“One is spiritual and the other is political. The spiritual message is from Genesis 50:20, where Joseph tells his brothers that what they meant for evil, God intended for good. All of us experience disappointment, defeat and betrayal in life, but God takes all of that and uses it for a greater good if we let him.”

Reed knows firsthand how true this is. He’s been through enough personal attacks and controversies to send even the bravest among us into retreat. But in the 25 years I’ve observed Reed’s style, setbacks and successes, he has clearly emerged as one who has the ability to learn quickly from his mistakes, shake off countless personal attacks, and move forward boldly as a better person and more effective voice for timeless values.

The other message of “Dark Horse” is a warning to the Republican Party: If it turns its back on time-honored values of life, marriage and family, it will find that the “big tent has become a pup tent.”

Reed explains: “In ‘Dark Horse,’ the GOP nominates a national security conservative who is a social moderate and sparks a revolt by conservatives, leading to a strong independent candidate.” Although there obviously won’t be a strong independent presidential candidate this year, many believe the McCain campaign must be careful to appeal to faith voters and include the entire realm of social conservative issues in his agenda, or he will be headed for certain defeat in November.

Reed underscored another important message: how differently a big, powerful federal government is perceived today versus the way it was viewed when our country was founded. The American Revolution bred “a healthy paranoia about big government” among our founding fathers. They “envisioned a federal government that was small, confined to clearly enumerated purposes, and left most of tending to the needs of the citizenry to individuals, families, local communities, and local and state government,” Reed said. “Today, our society thinks nothing of asking the federal government to become a nanny state, with cradle-to-grave programs that meet our every need.”

Every need, that is, except our innate need for freedom. And freedom, as President Reagan reminded us often, is incompatible with a large government intent on invading every area of our lives. That’s why it’s essential what we remain informed and involved as citizens of this great land. In this landmark election year, “Dark Horse” is a great place to start.