Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., thinks Democrats should reach out to churchgoing Americans, saying that if Democrats “don’t reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons will continue to hold sway.” Obama, who along with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and other Democrats spoke at “progressive evangelical” conference this week, also rightly cautioned that Democrats should not make phony attempts to connect with evangelicals: “Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith: the politician who shows up at a black church around election time and claps — off rhythm — to the gospel choir.”
Posted by Melissa Cooley
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53 Comments
Amen brother Obama.We have seen the light!!
(cue: the ghost of John Belushi, doing hand-springs down the center isle of congress)
Hey now wait a minute! The GOP has the corner on God….Check the patent office! I am should Bush did a signing statement on this some time!
Maybe the Religous Left can revive the Democratic Party?
PATRIOT-WE HOPE SO.
Oh great! Now our politics have been further whittled down to who can court the evangelicals.
How about just standing up for what you believe in and leave it at that, instead of pandering and pampering an exclusive single issue voter base.
Joe, I hope the Dem’s God is the one who cares for the average Joe, not just Bush’s wealthy ‘base’.
I’m just curious: why did Cooley feel it necessary to put progressive evangelical in quotes?
Uh, because no such hybrid exists? Kinda like “military intelligence” or “jumbo shrimp”.
But then, you already knew that when you posted. Gee, do ya think we might hear some more whining, from another one name, one hit wonder, about how christians are a persecuted majority?
Dear Cara,
Ooh, Ooh, Pick me! Pick me!
I can answer that one!
The conference of “progressive evangelicals” was actually a conference of the Sojourners. The Sojourners are a left-wing Christian group that believes that government can solve the poverty problem if we just get enough liberal democrats elected to public office.
Never mind that the ‘war on poverty’ has only been sucessful in transfering the equivilent of the national debt from the ‘haves’ to the ‘have nots’. The result of which has been to increase poverty, out of wedlock births, etc.
Calling the Sojourners “progressive evangelicals” is like calling Ted Kennedy a “progressive conservative”! They are more of a liberal PAC than anything else.
Hank
I think you misinterpret my intention with that post.
By printing “progressive evangelicals” she seems to imply that they are akin to the “tooth fairy” or “unicorns”; ie, they don’t exist. As if one cannot possibly be a liberal and a Christian.
It’s easy to have that impression when the only Christian voices the media consults are conservative blowhards (Falwell, Roberston, Terry Fox, et al). It’s easy for me to believe that the media has something against liberal Christians when the local ABC station happily runs Pat Robertson’s hour-long 700 Club tirades (calling on the execution of foreign heads of state and blaming gays for, well, everyting)5 days a week, but refuses a 30-second United Church of Christ ad saying everyone (including gays) is welcome at their church because it’s too controversial. (See http://accessibleairwaves.org/)
Personally, I was hoping that Cooley would respond to my question. Because it seems to me that putting progressive evangelicals in quotes is once again saying that “real, true” Christians are all of one type-conservative. But then, I didn’t want to accuse Cooley of something she may not be guilty of.
Cara,The editors do not participate with us in our discussions. They post the thread and let us discuss/rip apart any ideas we come up with. A better chance of getting an editors response is to directly email them and I’m not sure if they will answer or not.Good luck.
Thanks for the input, Julie. Obviously I’m new here.
Also, you’ll have to cut and paste the think in my previous comment. Sorry ’bout that….
Cara,it’s ok - we all get to typing and don’t always proofread
Please allow me to welcome you. This can be a fun place. Be prepared to defend your views (with links if necessary). A lot of us are suspicious of new posters - you may have to ‘prove’ yourself.Don’t take this too seriously.We look forward to blogging with you.
“Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., thinks Democrats should reach out to churchgoing Americans, saying that if Democrats “don’t reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for,”.The problem is that they already know what the Democrats stand for, that’s why they vote Republican!
I think the religious community is waking up to how much they are represented by the Republican party. The Repub. record has been promise them everything, give them nothing up until a few months before the election and then try to pass a gay marriage ban or some other wedge issue maneuver. The wedge always fails and the Repubs hope the evangelics will like them because, “at least they tried” - Bush can say “America isn’t yet ready to go all the way reverse Roe v. Wade”. The problem is those voters aren’t thinking that what they gotten from the Repubs is enough and some religious values voters care about poverty and the enviornment - issues the Repubs are not popular on… So, there may be some changes afoot, and I say it is about time.
