Churches getting caught in Obama's political machine
Monday, January 14, 2008
Politico covers Obama's call to churches:
Obama’s campaign is unique among Democrats in that it has adopted faith as an organizing tool, a tactic mastered by the Bush-Cheney campaigns in 2000 and 2004.I like Obama (although I probably won't vote for him) and I like the fact that a fellow UCCer might be a contender for the White house... but this stuff really irks me. Since when is it OK for candidates to have "faith forums to discuss how religion informs voter decisions and campaign platforms"? Who is kidding who? This about campaigning in churches and using churches as political vehicles, plain and simple.
The effort officially kicked off in the summer after Obama delivered a major address on faith in Connecticut. “My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won’t be fulfilling God’s will unless I go out and do the Lord’s work,” he said, linking his support for expanded health care, social justice, immigration and the environment to the foundations of his Christian faith.
In Iowa, the campaign held a series of faith forums to discuss how religion informs voter decisions and campaign platforms. They also reached out to the state’s 220 United Church of Christ parishes, the same faith that Obama practices. In Waterloo, Iowa, alone there are 32 small African American churches that the campaign tapped to find volunteers and supporters. Similar targeting and forums were conducted in New Hampshire and are ongoing in Nevada and some of the Feb. 5 primary states, said campaign officials.
