By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service
Atlanta – The top remaining Democratic candidates made their pitch to a meeting of four black denominations Wednesday (Jan. 29) as they seek support from a constituency they are both fighting to have in their political corner.
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois spoke via video from Colorado, and Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York spoke in person to a joint meeting of four historically black Baptist churches that are trying to forge greater unity.
Obama defended himself against suggestions that he should wait his turn to run. “I’ve explained that I was running because of what Dr. (Martin Luther) King called the ‘fierce urgency of now,”‘ he said.
“You know it in your own congregations and you hear the stories. People are working harder just to get by. They’re worried abut losing their jobs and they’re worried about losing their homes.”
Clinton, speaking at the podium less than two hours later, recalled hearing King’s “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” sermon.
“It transformed my life as it did so many others who had the great honor to hear directly from Dr. King,” she said.
Obama acknowledged the intense attention on the Democratic nomination, which is poised to produce the first African-American or the first woman as a major-party nominee.
“What’s most unique is that we’ve never had a president like me who … struggled with churches on the south side of Chicago, somebody’s who’s worked in public housing projects,” he said. “Those experiences that all of you are so familiar with because all of you are working in that community.”
Clinton spoke of faith informing her actions from the days of her childhood, and the call by Jesus to love others.
“Our faith calls us to do what is hard, to give voice to the voiceless to lift up the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick,” she said. “But for the past seven years, our leaders have gotten it wrong. They’ve gotten it upside down and backwards. They have given corporate tax breaks to Wall Street and then cut Head Start, child care and dropout prevention.”
The four Baptist bodies, which met jointly for the second time after a first meeting in 2005, are the National Baptist Convention, USA; the National Baptist Convention of America; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; and the National Missionary Baptist Convention.
The Rev. William J. Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, urged the thousands of Baptists in attendance not to treat the race like a football game.
“It’s no question that within the black community there is a division in terms of support for Sen. Obama and for Sen. Clinton,” he said later. “So the issue, of course, is being open and fair to both because we didn’t endorse.”
Shaw said Republican candidates had also been invited, but Baptist leaders never received a response.
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted January 31, 2008 at 6:01 pm
“‘Our faith calls us to do what is hard, to give voice to the voiceless to lift up the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick,’ she said.”
! She’s using her religion to make policy decisions! Theocracy! Theocracy!
God bless…
posted January 31, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Makes sense that they would court the black community…and the hispanic community and the Jewish community and the white community and the Chinese community etc. After they are running to be the candidate for the highest office in our land.
posted January 31, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I’m watching them debate and I’m just impressed with them both. Either would be an infinitely better president than Bush and either would be a lot better than McCain or Romney or Huckabee.
posted January 31, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Correction:
After all they are running to be the candidate for the highest office in our land.
posted January 31, 2008 at 9:31 pm
nnmns:
Almost anyyone would be a better president than Bush!
posted February 1, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Hillary Clinton and Obama Barack, what a combo!! I feel a “healing” for America coming down the track….wish Margaret Truman could have lived to see it.
posted February 2, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Sorry, Barack, got your name backwards. It’s not because I wouldn’t want you for my President. Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama…..
posted February 2, 2008 at 5:50 pm
“Obama acknowledged the intense attention on the Democratic nomination, which is poised to produce the first African-American or the first woman as a major-party nominee.
“What’s most unique is that we’ve never had a president like me who … struggled with churches on the south side of Chicago, somebody’s who’s worked in public housing projects,” he said. “Those experiences that all of you are so familiar with because all of you are working in that community.’”
