According to the latest Newsweek poll, just over half of Americans (52 percent) think Barack Obama is a Christian, 13 percent think he’s a Muslim, 9 percent think he’s something else, and 26 percent don’t know. Fewer non-white (48 percent) than whites (53 percent) think he’s Christian. Fully 16 percent of poor or working class […]

I am struck with the absence of commentary on Bill Moyers’ interview of Jeremiah Wright. Yes, the thing aired Friday evening, and there’s a tendency for topical bloggers as well as MSM opinion writers to take the weekend off. But even so, this man spent weeks at the center of the national presidential campaign, and […]

Anyone who pronounces on Jeremiah Wright without having seen Bill Moyers’ Journal last night doesn’t deserve a hearing. My mother-in-law–a nice 83-year-old Jewish lady–put it this way: “Rev. Wright was fantastic–after listening to 5 minutes of what preceded God Damn America I’m ready to join the church.” I’m not sure I’m quite that ready, but […]

Direct Democracy’s Todd Beeton is shocked that the Obama campaign didn’t have Jeremiah Wright “on message” in tonight’s Bill Moyers’ interview. It’s clear that Wright did Obama no favor by saying that his Philadelphia comments about Wright were Obama being what he is–a politician rather than a pastor, speaking as a politician must. I’m not […]

E.J. Dionne and Steve Waldman are both in the field today with solutions to Obama’s “Catholic Problem.” The problem, and they’re both sort of aware of it, is that the nature and extent of the problem is not very clear. Yes, Obama had a discernible problem with white Catholics (as opposed to white Protestants) in […]

RNC dep chair tells Brody McCain’s courting of the faithful will be “aggressive.” And what does the McCain campaign say? Add to Favorite Articles

As we await Bill Moyer’s interview of Jeremiah Wright (previewed here by the New York Times), it’s worth wondering whether Wright might have saved his most famous former parishioner some grief by going public sooner. Judging by the quotes on display, I think not. Add to Favorite Articles

With John McCain touring New Orleans today, the liberal blogosphere is reviving his endorser John Hagee’s remarks blaming Katrina on a big gay pride parade that had been planned in the Crescent City. Hagee made the point in an interview with NPR’s Terry Gross back in September, but a lot more fun is Dennis Prager’s […]

Nancy Pelosi sent out an uncharacteristic press release celebrating Earth Day and calling for an end to climate change. The release ended with a biblical quotation. “The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, ‘To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the […]

The last couple of days, Politico (here) and God-o-Meter (here and here and here) have been all over the back and forth between the McCain campaign and the North Carolina GOP over an ad the latter put up tying two Democratic gubernatorial wannabees in the Tarheel State to Obama/Wright. (Both have endorsed Obama.) The McCain […]

Does Barack Obama have a Catholic, as opposed to a white Christian problem? In Pennsylvania yesterday, the answer was yes. Where white Protestants went for Clinton by 58 percent to 42 percent, white Catholics split 71-29 in her favor. That’s the worst showing Obama’s gotten among that group of voters anywhere in the nation, not […]

Tara Wall hopes that whoever prevails today and in November they will sustain the White House Office of Faith Based Community Initiatives. Wall’s editorial today is part of a quiet discourse about government sponsored religion that hasn’t received as much ink as the candidates’ personal faith. Add to Favorite Articles

While the eyes of the country are on PA today, the New York Times‘ Adam Nossiter calls attention to the special election to fill the seat in Mississippi’s first congressional district–the Elvis district in the northeast part of the state centered on Tupelo. There, the Democratic candidate, Travis Childers, seems to be giving his GOP […]

The race for Indiana’s 7th congressional district continues to be one of the most interesting exercises on religion in politics this year. Andre Carson, who replaced his late grandmother in a special election last month, became the second Muslim member of Congress. However, Carson’s honeymoon may be short lived. He faces stiff competition from five […]

Yesterday on ABC: Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., admitted this morning that it was a mistake to accept the endorsement of Evangelical pastor Rev. John Hagee. When asked in an exclusive “This Week” interview with George Stephanopoulos if it was “a mistake to solicit and accept his endorsement”, McCain replied “oh, probably, sure.” […]