John McCain Thursday July 24, 2008

Hagee on Presidential Endorsements: Never Again

At the annual A Night to Honor Israel banquet in Washington on Tuesday night, here's what spurned televangelist John Hagee told the assembled:

What will I say when I'm asked to endorse another presidential candidate? Never Again!

According to the New York Times, the crowd greeted the line with applause.

Whoa.

So a ballroom full of some of the nation's most politically inclined evangelicals (this event was in Washington, sponsored by Hagee's Christians United for Israel, and featured Senator Joe Lieberman) applaud a major evangelical figure's vow to forego endorsing anymore presidential candidates? Isn't this the Christian Right's worst nightmare?

After fighting for decades to get evangelicals to shed their political inhibitions, are folks like James Dobson going to abide a fellow leader urging them to take a few steps back from presidential politics?

Hagee's message encapsulates one of McCain's greatest dangers: evangelicals getting the message that they might want to sit this election out.

» More on John McCain

Comments (0)

Filed Under: Christian Right, Christians United for Israel, endorsements, evangelicals, James Dobson, John Hagee, John McCain

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 4:40pm Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Thursday July 24, 2008

In Rare Move, McCain Meets Religious Leader: the Dalai Lama

John McCain rarely schedules meetings with high profile religious leaders, in stark contrast to George W. Bush--and Barack Obama. But after whacking Obama this afternoon for campaigning among foreigners in Berlin, McCain is trumpeting his one-on-one meeting tomorrow with a superstar religious leader from the international scene: the Dalai Lama.

Irony of ironies, the powwow is happening in Colorado, where Colorado Springs is home to so many evangelical organizations that it's earned the nickname Vatican West. When's the last time McCain sat down with their leaders?

When it comes to the Dalai Lama, meanwhile, McCain's admiration sounds boundless:

"I have been a great admirer of the Dalai Lama and I look forward to the opportunity of meeting an individual who is a transcendent international role model and hero and I have admired him and respected him for the efforts he's made on behalf of freedom of the people of Tibet but also all over the world."

When's the last time McCain had such kind words for a Christian leader? Think the Christian Right will notice?

» More on John McCain

Comments (1)

Filed Under: Buddhists, Colorado, Colorado Springs, evangelicals, Focus on the Family, James Dobson, John McCain, the Dalai Lama, Tibet

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 3:37pm Permalink Email This Add to:

Barack Obama Wednesday July 23, 2008

Religious Left is Growing Up Faster than Religious Right Did

The Matthew 25 Network, a new faith-based political action committee started by John Kerry's 2004 faith outreach director, is preparing to launch its second pro-Barack Obama radio ad this week, the group's founder and director said on a conference call with reporters today. Matthew 25 will be spending $500,000 to broadcast the ad on Christian radio in Ohio, Colorado, and Michigan, with hopes of airing it in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Missouri down the road. Technical difficulties prevented the ad from being broadcast on the call, but Matthew 25 chief Mara Vanderslice (pictured) said she expected the ad to be ready later today.

God-o-Meter realizes that Barack Obama might face an uphill climb among religious voters because of the false rumors that he's Muslim and over his liberal stances on social issues like abortion and gay rights. In the primaries, Hillary Clinton trounced him among white evangelicals and Catholics in many places.

But God-o-Meter noticed two things on today's Matthew 25 call that could make it more successful than some other faithy progressive outfits:

1. Some of the religious figures supporting Obama and Matthew 25 re on today's call, including former Vice-President of Catholic Charities Sharon Daly and Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus, Vice-President for Social Justice Ministries at the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, are pro-life. They talked about their pro-life positions on the call, and how they hoped Obama would come around to their side.

In the past, Democrats have tended to embrace religious figures who took liberal positions on social issues or who ignored them entirely. This new posture will give Matthew 25 more credibility in the eyes of some values voters.

2. As Bart Campolo, founder of Mission Year, pointed out on the call, The Matthew 25 Network is a real political action committee with real money making real endorsements. Previous liberal faith groups have issued press releases and sponsored an event or two to fetch media attention, but Matthew 25 is on the airwaves making a serious case to Christian voters on why they should support Obama.

In Christian Right terms, this is the difference between the Moral Majority of the 1980s, which held press conferences and issued media releases, and the Christian Coalition of the 1990s, which had real members (hundreds of thousands of them) and helped shape elections with huge get-out-the-vote drives.

Is Matthew 25 the lefty version of Christian Coalition? In terms of size, budget, or influence, it's not even close. But the post-2004 religious left is growing up a lot faster than the post-1976 Religious Right did. It's getting more sophisticated. And it's accumulating a lot more influence early on because of it.

