As in previous elections, religion will play a big role in this year’s presidential contest. While Evangelicals once flocked en masse to the Republican party, John McCain’s middle-of-the-road policies have some voters running scared. And Barack Obama‘s planning on exploiting what may be Biblically-proportioned upset:
A source close to the Obama campaign tells The Brody File the following:
“The Joshua Generation project will be the Obama campaign’s outreach to young people of faith. There’s unprecedented energy and excitement for Obama among young evangelicals and Catholics. The Joshua Generation project will tap into that excitement and provide young people of faith opportunities to stand up for their values and move the campaign forward.”
The official rollout won’t be for another two weeks or so, but The Brody File has been told the activities will include house parties, blogging, concerts and more.
In addition to splitting the GOP’s base, the move will also help Obama dispel those nagging “Muslim” rumors.
It remains to be seen how gay Democrats will react, of course. The more mainstream religious set has not traditionally endorsed gay rights and may create some contradictions for the Senator’s campaign.
Thom
Not all young evangelicals are anti-gay. Some of them are progressive in thought. Those that are for Senator Obama are already going against the traditional political route of the evangelical base.
Charley
I saw Donnie McClurkin’s row of CD’s in the local mall music store. Boy, is he popular among the gospel crowd. Not saying we are going to get stoned to death by young singing Soldiers for Jesus, but like you say, we will see. I haven’t given Obama his $2,300.00 yet. I am sure the campaign is holding it’s breath waiting for my gay check. lol
hisurfer
If you go to his website he has mini-campaigns going on for everyone under the sun. “Generation Obama,” “Obama Pride,” “First Americans for Obama,” et al. So this fits with his campaign.
He targets ’em all, and is everywhere … his website lists facebook, youtube, mybatanga, blackplanet … everywhere but manhunt, it seems.
As long as he doesn’t start up with that awful phobe-friendly Gospel Obama stuff again … but I think he learned.
(and some people of faith are both democrats and gay. hard to believe, but they are not all mutually exclusive).
marco
Isn’t there a “popular” gay, evangelical/christian singing duo? I forget their names, but they’re also a couple. I think a lot of younger so-called evangelicals are much more open minded than their parents.
CitizenGeek
I don’t really like that he called it “Obama Pride” – I don’t know, just doesn’t fit. I would have preferred if had called it “Obama LGBT” or something. Pride just seems too general.
Anyway, I think the whole Donne McLurkin thing is overrated. I believe Obama had a gay pastor open at many of those gospel concerts. So there.
Also kind of worried about the push for people of faith. I hope it doesn’t ruin Obama’s dedication to gay people; religion has a way of spoiling everything.
afrolito
I can’t wait for a viable athiest presidential candidate. The american obsession with faith and religion is sickening, and backward.
Charley
Afrolito,
I agree with you. Austin Cline, atheist, over at About.com has this to say.
Well, I don’t know of anyone who denies how powerful faith is, but I do know that people like “Barack Obama consistently fail to acknowledge just how harmful that power can be. Jews, atheists, Muslims, and even some Christians have experienced harassment, abuse, and even violence from Christians for daring to stand up and challenge traditional religious practices in government contexts. This is faith-based terrorism, pure and simple, because fear is used to achieve political goals for the sake of religious agendas.”
CHURCHILL-Y
No. 4 Jason & deMarco, you’re probably one of them. He does target them all. He is everything to everyone “and is everywhere”, he’s kinda omnipresent. Since we are a more smaller minority than the homophobes of course he is going to pander to them more, get ready for more McLurkin, Mary Mary like sh#t.
Nobama!!!
emb
Afrolito and Charley, I’m with you on that! Unfortunately, christians are one of those mandatory hoops that must be hopped through on the way to the white house in modern America (go figure how “modern” and “people who talk to invisible friends in the sky” manage to go together in the same sentence, but there we are).
But it’s more important for us to avoid republicans in the white house, I think, than to worry too much about election-time pandering–unlike McCain, I doubt Obama will have rightwing religionoids making policy decisions. We just have to suck up the “god bless america” crap until the Great Enlightenment, when religion is finally tossed into the Big Box of Dopey Ideas.
And if not Obama, Churchill-y, then which politically perfect atheist candidate do you recommend?
M Shane
Just by nature, I’m curious and fearlessly gregarious on the street, so I’m always nosing around everyone whereever I go. It’s become very clear to me that as crazy as it sounds , many middle class persons have really been drawn into the utterly stupid notion that Obama is not only a foreigner but also a “towelhead’ : a moslem.
So despite how silly it is Obama is going to have to make another push to convince people that hes not an arab interloper waiting to drop a bomb right from the White House.
Don’t believe for a minuite that he is doing more than playing the hand that he’s dealt . Let’s not fall into the silliness that Barack has to combat.
