It’s just not safe these days to presume that a Democratic presidential candidate is progressive on the issues that matter.
Consider the poor, pandering performance of three Democratic presidential candidates on the issue of religion and politics. When asked by the Associated Press to tell voters which church they attend and how often, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Christopher Dodd scrambled to provide eager answers to prove that they’re not just religious believers, but that they attend church regularly and dutifully. Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Joseph Biden reported their churches too.
Hillary Clinton gushed about her “extended prayer family” who she describes as “faith warriors”. Obama reported proudly that he attends church “frequently”. John Edwards reported that he’s got one church already, and is shopping for a second one.
Only Rudolph Giuliani got the answer right. He refused to answer. “The mayor’s personal relationship with God is private and between him and God,” Giuliani’s campaign wrote in response.
It’s shameful to see Democrats posing to prove how religious they are, as if the issue has anything to do with their qualification for public service. Do they really expect us to accept the idea that a candidate who is religious is more qualified to be President of the United States than a candidate who is not? Maybe what they actually believe doesn’t matter so much to their campaigns. If the majority of Americans are more likely to vote for a politician who loudly proclaims Christian religion than a politician who refuses to do so, these Democrats are pragmatically happy to play along with that game.
True progressives don’t support a religious test for public office. Unfortunately, it’s not quite clear that the Democrats running for President in 2008 are as fully progressive as they’d like us to believe.
(Sources: Forbes, June 1, 2007; GetReligion.org, June 4, 2007)
Guiliani’s “personal relationship” thing makes him sound almost Baptist, but I understand he’s Catholic. Also he loses his bashfullness about discussing religion quickly enough when it’s time to defend the display of 10 commandments in public or send some public money over to “faith-based initiatives.”
The progressive attempt to built a faith-based voting block may seem as pragmatic as the right-wing fruitcakes and the mega-churches, but maybe it’s not all that simple. After all, Jesus did leave a pretty clear direction to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, and that’s exactly what the progressive churches are up to. It is a personal mandate to create justice in the world, paradise on earth, that for the last century or so has been part of the protestant mainstream.
Personally, I believe that religious folks, as opposed to handing out prayer cards shunning non-believers, should keep their faith personal, but make it known that they practice.
The Dem candidates are currently practicing good works by campaigning against the insidious Reich Wing…and faith is best taught through good works…
As a Catholic, I like to let people know I’m Catholic so when I act righteously, my faith is a noticeable influence.
I’m glad they’re sharing their faiths with the public and I’m glad the public is discussing faith in a world where there is so much misunderstanding in that regard.