Top Evangelical Weighs Candidates

They no longer automatically claim Republican mantle

(NEWSER) - When Barack Obama and John McCain meet with pastor Rick Warren tomorrow, they’ll be fighting for the future of an increasingly split evangelical voting block, the Washington Post reports. Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, is at the forefront of a movement rippling through young evangelicals and prompting them to focus on issues outside the normal Republican purview, like AIDS, poverty, and climate change. More»

Given Obama 'threat,' Republican appears to be lesser of two evils

(NEWSER) - James Dobson still won’t formally endorse John McCain, but the evangelical leader voiced support for the Republican candidate in a radio broadcast today, the AP reports. “Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation,” Dobson said, forcing him “to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice.” More»

Stephen Mansfield thinks Obama may sway young Christians, though he himself will vote against him

(NEWSER) - Stephen Mansfield expects to cast his ballot against Barack Obama in November. But that hasn’t stopped him from writing an admiring book about the candidate's religious profile—The Faith of Barack Obama—which argues that the candidate may well steal young evangelical voters away from John McCain. McCain is “clumsy when it comes to religion,” Mansfield tells Politico, in stark contrast to Obama’s “fluency” in the language of Christianity. More»

But leaders are skeptical, wounded by Hagee, Parsley slams

(NEWSER) - John McCain faces a challenge uncommon among GOP presidential candidates: rallying evangelical Christians to vote for him. As the New York Times reports, the McCain campaign is holding meetings with evangelical leaders and blasting them with emails, but many are still taking a wait-and-see approach. And McCain's lack of rapport with religious conservatives was exacerbated by his recent rejection of endorsements of the Rev. John Hagee and the Rev. Rod Parsley. More»

Even in a non-debate, pundits still find a way to label somebody a winner

(NEWSER) - Pastor Rick stressed that last night's Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency wasn't a debate, but that won't stop the pundits from deciding who came out ahead:

• Byron York, of the National Review, sees the night as a big win for McCain, who's had a "much bigger life."