» More on Barack Obama

Comments (3)

Filed Under: ads, Barack Obama, Christian radio, Mara Vanderslice, Matthew 25 Network, religious left

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 2:40pm Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Tuesday July 22, 2008

Had McCain Been Wooing Dobson?

James Dobson's 180-degree turnabout on John McCain has God-o-Meter thinking: has the candidate who's famously inept on religious outreach seen the light and picked up the phone to call Colorado Springs?

Dobson went a lot further than he needed to in his Obama-bashing broadcast yesterday. He could have bashed Obama and left it at that. But he spent roughly the last quarter of the show making a case--a qualified one for McCain. Would Dobson, who has probably set records for grudge-holding (he reportedly didn't talk to best bud Gary Bauer for years after Bauer endorsed McCain in 2000), have so suddenly warmed to McCain without a good amount of wooing?

Another curious note from yesterday's Dobson broadcast: Focus on the Family urged listeners to check out the Newsweek cover story on Obama's faith life. That means Focus believes its evangelical listeners care a lot about the specifics of a candidate's faith and where it leads them personally and politically. The Obama campaign and the Democratic Party, by contrast, believe that convincing voters that they have faith and that it informs their lives and politics is enough to pick up a good number of new religious voters.

» More on John McCain

Comments (0)

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 5:30pm Permalink Email This Add to:

Barack Obama Tuesday July 22, 2008

Obama Hires Muslim Liaison

Politico says the position has been created but not filled. It also reports the hiring as completely routine for presidential nominees:

The creation of the position comes as Obama builds out a more traditional, constituency-based campaign structure than he had in the primary.

But God-o-Meter can't recall previous examples of presidential campaigns hiring Muslim outreach staffers (though Politico says the one likely to fill the new slot did similar work for Wes Clark's '04 presidential campaign). Though his campaign has, for the most part, declined to defend Islam as it combats rumors that Obama is Muslim--creating a stir among some American Muslims--GOM doubts he's too worried about losing Muslim votes to John McCain. George W. Bush's War on Terror demolished the (often forgotten) inroads that the GOP made with Muslim voters in 2000.

Still, might the Obama camp be worried about dampening the Muslim vote as it forcefully debunks those Muslim rumors?

» More on Barack Obama

Comments (5)

Filed Under: Barack Obama, Islam, John McCain, Muslims, religious outreach

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 1:40pm Permalink Email This Add to:

Barack Obama Monday July 21, 2008

Obama's American Values Report, Take 2

Earlier this month, God-o-Meter reported on the Obama team's launch of the American Values Report, a weekly newsletter. The 8-page second issue was published on Friday.

The report It includes "Spotlight on People of Faith" interviews with a Reform Jew and a Pentecostal Christian, which gives you a good idea about where the Obama camp sees vulnerabilities--and opportunities:

Naomi Z. Reform Jewish

What's your personal faith background?

I was born into a Reform Jewish family. Growing up, social action and the values of equality and civil rights were a constant that represented simply what was right in this world. The joke that is often made about American Jews is that we have two holy texts, the Torah and the Bill of Rights. This was true in my family.

My social and political values were not taught to me using religious language per se. I never heard anyone say, "this is what's right because God says so." Rather, it was, "this is what's right, because this is what is good and fair." We used every holiday as an opportunity to learn about our obligations in the world. Our Passover seder was a discussion not of what happened to our ancestors but about what happened to us (as it is written, "in every generation, each person should regard herself as having personally been brought forth from Egypt") and, more importantly, what it says about our obligations to free the captive and promote equality in the world.

After toying heavily with becoming a Rabbi, I met my husband, a non-practicing Protestant, in college, and decided that my happiness was important and that I could serve God by working on repairing the work of creation (as Judaism teaches) in many other ways. Eventually, I became a special education teacher and a religious school teacher, and later a school principal and crisis intervention specialist.

How do faith and politics come together in your life?

When I consider a political issue, I do indeed start from my faith. I ask myself the following:

a) What does the Torah, the Tanach (bible) and/or the Talmud have to say about this?
b) What was the purpose behind that teaching in the scriptures or commentary?
c) Is that purpose still achieved by following that teaching?

An example of where the text certainly does apply has to do with immigration: "The stranger among you shall be to you as the native born, for you know the ways of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt." I am constantly amazed that those who quote the bible left and right about abortion and gay marriage suddenly ignore it when it comes to immigration!

