Paper I wrote on the election in July

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Phil Skayhan
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Paper I wrote on the election in July

Post by Phil Skayhan »

This examines one of the main reasons I believe Kerry performed so poorly in the South and Midwest in the General Election. It should come as no surprise to most of you but I thought you might enjoy the read.
The First Amendment of the Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” However, despite the separation of Church and State, religions, particularly Christianity, has helped to shape the laws of the United States. This is not surprising considering that over eighty percent of adult American citizens identified themselves with one religious group or another; 77% of them associated with Christianity. (Pew Research Center) Their beliefs can influence which candidate for political office they will vote for and because no one person has the ability to influence national policy as the President of the United States, religion plays a larger role in a Presidential Election than any other.

A candidate’s views on religion and it’s place in public America become a factor whether it is blatantly stated or not. From being able to enjoy the same rights as others because of sexual orientation, the freedom of speech, or being able to believe or not believe in a god, the President’s views on religion can greatly affect how the policy of a nation is directed and will impact the lives of every citizen. It is the obligation of a voter to understand which of the candidates, George W. Bush, John Kerry, or Ralph Nader will better defend these rights.

President George W. Bush, the Republican incumbent, describes himself as a “Born again Christian”*. Bush has made no qualms about publicly stating his belief in God or using his faith as a basis for instituting policy such as faith-based charities. In a recent speech in New Orleans, he said, “It's an important lesson for us to remember here in America, that God's word can humble the mighty, can lift up the meek, and can bring comfort and strength to all who yearn for justice and freedom. Those of us who are involved with public policy must not fear that philosophy as we all work together to save lives.”*(gw.com)

Presidents Bush’s faith is not only important to himself, but may be strongly tied to his reelection bid. In years past, republicans have courted religious political groups such as the Christian Coalition before even announcing their candidacy for the Presidency.(Woodward, 93) Normally, a republican candidate will lean strongly to the Christian right during the primary elections and then become more centrist in his speech once the nomination is secured. George Bush’s current strategy goes against this tradition as his campaign is not showing the traditional move to the center of American politics as most candidates do at this point of the election season. It is geared more toward motivating his predominately Christian conservative base rather than trying to appeal to the ten percent of the undecided electorate. (Meyerson)

The Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, was raised Roman Catholic and still professes to be despite his opposition to the Vatican’s condemnation of abortion rights in America and his support of stem-cell research. Self-described as a “man of faith”, Kerry carries in his briefcase a rosary, scriptures, and personal reflection on God. However, Kerry is reticent to speak publicly about his faith, limiting his sermons to black congregations or African-American leader. (VandeHei)

This reluctance could prove troublesome for Kerry in the general election given that six out of ten American say the “religion is very important to them” and may be seen as ceding ground to Bush on the fight over values.(Harper) Of special concern is the battle for the Southern States. Also referred to as the Bible Belt, Kerry’s lack of religious fervor may cost him these states in the election and thus the White House. However, if Kerry caters to the religious, he runs the risk of alienating the seventy percent of non-religious people who currently support him.(Robertson) For this reason as much as any other, John Kerry chose Senator John Edwards of North Carolina to be his running mate. It is hoped that the Methodist Edward, who co-chairs the Senate prayer breakfast (Eastland) may make a difference not only in the Deep South, but also in other states that share their traits.(Kuttner)

Of all the candidates, it is Ralph Nader who has spoken out the least on religion. After failing to secure the nomination of the Green Party as he did for the 2000 election, Nader decided to run as an independent. Although he is Christian (USA Today), he taken a stance on many issues which are the antithesis of George W. Bush’s. (votenader.org)

No clearer is this difference than on the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Created as a response to the legal victories gay marriage advocates have won in the past year, it would have legally define marriage as “the union of a man and a woman” and made it illegal for any state to officially recognize the relationships of same-sex couples. Many have seen this as an attempt to institute religious laws disguised as “traditional American values” on the American public. The amendment failed passage in the Senate July 14th, 2004 by a bipartisan vote of 50-48.

Unaffected by the amendment’s defeat in the Senate, Christian groups have vowed to keep the issue alive. At the Rally for Traditional Marriage, held on July 18, 2004, Pastor Bill Owens warned public officials, “We're going to have crusades and rallies like this until we win. We're going to let our political leaders know 'if you don't stand for God, we won't stand for you.” (Martin, Parker) Opponents of the amendment celebrated and stated that marriage is a civil right and has nothing to do with religion and that the biblical definition of marriage should not be forced upon them. (Washington Post)

The President was a strong supporter of the amendment. “Marriage between a man and woman is an important part of stable families," George Bush said before a crowd in Wisconsin. (Allen, Milbank) Although his position is in line with his religious beliefs, the zeal in which the White House supported this amendment has been seen more as a strategy to scare the evangelical to the polls in November than any real effort to have the amendment ratified.(Allen, Milbank) However, statements such as the one above are still well received by the religious elements of the country. Bush does not worry about losing the gay vote because, as Gary Bauer, founder of the American Values organization says that “any loss of the support from gay Republicans will be far outweighed by the benefits in swing states, where he expects voters to rally around their opposition to gay marriage.”(Kuhn) In the 2000 election, Bush garnered only 25% of the gay vote.

