Headline from US News and World Report:
Obama Campaign is Making Progress With Evangelical Voters
"They've researched where the votes are, and they've thrown away the old Democratic playbooks," says Brinson, who is among the evangelical leaders the Obama camp has reached out to. "Instead of just relying on a large number of urban votes, they're going to suburban areas and reaching out to a large number of conservatives."
I think this is great. It's about time someone on the Democratic side of politics went right after the church-going vote. Those folks tend to be more conservative, sure, but they're not all exactly the same. Despite what some on the left like to believe, evangelicals are not all marching in lock step. Some are going to be open to a centrist like Obama.
I like this approach that says, "We're not going to just try to win with 7 East Coast States and three West Coast states and try to pick up a few in the middle." If the Dems want to really lead this country, they are going to have to be a national party. They are going to have to have support outside the traditional strongholds. And Obama seems to get that.
The article ends by asking whether there are risks: whether Obama's outreach to the evangelicals will alienate traditional Dem voters. We've already seen some backlash over his supposed "change" in positions, which have been largely cases of media hype and selective memory. But let me put the question to my readers:
What do you think of Obama's efforts to win evangelical votes?
1 comment:
The over simplified view of this issue, rightly or wrongly, always seems to boil down to our two favorite wedge issues: homosexuality and abortion. I don't mean to be glib, these are serious issues. I just don't want to go there. I can't think of anything in that area that hasn't already been said. These issues will weigh in this election as they have in every election in recent memory. The question is how heavily?
Maybe there are other things on peoples minds, and the hot button issues will nudge down slightly on people's lists of priorities in this election. What about: social and economic justice? poverty? racism? helping one another? offering hope? I think an emphasis on those issues can play Obama's strengths.
Growing up Catholic, I observed that it was all a matter of emphasis as to how sincere religious people would align politicaly. Some of the nuns and priests I knew were against the Reagan policies in Central America and pretty much lined up with your average left wing Democrat. Others viewed abortion as the single issue that trumped all others and we're steadfast Republicans. Pick your topic, put it to the top of the list, and you get one candidate. Pick another topic, and you get a different result.
How does this relate to the question of Obama reaching out to the evangelical vote? I think he may find an audience receptive to a dialogue. Helping the poor, breaking down racial barriers - these seem to be areas of common ground.
Finally, I have to believe that there are a lot in all religious communities who feel deeply uncomfortable where we have gone as a nation, one small step at a time. Is the United States of America permanently business of preemptively attacking other countries, war without end, amen? Which candidate is more likely to reverse this trend? Which candidate is more likely to attack Iran? Regardless of the effectiveness of such a foreign policy, how does this sit in the heart of a thoughtful, spiritual person who believes in a message of peace? Once again, I don't mean to be glib it's obviously complicated, but I think this is a big factor with religious and ethical components that are hard to ignore.
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