Spiritual Politics
Maryland Catholics
By Mark Silk — February 12, 2008
They go for Obama by a large margin, 52 to 44 percent, and white Catholics go for him 49 percent to 47 percent, whereas he lost white Protestants 41 percent to 54 percent. Update: Apparently corrected exit polls show that Obama in fact lost Catholics by a narrow margin 48 percent to 45 percent, white […]
Virginia Catholics
By Mark Silk — February 12, 2008
The big religious news out of Virginia on the Democratic side is that Catholics went for Obama, and that he came within three points of Clinton among white Catholics–just as he did among white Protestants. Update: Apparently corrected exit polls show Obama winning the white Catholic vote 49 percent to 48 percent–and breaking even with […]
Romney Campaign, RIP
By Mark Silk — February 12, 2008
So what’s the verdict on the religious significance of Mitt Romney’s run? Here are some provisional thoughts. 1. Romney’s Mormonism did hurt him. There were evangelicals who voted for him, but in those states where they are thickest on the ground, there were too many who didn’t. As a generic Protestant, he would, I suspect, […]
Ralph Reed on McCain
By rvineis — February 11, 2008
CBN’s David Brody interviewed Christian Coalition leader and fallen GOP angel Ralph Reed on his thoughts of John McCain. Reed outlined what McCain needs to do to win over his party’s base. Reed: “First, he should choose a running mate with strong conservative credentials, both on social issues and economic issues. Then he should adopt […]
Evangelical Endorsements
By rvineis — February 11, 2008
Former head of the Family Research Council and conservative leader Gary Bauer endorsed John McCain today. While Mike Huckabee picked up the support of Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich. Huckabee has recently been courting the Moral Majority vote with an appearance at Jerry Falwell son’s church on Sunday.
Evangelicals in Missouri, Tennessee
By Mark Silk — February 11, 2008
The news from the Zogby poll of white evangelicals, conducted for Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress Action Fund after the Super Tuesday primaries in Missouri and Tennessee, is not very exciting. Yes, it reveals that twice as many of these folks now consider jobs and the economy the most important […]
Rev. Bill
By rvineis — February 11, 2008
Bill Clinton stumped yesterday in Potomac area churches for Hillary.
No-Count Huckabee
By Mark Silk — February 11, 2008
The Huckabee campaign has been justifiably on the warpath because Washington State Republican Party chair Luke Esser stopped counting ballots Saturday evening with 1,700 to go and McCain leading Huck by 242. And, oh, Esser declared McCain the winner. Given the totals–there were lots of votes, relatively speaking, cast for Romney, Paul, and Uncommitted–that’s actually […]
Who’s Behind Obama
By Mark Silk — February 10, 2008
It would be nice to know the makeup of the forces that pushed Obama to victory in this weekend’s caucuses, but in the absence of exit or entrance polling the picture is murky. Maine, for example, was considered strong for Clinton, what with the tiny number of African Americans and large number of working class […]
Louisiana by Religion
By Mark Silk — February 10, 2008
So what happened religiously in Louisiana yesterday? In the black-white affair on the Democratic side, the only attendance category that Clinton won was the Nevers—the six percent of the Democratic vote who said they never go to chruch–who split for her 56 percent to 44 percent. Not a big deal. Obama did win the Catholic […]
Jesus for Obama
By Mark Silk — February 10, 2008
For a straight-ahead Jesus-based endorsement of Obama by a liberal Democrat, check out this by Phil Hoskins of the Capitol Hill Blue blog.
Counting Evangelical Democrats
By Mark Silk — February 8, 2008
While we’ve groused about the failure of the exit pollsters to track evangelicals on the Democratic side, Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress Action Fund decided to do something about it, and hired Zogby to track down white evangelical Democratic voters in Missouri and Tennessee on Super Tuesday. The full results […]
From the Mountaintop
By Mark Silk — February 8, 2008
For lo, the prophet descended from the mountain–make that Pike’s Peak–with a New Commandment, which read, Thou Shalt Vote for Huckabee. But it was as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, for the Straight Talk Express had already departed, with many of the Israelites on board. Or something. Amid the plucking of the […]
Michael Moore’s Moral Prohibition
By richardwood — February 8, 2008
The day after the Super Bowl, Michael Moore told Larry King that because of his Catholic principles he is “morally prohibited” from voting for Hilary Clinton for president as a result of her “war votes.” The statement raises a host of questions. One can admire Moore’s activism and adherence to principles, but doubt whether this […]
Super Tuesday Commentary
By Mark Silk — February 7, 2008
This is to let you know that commentary on the religious dimensions of the Super Tuesday voting is proceeding with all deliberate speed alphabetically, and has now reached Arkansas. You can reach it via the “Exit Poll Commentary” link under the State by State heading on the right-hand column.
Mark Silk
Spiritual Politics
Mark Silk is Professor of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College and director of the college's Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life. He is a Contributing Editor of the Religion News Service
