But It May Not Be Working
Thursday, July 12, 2007

The TIME cover story has an interesting poll attached. Here are some highlights:

Only 15% of registered voters believe that Hillary Clinton is "strongly religious," compared to 22% for John Edwards and 24% for Barack Obama. Perhaps more problematic for Clinton is the fact that nearly one-quarter of respondents (24%) say they know she is "not religious" — that's almost twice the nearest candidate, Rudy Giuliani (13%).

On the ranking of candidates with strong faith, Obama comes in second (24%) among all voters. And even Republican voters put him (18%) above John McCain (17%), Rudy Giuliani (14%), and Newt Gingrich (14%).

When it comes to the Republican field, Mitt Romney ranks far above the rest of the pack. Fully 26% of all voters think Romney is a person of strong religious faith, and among Republicans that number rises to 32%. What should worry Republicans, however, is that Romney's numbers are nearly double the closest Republican and still far below George W. Bush's in 2004. They also suggest an opening for Fred Thompson, who is expected the enter the race within weeks. James Dobson may have declared on his radio show that Thompson isn't a Christian, but given the alternatives, social conservatives are likely to disagree.

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Posted by B Feiler at 12:20 PM 0 comments

Leveling the Praying Field

I've been writing about this months -- notably here in the NYDN in the spring -- and now TIME hits big today with the Dems effort to close the God Gap. If nothing else, their illustration (above) is great.

In this campaign season, if Clinton and Barack Obama and John Edwards are any measure, there will be nothing unusual in Democrats' talking about the God who guides them and the beliefs that sustain them. Clinton has hired Burns Strider, a congressional staffer (and evangelical Baptist from Mississippi) who is assembling a faith steering group from major denominations and sends out a weekly wrap-up, Faith, Family and Values. Edwards has been organizing conference calls with progressive religious leaders and is about to embark on a 12-city poverty tour. In the past month alone, Obama's campaign has run six faith forums in New Hampshire, where local clergy and laypeople discuss religious engagement in politics. "We talk about ways people of faith have gone wrong in the past, what they have done right and where they see it going in the future," says his faith-outreach adviser, Joshua DuBois. Speeches on everything from the budget to immigration to stem-cell research are carefully marinated in Scripture. "Science is a gift of God to all of us," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a debate on increased embryo-research funding, "and science has taken us to a place that is biblical in its power to cure."

The Democrats are so fired up, you could call them the new Moral Majority. This time, however, the emphasis is as much on the majority as on the morality as they try to frame a message in terms of broadly shared values that don't alarm members of minority religions or secular voters. It has become an article of faith among party leaders that it was sheer strategic stupidity to cede the values debate to Republicans for so long; that most people want to reduce abortion but not criminalize it, protect the earth instead of the auto industry, raise up the least among us; and that a lot of voters care as much about the candidates' principles as about their policies. "What we're seeing," says strategist Mike McCurry, "is a Great Awakening in the Democratic Party."

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Posted by B Feiler at 11:34 AM 0 comments

The Latest Star of the Stump: The Bible
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

A whole lot of thumpin' goin' on.

When asked earlier this year how Matthew factored into Obama's political thinking, the Illinois Democrat told me:

"It's powerful, and I think it's one that's important for all of us to pray on. One of the things that I'm always interested in when it comes to politics is making sure I can continually translate values that are grounded in my religious faith into universal values that appeal to all people. If I'm in church I might quote some Scripture. If I'm outside a church I might quote FDR. Hopefully, they both lead to the same place."

Other candidates have adopted other Scripture to define their message. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) campaign staff said she often draws from James 2:26 -- "Faith without deeds is dead" -- a sign of her Wesleyan upbringing. The verse has become a running theme in the campaign of the senator, who grew up a United Methodist. She attended a church in Park Ridge and as first lady addressed the United Methodist denomination.

In interviews, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has attributed his commitment to alleviating poverty in part to Scripture.

"If you took every reference to taking care of the least of these out of the Bible, there would be a pretty skinny Bible," he said.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:03 AM 0 comments

The Mormon Attacks Begin
Friday, June 22, 2007

So far, the questions about Romney's Mormonism have come from the press. Now, his rivals begin.

In a presidential race in which Romney's candidacy is testing the country's attitudes toward Mormonism, the comments by a McCain representative in Iowa are the latest of several instances of rival campaign operatives trying to bring Romney's faith onto the campaign playing field. Over the past year, staff or volunteers from at least three opposing campaigns have, at times subtly and at times not, spread negative information about Mormons in an apparent effort to damage Romney's bid for the presidency.

