The Faith Factor in Modern Politics: A Critical Issue for Democrats

Bill Clinton's successful appeal to evangelical voters in both 1992 and 1996 demonstrates the importance of religion in modern politics. Clinton's faith-based connection with Americans resonated with voters, particularly evangelicals, who felt comfortable with his religiosity. However, his successor, John Kerry, seems to misunderstand this critical aspect of American politics, failing to effectively communicate his own faith to voters.

Key Takeaways:

• A recent Pew survey found that for every American who thinks politicians should talk less about religion, there are two Americans who believe politicians should talk more about their faith.
• Bill Clinton's religiosity was a key factor in his success among evangelical voters, who feel that politicians who share their faith are more trustworthy.
• In contrast, John Kerry's lack of emphasis on his faith has resulted in only 7 percent of Americans perceiving him as a man of strong religious faith, a catastrophic number for a Democratic candidate.
• Religious involvement is a more powerful predictor of how someone will vote than income, education, gender, or other social and demographic categories, except for race.
• The secular left, a growing and influential power bloc within the Democratic Party, is primarily interested in social issues and is hostile to religious conservatives, but Democrats must also appeal to religious moderates.
• Bill Clinton successfully bridged the gap between the secular left and religious moderates, while John Kerry has failed to do so, highlighting a critical blind spot in the Democratic Party's strategy.

Statistics:

• 7 percent of Americans perceive John Kerry as a man of strong religious faith (Time magazine survey).
• 75 percent of Americans feel little or no hostility to fundamentalists (American Religious Identification Survey).
• The number of Americans with no religious affiliation has more than doubled since 1990 (American Religious Identification Survey).
• Religious involvement is a 5-to-1 predictor of voting choices compared to income, education, and other social demographics (Baruch College political scientists Louis Bolce and Gerald De Maio).

Sources:

• Pew survey on politicians' discussion of religion
• Time magazine survey on John Kerry's faith
• American Religious Identification Survey
• Article by columnist on Bill Clinton's success among evangelical voters
• Book by Louis Bolce and Gerald De Maio on the influence of the secular left on the Democratic Party