Remember. it is the Repueblicans who are the dirtiest of all fighters ever. They always feed on people’s ignorance, that’s a hrd fight. Don’t condemn him now when he was earlier, given the RaRas for not being strong enough to combat the opposition.
He has done enough to assure us that he is a fair minded person. It won’t help to get fickle like a bunch of old nellies.
noah
Not all Christians are homophobes or evangelicals! The United Church of Christ and the Anglican/Episcopal Church in the U.S. are and pro-gay. Just ask the Gene Robinson, the archbishop who just got hitched to his longtime partner in a Civil Union.
And, contrary to the misinformation, Obama’s church was pro gay marriage.
Obama’s strategy is great in that it seeks to destroy the GOPs stranglehold of faith. Prior to the 1970s when the Republican instituted phase II of the Southern Strategy, liberal Catholics were a large base of the progressive end of the Democratic Party.
Review your Civil Rights history and you will see that a lot priests, nuns, ministers, and lay people participated. Given the opportunity to reclaim younger, potentially progressive, Christians into the Democratic Party it helps shut down the Republicans. Progressive Christian ranks swell and they can counteract the alleged moral superiority of the GOP.
That helps to cripple a lot of Republicans around the country in November. If Obama can get those you Christians to vote Democratic in November, then he effectively destroys the GOP/Evangelical coalition that Bush used in 2000 and 2004.
And, that’s frickin’ awesome for the GLBT community. With the loss of their powerful sway over the GOP, conservative Christians will see their demands ignored.
Also, Churchill-y, we know that you are a racist. You’ve admitted as much in your hateful comments about Obama and other African-Americans. Obama has had gay supporters like David Geffen in his inner circle since the beginning of his campaign.
Unlike Hillary Clinton or John McCain, Obama has spoken out about gay rights in NON-gay focused venues while talking to people not interested in gay rights. He ran the risk of alienating some voters to stick up for the GLBT community.
John McCain could not care less about gay voters. His record on gay issues is deplorable whether you look at preventing discrimination in the workplace and housing or supporting the freaks who are against gay marriage. McCain sought the support of the extreme Rightwing, ultra-conservative Christians like the Rev. Hagee, who believes the anti-Christ will be gay.
Just think about an America where evil men like John Hagee, James Dobson, and Ken Hutcherson can’t hide behind their congregations to influence anti-gay politics.
CHURCHILL-Y
No. 9 · emb , A democratic majority in the 111th congress that’s my main interest now and not some empty messianic figure head who thinks I and my partner are not entitled to the same legal protections he enjoys with his. Now go and burn some candles at his altar for all I care, you and all the other sheep are in for some rude awakening if he and his supporters get in the White House.
NObama!!!
CHURCHILL-Y
Racist , Racist, Racist, Racist, Yawn! DON’T you have another new one.
NObama!!!
RPCV
He’ll do whatever he feels is politically expedient to help his campaign. We shouldn’t believe a word of it. And, I can’t understand why the blacks support him, or any Democrat. The Democrats have paid only lip service to the black community for years, and look where it’s got them – nowhere, they’re still struggling in poverty. Or, maybe that’s because they lack initiative, solid work ethic, and ambition- you know, a gene thing. Just a few thoughts……
crazylove
I completely agree with RPCV. After 8 years of Bush, we can complete trust the other party to do what’s right. We shouldn’t trust the words of those lying Democrats who got us into a war of choice, who used us as wedge issues in 2004 and who thought Katrina and Terri Shiavo were good times. Wait- I am confused- who are we talking about not trusting again?
Mr C
Exactly Crazy Love,
These racists’ fags spin so much you don’t know what to believe.
But like RPCV said about us Blacks: “they’re still struggling in poverty. Or, maybe that’s because they lack initiative, solid work ethic, and ambition- you know, a gene thing. Just a few thoughts……”
Right Girl just like THE LOW WORKING CLASS, BLUE COLLAR, LUNCH BUCKET, GE STEAM IRON, WHITE WESTINGHOUSE WASHER MACHINE,SINGER SEWING MACHINE,MARLBORO CIGARETTE white folks who backed Clinton solely because of race. If the Clinton years afforded them so much then why are they still living as such and still 16 years later considered in that category….You know low paid uneducated, also lack initiative you know, a gene thing the ones who should have been entitled to everything because they’re white.
YEAH Right asshole I guess not only Blacks fit that BITCH obviously the media made that a point. That is an unfortunate lifestyle choice that is not deeded to any race of people
Just a few thoughts………..
But trust he will put Clinton on that ticket and when they win maybe these kids such as yourself and others that hate Obama so much will move to the moon where they are best understood.
FAR FAR AWAY! Out of sight, Out of Mind.
OBAMA/CLINTON 08′
The CHANGE and the EXPERIENCE we need!