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In his second book The Audacity of Hope, named after one of Wright's sermons, Obama points out that it was a Democratic president, Jimmy Carter, who introduced evangelical Christianity into mainstream politics. Obama claims that in subsequently handing religion over to the Republicans – for whom Christianity became a powerful political weapon during Reagan's presidency – Democrats essentially surrendered the opportunity to talk about values in public life. Obama insists against detractors that government can and should play a positive role, but he equally stresses the importance of government partnering with civil society, particularly faith groups. In turn many progressive faith groups, and not only progressive black churches, backed him for president, and are backing him again on health care.

The American Values Network is one example. It is promoting radio and television ads that make the moral case not only for healthcare but for climate change legislation as well. On health care the Network tells Americans that "scripture warns against those who pursue wealth at the expense of the lives and welfare of others". Its climate change campaign brings together the novel combination of faith groups and military figures to call on the nation's leaders to tackle global warming in order to be both good stewards of the environment and defenders of national security. For America's leaders, the Network claims, "will be held accountable not only by voters, but by their Creator".
 

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