Democrats In The Headlights

I love the above cartoon.

Every Democrat spokesperson I have seen on television since the announcement that Sarah Palin will be the Republican candidate for Vice-President has looked just about like this. Sure, they have tried their best to attack Palin, but the looks on their face betray them. At best they appear as "deer in the headlights." And, many of them are not just stunned, but horrified. Some of them have gone from "We can't lose" to an "OMG what is happening?" as they see their chances to win the White House slipping away.

However, I think the above cartoon it is wrong about Hillary's response to the news regarding Sarah Palin's nomination to become Vice President of the United States. I think that Hillary probably feels vindicated in a "You should have chosen me" kind of way.

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For Whom Will Christians Vote

Are Christians really going to vote for the most liberal candidate to ever run for President of the United States? Evidently yes. Are Christians really going to vote for the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for President of the United States? Evidently yes.

A recent Barna group poll shows some surprising trends in how Christians indicate they will be voting. The following is a summary statement borrowed from Newsweek:

That said, there's been a flood of fascinating findings over the last 48 hinting that the Illinois senator is finding friends in some strange--read, typically Republican--places. For instance, a new poll from the Barna Group, a Christian research firm, shows Obama leading McCain 43 percent to 34 percent among likely Christian voters, with advantages among non-evangelical born again Christians (43% to 31%); notional Christians (44% to 28%); people aligned with faiths other than Christianity (56% to 24%); Catholics (39% vs. 29%); and Protestants (43% to 34%). The only Christian subgroup he isn't winning? Evangelicals. Even there, though, a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that while a majority of young white evangelicals describe themselves as conservative on social issues, slightly more are identifying this year as either Independents or Democrats than as Republicans--the reason, perhaps, why the gap between Obama and McCain among evangelicals overall is currently 15 points smaller than George W. Bush's lead over John Kerry in 2004, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. You can almost hear the "hallelujahs" wafting over Chicago.

Those who follow cultural trends must be having the same kind of mixed feelings as did the oceanographers, meteorologists, and weather folk when the Perfect Storm developed in the North Atlantic.

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Red vs. Blue Credit Cards

Credit Cards -- they are convenient, but they can sure be a hassle if you are relying on the wrong ones. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 bjillion different credit card options and programs out there (I rounded of to the nearest bjillion).

Seriously, do you think that John McCain and Barack Obama use the same credit card? Let's face it, war heroes who have served their country faithfully for decades just don't use the same credit cards as politicians whose friends are terrorists, racists, and criminals. Not that I'm pointing any fingers, mind you.

So, maybe these politicians need to check out Cardhub.com where they can use the menus to indicate credit preferences, browse the education center, or check out the editor's recommendations.

The only problem I have with the site? They don't have the cards broken down into red vs. blue.

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Are Conservatives 'Practicing' For An Obama Presidency?

In the 1982 comedy, Best Friends, Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds play Paula and Richard, a newly married couple who decide to travel to meet each other's parents. They arrive in Buffalo to spend some time with Paula's parents who are elderly and in declining health.

In one scene Paula describes to her new husband how she copes with the reality that her parents are aging and will one day die. She says she 'practices'. She explains that she imagines that they have already died, she allows herself to become very sad, so that she is going through a rehearsal of sorts to prepare her for when it really happens.

Richard (Burt Reynolds) is perplexed by this coping mechanism/ritual. He asks, "Okay, let me get this straight. In your mind you kill off your parents now, so you won't feel bad later?"

That scene came to mind recently as I attended the Defending The American Dream Summit in Austin, Texas. Many of the conservatives I met seem to have accepted the premise that an Obama presidency is inevitable, like death. There were jokes about 're-education camps' established once Obama was sworn into office, mixed with perilous predictions about what an Obama presidency will do to the economy, the make-up of the Supreme Court, and the liberties we are desperately trying to preserve.

