Rural Americans, living on the vast plains, uprooted and isolated from the outside world, have a history of expressing their longing for community and mystical identity by gathering in large numbers in churches and tents, listening to the grand statements of charismatic hucksters. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck are heirs to a long line of preachers and politicians who made their fortunes by stirring up anxious crowds, promising them Heaven on Earth, or at least a place in Heaven.