Obama openly woos voters of faith

By Sherri Day - St. Petersburg Times
Monday, July 14, 2008 - Web Link
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July 12, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign talks about religion at "American values" house parties. He courts young Christians during campus visits. And his backers put religious messages on social networking Web sites.

It's a seemingly curious position for Obama, whose biggest source of campaign controversy stemmed from religion, specifically when caustic sermons surfaced from his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Although Obama has distanced himself from Wright, the presumptive Democratic nominee shows no signs of backing away from the subject of religion, despite its link to his image problem. It could be his Achilles' heel or a vehicle that helps deliver the White House in November.

This year as concerns about the economy, the environment and the Iraq war overshadow traditional social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and stem cell research, many of the so-called values voters remain uncommitted, polls show. Their indecision gives the Obama campaign an opening, made wider by Republican Sen. John McCain's reluctance to openly woo religious voters.

After many years of conceding those votes to Republicans who courted social conservatives, Democrats have begun seeking out voters of faith. John Kerry didn't in 2004, but other candidates, most notably Tim Kaine in the 2005 Virginia governor's race, have succeeded by not shying away from talking about religion on the campaign trail.