While I understand that conservatives in general tend to be realists rather than idealists, I think this Republican mope-ishness that has descended upon the party and has also spilled over to many independents/libertarians is really uncalled for. It ain't over till it's over. Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office come January is NOT a forgone conclusion. There is no need for us to be like the Paula character from the movie - no need for us to 'practice' for an Obama victory by becoming all sad and gloomy now, as if that will help us cope better should Obama actually win.

Many of the speakers at the Defending The American Dream Summit went a long way in counteracting the negative mood. Michelle Malkin, Robert Novak, John Fund and others were all very positive about the prospects for a McCain victory in the Fall, not a wishful thinking optimism but one grounded in facts.

For example, Malkin drew the obvious parallels between the experience and character of Obama versus McCain. Novak raised the issue of historical negative indicators which usually prove deadly for presidential candidates - incumbent party seeking a third term, unpopular war, low approval rating of standing President from the same party, etc. By all accounts Obama should be running away with this thing but he is not. The fact that the race is so tight despite the fact that McCain is facing ALL of these historical 'deal breakers' says a lot about McCain's ability to overcome and prevail.

John Fund of the Wall Street Journal cited some interesting statistics. In eight out of the last ten elections, the Democratic candidate was leading in July. Only three of those went on to actually win. Democrats tend to poll better in the summer when people are busy with barbeques and family vacations but still relatively unengaged politically. In the Fall, people start to pay attention and tend to focus on the bigger picture. The race tightens. If that pattern holds, McCain stands to gain a lot of ground starting in mid to late September.

Cheer up conservatives! It is not necessary to practice sadness and despair now, rehearsing for an Obama presidency which may never come.

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The Incredible McCain Girl

This is a great clip! McCain wasn't my first choice in the Republican primary but many weeks ago I got over it and threw my support to him. I wish others would get over it as well. It looks like Ann Coulter, James Dobson and others better watch their back before The Incredible McCain Girl goes after them. I don't think they would like her when she's angry.

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Rocky, Rambo, Indiana...McCain

An interesting phenomena has hit the box office in the last year or so - the 'thirty something' to 'forty something' virile, kick butt, male action star returns as a 'sixty something' still virile, kick butt, male action star.

Sylvester Stallone headed back to the boxing ring in Rocky Balboa to go the distance with a young whippersnapper in his prime. Sly also graced the screen as Rambo and was still able to outmaneuver, outwit and outfire the bad guys just like the Rambo of twenty years ago.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones tops my list of favorite action heroes and he also returned this last month as our favorite archaeologist/adventurer in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Our beloved Indy managed to jump from one moving vehicle to the next and use his whip to swing Tarzan style through the air.

One aspect of the films that I noted is that these characters were still believable. It didn't seem like a particular stretch that these characters would still be doing what they always did best. Sure they were a little rough for wear and had more lines on their face but they were still essentially the same characters with the same drives and passions. Though remarks or even jokes were made by the heroes themselves about their age, it was clear that age in and of itself would not slow them down or keep them from pursuing what they perceived as their prize, treasure, or appointed mission.

This trend of older heroes should not be surprising given the aging baby boomers as well as the upper end of Gen X. Once you've hit forty, fifty doesn't seem nearly as ancient as it once did. The same is true once you've hit fifty and sixty. In fact, we even have a slogan descriptive of this new perception. "Forty is the new thirty!" or "Fifty is the new forty!" is the triumphant mantra.

In many ways, the mantra is a true reflection of reality. People are waiting till later to get married, to have children. It is not uncommon to see kids in their mid or even late twenties move back in with mom and dad while they go back to graduate school. Everything seems to be pushed further into the future. As for 'getting older' many are pushing the concept off their radar entirely. Commercials for financial investment firms targeted toward baby boomers entering retirement depict people in action - hang gliding, scuba diving, traveling, starting a new business based on a hobby or passion they love.

