Obama Goes After Religious Voters
Posted by Ashish on 07.01.2008
Smart move...
We saw in 2000 and 2004 that Al Gore and John Kerry more or less let George W. Bush have the strongly religious voters, and Bush not only dominated among them, but he turned them out in record numbers. Gore and Kerry would often go out of their way to avoid talking about religion. But Obama has been taking the opposite stance. Since before Iowa, he has talked about religion and his personal faith more than anyone else who ran for the Democratic nomination, and now today he has rolled out a plan that calls for an expansion of Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups.
Obama has always talked about the influence of churches and places of worship over regular people, and how they have the power to organize for good, and he is backing that up with his speech today to continue this Bush program. Even Bush's former director of faith-based programs praised Obama's plan today.
But the really surprising news is that the Obama campaign is now planning over 1000 house parties and dozens of Christian rock concerts in an attempt to win over some of the religious voters who have been voting Republican. In a year where the Republican nominee is not connecting with religious voters, especially Christians, as Bush did, Obama may find some traction.
It's a sign that Obama very much plans to play a lot of offense this year, and sees the religious/Christian voter block as one that McCain won't be able to hold on to as well as Bush did in 2004. Obama doesn't have to win the group, but if he makes it closer than it was in Bush/Kerry, it's a major shift. It's a smart move and will force McCain to fight for a group that he might have taken for granted.
Yeah, his coming out against DOMA and the California Amendment banning gay marriage is really going to help him sway evangelicals.
Posted By: Chris Connolly (Registered) on July 01, 2008 at 04:29 PM
Not all evangelicals are thick-skulled neo-con bigots.
This is a smart move by Obama, and I'm glad to see it. The Dems have just been letting Republicans convince voters that if you're Christian, you MUST vote Republican. Sad thing is that many have believed that.
Posted By: Ken B. (Guest) on July 01, 2008 at 04:53 PM
I'd rather just not have evangelicals at all.
Though fact of the matter is, Bush pandered to them in 2000 and 2004, then did nothing to implement the bigoted cultural revolution they were promised. So screw em, they won't get the chance to make America into Jesusland.
Posted By: John Gregory (Registered) on July 01, 2008 at 06:12 PM
It's just common sense. Faith based groups have an infrastructure set up to provide services. With the caveats Obama stated that infrastructure can be of great assistance.
Maybe if the Hillary had included some religiously funded hospitals in her secret group to reform health care instead of talking only to her friends at the insurance companies she might have been able to get something done.
Posted By: Miri NY (Guest) on July 01, 2008 at 06:17 PM
Chris,
If you think homosexuals and abortion are the only issue that Christians care about in the year of 2008 then you are vastly out of touch. The issues of war, poverty and caring for the sick are becoming important again among the general Christian populace.
Posted By: TC (Guest) on July 01, 2008 at 06:21 PM
All I am saying is that gay marriage is a hot button issue for the politically active Evangelicals in this country. Heck, the whole reason Huckabee caught fire in the primaries was because he was able to present himself as the one true socially conservative in the race.
Posted By: Chris Connolly (Registered) on July 01, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Got to love the ultra tolerant liberals who criticize anyone as religious as being ignorant and bigoted. Must be nice to be able to be criticized but not accept criticism of their own views as well.
Posted By: Scott (Guest) on July 02, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Screw the gay marriage ban. Who cares if homosexuals want to marry each other? In what POSSIBLE way does that affect straight people? I really fail to see the connection. Just because homosexual marriage would be legal doesn't mean I'm going to marry my fellow man. I still like girls, and if some other guy likes guys, I don't really care.
Of all the stupid issues people fight over, homosexual marriage is the most stupid. Let the straights marry straights and the gays marry gays. Nobody with half a brain carees anyway.
Posted By: Your Own Personal Jesus (Guest) on July 02, 2008 at 04:53 PM
STAY CURRENT