RA,So what you are implying is Republican stupidity in voting is granted them by their belief in God. A bit far fetched, but I would have to agree in part with you.
” The Repub. record has been promise them everything, give them nothing up until a few months before the election and then try to pass a gay marriage ban or some other wedge issue maneuver”
That’s how Dems get the black vote!
The Republicans have used their lies, once again, saying the Democrats are Godless. What stupidity!
Anti-Christion? Bull.
Full of hate? Take a look at Ann Coulter.
Immoral? Just ask a Republican pedophile about that one. How many of those were caught who were in the government this year alone?
Republicans on the attack. How Christian is that? WWJD?
“That’s how Dems get the black vote!”
Pat,Joe Williams delusional ideas not-withstanding, the Dems delivered civil rights legislation to those black voters. Sorry, but yours is not an equalavence anyone is likely to believe.
Dear DD,
You might check the voting record on the civil rights legislation. A greater percentage of republican senators voted for it than democrats.
Hank
Also, don’t expect things to change much just because a bunch of the Sojourners cheered Obama.
If they concentrated on the scriptures as much as they did trying to get liberal democrats elected they might truly be able to be called evangelicals without laughter from the right.
Hank
Dear DD,
Since I know you wouldn’t actually check, or if you did check, you wouldn’t be man enough to concede the point, I looked it up for you. Here is the facts of the Civil rights act of 1964:
Republicans voted for civil rights by a margin of 79 percent to 21 percent, 136-35. The Democrats’ margin was 153-91 or 63 percent to 37 percent.
Hank
Thanks for the clarification, Mr. Price. Both parties helped with civil rights legislation. A good thing if you ask me.
While I will avoid making any statement about your genderhood (civility, you know), I will say that I regret that there is not more bipartisan legislation these days.
Now that you’ve got your research out, Hank, how many of those 91 votes were cast by representatives of Congressional districts located below the Mason-Dixon line?
Not sure your version is the *whole* truth, frankly.
And Hank, do you know how many of those “Dixiecrats” converted to being Republicans?
Also, Hank, I am sincerely curious as to what you would see as the legislative successes of the Bush administration and the Republican controlled Congress these past 6 years.
I think three converted to republicans.
Sincerely? I think it sucks! I think we’ve got more liberal legislation in the past 6 yrs than in the previous 12.
Sincerely!
That’s why I chuckle when I’m accused of being a bushbot and other favorite names of the left has.
I support Bush on about 50% of what he does.
Hank
Hank- That’s curious. Can you expand on what you mean with some examples?
Gary
“the Dems delivered civil rights legislation to those black voters.”
What Hank said.
Of the 50% you agree with, what stands out as the “best” in your opinion?
I think I recall you commenting that the “no child left behind” as being among the worst of the recent legislation. Am I recalling correctly and would you anything else to the “worst” category?
“I support Bush on about 50% of what he does.”
Hank, that’s about 50% too much. LOL
Jus funnin’ wit ya.
I think signing the McCain-Feingold election reform legislation was either the worst or dumbest.
I think congress ought to abolish the Dept of Ed. So any legislation that gives it more money/power/responsibility is dumb.
His imigration policy is stupid beyond belief, build the damn fence!
That’s just a few that get my panties in a wad.
Hank
Who was it in the Republican party that claimed that God belonged to the GOP?
I have been a republican for some time now, I have been involved in several campaigns, I have read much of the literature produced by the Republican Party.
I don’t recall anything saying God belonged to the GOP.
As a Christian, I find that the republican party represents many more of my values than the Democrats do.
I might be jumping out on a limb when I say that the other Christians who support republicans do it for the same reasons.
If it makes people like DD and others feel better by dismissing our support as being duped by the GOP by tactics, then I hope you feel better. It is nothing more than you blinding yourself to feel good though.
I think one of the biggest reasons so many Christians support the Republicans over the Democrats is the ACLU.
The ACLU has been waging a war against all forms of Christianity anywhere in, on, or out in public places for some time now.
The biggest supporters of the ACLU happen to be those on the left who happen to be democrats.
It is not some gimmick that the GOP uses to get the “Christian vote.”
If you want to talk about gimmicks to pander to the Christians then you need look no further than people who come up with crap like:
I am pro-life, but I support a womans right to choose.
Those are the kinds of gimmicks I see through.