In light of this current era of perpetual youth despite the calendar years, I find the reaction to John McCain's presidential candidacy curious. Suddenly his detractors are deeming him as old, old, OLD! Unfit for the oval office, McCain might just as well go play checkers on a porch somewhere with other senior citizens.

So let's get this straight. Sylvester Stallone turns 62 this month and Harrison Ford is 66. It's okay and even reasonable that they continue along the hero path but McCain (who isn't much older at 71) should just be put out to pasture? And remember it's not as if McCain is looking to wield a machine gun or go trampling through the jungle. He's not looking to be Tarzan. He is looking to lead this country as Commander-In-Chief and given his experience and background as a real life hero and patriot, he is the candidate most suited for the role.

I suspect that McCain's opponents feel threatened by the whole John McCain story and so supporters of the opposition are trying to change the narrative. Forget that McCain has the character to withstand five years of torture in service to his country. Let us just repeat, "He's too old to be President" enough times and maybe it will stick.

I don't think it will stick. The strategy goes too much against the grain of the 'anything is possible at any age' philosophy our current culture has adopted. If fifty is the new forty, then seventy is the new sixty.

If McCain loses the general election, it will be due to a variety of factors but it won't be because of age. McCain still has too much of the tough guy persona. He is a survivor like Rambo, he is disciplined like Rocky and has the maverick spirit of Indiana Jones. Sure he is a little rough for wear (funny how life as a POW takes it's toll) and has more lines on his face but he is still essentially the same character with the same drives and passions.

The smart democrats know this and though they won't admit it, they fear this.

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Newsweek Poll Shows Presidency Might Be 'Mission Impossible' For McCain

Since Barack Obama managed to wrestle the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton, there has been much speculation as to why the presidential race remained so tight. After all, this is an election year that everyone agrees should favor the Democrats. President Bush's approval ratings are in the tank and a majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is going, giving the opposing party a definite edge. Yet for weeks Obama and McCain have remained within about three points of one another.

Until now. Newsweek came out with a new poll that shows Obama has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide. Ouch! Of course this is only one poll and the coming weeks will surely render more polls to determine if this is an accurate reflection of the country's mood. But for the time being, it appears that Obama is stepping on the gas and leaving McCain coughing in the dust.

So what can John McCain do? According to many political pundits, there is not a whole lot he can do. As Matthew Dowd and many others have commented, this is an election that John McCain can't win but Obama can lose. In other words, this year it's all about Obama. To the extent that Obama can quell the fears that voters have regarding his candidacy - his lack of experience, his suspicious circle of friends, and especially questions relating to national security - then he will win in a landslide. If he fails to lay aside those concerns, then McCain still has a fighting chance.

The key word here is fighting chance. I diverge somewhat from the pundits because I think there is a lot McCain can do. I think he needs to become a scrapper. We know he has it in him, looking not just at his record as a senator but going back to his time as a POW. He needs to go back to the well and draw from that source of strength, courage and spunk that helped him survive and ultimately get out of that cage in Vietnam.

McCain needs to take a NO FEAR attitude. You've surely seen the popular sports clothing line with the catchy slogans. No Fear is passionate about sports and the lessons and values they instill in the people who live for them, celebrating the human and competitive spirit. This isn't to say McCain has to show up at his next townhall wearing muscle t-shirts, hats, or Motocross gear. But he would do well to adopt the No Fear attitude, to set the tone henceforth that he is out to WIN.

McCain must show he is not going to be pushed around by some punk, greenhorn senator who is practiced at reading a teleprompter. The courage and accomplishments of someone who suffered and put his life on the line repeatedly for his country and has served as a senator for over two decades trumps someone who touts his accomplishment as a 'community organizer'.

Yes, in many ways this is Obama's election to lose. On the other hand, McCain has been given his assignment and chosen to accept it. If he practices a No Fear attitude, it doesn't have to be 'Mission Impossible'. If he wimps out, he will self-destruct.