This alone makes him more qualified than most of the candidates for the office. He has actually done the grunt work that all the others simply talk about. As a Middle aged, middle class, white Mainline Protestant clergy this speaks more to me than all the other posturing. He has my vote.
posted February 2, 2008 at 7:29 pm
You’re right about that, he is a worker, but so is Hillary. Another thing I like about Barack is he hasn’t used lobbists, did it himself. I watched him for the first time in Kansas City when he was stumping for Kerry, and was amazed with his speech. I said at that time, sometime in the future he’ll be our President.
posted February 3, 2008 at 1:04 am
I agree that the issues of gender and ethnicity have been hurled back and forth a lot by the Dems lately. This wasn’t a problem until we found ourselves faced with the dilemma of choice of more than European American men. Then again, I have to keep reminding myself that we are the only nation in the 1st world who has never elected non-occidental or women to the Presidency. The woman to first bring this to the worlds attention was Shirley Chisholm, who ran on human rights issues and the need to strengthen corporate regulation back in the 60s and 70s. She wasn’t a popular former President’s wife though, sadly making her prominence in American history marginal at best.
The Clintons’ recent behavior has cast them in a rather disturbing light. No one has an issue with the former President supporting his wife’s campaign for his old job. That notwithstanding, many voters do take serious exception with Hillary’s often smug presumption of entitlement to the office. There is nothing written in stone that mandates she is the logical successor in the Bush-Clinton- Bush-Clinton election pattern. She wants to flaunt her skills and experience in the White House from the perspective of having been Bill’s wife of eight Presidential years. Well, she was neither elected by nor accountable to VOTERS for any of the unsuccessful projects she undertook. Furthermore, not a single American President who hadn’t been elected to a second term has ever entered the Oval Office ready to do the job Inauguration Day. With the flaming bags of crap spread globally, the 44th President will be even less prepared at a point in our history when change is demanded by the voters.
The Clintons need to ease way the heck up on their World Wrestling Federation tag team campaign tactics. Bill can’t beat up everyone who hurt Hill’s feelings. And, Hill can’t continue to scream ‘I am the Alpha she-dog!’ in the very same breath in which she’s sicking Bill on opponents threatening her chances to win. No one is especially crazy about the emergence of the 2-headed Presidential beast that can potential arise from this sort of campaigning. If she gets the nomination and goes on to win the Office in November, the expectation is that she will be the President, while Bill holds her purse or whatever at press conferences.
The only difference, beyond Hillary’s having Bill, is that Barak hasn’t been in political arena long enough to acquire the negative baggage Hillary has. Barak hasn’t been in bed with as many military industrial corporatists, wisely did not support the Bush invasion and occupation of Iraq, and boasts more pre-Senate legislative experience at the state level in Illinois than Hillary does in New York. Hillary has a heap of political knowledge and a wealth of connections just from being first lady, and from serving on the executive boards of some prominent corporations. Both candidates want to achieve the same policy goals, just differently.
Sometimes experience is not everything. Nixon had more experience than Kennedy back in the 60s. Had Bobby not been assassinated, Nixon might not have had to resign in utter disgrace. Bill came in behind George H. W. Bush with no real Washington experience, and was a good President. George H. W. Bush came in after Iran-Contra nearly tanked the Reagan’s Presidency, and puked on the Japanese Prime Minister during an official lunch. Like his son, presided over massive government failings and a huge deficit. Abraham Lincoln had a single catastrophic congressional term, a failing law practice, and a nervous breakdown from depression over his horrific love life before becoming the 16th President and earning a place as one of the best Presidents in our history. So, I repeat, experience is not necessarily that important when picking a President.
Hillary is already a proven Washington insider, with the suspicious smudging to show for it. Barak is fresh and reasonably unscathed. Hillary will neither be viable nor relevant in 2012. She’s 60 years old now, registering basically with the aging centrist boomer demographic. If she doesn’t get this in 2008, all bets will likely be off for her in political life. Barak, though, has age on his side. He’ll just be nudging up to 50 by 2012. Hopefully, with more grooming from Dick Durbin and the other Illinois Paul Simon progressives, he’ll only have improved his Senate record in time to win it all in 2012, providing he doesn’t win the Democratic nomination and whip McCain this year.