2008 RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE (Church-eye Points-of-view)

[Ian David]

2008 RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
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Evangelicals Sizing Up Romney
“Conservative evangelical leaders in Texas and nationwide say former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's Mormon faith will be an obstacle to winning support from the Republican base. Some conservative Christian voters will be uncomfortable with certain tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they say. But more important to many social conservatives is their belief that the GOP presidential hopeful will be an ally in advancing their political agenda. "I would hope most people in the Christian conservative movement are mature enough in their politics not to just write him off because he's a Mormon," said Lufkin evangelist Rick Scarborough of Vision America. "But I do think that gives a lot of people pause." Many evangelicals consider the Mormon faith to be a cult because Mormons believe that texts not found in the Bible are sacred and because Mormons claim their leaders are prophets who receive revelations directly from God.” (The Dallas Morning News, “Evangelicals: Voters may not go for Romney,” 01-20-07)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M723133356607398338301065&af=y

Black Clergy Sizing Up Obama
“As pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C., the Rev. James Blassingame feels pride at the thought of electing the country's first black president. But Blassingame, one of his state's most prominent black ministers, will not support Sen. Barack Obama's bid to achieve that historic goal. Instead, the minister will campaign for one of Obama's white rivals for the Democratic nomination, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Obama, he said, is a "stranger" with a faraway home and little-known biography, whereas Edwards — "he's a homeboy." Other black leaders are wary that the relatively untested senator from Illinois might prove weak in the general election. Other black leaders are wary that the relatively untested senator from Illinois might prove weak in the general election.” (LA Times, “Black leaders still sizing up Obama,” 01-19-07)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M723133366607398338301065&af=y

Being Evangelical: The Times Have Changed Since Carter
“While on the presidential campaign trail 30 years ago, someone asked Jimmy Carter a rather indelicate public question: Are you born again? Carter said he was. And the next thing he knew, various media creatures were accusing the Southern Baptist peanut farmer of implying that his political aspirations had a divine imprimatur. "I truthfully answered, 'Yes,' assuming all devout Christians were born again, of the Holy Spirit," Carter wrote in his 2005 book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis….Perhaps that's why, back when I interviewed Barack Obama about his faith in spring 2004 a few days after he'd won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, I didn't ask him something I've remained curious about since: Does he consider himself an evangelical?” (Chicago Sun Times, “Evangelical? Obama's faith too complex for simple label,” 01-18-07)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M723133376607398338301065&af=y


McCain Seeking To Make Amends With Dobson
“Sen. John McCain hopes to reconcile his differences with James Dobson after the Focus on the Family leader said he would not vote for McCain because he's "not in favor of traditional marriage." Sen. John McCain said Tuesday he hopes to patch things up with conservative Christian leader James Dobson, who recently said he wouldn’t support the Republican’s presidential bid under any circumstances. In a radio interview with KCBI, a Dallas Christian station, Dobson argued that McCain didn’t support traditional marriage values and complained that the campaign finance legislation he co-authored hurt Christian broadcasters. ‘’Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances,’’ Dobson said on KCBI.” (Associated Press, “McCain to Make Amends With Dobson,” 01-17-07)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M723133386607398338301065&af=y

Religious Leaders Speak Out Against Negative Campaign Tactics
“A host of religious leaders have condemned "the bitter, destructive politics" that they say resulted in a political smear campaign against presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Several Web sites and a Fox News program reported that Obama was hiding the fact that he was educated in a madrassa, or a fundamentalist Islamic school, during his childhood in Indonesia. Obama, who denied the allegations, has acknowledged attending a school that enrolled mostly Muslims for two years, as well as a Catholic school for another two while living in Indonesia. A number of clerics signed an open letter that sharply criticized the smear tactics. "We have had enough of the slash and burn politics calculated to divide us as children of God," the letter read. "Certain moral standards should infuse our national dialogue, and the recent attacks on Sen. Obama violate values at the heart of this dialogue." (Religion News Service, “Religious Leaders Defend Obama Against Madrassa Allegations,” 01-24-07)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M723133396607398338301065&af=y


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