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Al Gore Campaigns For John McCain

Al Gore convinced me. I am a convert. And, no, my newly found convictions have nothing at all to do with humanity's contribution to the "global warming crisis." Allow me to explain.

During the Republican primaries I documented on Politics & Christianity no fewer than 21 lies offered up by Mitt Romney, the honest Mormon candidate. I stated, and meant it, that if he was the Republican candidate I would remain home rather than vote for such an unabashed liar. Recently, there has been talk about Romney being a possible VP running mate for John McCain. I responded by signing a petition asking John McCain "not to go there" and vowing that I would not vote for John McCain if he would stoop so low as to select Romney. John McCain made it clear during the primaries that he had little respect for Romney and his shenanigans. To invite Romney on to the Republican ticket would show McCain to be a man without integrity. That was my thinking.

I say that it was my thinking because Al Gore convinced me otherwise. Al Gore, speaking before a crowd packed into the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Monday night, intoned the following, "Take it from me: Elections matter. If you think the next appointments to our Supreme Court are important, you know that elections matter."

Al Gore hit the just the right note, this election is going to have a huge impact on the shape of the judiciary. If you want the most liberal Justices to ever be appointed to the Supreme Court then it is fine to vote for Obama or, as I had previously posited, stay home. However, if one believes it important to to have Supreme Court Justices after the pattern of Sam Alito and John Roberts then, as Al Gore proclaimed, this election matters.

Yes, Al Gore convinced me. I will vote for John McCain even if he shows political cowardice and invites a slimeball like Mitt Romney to ride along on the Straight-Balk Express.

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Step Into My Parlor Says McCain To Obama

"Step into my parlor", says the spider to the fly. At this juncture in the presidential campaign, John McCain is the proverbial spider trying to lure Barack (the fly) Obama into his web. The web is otherwise known as the Townhall Meeting.

McCain excels in the townhall format where his straight talk style allows him to shine. He is able to demonstrate a commanding knowledge of the issues. The spontaneity of the questions highlights his ability to think quickly on his feet. His vast experience proves to be a well from which he can instantly draw.

Obama, on the other hand, prefers the carefully controlled forums where he can appear before massive (sometimes even swooning) crowds that come to hear his soaring rhetoric. His speeches are prepared and practiced ahead of time, his pitch and inflections are perfect.

McCain invited Obama to a series of ten townhall meetings leading up to the election and at first Obama indicated he would be agreeable. Evidently, Obama's advisers warned him that the format might prove to be a rather sticky web, one from which he could not easily extricate himself. The reply from the campaign was that Obama might be willing to do only one townhall meeting, stipulating that it be done on July the 4th.

The McCain expressed disappointment and claimed the reason Obama was insistent on July 4th was because it would receive less attention as many Americans are away on holiday. So basically they called him a 'scaredy cat' - if Obama flubbed it up big time at least most voters would be too busy eating hot dogs by the pool or watching fireworks to notice.

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McCain & Dobson Stalemate Continues

You know the old expression, "Mi casa y su casa", meaning "My house is your house." Apparently the sentiment between James Dobson and John McCain is more like, "My house but not your house."

During the primary, Dobson was pretty clear that he was no McCain fan. After McCain sealed the Republican nomination, Dobson must have found the prospect of Obama or Clinton even scarier. He then offers a fig leaf in the form of an invitation to Dobson's Focus on the Family's headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Family Policy Council gathered on May 9 and word was out that McCain had rebuffed the invite.

The McCain camp responded that this was not a rude refusal. McCain was scheduled to be in Denver on May 2 and invited Dobson to his hotel suite for an unlimited visit. Dobson declined and again offered for McCain to come to Colorado Springs. McCain in turn declined once again.

It appears that neither man wants to meet the other unless it is on his own turf. And so the hatchet is yet to be buried.

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Style Over Substance?