McCain , of Arizona, and his campaign disavow attempts by supporters to highlight Romney's faith, and other campaigns have also resolutely rejected using religion as a weapon. But while the impact of the anti-Mormon messages is difficult to measure, the number of incidents suggests that Romney's religion will remain a tempting target for political opponents seeking a competitive edge.

The most recent example came to light earlier this week when the Washington Post reported that Emma Nemecek, an Iowa field operative for Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, had recently forwarded an e-mail to Iowa Republicans containing a number of criticisms of Mormonism, including a charge that it is not a Christian faith. The e-mail closed with a quote from a Founding Father, John Jay: "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

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Posted by B Feiler at 10:30 AM 0 comments

The Godforsaken Dollar
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The AP: It looks like the U.S. Mint has struck again _ or not struck again, depending on how you look at it. New dollar coins featuring John Adams are missing edge inscriptions including "In God We Trust," according to the Professional Coin Grading Service, a rare coin authentication company based in Newport Beach, Calif.

The company said people have found hundreds of Adams dollar coins without the edge lettering, repeating a previous mistake. In March, an unknown number of George Washington dollar coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint without "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum," and the year and mint mark inscribed on the edge.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Mint said the agency is looking into the reports.

After the Washington "godless dollars" were discovered, the Mint pledged to more closely monitor the striking process.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:00 AM 0 comments

Romney, the New Christian
Friday, June 15, 2007

Romney making inroads in the Religious Right (and ignoring Jews nearly altogether).

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:05 AM 0 comments

The Darwin Primary
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Forget Paris Hilton or Willie Horton, the biggest celebrity on the Presidential hustings this year is Charles Darwin. If Gallup is right, the GOP will continue its Darwin bashing.

The majority of Republicans in the United States do not believe the theory of evolution is true and do not believe that humans evolved over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. This suggests that when three Republican presidential candidates at a May debate stated they did not believe in evolution, they were generally in sync with the bulk of the rank-and-file Republicans whose nomination they are seeking to obtain.

Independents and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe in the theory of evolution. But even among non-Republicans there appears to be a significant minority who doubt that evolution adequately explains where humans came from.

Here's the oddly phrased question.

Now thinking about how human beings came to exist on Earth, do you, personally, believe in evolution, or not?

Yes, believe
in
evolution

No, do
not

No
opinion

2007 May 21-24

49

48

2


So odd that even Gallup apologizes: It is important to note that this question included a specific reference to "thinking about how human beings came to exist on Earth . . ." that oriented the respondents toward an explicit consideration of the implication of evolution for man's origin. Results may have been different without this introductory phrase.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:11 AM 2 comments

Mormons V. Romney
Monday, June 11, 2007

Anxiety in Utah.

But even for the many Mormons who support Mr. Romney, the moment is fraught with anxiety because his candidacy is bringing intense scrutiny to their church, and could exacerbate longstanding bigotry.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is called, has been fighting for legitimacy since its founding 177 years ago in upstate New York. The church’s first prophet, Joseph Smith Jr., was killed by a mob in Illinois and his followers fled from persecution and settled in Utah.

While Mormons are by now successfully integrated and prospering in the American mix, memories of that persecution are still fresh. Many current members can trace their great-great-grandparents to the church’s earliest pioneers, and children grow up reading their ancestors’ original diaries. Many Mormons fear that Mr. Romney’s campaign may reopen old wounds.

“I thought we might get mud thrown at us,” said Lula DeValve, 82, a retired teacher and a Democrat who volunteers with the League of Women Voters.

John Hatch, 30, a history student at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, said, “What most Mormons desire is acceptance.”

“We see ourselves as normal,” Mr. Hatch said. “We struggle with those outsiders who see us as weird — the magic underwear stuff,” a reference to the ritual garments that Mormons are supposed to wear under their clothing.

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Posted by B Feiler at 8:06 AM 0 comments

Those Godless Dems?
Wednesday, June 6, 2007

The tired, scurrilous claim that people who oppose the Administration (be them Democrats on Iraq or Republicans on immigration) are un-patriotic is not enough for some candidates for president. Now Mike Huckabee thinks any person who opposes Creationism is anti-God. A funny analysis of this by Roger Simon in scoring the Republican debate:

THIRD PLACE: Mike Huckabee

Analysis: Veep Alert! Veep Alert! Smooth. Not too strident. Not too tall. Won’t overshadow top of ticket. Totally playing for the vice presidential slot.

Knows how to set up a straw man and then knock him down: Asked about why he believes in Creationism, he said: “If they want a president who doesn't believe in God, there's probably plenty of choices.” There are? Name one.

