Spiritual Politics
RIN!
By Mark Silk — January 23, 2008
I’m happy to be able to let you know that the latest issue of our magazine, Religion in the News, is up on the web. There’s a special section, God’s Own Party, dealing with electoral politics, mostly as concerns Republicans. Of particular note is Bill Lindsey’s exploration of the Missionary Baptist roots of Mike Huckabee’s […]
Obama Fights Back
By rvineis — January 22, 2008
Attacks on Barack Obama’s faith have intensified this week. A whisper campaign using email and robocalls has spread the rumor that Barack Hussein Obama is Muslim. David Brody of the CBN has Senator Obama’s take on the attacks. Obama: “Basically the e-mail falsely states that I’m Muslim, that I pledged my oath of office on […]
Separation
By Mark Silk — January 22, 2008
Beliefnet’s Dan Gilgoff has an interview with Obama on religion that’s worth a scan. Nothing especially new, but this answer to the “charitable choice” draws the critical distinction. You wrote in “The Audacity of Hope” about the role that faith and faith-based programs could play in confronting social ills. Isn’t your view on that similar […]
The State of Obama
By Mark Silk — January 22, 2008
Today’s Columbia State endorsement of Obama ties onto the candidate’s MLK Day message: He is harsh on the failures of the current administration – and most of that critique well-deserved. But he doesn’t use his considerable rhetorical gifts to demonize Republicans. He’s not neglecting his core values; he defends his progressive vision with vigorous integrity. […]
To Huck?
By Mark Silk — January 22, 2008
So Thompson’s gone. That should give Huckabee a bit of a boost in Florida, as evangelical devotees of “Law and Order” turn to reruns of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Outreach
By Mark Silk — January 22, 2008
No one except maybe John Edwards was turning the other cheek at last night’s Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach, but Obama did play the Christian card: So, I think it’s important for us not to assume that we can’t reach out to people of all — of all persuasions, and I want to just take […]
Huckabee and the Born Again Vote
By johngreen — January 21, 2008
In a previous post, Mark noted Huckabee’s similar performance among born again voters in Iowa (46 percent) and South Carolina (43 percent) and wondered if the religious differences among evangelicals haven’t been overstated. This is a good point: Evangelicals may be more alike than different in the context of a Republican primary. But a look […]
Evangelicals in the Sunshine State
By Mark Silk — January 21, 2008
In his article on the looming Jan. 29 Florida Republican primary in today’s New York Times, Adam Nagorney writes, “About a quarter of the Republican voters in Florida are evangelical Christians.” That seemed low to me, so I inquired of trusty fellow blogger John Green, and here’s his assessment: It does sound low. Evangelicals make […]
Obama at Ebenezer
By Mark Silk — January 20, 2008
Take a moment and read the text of Barack Obama’s speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church today. It’s as a good an argument as exists today for the unwisdom of trying to keep religion out of politics in America, and as good an example of how to get it right.
The more things change…
By Mark Silk — January 20, 2008
A certain amount has been made–including in this blog–about the differences among evangelicals from one part of the country to another, and between Iowa and South Carolina in particular. It’s worth noting, then, that performance of evangelicals in those states, most importantly with respect to their candidate, was all but identical. White evangelicals constituted the […]
…but no cigar
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
The exit polls show that Huck more or less remains contained within the evangelical box. The Catholics in SC just had little use for him, and although there aren’t many in the state (14 percent) they preferred McCain to Huck by nearly four to one–more than enough to carry him to victory. Some of Huck’s […]
Nevada Democrats
By rvineis — January 19, 2008
According to a CNN entrance poll, Hillary Clinton won among Catholics and Protestants with 54 and 58 percent of the vote respectively. Obama garnered the most votes among those who self identified as “Other Christian”, “Other Religion” , and “No Religion”. (56, 48, and 44 %) CNN interviewed 1098 voters.
Stop the Presses
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
This, from the AP’s “entrance” poll in Nevada: RELIGION COUNTS About a quarter of Nevada GOP voters were Mormon, and virtually all of them preferred Mitt Romney. Overall, about half of Romney’s Nevada votes came from Mormons. Among non-Mormons, he had a slight lead over Ron Paul. National polls have shown that his Mormon religion […]
Romney on Leno
By rvineis — January 19, 2008
Last night, Mitt Romney appeared on the Tonight Show with Leno. Leno asked Michigan’s favorite son about how faith influences voters. Romney’s response seemed to paint a rosy picture for South Carolina. “JAY LENO: Religion seem to be an issue. I don’t get why it is. I don’t see why religion really matters, but does […]
Huck’s Big Day
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
So what will it be for Mike Huckabee in SC–the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? If he doesn’t beat out John McCain for the win, the obits will start to roll in: He wasn’t ready for prime time, the GOP establishment laid him low, he couldn’t build out from his […]
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