Political analysts have been chattering away, or rather criticizing away at John McCain's wanting oratory skill. The contrast was most apparent the other night when Obama addressed a huge crowd of thousands and read effortlessly from his teleprompter, a skill he has honed especially well thanks in part to his better than 20/20 vision. He used just the right cadence, the right inflections and spoke as if he was not reading, but rather speaking from the heart. The enthusiastic crowd clamored with cheers and applause.

McCain, on the other hand, spoke his words slowly as if he were addressing a group of kindergartners sitting in a circle on the carpet for 'story time'. His demeanor lacked passion. However, before judging McCain too harshly for not having a way with words we should remember that McCain is not running for the President of Toastmasters but of the United States. Delivery is important but the words themselves are more so. By most accounts, McCain's speech in and of itself was quite good and substantive even if the delivery was weak.

Consider the apostle Paul, a man who claimed to have a rather important message, when he addressed the believers at Corinth:

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Cor. 2:1-5)

Paul did not consider himself to be a man of great oratory skill, nor did Moses, yet they knew the message they conveyed carried great weight.

We should be very wary of over-enchantment with anyone based on rhetorical talent alone. What is the real content of their message? What is the content of Obama's message? Does it carry any weight? Those questions should be scrutinized at least as carefully as McCain's oratory style.

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Image Enhancement For Politicians

As the primaries come to an end, and we all settle in for the push to the general election in November, I have some advice for John McCain and Barack Obama. During the primaries some of those seeking the nomination tried to prove that they were "just common folk" by downing booze with the locals. Drinking whiskey in Tennessee might be better than Cosmopolitans, but it still plays into the general stereotype of politicians, -- "Were they drunk when they passed that bill?"

Instead of going for the "drunk" vote, how about the working man vote? Get yourself a good pair of work boots. I mean, really, rather than hearing people say "I see he is boozing it up on the campaign trail, -- I'd have to be boozing it up to vote for him" wouldn't you prefer to hear them say something like the following. "Cool work boots. He almost looks as if he has put in day or two of real work in his life."

So head on over to Work Boots USA and select from their assortment of 511 Tactical Footwear, Bates Boots, Belleville Boots, Caterpillar Work Boots, Converse Footwear, Corcoran Footwear, Danner Boots, Hi-Tec Outdoor Footwear, Magnum Footwear, Matterhorn Footwear, Rocky Footwear, Thorogood Boots, and Wolverine Footwear.

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Missing The Humor In The Campaign

What is the one trait that always appears on lists of "things I want in a spouse" but rarely if ever appears on lists of "things I want in a President?"

You got it; a sense of humor.

And its a good thing, too, because ever since Mike Huckabee got out of the race the candidates have shocked us, cried, pandered, drank whiskey, and just about everything other than show any evidence of a sense of humor. Smirking doesn't count.

If you can want humor is a spouse, if you can want humor in a buddy, if you can want humor in a pastor (dare we go there?), then what is wrong with wanting your Presidential candidates to show a little humor.

For those of you who like me are finding much to make you aghast but little to bring a smile to your face, the following video might be a little shot in the arm.

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What Do John McCain and Hugh Hefner Have In Common?

John McCain is hosting a Memorial Day Barbeque at his vacation ranch in Sedona, Arizona and has invited many of his political pals and also some political pal wannabes. Senator Lindsey Graham was on Fox News recently, dismissing the notion that the purpose of the barbeque was for McCain to look over his potential VP candidates. "It's just a party," Graham shrugs, "a place to have fun and get a free meal."

Of course. I always jump on a plane and travel across the country whenever I want a free hot dog. When I first heard of McCain's Memorial Day shindig, I found it amusing. It would be great fun to be there and watch all the political maneuvering as the VP prospects not only schmooze and audition for McCain, but try to out-schmooze and out-audition their rivals. "More relish, John?", asks Charlie Crist as Mitt Romney tries to elbow his way in, 'accidently' knocking Crist into the pool. "Oops! Sorry about that Charlie!" Mitt calls out as he turns to McCain. "Now John, about the economic impact of this global warming policy. Let me tell you what I learned about that when I ran and saved the Olympics..."