In the Senate, John Kerry abstained from voting for the amendment but claimed that he would have voted against it.(Weller) He also voted against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act calling it “legislative gay-bashing". (Washington Times) Kerry believes that the decision to allow gay marriages should be left up to the states. Yet he also states that he is opposed to gay marriage as the Catholic Church’s doctrine dictates and has recently supported a Massecheusets constitutional amendment outlawing it even though he had previously been against such a proposal. (Washington Times) Kerry’s inability to clearly define himself has caused dissatisfaction with him with faction from both side of this issue. The religious do not see him as defending their traditional values while secular citizens believe that Kerry will not fully support them in their fights. (Kiely) "What is Kerry going to say,” asks Gary Bauer, “when asked whether or not he favors a state outlawing same-sex marriage or does he want Massachusetts to outlaw it when it votes in 2 years?” (Kuhn)

Ralph Nader openly supports equal rights for same sex couples and believes they should be granted the equal protections that marriage brings to American families. Quoting Marie C. Wilson, the president of the Ms. Foundation he agrees that “The most important thing is really having equal rights. It’s not about the marriage. It’s having the same rights that you would get if you were married.” (VoteNader.org) This stance espouses a more secular view of marriage and the government’s role in it. However it is an unpopular stance as 61% of Americans are reported to be against gay marriage and only 34% supporting it. (CBS)

The First Amendment also protect the freedom of expression. However, in the wake of Janet Jackson’s breast bearing performance during the Super Bowl, many in the media have felt the pressure exerted by religious leaders and politicians alike which threaten this right. Recently, Congress voted to allow the FCC to increase the fines for “obscene or indecent” content. Coupled with election year posturing in Washington, broadcasters are worried about what they can say or do resulting in “the most conservative television in years.”

It is clear that Bush is for a more puritanical restrictions on what can be broadcast over the airwaves as the head of the FCC, Michael Powell, was appointed by him. Under Powell, the FCC has accessed more than $2.5 million in fines. By contrast, the amount the FCC fined the year before Powell’s appointment was $48,000.(Robson)

No one person is as outspoken on this subject than Howard Stern. In April, Stern’s radio show was dropped by Clear Channel in seven markets for making allegedly obscene comments on the air. Stern believes it was more for his anti-Bush comments than for any perceived indecency that prompted Clear Channel’s action. He points to the personal relationship between Clear Channel majority stock holder Tom Hick and President Bush, from whom Hick purchased the Texas Rangers baseball team from in 1998 and that Clear Channel banned stations from playing any music by the Dixie Chicks after the band made anti-Bush comments in Europe. (Garcia) Stern accuses Bush of attempting to establish America as a theocratic nation in disregard for the First Amendment and had used his morning radio show to encourage his listeners to vote for John Kerry instead. (howardstern.com)

Kerry has been reluctant to publicly accept the endorsement of Stern because to do so would only serve to enhance the Republican’s charge that he is not the man who will defend “family values” and detract from Christian voters. However, he has not rejected Stern’s support either. This may be wise because recent polling has indicated that 17% of likely voters listen to Stern and that a quarter of these are the crucial swing voters. Add to this the popularity of his show in swing states such as Pennsylvania and the chance that he might influence the election becomes important. (Ferguson) While Stern does not believe that Kerry is “any better than Bush”, he believes that a resounding rejection of the religious agenda Bush is pursuing is of greater importance. (howardstern.com) Ralph Nader has made no statement on the current atmosphere in broadcasting and free speech. But it is telling of his place in the election when, as Salon.com’s Eric Boehler suggests, Howard Stern will have a bigger impact on the election than Ralph Nader. (Strachota)

The case that most clearly defines the difference, or lack thereof, between that candidates and their view of religion in public America is the presence of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Recently the U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped the major issue of it constitutionality by dismissing the case on its merits after the Ninth Circuit District Court ruled it unconstitutional on the grounds that it endorsed monotheism. 84% of Americans opposed the Court striking “under God” from the Pledge. (Lyons)
President Bush also opposed its removal and has said that it is not about religion but more ceremony and history. (AP) However, according to Vice President Dick Cheney:
  • We believe -- the President and I do -- very firmly in protecting the flag. We believe we are "one Nation under God," and that the American people -- (applause) -- and that the American people ought to be able to say "one nation under God" when they pledge allegiance to the flag. Unfortunately, we've got some judges who forget that the Declaration of Independence talks about "one nation under God." And one of the thing we need to do is to get more judges on the bench who support those measures. (whitehouse.gov)
John Kerry made no public statement on the Pledge of Allegiance case. But in a statement issued to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act said, “Together we can make this one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” (johnkerry.com) Nader, again, had nothing to say on the issue.

But the Pledge case is only symptomatic of the larger issue of whether or not America is a Christian nation or not. By refusing to rule on the constitutional question of whether the presence of “God” violated the Establishment clause, the Court has left the door open for future challenges on this topic. The next president will likely be able to appoint new Justices to the Supreme Court. The candidates religious views will influence their choice of nominees and thus the outcome of any Separation of Church and State cases that come before the Supreme Court,
for there are many such suits waiting in the wings.

It is clear that President George W. Bush has fashioned policy to follow the dictates of his “born-again” Christian faith. From open opposition to gay marriage, enforcement of puritanical values in broadcasting, and underlined by his belief that America is indeed “one nation under God.” But Senator John Kerry has a history of not enforcing his personal religious beliefs in his role as a lawmaker as exemplified by his support of abortion rights and opposition of a ban on gay marriage although he personally is against both in keeping with his Catholic faith. Ralph Nader is the true unknown for there is not enough information to formulate what his position on religion in America is. However, his strong public stance in favor of gay marriage would seem to indicate that he is the most secular of the three candidates.

Unfortunately for Nader, America is not a secular nation despite the presence of the Establishment Clause. With 84% of the public believing in one form of God or another, a candidate who hopes to win the Presidency must be mindful to court the faithful. As of this writing, it is George W. Bush who has been most successful as painting himself as a man of faith. In a Gallup poll, among those who stated that religion was very important to them, a clear majority voiced their intention to vote for Bush over Kerry. (Harper)

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