Religious Right Figure Gets Chills: Obama Could Win 40 Percent Of Evangelicals

"With clients like Focus on the Family, Franklin Graham, and Campus Crusade for Christ, Mark DeMoss may be the most prominent public relations executive in the evangelical world. A former chief of staff to Jerry Falwell, DeMoss became then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney's chief liaison to evangelical leaders."

In a new interview with Dan Gilgoff for BeliefNet's God-o-Meter, DeMoss explains the lack of religious enthusiasm for McCain and predicts a potential major shift to Obama.

How is John McCain doing among evangelicals, a crucial Republican constituency?

The evangelical world or the conservative religious world is not his natural habitat, so he doesn't strike me as being all that comfortable with it. I think that's evidenced by the strong comments made in 2000 about Falwell and Robertson. ...

You represent some of the nation's most powerful evangelicals. What do those leaders say about McCain?

This is one guy's perspective, but I am surprised by how little I've seen or read in conservative circles about McCain since February. I don't think I've gotten one email or letter or phone call from anybody in America in the last four months saying anything about this election or urging that we unite behind John McCain and put aside whatever differences we have. Back in the fall and winter, you'd get several things a day from conservatives saying, "The future of the Supreme Court is at stake. We have to stop Hillary Clinton. Get behind so and so--or don't' go with this guy." It's just very quiet. It could meant there's a real sense of apathy or it could mean they're' waiting for the general election to begin. But it's a surprise, given the way email networks work now.

Barack Obama is trying hard to win evangelical voters. Does that effort stand a chance?

If one third of white evangelicals voted for Bill Clinton the second time, at the height of Monica Lewinsky mess--that's a statistic I didn't believe at first but I double and triple checked it--I would not be surprised if that many or more voted for Barack Obama in this election. You're seeing some movement among evangelicals as the term [evangelical] has become more pejorative. There's a reaction among some evangelicals to swing out to the left in an effort to prove that evangelicals are really not that right wing. There's some concern that maybe Republicans haven't done that well. And there's this fascination with Barack Obama. So I will not be surprised if he gets one third of the evangelical vote. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 40-percent.

Read the full interview here.

Comments

[rollingdivision]

Apparently he didn't bother checking his dates. President Clinton was re-elected in November 1996. "The Monica Lewinsky mess" was unknown to the public until more than 14 months later.

[Suthngal]

"Unknown to the PUBLIC."

[stanjz]

You don't make the argument against abortion to Evangelicals. It's something they believe in. You make the point that you have to look at the New Testament in its entirety. On every issue from greed, to war, to pride, to hate of those different, the GOP is against Christian values. Even if you were to allow that abortion is killing, Christ never says that it is impossible for a killer to get to heaven, but he does say that about rich men in Mark 10:17-23

The Republicans support corporitism, which is the obsticle to every major problem our country faces from healthcare, to global warming, to good wages and to the industrial military complex which makes billion/trillions from war.

[TheElitist]

Jim Wallis writes about this in his book "God's Politics". Specifically, Bush, Rove & Co. effectively distilled all of Christianity down to two issues (pro-life and gay marriage) to court the evangelicals.

He writes about how both are spun as false choices, but more importantly, that Christianity is much more expansive and includes how we treat our poor, issues of war and peace, etc.

It is an indictment of this crazy hi-jacking of Christianity and a great read from the Christian perspective. I think he's one of a small number of ministers who has really worked to open eyes in the evangelical community.

[jadez]

its exactly what Obama said it was when he was speaking about "bitter" people.

by creating single issue voters who betray their own needs and future repugs were able to convince them they had a voice in politics.

now they may be wising up as Obama offers them more.

their faith and their better futures as part of something we all work towards and away from the division that repugs needed to gain their personal power and ambition.

[loocifer]

Thou shall not kill! Ever hear of that one genius?

[rowzeer]

They have a bigger issue with sex than just abortion, but abortion could be reduced (and has been) with adequate access to health care. How can a poor working woman take a WHOLE day off to go to a clinic to get birth control when they lose a whole days pay if they do. Christians want to dictate sexual morals more than they want to reduce abortion

[realitycheck7]

the only major hurdle is the abortion issue

[WSAY]

Right - Because we all know the Christian Right are mindless lemmings who can't see that families are worse off today than they were 8 years ago. We all know that the fact that abortions have actually increased under Bush but decreased under Clinton means nothing to them. Because we all know that their hatred of gays drives them to vote contrary to their needs and those of their country. Because we all know the Christian Right can tolerate $7.00 per gallon gas, foreclosures, having their phones tapped, and the murders of hundreds of thousands of people in the middle east in an effort to "win a war" that no one can even define. What really hurts the Christian Right is they are, generally, uneducated bigots, and today's Republican Party is right for them.

