The key one-two punch from Michael Gerson’s Washington Post op-ed today faulting Obama for looking down his nose at small town, churchgoing Americans:
[T]he setback is more than political. One of Obama’s genuine contributions had been a renewed, liberal appreciation of the role of religious motivations in politics.
In Gerson’s view, Obama’s San Francisco comments put that contribution in jeopardy, which would mean that Democrats are again in danger of alienating religious Americans and paying at the polls because of it, as they have for the last 30 years. While God-o-Meter acknowledges the threat, it’s skeptical that Obama’s remarks will cause the kind of damage to the Democratic cause of winning over the faithful that Gerson seems to suggest (and perhaps hopes for).
Obama stood by his longtime preacher at a time when he was causing the senator the biggest political crisis of his career. One of Obama’s first hires when he launched his campaign last year was a former Assemblies of God pastor to direct religious outreach. The Obama camp has sponsored full blown “faith tours” and handed out full-color literature explaining why its candidate is a “Committed Christian.” His campaign has been a bulwark against the charges of secularism and hostility to religion that Republicans have thrown at Democrats for decades.
Can much of that work be undone by a few unwise remarks about disgruntled Americans clinging to their faith? Some can. But the Obama camp has prepared for moments like this. It’s not nearly as defenseless as John Kerry’s campaign was in 2004, when he came under attack for being insufficiently Catholic.
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posted April 16, 2008 at 2:05 pm
On NPR I heard a sound clip from a few years back where Obama voiced similar thoughts.
While his remarks were clearly ill advised and I think have to hurt him to some degree, when I listened to both of his statements, my impression was that there probably is no more to it than him playing armchair sociologist. We all have our little theories of this and that.
However, we’re not all on the campaign trail for president. I’m sure this will contribute to his learning to think twice before he speaks.
Paul – Original Faith
posted April 16, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I pray when I am going through hard times. What so hard about leaning on God when your job has been outsourced? I don’t believe Americans prays all the time. If we did pray all the time,there would not be mass outsourcing of jobs,or an ungodly war costing billions of dollars a week. Obama was telling truth,and for politically reasons conseratives and others are denying it. Obama is a great choice. Obama’08
posted April 16, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It seem as though most of America has forgotten how they depended on God doing their trials. Politics makes for a strang bedfellow. It will make you agree with the world and deny your own faith. Gov. Romney is a disappointment, siding with FOX’s commetator against Obama. I though he was a christian. I think eveybody knows what Obama meant.Obama’08
posted April 16, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Most believers seem to be senile when it comes to depending on God.Has politics become our gods.
posted April 16, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I cling to my faith daily and doing hard times . Obama told the truth,and the truth will set us free. Obama’08
posted April 17, 2008 at 9:15 am
“I cling to my faith daily and doing hard times . Obama told the truth…”
But we cling to it in good times, too. What Obama inferred was that there seemed to be some sort of purely sociological/psychological reason for going to church. That’s the position of noted atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens, and that’s why I found the remark offensive.
I go to Mass because I believe in God, and I want a relationship with Him, good times and bad, every day of my life. Not just when I lose my job. Democrats in general don;t seem to understand this.
posted April 17, 2008 at 10:09 am
Gotta agree with Bob here. Obama and some of his supporters are defending his remarks, saying they weren’t meant to be perjorative. But look at ‘em:
“You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them…. And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
If Obama meant to say that clinging to faith is a postive thing, why did he lump it with anti-immigrant sentiment and call it a way to “explain frustrations?” It’s pretty hard to put a positive spin on that. Obama has to try of course, but it’s suprising that some people seem receptive to it.
posted April 17, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Obama said that in times of stress some people cling “to religion”. He did not say they that they cling to Faith. Religion and Faith are not the same. religion, guns and stereo typing is a fall back for those who play the “blame game” and the media quickly took it up blaming Obama for what they have done themselves for years in the press.
posted May 19, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Hi everyone. I’m new and wanted to say hi.