Why do you support Senator Obama?

I am inspired by Senator Obama's willingness to say things that no one else says. In his "A More Perfect Union" address, Obama spoke frankly about racial tensions without trying to sugarcoat it -- "The anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races." I respect that.

I also respect that he knows his scripture and knows that interpretations differ. I like that Obama's faith clearly informs his values but does not substitute for them. He and I come from different belief systems and traditions, but we can talk a common language of right and wrong because that language does not require that we conceive of God in exactly the same way

Jason H.
Pentecostal -- Assembly of God

What's your personal faith background?

I am a born again Pentecostal believer of the Assembly of God tradition. I grew up with a conservative mindset, voting along staunch Republican lines. Needless to say, I voted for George W. Bush twice. At the time, I felt my faith mandated that I vote based on one issue. I allowed myself to be pigeonholed such that I could not even consider voting for a pro-choice candidate. When all was said and done, I fell in line with the
politics of my community of faith.

What led you to cross partisan lines, and expand beyond one issue?

It all comes down to the War in Iraq. I struggle with this issue ... we need honesty and truth, and that's the change I see in Barack Obama. I'm not asking for full disclosure; I realize there are security considerations. But a degree of transparency. From a faith perspective, I realized that I can't be so close-minded as to only look at one position. I'm tired of wedge issue politics."Loving your neighbor as yourself " involves a wide range of social issues, from health care to immigration.

Barack Obama spoke to me when he said, "I'm not going to use religion as a divisive tool. Religion should help us come together." As Christians, we are commissioned to carry out the social gospel. Obama has demonstrated the ability and willingness to promote an agenda that cares for the "least of these."

Why do you support Senator Obama?

I admire how Senator Obama has put responsibility onto individual Americans. Unlike your typical politician, he has given ordinary Americans a voice and role in this process. To say it's inspiring is an understatement -- it's empowering. The idea is best summed up in the message he projects on his website: "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington ... I'm asking you to believe in yours."

I also have confidence in Obama as commander-in-chief. Some people talk about his lack of experience or credentials, but I'm not sure how much you can truly be prepared for the office of Presidency and the high-pressure situations that come with the job. In those situations, you need judgment. I completely respect and trust his judgment. I admire his vision; I admire that he surrounds himself with great people; and I admire that he has the knowledge to discern "Here's what we should do." If he's given the opportunity, he'll prove that he's up to the challenge. Finally, I believe that it's time to approach international relations with a different school of thought. I like that Obama is open to furthering diplomatic relations.

I'll be honest, my decision to support Barack Obama has definitely caused a stir in my traditionally Republican community. But, I've gotten my parents onboard, and I'm working on my inlaws. I proudly wear the Obama t-shirt, and have a yard sign. This experience has caused me to reexamine the way I view single issue, single party voters. To them I say: challenge your own thought process. There should be a reason or purpose behind your actions. Be confident in your ability to discern what's right and wrong without relying on what the people around you are saying. Know why you support that candidate. Oftentimes the truth runs much deeper than the political or religious label
attached to the candidate.

I know because I was there, and I'm frustrated with that mentality. Why do I have to put myself in a box? I'm not hitching my wagon to the Democratic Party, I'm hitching my wagon to Barack Obama.

» More on Barack Obama

Comments (1)

Filed Under: American Values Report, Barack Obama, faith outreach, Jewish, Pentecostals, Reform Judaism

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 2:56pm Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Monday July 21, 2008

McCain's Evangelical Moment?

John McCain and Barack Obama have accepted invitations to sit down with Purpose-Driven Life author Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church for public (and open-media) interviews just before next month's big nominating conventions. David Brody sees the forum as presenting John McCain a golden opportunity to have an "evangelical moment," wherein the Arizona senator can finally come out forcefully on two key issues: life (i.e. against abortion rights) and marriage (i.e. against gay unions):

[W]ith Obama there as well, he has a MAJOR opportunity to clearly showcase the differences between the two candidates on social issues. He can talk about the unborn baby and the abortion issue; he can talk about his support for the California Constitutional Marriage Amendment.... It's McCain's clearest opportunity yet to paint himself as a "friend" of the Evangelical community.

God-o-Meter is skeptical that he'll seize this opportunity. The press release for Warren's summit makes clear that his questions will focus on four areas: poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate, and human rights. Warren is sending the clear message, in other words, that he won't be fixating on hot button issues. So it could be up to McCain, as Brody to bring those issues up himself, which Brody acknowledges. The record show that one of the Christian Right's major gripes about McCain is his habit of completely ignoring those issues unless he's asked about them point blank. So what are the chances he departs from that at Saddleback, especially when his interlocutor--Warren--is out to bridge the country's ideological differences?