[olivia]

Perhaps they have figured out the GOP will note waste any political capital on that issue except right before every election.

Perhaps they can understand that the way to reduce abortion is to educate people and remove the economic obstacles to giving birth.

Maybe they will realize the white men who are the loudest on this issue are more interested in keeping women down than in preserving life at any stage.

[jeplanet]

Gay marriage is a biggie.

[dezzertguy]

Neither party supports gay marriage.

[liberaldemdave]

i wouldn't say "only".

the right has made much more political hay out of their blind hatred for the GLBT community and protecting the "sanctity" of marriage (while remaining ostensibly deaf on the issue of heterosexual divorce and adultery) than reproductive rights.case in point: how many abortion-abolishment amendments have we seen as ballot referendums? yup, ZERO. however, state after state gets an anti-gay partnership amendment on the ballot to whip up conservative voters...just sayin'...

...sadly, we now have a bunch of Shillary supporters willing to sacrifice Roe v. Wade to spite our Party's nominee. I just came from the Dem. State Convention in Austin, TX. today and you could feel the resentment from the Shillary supporters.

[conscioushope]

Actually, I am sadly shocked, Liberaldem, and saddened. I am going to Austin tomorrow as a matter of fact.

But, to the point, I just do not get this "blindness" about Her. It reminds me so much of the adoration of Eva Peron. The masses adored her, even though she was quite narcissistic.

[rowzeer]

Don't people have bigger problems to deal with than two men or women wanting to get married. Who gives a sh*t!! How does that affect my marriage. Loss of good paying jobs, they high cost of gas, food, etc., inadequate health care which all cause financial crisis are more harmful to my marriage.

[PatrickforO]

I guess maybe a big portion of evangelicals respect decency and morality. Maybe that's why they like the Dem. presumptive nominee. They may not agree with everything he stands for, but maybe they know they'll get a fair shake under him, and not just the lip service paid them by the neocons. Evangelicals have been used by the far right through the last decade and they're probably sick of it. These guys pay lip service to their stances, then ignore them, and ignore decency and morality itself once in office. You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, you know, but now that time may be over.

[scire]

Obama has lived far closer to Christian ideals than George Bush has. Just look at their histories.

But could we get over all the Christian sermonizing on this site? Obama may be Christian, but he is also tolerant of all religions. This has got to be offensive to those who believe in separation of Church and state. Stop already.

[liberaldemdave]

how about exhibiting a little tolerance, scire?

there are a great number of christian democrats whose voices are always drowned out by the secularist wing of the democratic party. we have as much right to talk about our faith as those without a faith-based POV, especially in OPEN political forums like huffpost!

as long as democrats lump all people of faith in the same category, we'll never reach out to those that would find our party's core values very alluring.

last i heard, there wasn't a mandate for separation of church and internet, just church and state (which i adamantly support).

[scire]

I didn't say this because I'm offended by the sermonizing, but because those who are doing it are encouraging the perception that the president should be Christian. That's not inclusive of people of non-christian faiths. I have no problem with people sermonizing on the internet, but in reference to a presidential candidate, I find it offensive. The president is the state and I want religion separated from his/her office. Comparing Obama to Jesus is a little unseemly. If I were Jewish or muslim or some other faith, I'd be offended.

[ilcapo]

I m still waiting for the agnostic candidate

[Northlite]

Obama seems to me to have the potential to be a genuine Christian leader, gentle but strong, concerned with those in need, ethical(or at least more ethical than most politicians!). More important, he has the potential to be a great American leader. Our nation is faced with so many challenges--we need a leader who is honest and on our side. I think that's Obama.

[patmancando]

Elmer Gantry comes to mind,

[rowzeer]

There are many with those same qualities who don't ascribe to any religion or that feel that religion should not be the jurisdiction of government. Do you really want government indoctrinating your children in religion?. Do you really want a theocracy....where one religion controls government? I for one would rather have a moral leader who is not a Christian than an immoral one who is.

[schicklett3]

I think Obama will get as many, or more, as McCain.
Not all religious people vote Republican - and Obama is far better than McCain.

[riverhouse]

I wouldn't be surprised. True Christians can't possibly find the direction of America under the GOP agreeable with Christian principles. All told, Obama will win with 300-350 delegates of all stripe.

[RevSpaminator]

I couldn't be the GOP leading us in the direction of torture could it? (Aren't most decent folk are against that, regardless of faith?)

[Counterglow]

The fact of the matter is that DeMoss isn't getting much feedback from the usual theocracy advocates because there's simply nothing to say. McCain is the only game in town and they know it.

