Forum on 'Faith in Politics' limited to candidates with 'realistic chance of winning'

[bigtree]

June 4, 2007

The evangelical minister hosting Monday's discussion of faith, values and poverty with Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards sees 2008 as a turning point for faith-based progressives.

"I think the 2008 election will be dramatically different from the 2004 election in relationship to issues of faith and values," the Rev. Jim Wallis told ABC News. "The Democratic front-runners are all people who are clearly more comfortable in church as people of faith -- relating their faith to politics -- than the top Republican front-runners."

Wallis is the author of "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It" and the founder of Sojourners, the largest national network of progressive Christians.

He describes himself in his writings as an advocate of a "new moral politics" that "transcends" the "old categories" of both the "secular left" and the "religious right."

In an e-mail to supporters sent just hours before the start of his 7 p.m. EDT forum with the Democratic Party's top-three presidential contenders, Wallis wrote, "There are very few moments when we have the opportunity to turn the eyes of the nation away from the three-ring circus that our electoral process resembles and on to the concerns of those whom Jesus called the 'least of these.' Tonight is one of those moments."

Rather than invite all eight Democratic presidential candidates to Monday's discussion at George Washington University, Wallis decided to limit the invitation list to Clinton, Obama and Edwards, in order to foster a "more thoughtful, deeper, reflective" conversation among those candidates who he thinks have a realistic chance of winning their party's nomination.

article: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3242499&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

I'm completely fed up with this calculation that's allowed these three to be identified as 'top tier' candidates. The skewed focus obviously perpetuates their elevated status by giving them more coverage and more exposure.

It's going to be impossible for me to watch pared-down forums like this one without feeling manipulated by the selection of views. How does a focus on just these three represent our party at this early date, in this or in any other of their views?

[Tom Joad]

1. Wallis is kissing butt in his old age. 30 years ago, he would have

repudiated the militaristic politics of the top tier (and most of the bottom tier, for that matter). No more. Fame rules. Wallis wants to be the Billy Graham of the semi-liberal bunch.
Wallis has gone from embracing the liberation theology of Jesus, to the neo-liberal poison of popular American politics.

May God have mercy on his soul.

[bigtree]

2. thanks for the insight

[The Blue Flower]

3. Please support your statements

I have read Wallis' books and am on his email list and read Sojourner's magazine. If you're going to make such an inflammatory statement, flaming a true progressive, then back it up for all of those who are not familiar with Wallis.

[slipslidingaway]

4. K&R exclude the poorer candidates and those who opposed

the Iraq invasion as they cannot win and apparently would not even have any ideas to contribute to this discussion.

:puke:

[Tom Joad]

7. this is a community that supported Dan Berrigan, now providing a platform for Hillary Clinton...

and excluding Dennis Kucinich?

[slipslidingaway]

8. Dennis is not rich enough to be invited, this is not sitting well with

me.

Two candidates that voted to allow Bush to invade Iraq, spending billions on war instead of poverty while inflicting horrors on other people get invited to discuss values and the poor.



:argh:

[Tom Joad]

9. They would have invited Pontius Pilate, and not that poor working dude from

Nazareth.
After all, who is more likely to be a person in power?

[slipslidingaway]

10. LOL you might be correct n/t

[madfloridian]

5. Jim Wallis on Dems and Pro-Life.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/150/story_15032_1.html

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. This shocked and saddened me.

I expected more of Wallis. :(