is imitating art this election year. "My fantasy saga chronicles what happens when politics and piety collide, just as they have in U.S. elections since 200, all of which have been marred by extreme divisiveness and bitterly contested vote counts.

"The fictional theocrats try to wrest power from the secular government of an island nation, just as Christian Dominionists seriously seek to imposereligious totalitarianism on the United States, and Islamic extremists want to impose a Caliphate on the Middle East. The fictional power struggle leads to civil war, eventually resulting in the destruction of the country and most of the world.

"What might happen in real life if extreme religious viewpoints continue to influence the elections as well as public discourse and policies?" Talmadge asks. "Consider McCain's statements about U.S. troops in Iraq for 100 years and supposedly joking comments about bombing Iran. There is little humor and much to be alarmed about in any type of militant religiosity--Muslim, Christian, Hindu or whatever."

The author's writing career began in 1976. She has been on staff or freelanced for numerous media including Business Week, the Dallas Times Herald, Forbes, the International Herald Tribune, The New York Times and Reuters America.

Contact:
C.L. Talmadge
+1.972.227.8233
author.greenstoneofhealing.com
www.greenstoneofhealing.com