Pretty small, God-o-Meter thinks. But he has been bulking up his ranks of faith advisors, and maybe they'll get through to McCain in the month before he sits down with Warren. But there are risks involved: McCain could look like he's pandering--or come off as a divider at a "unity" event.

» More on John McCain

Comments (0)

Filed Under: abortion, Christian Right, climate change, evangelicals, gay marriage, HIV/AIDS, human rights, John McCain, poverty, Rick Warren, Saddleback

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 1:52pm Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Monday July 21, 2008

Dobson Might Endorse McCain

The AP reports:

Conservative Christian leader James Dobson has softened his stance against Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, saying he could reverse his position and endorse the Arizona senator despite serious misgivings.

"I never thought I would hear myself saying this," Dobson said in a radio broadcast to air Monday. "... While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might."

...."There's nothing dishonorable in a person rethinking his or her positions, especially in a constantly changing political context," Dobson said in a statement to the AP. "Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation. His radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain."

Earlier, Dobson had said he could not in good conscience vote for McCain, citing the candidate's support for embryonic stem cell research and opposition to a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, as well as concerns about McCain's temper and foul language.

Could this be the best of all possible worlds for McCain? He's able to reap a possible endorsement from an evangelical heavy who'd previously denounced him without having to risk tarnishing his independent/maverick reputation by having to grovel for Dobson's support. Good deal.

» More on John McCain

Comments (2)

Filed Under: Christian Right, evangelicals, Focus on the Family, James Dobson, John McCain

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 9:18am Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Thursday July 17, 2008

Bush's Stand on Gay Adoption? Take a Wild Guess

The question of gay adoption has been a back-burner for the Christian Right. Until now, of course. Brody has Family Research Council president Tony Perkins pillorying McCain for his campaign's recent dialing back of his opposition to gay adoption, which he expressed in a New York Times interview last weekend.

Because it's a tier-two issue for religious conservatives, God-o-Meter got to wunderin': what's W's position? It found the answer in an AP story from March 23, 1999 about then-Gov/presidential aspirant George W. Bush.

Bush said he opposes allowing gay couples to adopt. "I believe children ought to be adopted in families with a woman and a man who are married," he said Monday.

The governor also declined to take a position on whether children already adopted by gays or lesbians should be removed from those homes. "I have no idea whether the children ought to be removed or not removed," he said. "The question is whether I'm for gay adoption. And the answer is, I'm not."

GOM checked in with the Human Rights Campaign to see if Bush had since moderated his postion, and the group said he hadn't (though it relied only on the Times interview with McCain, in which the gay adoption question was put thusly: President Bush believes that gay couples should not be permitted to adopt children. Do you agree with that?

What is striking to GOM in juxtaposing the response from McCain with that from Bush is that Bush comes across as super decisive--"The question is whether I'm for gay adoption. And the answer is, I'm not"--while McCain comes across as wishy-washy, saying "I don't believe in gay adoption" but having his campaign issue a statement softening that stance soon afterward.

A good example of why the Christian Right had such faith in Bush. And so little in McCain.

» More on John McCain

Comments (9)

Filed Under: Christian Right, David Brody, evangelicals, Family Research Council, gay adoption, George W. Bush, John McCain, Tony Perkins

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 6:52pm Permalink Email This Add to:

John McCain Thursday July 17, 2008

McCain's Evangelical Problem: It's All About Turnout

Spiritual Politics' Mark Silk weighs in on the exchange between God-o-Meter and John Schmalzbauer on whether the Democrats ought to throw in the towel if Obama can't make some evangelical inroads this fall:

As with any dependable voting bloc, the issue is less how its vote breaks down than what the turnout is--i.e. mobilization. The importance of white evangelicals in recent elections, especially where they are thick on the ground, is that they have been highly mobilized via church-based organizing. In 2002, when the Republicans took over control of the Georgia statehouse, frequent-attending white evangelicals turned out at higher rates across the South than they did in the rest of the country. In Ohio in 2004, they were definitely on the march. The reason the GOP has reason to be concerned about them this year, then, is that between their lukewarmness toward McCain and their sense that Obama may be kind of OK, they'll stay at home.

» More on John McCain

Comments (1)

Filed Under: evangelicals, John McCain, John Schmalzbauer, Mark Silk, Spiritual Politics, turnout

posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 1:37pm Permalink Email This Add to: