Hillary Clinton's Faith Based Talking Points
July 30, 2007
When it comes to the faith and values debate in this country, Republicans beware. Democrats are hunting in your backyard. The 2008 presidential campaign is going to take center stage. John Kerry really didn't get the "religious thing" in 2004. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards all get it. Burns Strider, Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Based Operations for Hillary Clinton's campaign tells The Brody File that this is not just a case of lip service:
"We have direct lines to the candidate. There's interaction; decisions are being made. The faith office is at the table every morning, fully integrated into the campaign. Faith work has to be substantive, it has to be real in people's lives and it has to be taken seriously."
The Democrats know that they can win when they talk about their faith. The evidence was in the 2006 midterm elections when some Democratic candidates made their faith an important part of their platform.
Strider says, "We did it with Heath Shuler, Ted Strickland, Bob Casey, Tim Kaine and others by talking about their faith and no one turned into a pillar of salt. We have showcased the last few years that being authentically Democratic and authentically faithful is not only compatible, but powerful. All of these Democratic candidates are authentic and that's a good thing for our nation."
As for what the Clinton campaign is doing right now when it comes to religious outreach, they're pretty much focusing in on the early primary states. An important tool for the campaign is a list of 'talking points" that is sent out to members of Hillary's Clinton Faith Steering Committee as well as a network of pastors and people of faith all across the country. The Brody File was provided with this list by the Clinton campaign. It's a 6-page document. See parts of the list below as it documents some information about Hillary when it comes to her faith. It gives you some insight as to how they will present Hillary to America as time goes on:
Hillary Clinton grew up in middle-America in a strong Methodist family, going to church every Sunday, attending Sunday School, and learning about the world through the youth group. Her family's church was First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, IL.
The teachings of her faith, the principles of the Methodist church, and the examples of her family have been the guiding light throughout her life: "I first learned about social and personal responsibility as a young girl growing up. I learned it from my parents; I learned it from my church."
She learned the value and power of prayer at an early age: "Someone asked me some years ago if I were a praying person, and I said yes and that I was fortunate to have been raised by parents who prayed, and grew up in a church that from the earliest years emphasized the importance of prayer. I remember seeing my late father on his knees every night by the side of his bed as well as him watching me by the side of mine."
Hillary Clinton's faith is deeply personal and real. It is from her works that we see the fruits of a generous and faithful spirit: "I often read from the Book of James and find inspiration from scripture such as 'faith without works is dead.' Well work without faith is very hard - faith keeps you going, keeps you moored to your values."
People of faith are very excited about Hillary Clinton's candidacy. According to a Pew Research Center poll in June 2007, she generated the most enthusiasm among Democrats in both religious groups for which sufficient data were available. Mainline Protestants express more potential support for Hillary Clinton than for the other Democratic candidates. Among Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholics, Hillary Clinton generates the most enthusiasm, with two-fifths saying there is a "good chance" they would vote for her and an additional 34% saying there is "some chance."
You get the idea. This is part of the narrative the Clinton team has formed to define her from a faith perspective. It's important to remember that Hillary's campaign is not going after the pro-life, religious right vote. So all of you who complain that she won't get your vote in a million years, I have a news flash: She's not after your vote.
She needs religious moderates and Independents to vote for her. Her campaign has already laid out her domestic policy framework that puts her legislative work and achievements in the proper faith context. It includes government programs to combat sex and violence on TV, helping out Head Start programs, combating poverty, fighting HIV/AIDS, tackling the genocide in Darfur and many more initiatives. It is in that vein that she will seek faith based votes. Obama and Edwards are trying to do the same thing.
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