October 13, 1997

This issue explored Steve Forbes's surprising rise as a presidential candidate and the momentum he had generated in the 1997–1998 race. The magazine also examined crises within the Episcopal Church through Tucker Carlson's reporting, reviewed Tony Blair's political ascendancy in Britain with analysis by Irwin M. Stelzer, and featured Malcolm Bradbury's essay on Alfred Kazin's treatment of religion in American literature. Additional coverage included debates over the Pendleton Act and Vice President Gore's phone calls, congressional investigations of the IRS, and cultural criticism across politics and literature.