“I don’t recall anything saying God belonged to the GOP.”
Neither do I. That’s just Donkeyspeak, nothing more.
I was only wondering, why would you say that God doesn’t belong to the GOP?
Last I checked it wasn’t an argument being made by the GOP…
I know Christians who are attracted to the democratic party because of the emphasis on domestic issues. There are also plenty of Christians I know who have problems with the abortion position of the Dems and that is sufficient reason for them them to vote Republican — though many of these voters hold their nose while doing it, however.
Overturning Roe v. Wade would be large boon to the Democratic party and one reason Bush or any Republican successor will never do that. I volunteer to publicly eat crow if that ever happens — I think I will safe…
“I was only wondering, why would you say that God doesn’t belong to the GOP?”
“Last I checked it wasn’t an argument being made by the GOP…”
Don’t worry about if God is on your side, Worry if you are on God’s side.
Maybe while their at it, the Democrats can reach out to the Ku Klux Klan, or even the NAZIs.Who will defend us from fanatic Evangelicals
another one hit, one name conservative poster? Hmmmmmm…..
You mean contrary to conservative theory, GOP doesn’t stand for God’s Own Party?
I think that most voters will see through the sham that the Democrats have suddenly turned Christian.
Why? They are the party that practices Christianity, instead of Old Testament Vindictiveness.
Steve and Right Angle,
I think that we could have a much better discussion without the silly generalizations about either party.
Seriously, I swear I saw an article recently where a Rep used the phrase, GOP God’s Own Party. I suppose it could’ve been said by Jerry Falwell. Or maybe even Pat Robertson? As far as I know, both are Republican, are they not?
But I doubt anyone in the administration would say such a thing. It would be political suicide. You’d be hearing the first Ammendment quoted so much you’d be saying it in your sleep.
Democrats don’t play the God card?I still laugh out loud when I think of Clinton, sitting in the front row at that black baptist church in Harlem, trying to sing along and clap to the rhythm with tears running down his face after the “Monica” scandal!!
Did you know that allowing Women to Vote came from a Republican President with a Republican Congress (both houses)?
I’m sorry! But Republicans are on the right side of equal rights. Voters Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, Emancipating the Slaves, Womens Voting Rights, Americans with Disibilities Act, and etc.
The only thing that has a black mark is Gay Marriage, but that is with the help of the Democrats and the registared Democrat voters, because their vote secured the ban.
This is just further proof that obama is a moron. GOP sham artists like shrub and yellowback have been fooling the sheeple for a good while now in regards to their supposed piety!
V.L.R.B!!
Maybe the question should be asked as to why either party should be bringing religion into politics in the first place.
When churches pay taxes, then they have a right to speak out and be catered to. And I don’t really care if it’s the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or the First Baptist Church of Podunk.
Take a look at Iraq and ask if this is what we want for our country.
Leave religion where it belongs–in the heart and the churches–not in Congress and the White House.
RD,
Churches are composed of people who have just as much of a right to free speech and involvement in government as anyone else.
You confuse the church with the many people who are members.
Religion happens to be a large part of many peoples lives. People who are religious don’t have to and shouldn’t have to leave it out of government.
We live in a country where a majority claim to be Christian. I think in a representative government having people who represent Christians is just fine.
“Religion happens to be a large part of many peoples lives”
That’s fine Nathan, as long as they keep it to themselves and leave those of us not in need of religion alone. But they cannot seem to do that.
Late to this thread.
I would say that Democrats far better exibit the teachings of Jesus than Republicans. Democrats help the poor. Republicans exploit the poor. Democrats want health care for all. Republicans think the sick should receive care in proportion with their ability to pay. Democrats offer assistance. Republicans blame the victim. I could go on.
Democrats need to turn this faith fight as they do others back in the face of the right. Dems are “baby killers”? Then Republicans are baby starvers. Dems want God outta the public? Republicans use God in vain.
JR,
We could go back to the discussion I tried to have with you before. Where do your values come from?
Simply because my values come from my faith doesn’t make them any less valid in the political arena than yours because yours do not.
We all bring our values to the political realm regardless of where they come from.
As far as the rest of your post goes… just petty generalizations.
NATHAN’S FAITH - “WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?”
Yeah, who WOULD He bomb?…Nathan will probably say he honestly doesn’t know because the Bible doesn’t address that subject.How does that song go? “Praise the Lord….and pass the ammunition!”