BY TAYLOR MARSH
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Senator McCain is at a real disadvantage on this one. He just can’t talk the
language. Obama clearly can, which has the potential of not only wrestling some
voters from the GOP, but also making people more comfortable with Barack Obama,
who remains largely an unknown. This outreach should surprise no one. Secondarily, it might also help with the Muslim
smears and rumors permeating this season, because it’s clear when Obama talks
religion it’s something he knows at some personal level.
There’s no doubt churches can make a difference.
Their community outreach can change lives. It’s certainly something Hillary
Clinton has utilized throughout her career and would if she were the nominee,
though her style is quieter than Obama’s, but with a religious foundation running
just as deep. Just as long as no Democrat allows compromise on women’s civil
rights or gay rights to become part of the package. What happens at the root
level, things like “conversion therapy,” as well as Catholic hospitals
not providing the full spectrum of choices for women, including something as
basic as sex education and Plan B options, shouldn’t be ignored for the surface
level pandering that some religious institutions offer as a guise.
Democratic Party policies represent a special opportunity for someone who can
articulate the convergence of humane policy prescriptions with a faith-based
rationale for implementing them. Of course, there is a constitutional line that
must be walked. But anyone who doubts that churches, especially in urban communities,
can make a real difference in lives hasn’t felt the impact of these organizations. These same institutions can also impact votes, which Democrats should in no way ignore, especially given that our policies offer solutions that go well beyond the GOP’s pick yourself up by your own bootstraps foundation.
John DiIulio was the director of George W. Bush’s Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives, with the Obama campaign releasing this statement from him:
“Senator Barack Obama has offered a principled, prudent, and problem-solving
vision for the future of community-serving partnerships involving religious
nonprofit organizations. He has focused admirably on those groups that supply
vital social services to people and communities in need. His plan
reminds me of much that was best in both then Vice President Al Gore’s and
then Texas Governor George W. Bush’s respective first speeches on the subject
in 1999. Especially in urban America, all the empirical evidence
continues to show that local faith-based organizations can make a measurable
civic difference. His constitutionally sound and administratively feasible
ideas about community-serving partnerships hold special promise for truly
disadvantaged children, youth, and families. Many good community-serving initiatives
can be built, expanded, or sustained on the common ground that Senator Obama
has staked out for us here,” said John DiIulio.
When talking to evangelicals and reaching out to faith-based groups, it’s clear
that the Democratic Party has a natural hook. It’s the way we come at civic
involvement and government’s role in being our brother’s keeper.
They are also trying to take advantage of signs that some conservative Christians
are rethinking their politics, urged along by a new generation of leadership
and intensified concern about issues including climate change, genocide, AIDS
and poverty. … And polls indicate that evangelicals and other religious
voters are already migrating away from their overwhelming support of the Republicans,
some because of disillusionment about the war, others because of concern about
global warming, still others because of uncertainty about the economy.Mr. Obama is also reaching out to young evangelicals, the so-called Joshua
generation, a group that would seem to be a fertile ground for recruitment.Leaders of the movement of progressives on religion and values, including
Mara Vanderslice, Eric Sapp and Burns Strider (who advised Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton), are also working alongside the Obama campaign to
attract support from these younger religious voters….
Obama’s reach into traditional GOP territory is stirring the wingnut Bible
thumping beast, however. Dr. Dobson and Tony Perkins don’t like Obama coming
in to their turf. They’re going to fight like mad to keep it from happening.
Because if this GOP line is crossed by Democrats it could realign the religious
so that values voters think beyond abortion and women’s civil rights to broader
areas where faith can have a huge impact as well.
Why shouldn’t matters of war and peace and poverty form a faith-based avenue
by which to lure people to the Democratic Party? As long as the Constitution
is the guide, with non-discrimination, protections for secular individuals and freedom from
religion having a place, there’s no reason this can’t have a positive outcome.
But this is by no means an easy task.
Oh, and to add… The original AP story was wrong, according to the Obama campaign, which the Obama team said is being corrected, but so far the AP still hasn’t got it completely correct. From the Obama campaign:
“Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don’t believe this partnership will endanger that idea – so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them – or against the people you hire – on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we’ll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work.”
Whatever your thoughts on religion, this puts real pressure on John McCain,
which is a very good thing. That said, it also could boomerang to bring Dobson
and Perkins to his side, because their right-wing reactionary views are supported
by McCain’s voting record. By trying to divide and conquer Obama could actually
stir the wingnut faith-based beast.
This move from Obama, which I believe Clinton would have also done, however differently, could have real impact, including down ticket. If it gives the GOP heartburn and makes McCain squirm it’s worth the effort.
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