When push comes to shove, the religious right will vote for a candidate who will try to kill Roe vs Wade every time over a candidate who supports it.

Both of the Democrats support Roe vs Wade. End of story.

[Krikkit]

There are two things going for Obama with Evangelicals that McCain lack: his deep and abiding faith and his passionate way of speaking that is very familiar to Evangelicals.

[Gericault]

We shouldn't be conservative with our compassion.
I've been very alone at my church with my political beliefs for a long time. I believe that we should give unto Ceasar that which is Ceasars, the rest goes to God.
This is just one more issue that has been twisted and manipulated by partisan republican politics.
Government is manmade and therefore flawed at the outset.The best we can do is govern in a way that is bigger than ourselves and does the most for the common good.
I for one, as a Christian, could never absolve Bush & Co. for their criminal crimes against humanity they have commited in the self serving cause of security.
The reason I don't like abortion is because I'm adopted. Had abortion been legal when I was born I might have ended up in a vacuum bag. I just wish we didn't have such a stigma against pregnant girls and the option would never be used.
I think homosexuals should have every right that I have under the constitution. That's includes marriage, as far as the government views them. My church doesn't have to acknowledge thier marriage but my government should. I think jesus was more condemning towards divorce that he was towards homosexuality.

I'm sorry for rambling but this subject has gotten me so bothered over the last eight years I'm grateful to finally see some people getting it.

The religous right are total hypocrites.
They are pharasee's.
They are a pit of vipers.

[jimmy2001]

I would like to add something to this but you covered it all... even the part about really thinking about it during the last few years... I'm glad to see someone with the exact same stance as myself on these issues.

Excellent post Gericault.

[LexLuthier]

Thank you, brother. I am a Buddhist, but that is really just a label created by the human mind. You and I are definitely of the same heart. Jesus was an awesome teacher of love and compassion and I'm glad to see you get it.

[captnEarl]

You go brother, you're speaking for me also

[ann1]

I agree with everything for the exception of homosexuality. Homosexuality is an abomination unto God. I fault Christians for the conditions of the world. Instead of praying we chose to become political by thinking mere man could fix those things which are spiritual

[Yohomegirl]

God made Steve

[Pyrrhus]

Then don't be gay. And don't try to restrict or deny the rights of Gay people because your God says it's a good idea.

[timothyi]

ann1, your bigotry and hatred are abominations before god. NOT the love shared by two people who happen to be of the same gender.

[liberaldemdave]

hey, ann1, your bigotry and superstition are showing...that is, unless you also agree that eating shellfish is an abomination, sleeping with a woman during her menstrual cycle is an abomination, touching the skin of a pig is an abomination (OMG! the WHOLE NFL IS GOING TO HELL!), and that unruly children should be stoned to death. etc. (my but leviticus is a hateful little chapter of the OLD testament).

your "selective morality" makes you sound like a "winger" in lamb's clothing.

oh, btw i'm also both GAYGAYGAY and a Christian (but not in that order as a matter of priority).

final question, quote me the scripture where JESUS said anything about gays and lesbians....

waiting...

still waiting....

/crickets

[PatrickforO]

Last time I read the good book, it said "Judge not that ye be not judged" and went on to say that all of us will be judged with the exact level of harshness or tolerance we express in life. That's why I don't judge gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered persons, or those whose life circumstances force them to get an abortion. Actually, I'm a little to the left of our candidate on the issue of gay marriage - I completely support the idea. Our candidate stops a little short of that position, saying only that he supports equal benefits for domestic partners as spouses.

[liberaldemdave]

people were having abortions LONG before they became legal. fortunately, your mother didn't go into a back alley, have an unsafe/mutilating abortion because then it would be possible that you would have BOTH died...

[kellygrrrl]

any TRUE Christian will vote for PEACE

just ask Jimmy Carter -- now that is a TRUE Christian

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Look the simple truth is that evangelicals were never all Republican.
As the article pointed out 33% of this bunch voted for Clinton.
A 7% change seems much ado about nothing.

[olivia]

How could 60% still believe in Republicans?

[Pyrrhus]

Lobotomies?

[greymen]

Sorry, don't believe in fairy tales, magic, dragons and fables, like ANYONE who believes in ANY religion/mythology does!

[Krikkit]

This article isn't about YOU and YOUR beliefs. Just thought I'd point out the obvious...

[Eoin45]

I second that and I'm an atheist. Thanks Krikkit.

[christieZ]

I'm not religious either, but shut the hell up.

[MsLiz]

Every culture has had some sort of religion or philosophy, and some pretty deep thinking has been done along those lines. That doesn't necessarily mean one believes in a supreme being.