As I thought of the possible scenarios I couldn't help but to think this must be similar to the parties that Hugh Hefner throws at the Playboy Mansion. When Hugh has to make a decision on who will be Playmate Of The Year, I am sure the twelve Playmates Of The Month that are vying for the title pull out the daggers toward each other, even as they charm and dispense all sorts of favors for Mr. Hefner.

So unlikely as it seems, John McCain and Hugh Hefner actually have a lot in common these days. Both powerful male senior citizens who have the power to confer a coveted title. Both have invited their respective nominees to come splash around the pool while looking them over. Both have a group of prospects willing to do almost anything to get their way - egotistical, competitive, backstabbing females or egotistical, competitive, backstabbing politicians. Hard to say which group is worse.

At least John McCain isn't going around in his slippers and bathrobe.

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Mike Huckabee In The News

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2008 Election Results Accidentally Leaked

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Presidential Candidates Faith Committments

The following is an excerpt from an article in the Grand Forks Herald:

All the top Democratic presidential contenders spoke of their faith this election year. But more than any other Democratic candidate, Obama has made religion a core part of his message and outreach.

The Illinois senator has held faith forums, created a grass-roots support network of “congregation contacts” and has spoken in evangelical churches that Democrats had rarely visited.

His strategy is rooted in the Christian faith he found as an adult through Wright at Trinity United Church of Christ, a predominantly African-American megachurch. In fact, Obama has said he came to a personal faith in Jesus and actually walked down the aisle to the front in response to Wright’s call to faith.

Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope” was inspired by a Wright sermon.

But last month, Obama distanced himself from his pastor, after video circulated of Wright’s most inflammatory rhetoric from the pulpit. Among the most remarked upon sound bites was Wright proclaiming “God damn America” for its racism. He also accused the government of flooding black neighborhoods with drugs. In a March 18 speech on race that was partly aimed at damage control, Obama described the history of injustice that fueled Wright’s comments, while also condemning his pastor’s statements and acknowledging the resentment of whites.

Obama appeal

Obama’s focus on racial reconciliation has a special appeal to traditional Bible believers. Their concern about diversity has intensified recently, in part because of the growth in immigrant churches in the U.S. and by a new awareness that conservative Christianity is spreading dramatically in developing countries.

James Guth, an expert on religion and politics at Furman University in South Carolina, said Wright’s comments haven’t killed Obama’s chances. The candidate has built up some good will and “curiosity” through his outreach to evangelicals, including appearing at a Christian AIDS summit hosted by megachurch pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay.

But Guth said Wright’s views inevitably would receive extensive publicity, as would Obama’s denomination, the United Church of Christ, considered the most liberal of the mainline Protestant groups.

Clinton, too, is a mainliner: she has been a Methodist all her life and says she is from a long line of Methodists.

She has said that her ancestors in the coal-mining regions of Great Britain were converted by Methodism’s founder himself in the 1700s.

In an interview in February with the Christian Broadcast Network, Clinton said, “It was thought in my father’s family his great-grandfather actually heard John Wesley preach,” she said.

Asked to describe her faith, she said, “It is the person, it’s the scriptural, it’s the traditional, and it is also very much in keeping with my understanding how faith can be based in reason as well as passion.”

Clinton’s faith

She talked of the “continuity of the faith tradition that I was given as a gift, which I then had to make my own. And I did because as a Methodist, which I am, we look at the roots of our faith, our personal relationship with God, obviously through Jesus Christ, which gives us a sense that we’re not only saved and that we’re called and that we are given much and therefore much is required.”

All accounts of her life say a youth pastor had a profound influence on her during her high school days, in applying her religious faith to social issues and the questions of the day.