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Posted by B Feiler at 12:18 PM 0 comments

Here Comes the Left?

I've always been a bit uncomfortable with the term "Religious Left." It seems such a derivative term of the "Religious Right." The power of the "Religious Right," it seems to me, has long come not from the fact that its members hold conservative political views -- are both religious and right, in the political sense -- but that it was, at least formerly, an organized political entity, with fundraising capacity, mailing lists, and organizational muscle. That is the part of the political spectrum that seems diminished these days. The so-called Religious Left is largely made up up people who are religious and left, in the political sense, with the limited exception of a few organizations, among them Sojourners. That's why the Sojourners conference this week has gotten so much attention: It's old-fashioned muscle flexing, which is great.

Here, the Christian Science Monitor, reviews the event:

This was no garden-variety political presentation by the top three Democratic presidential candidates Monday night on the campus of George Washington University, in the shadow of the White House. The forum, sponsored by the progressive Christian group Sojourners, represented the boldest indication yet that the "religious left" is building as a political force, no longer willing to cede "values voters" to the religious conservative movement that has long formed the activist base of the Republican Party.

The candidates' easy willingness to appear at the forum also represents a watershed for the modern Democratic Party: Intimate discussion of faith, and how it informs policy views and personal behavior, is no longer an arms-length proposition at the party's highest levels.

"It's an important strategic move for all these people – not to say their faith isn't genuine," says Jim Guth, an expert on religion and politics at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. "But I think they recognize that in a very closely divided electorate, any ability they have to peel off moderate religious conservatives or centrists, by making it clear they're comfortable with the language of faith – that's a political advantage and wise strategy and maybe good policy and good politics."

In an ironic twist – following a 2004 election in which white Evangelicals went 80 percent for the Republican, President Bush – today's top Democratic contenders may be more comfortable fielding questions on religion than today's top Republicans. On the GOP side, Rudolph Giuliani is a Roman Catholic who is on his third marriage and who takes liberal positions on social issues; John McCain is an Episcopalian, but, like Mr. Giuliani, rarely mentions his faith. Mitt Romney describes his Mormonism as central to his life, but it's a religion that leaves many voters uncomfortable – and could make him an awkward fit for conservative Evangelical voters. The three top Republicans have been invited by Sojourners to appear at a forum in September.

Still, experts on religion and politics agree that the religious left has a way to go to catch up to the religious right in organizational strength and that there are structural barriers that could prevent it from happening.

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Posted by B Feiler at 7:44 AM 0 comments

Faith Off
Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Andrew Sullivan on Monday's "Faith Off" on CNN:

I went to the Democratic faith-off last night to see Edwards, Obama and Clinton expose their religious life to a religious-left audience. It felt to me like that scene in Coriolanus when the great leader is forced to go into the town square and let the hoi polloi examine, discuss and judge his war-scars. It was a spectacle at once spiritually crass, politicallly vulgar and democratically corrosive. It didn't help that the theologically-challenged moderator, CNN's Soledad O'Brien, asked questions like: "What's the biggest sin you've ever committed?" Just when you think cable news cannot get any dumber, someone like Ms O'Brien slinks onto a stage.

But the implications of the debate were more worrying. We have had terrible problems grappling with the religious right these past few years, but we may have just begun to adjust to the power and emergence of the religious left. The rhetoric would have done evangelical statist, Michael Gerson, proud. And when you see three leading Democratic candidates fall over each other to endorse faith-based initiatives, and insist, in Clinton's words, on "injecting faith into policy," or, in Obama's words, basing politics on a "Biblical injunction," you realize that George W. Bush really has had a legacy. He has decisively increased the religiosity of public debate - as well, of course, as its fatuousness. How can we "end poverty" in the next ten years, asked Jim Wallis? Umm: didn't LBJ already try that? And, given the certainty and self-righteousness all around me, why not just end poverty, illness, and illegitimacy in the next ten months? Why not end tyranny as well, while we're at it? (Oops: we just tried that. Never mind.) Jeez. Some people just keep putting boundaries on the power of God. When merged with government, what social ill can it not solve?

I watched part of the show, and while I disagree that it's corrosive (why is it more corrosive that being forced to raise your hand repeatedly and declare positions on complex issues, like English as the official languaged?), I can't disagree that it was not all that enlightening. I did find Hillary Clinton more relaxed than I have seen her in many months. Maybe she's gaining confidence with her continued success and at having been so stellar on Sunday night.

As for which questions I wish were asked, click here.

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Posted by B Feiler at 3:47 PM 0 comments

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