Gustav Niebuhr: August 2008 Archives

Part of Senator John McCain's constituency can be described as secularist libertarian. The man, after all, is from the West, where that identity has long held a proud place. If there were any question that those folks would figure somewhere in his campaign, he laid it to rest late Monday with a campaign appearance at what may be the nation's largest annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, N.D.

Politico, which has got the story  , describes the event as a "celebration of all things Harley" held at a place called the Buffalo Chip Campground. From what the website says, McCain drew some rather colorful endorsements in the form of hand-made political signs.

Perhaps we can assume that the Republican senator's campaign is not worried that the religious conservatives who occasionally raise questions about McCain's bona fides as one of their own will let this event pass, unremarked. In any case, it should have made for great pictures. And there are a lot of people in America who like Harley-Davidsons. 

Neither Senators Barack Obama nor John McCain feel particularly comfortable talking about gay marriage as a campaign issue."Both have this nuanced 'On the one hand and on the other hand' need-to-explain position, and I think that makes it difficult for either to take a stand," says David Domke, a University of Washington professor, in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." The NPR story, which aired Monday evening, contains statements made by each candidate, in public forums, which would seem to fit Domke's analysis. But the story also suggests--unsurprisingly--that this is more problematic for McCain, who needs support from conservative evangelical Protestants who rallied around George W. Bush. As evidence, NPR quotes the head of the Family Research Council who warns that if McCain is reticent on publicly opposing gay marriage, he can count on conservatives to step into the gap and bring the issue up for him. And it is an issue, the council head says, that "motivates the grassroots."

Speaking of "All Things Considered," the Monday program also contained an interview about politics with the Rev. Rick Warren, author of the bestseller, "The Purpose-Driven Life." Warren, who calls himself "neutral" in the campaign, is planning to host both Obama and McCain at a forum at his Saddleback Valley Community Church on Aug. 16. Warren once declared there were a handful of bedrock issues--opposition to abortion and gay marriage among them. His views have not changed, but his agenda has since "expanded dramatically," he tells NPR. He calls himself "whole-life," concerned not simply with abortion, but the welfare of a child once he or she is born. If you are curious about where the candidates will share a stage before their conventions, the story will provide some details.

Remember all the talk during the Democratic primary campaign about how Senator Barack Obama could never match Senator Hillary Clinton's appeal among blue-collar and lower-wage workers? Well, with the primary season past, times appear to have changed. Today's unusual poll in The Washington Post shows Obama leading presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain by a margin of slightly better than 2 to 1 among Americans making no more than $27,000 a year. Among registered voters in that category who lean toward a candidate, the Post reports, 58 percent chose Obama, versus 28 percent for McCain.

The poll, conducted among 1,350 randomly selected voters, has an interesting religious dimension, too. If you go to the actual data--available in pdf form at www.washingtonpost.com-- you will find that this group identifies itself as solidly religious. Asked what role faith plays in helping them get through hard times, nearly four in five said it played a "very important" role (57 percent) or a "somewhat important role" (21 percent).