Brody on Obama and religious leaders

[TexasTiger 13,029]

Update: Obama Meets with Conservative and Progressive Religious Leaders

June 10, 2008

More now on Barack Obama's meeting with religious leaders in Chicago this afternoon. As we first reported on The Brody File, Obama is meeting with influential mega-pastor TD Jakes and pro-life Catholic constitutional law professor Doug Kmiec. Read more here on that. That's a big deal. A really big deal. The fact that these two conservative men are meeting with Obama may be a signal that Obama's campaign is ready to break down the traditional wall of separation between conservatives and liberals when it comes to religious talk.

This meeting with Obama is made up of religious leaders from several denominations including Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants and Catholics. There are about 30 people there and these are leaders from Chicago and outside Chicago. Some in the meeting have shown their support for him. Others have not. I'm told that the meeting consisted of prayer as well and it lasted two hours. A campaign source tells me that besides Jakes and Kmiec, other religious leaders in the room today include Religious leaders include Rich Cizik with the conservative National Association of Evangelicals, best selling Christian author Max Lucado, Luis Cortes, Paul Corts, Cameron Strang, Bishop Phillip Cousin, Rev Stephen Thurston, Glenn Palmberg and Dr T Dewitt Smith. This campaign source tells me:

"Reaching out to the faith community is a priority for Barack Obama and will be a priority under an Obama Administration. This is one of several meetings he will have over the coming months with religious leaders."

Folks, this is an important development. It shows that the game has changed. Old rules don't apply. We're in uncharted territory. John McCain's religious outreach team has to now step to the plate and work hard for faith voters. It's not automatic.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/390184.aspx

[WinCrimson 61]

Interesting.

I'd be surprised if a man such as Max Lucado would be in lock step with McCain's Republican party. He doesn't strike me as having near the level of vitriol that's essentially required to be a member in this day and age.

[bigsixfive 328]

Interesting.

I'd be surprised if a man such as Max Lucado would be in lock step with McCain's Republican party. He doesn't strike me as having near the level of vitriol that's essentially required to be a member in this day and age.

This comes from the guy who clearly crossed a line of decency earlier in the day.

[Tigermike 3,055]

So how do you think Obama will get his far left and extreme pro abortion views across to Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants and pro-life Catholics?

"Reaching out to the faith community is a priority for Barack Obama and will be a priority under an Obama Administration. This is one of several meetings he will have over the coming months with religious leaders."

Folks, this is an important development. It shows that the game has changed. Old rules don't apply. We're in uncharted territory. John McCain's religious outreach team has to now step to the plate and work hard for faith voters. It's not automatic.

The uncharted part is true, since Obama has been very quiet about his views and votes on abortion. In fact it seems to have been their plan to not let his positions on abortion to be an issue. Unlike the past several dim candidates.

Wouldn't it be more of a surprise if TD Jakes was not in the Obama camp?