While in the White House, the Clintons usually attended a United Methodist congregation, which is her denomination. President Bill Clinton was raised a Southern Baptist and knows the Bible well and is able to talk freely with pastors about religious and spiritual issues.

She has acknowledged that speaking about her faith does not come naturally to her. But she became active in an evangelical Bible study group in Washington in the 1990s and credited it with helping her personally. Like Obama, Clinton is a strong supporter of abortion rights, a stance not shared by most evangelicals and Catholics and many mainline Protestants.

But Clinton spoke in December at the annual Global Summit on AIDS at Saddleback Church near Los Angeles, one of the leading evangelical congregations, headed by Warren, the best-selling author, who wrote “The Purpose-Driven Life.” She quoted the book of James, that “faith without works is dead” and added that for “many of us the golden rule calls on us to act.”

McCain is the only one of the three remaining main presidential candidates who has a recent religious change of sorts.

Raised an Episcopalian, including attendance at the elite Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., where daily chapel was required (Episcopalian is the most common denomination of U.S. presidents) McCain reported last year he had begun attending North Phoenix Baptist Church in Arizona several years ago. It’s a huge congregation of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

He has said he was not “born again,” in that congregation, nor rebaptized. According to the Christian Science Monitor last fall, McCain said he “came into that church, I sat down, I got the message of redemption and love and forgiveness, and it resonated with me. I found going to that church was beneficial to me in my life.”

Like Clinton, McCain never has been comfortable talking freely about his faith, saying first it’s a private thing.

But McCain says he prays every day. His father, an admiral, prayed twice daily on his knees, McCain said, probably to keep him from drinking.

His own faith sustained him during his 5 ½ years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, an experience that led him to public service, he says.

“There is no logical reason for me to be on Earth, if you look at my life, so I should spend this time trying to serve a cause greater than myself,” he told the Monitor last fall.

He had moments of transcendent grace among the horrors of the prison camp in Hanoi, McCain told the Monitor.

He told of a North Vietnamese guard releasing him from painful rope tortures for a few hours. Then on a Christmas Day, being allowed a rare few minutes of freedom outside in the courtyard. The same guard walked up and stood beside him, then, using his sandal, drew a cross in the dirt with his sandal. After looking at McCain for a moment, the guard rubbed it out and walked away.

“My friends, I will never forget that man,” McCain said emotionally at a town hall meeting, the Monitor reported. “I will never forget that moment. And I will never forget the fact that no matter where you are, no matter how difficult things are, there’s always going to be someone of your faith and your belief and your devotion to your fellow man who will pick you up and help you out and bring you through.” (Read More . . . )

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In 2008 U.S. Religious Vote Fragmenting

The following is an excerpt from an article by Agence France-Presse:

Meanwhile the Democrats no longer escape to a secular refuge whenever religion enters into the political debate.

Obama this month pointed to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which starts "Blessed are the poor," as being a more fundamental tenet of Christianity than "obscure" passages of the Bible denouncing homosexuality.

And while dogged now by incendiary sermons by his former pastor, the Illinois senator has placed the "audacity of hope" squarely in a Christian tradition that does not embrace left-right divisions.

For her part, Clinton has described how her Methodist faith helped her survive the personal anguish of her husband Bill's affair with Monica Lewinsky.

The former first lady has accepted an invitation to an April 13 event in Pennsylvania called "The Compassion Forum," an inter-faith dialogue taking place just before the state's April 22 primary. Obama and McCain have also been invited, organizers say.

The success today of bestselling books such as "The Great Awakening," by nationally prominent preacher Jim Wallis, also suggests a blurring of the old divide in religion and politics.

"Those on the religious right did it wrong, allowing their religion to become too partisan, too narrow, and too ideological," Wallis writes.

"They were used by politics and did plenty of using themselves -- using both people and issues to further their own agenda. But I believe their day is over, and we have now entered the post-religious right era." (Read more...)

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McCain Captures Republican Nomination

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Mike Huckabee Withdraws From Race

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